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As the school librarian at Apathy Elementary, Mrs. Ammerman is well aware of the students' lackadaisical attitude toward their education. Without revealing that she was involved or knows how it happened, one morning a full-sized train appears in the library without any signs of property damage. The media and the principal have questions, but it's the children who are really curious. Soon, they discover that if they get on the train and all focus on going somewhere, the train will take off and fly them to their destination. As a result, one lucky class gets to go on the field trip of a lifetime: one that takes them under the sea, to the circus, into fairy tales, and even up into outer space, getting them excited about learning and exploring their world.
At first glance, it's easy to compare this book to others that follow the premise of a fantastical field trip, The Magic School Bus in particular. The key thing that differentiates this book however is the fact that multiple locations are visited in just this one volume and that ultimately it appears that these children are not coexisting with magic but rather creating it themselves through imagination. There is still plenty of information, adventure, and societal morals for kids to enjoy and grow through, and parents will not need to be satisfied simply that their children are reading but that they are reading something wholesome and beneficial. This is a story that stands well enough on its own, but could also be the start of a long and expansive series capable of going anywhere and teaching nearly any subject to enthralled young readers.