Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living… in a cozy home with his parents and younger sister. It is the holiday season in 1950s America, and hisfamily is excited for Christmas.
Visiting… the North Pole. The Polar Express has come to take him there to show him the magic of Christmas.
Interests… playing with trains. Hero Boy has always wanted to sound a train whistle.
Relationship Status… single. Still at an age when he could believe in Santa Claus, Hero Boy is not interested in finding a girlfriend just yet. However, he does seem to like Hero Girl, and is willing to brave dangerous situations for her.
Challenge… hearing the sleigh bells ring. Only those who believe in Santa and the spirit of Christmas can hear the bells. Hero Boy is growing up and has reached a point in his life when, unlike his sister, he can no longer blindly believe in the existence of things like Santa Claus. Even so, he truly wants to believe in the myth. On the night of Christmas Eve, he admits, “I was listening for a sound I was afraid I’d never hear: the sound of Santa’s sleigh bells.”
Personality… brave, well-intentioned, responsible. Hero Boy is the kind of guy who would climb across the top of a moving train just to return a lost ticket to a girl. Even though he was the one who lost the ticket in the first place, how many people do you know who would go so far to right a wrong?
Get to Know him in...
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This is the story of a young boy on Christmas Eve who boards a magical train that's headed to the North Pole. What unfolds is an an adventure which follows a doubting boy, who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole; during this ride, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery which shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.
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A fifteenth anniversary deluxe gift package of the classic holiday Caldecott Medal winner combines the story of a young boy's Christmas Eve visit to a magical North Pole with a commemorative ornament and the complete story narrated on an accompanying cassette and CD. Read by Liam Neeson. 125,000 first printing.
