The Boundless is a thrilling adventure by Toronto’s Kenneth Oppel. Spanning a whooping seven miles long and composed of a thousand carriages, the Boundless is a spectacular train. Complete with a performing circus and swimming pool, the Boundless crosses Canada from coast to coast in the late 1900s. Will, the protagonist, moves through a social hierarchy as he enters the worlds of each carriage. He begins his journey with the thronging crowds of “humbly dressed passengers carrying odd, tattered suitcases and sagging boxes and bundled crying babies” before entering the successively wealthier worlds of the more privileged classes. The historical and richly drawn character descriptions are in-depth and absorbing. Along the journey, we learn about the history and traditions of Canada’s Indigenous people and European settlers. I was particularly enthralled by Oppel’s vivid descriptions of the train’s journey through Canada’s vast ever-changing landscapes. These diverse, but equally spectacular settings, remind me of road trips I took long ago with my family, where the lush green mountains of BC slowly unfolded into long, scenic stretches of prairie farmland. If you like thrilling, adventure-packed books, The Boundless is for you. Kenneth Oppel currently lives in Toronto, Canada. I recommend reading this book aloud to grades 3+, as an independent book for grades 6+., and as a novel study for grades 6-10.