A Grand Idea: How William J. Wilgus Created Grand Central Terminal Hardcover – Import, 23 January 2024

Megan Hoyt . Quill Tree Books . English

Written by award-winning author Megan Hoyt, this thoughtful STEM picture book biography about the brilliant architect of Grand Central Terminal is a celebration of resilience in the face of adversity, creative problem solving, and, of course, trains! There was once a place in New York City that had a tennis club, movie theater, and art gallery—all in the same building! It also had a secret passageway, a huge library, and even a ski slope. This astounding building is Grand Central Terminal, and it was the work of one brilliant man: William J. Wilgus. When William, an experienced engineer, wanted to create a new electric-powered train system, he knew he needed to house this special fleet somewhere exceptional. His grand idea of a solution? An underground multilevel train station that would become an iconic New York landmark, and one that is still an integral part of the city over a century later. Acclaimed author Megan Hoyt pays homage to William J. Wilgus and his crowning achievement in this STEM-oriented picture book biography, with whimsical illustrations by Dave Szalay.

Categories: Action & Adventure

About the Author

Megan Hoyt first fell in love with reading on a cozy branch of the crabapple tree outside her Texas home. She devoured Beverly Cleary’s books there, and Marguerite Henry’s “horsey books” still remind her of the loud Texas cicadas at dusk. She is a National Jewish Book Award finalist, the winner of the 2017 SCBWI Work in Progress Award and serves as Membership Coordinator for the SCBWI Carolinas region. Megan's debut picture book biography, Bartali's Bicycle, came out in February 2021 with Harper Collins Children's Books' new imprint, Quill Tree Books. Two more non-fiction titles came next, The Greatest Song of All, Kati's Tiny Messengers, and A Grand Idea, also with Quill Tree. Tzimmes for Tzipporah, her first fiction picture book recently launched, with Apples and Honey Press. Her poem, "Thanksgiving by the Lake," appears in the Millbrook Press anthology Thanku: Poems of Gratitude (2019), and her graded readers, The Lying Lion and Clara O'Hara, Private Eye (TCM) will be available soon. Her first picture book, Hildegard's Gift, came out in 2014 with Paraclete Press. Megan has a bachelor’s in English and History from Southern Methodist University and a master’s in Theology from Regent University. She is a certified teacher, whose interests range from Medieval and Renaissance History to Theology to 19th century children's literature. Megan lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, son (three other children have grown and flown), and a bichon frise named Fitzwilliam Darcy. In her spare time, she likes to swim, ride horses, and ice skate.

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