Jackrabbit McCabe and the Electric Telegraph

Book excerpt: The fastest man in the West meets his match in this deliciously clever original tall tale. With his extra-long legs, Jackrabbit McCabe can outrun anything on the American frontier: horses, trains, and even twisters. So of course, everyone in the town of Windy Flats always counts on his speed when a message has to get out fast. Then something new comes to town: the telegraph, which can send Morse code messages with the speed of electricity. At first, no one believes the newfangled contraption can deliver a message quicker than Jackrabbit. . . . But in a race between man and machine, who will be left in the dust? An author's note includes information about the invention of the telegraph, a Morse code key, and a riddle written in Morse code for kids to transcribe. "A strikingly accomplished debut.... A terrific tall tale about the costs and opportunities of technology." —Publishers Weekly, Starred "Good, quick-moving fun. Kids may marvel that communication existed before the telephone and Internet." —Kirkus Reviews