Don't forget to include advertisements in your newspaper. Discuss what this quotation means. Go back and read the descriptions of Sean's jobs. Make a poster for each one to advertise the Union Pacific Railroad jobs available for strong, brave workers. Then hang the posters in the hall and see how many people apply for each job.
Many internet sites offer information and pictures on the transcontinental railroad.
If you click on Railroads Expanding the West, you will find links to dozens of transcontinental-related sites. The Journal of Sean Sullivan describes the great railroad race through the eyes of a boy. The Diary of Libby West - and see how the same event is described by a girl. You've written two other historical fiction novels but this is your first book written in the journal format. Though I'm used to relying much more on dialogue, once I found Sean's voice, the experience became both immediate and enjoyable.