(3) 4-6 With Sarah Thomson. In this adaptation of Kline's adult novel, told in vignettes that alternate between the present and the past, Molly steals a library book and is sentenced to help an old lady clean out her attic. It turns out that modern-day foster kid Molly and Vivian, who rode an orphan train in the 1920s, share unique experiences. Both characters' desperation for stability is poignant and compelling.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Based on a True Story series. Illustrated by Clint Hansen. These historical fiction stories introduce middle-grade readers to the experiences of real children. Written under one pseudonym by different authors, the novels, accompanied by black-and-white drawings and archival images and photos, are accessible if not riveting entrées into their subjects' lives. (Jemison's use of savage, true to the times, would have benefited from some contextualizing.) Each entry includes an author's note separating fact from fiction. Clem and Jemison contain glossaries. Review covers these Based on a True Story titles: John Lincoln Clem, Mary Jemison, Nettie & Nellie Crook, and Sybil Ludington.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) 4-6 Encounter series. Through moving, fascinating accounts of seven children's experiences on mid-nineteenth-century orphan trains, Langston-George brings this moment from history to vivid life. While also providing broader context, each chapter delves into a different child's background and follows through to his or her eventual (not-always-happy) placement in a home. Archival photographs enhance the narrative. Critical thinking questions are appended. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 Hidden Histories series. Outspoken twelve-year-old Rory, who lives in NYC's Catholic Foundling Hospital in 1904, vows to protect her sister, Violet. When Violet is placed with a family in racially divided Arizona Territory, Rory sneaks aboard the train headed west. Despite some lackluster dialogue and underdeveloped characters, Rory is a feisty and compelling protagonist in an action-packed story based on historical events.

Reviewer:

(3) 4-6 New York City orphans Frances and Harold are put on a train to Kansas and promised a better life. After they hear of horrible working situations that await, they escape with new friend Jack and find Wanderville, a kids' community fueled by camaraderie and imagination. Based on the early-twentieth-century Orphan Train Movement, this is palatable historical fiction, first in a projected series.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) 1-3 Ready-for-Chapters: Brave Kids series. Illustrated by Doris Ettlinger. Hazelle, who has been living in a New York City orphanage, suddenly finds herself on a train to Texas to be placed with a family. Based on a real-life orphan-train rider, this fictional account typifies the experiences of many orphans at the turn of the century. Gentle black-and-white illustrations and a thorough afterword enhance the book. Reading list.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(2) 4-6 When twelve-year-old Rodzina Brodski boards an orphan train heading west, her outlook is decidedly pessimistic. Like many a Cushman heroine before her, Rodzina is prickly, stubborn, and heart-sore, but she's also honest, likable, and smart. This presentation of the orphan-train saga is solid and thorough, and the story has enough unpredictability to nicely unsettle expectations.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2003

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ken Stark. Short, rhyming verses ("Lines of orphans, / On display. / David chosen, / Pulled away") and sentimental illustrations tell the story of three orphaned siblings who are sent West by orphan train and eventually end up in separate homes. The simple text may be aimed at an audience too young to fully comprehend this chapter in American history. A brief author's note gives historical background.

Reviewer: Pamela McCuen

(3) 4-6 Picture the American Past series. This series examines important events in American history and how they affected children. Illustrated with numerous tinted photos from the past, each volume contains a clear overview of relevant issues. Related activities ("Understanding Historical Photographs," "A Recipe for Make-Do Cake," etc.) are included at the back of each well-designed volume. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) YA In this story set in 1905 Missouri, Charlotte Matthews befriends fourteen-year-old Jesse Irwin, an orphan train rider adopted by a local widow. Their friendship is tested, however, when, in order to clear Jesse's name, Charlotte must decide whether or not to reveal information about a murder. Though the story is a bit sentimental, it unfolds carefully, and Charlotte is a well-developed character.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(2) 4-6 Introductory chapters explain how the orphan train program was begun in the 1850s by Charles Loring Brace and describe the role of agent Clara Comstock in accompanying orphans from New York to their new homes in the Midwest. The experiences of individual riders are described in the anecdotal, often touching text and accompanied by appealing black-and-white photographs. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2001

(4) 4-6 Orphan Train Adventures series. A present-day museum "interpreter" tells four visiting children about two young people who lived in mid-1700s Williamsburg: Ann learns her dream of being a doctor is unacceptable, and young slave Caesar yearns for freedom but settles for being a personal servant. The historical detail in the narratives is intrusive. Thirty pages of endnotes, a recipe, and a town map are appended to these Colonial Williamsburg tie-ins.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) 4-6 Orphan Train Adventures series. A present-day museum "interpreter" tells four visiting children about two young people who lived in mid-1700s Williamsburg: Ann learns her dream of being a doctor is unacceptable, and young slave Caesar yearns for freedom but settles for being a personal servant. The historical detail in the narratives is intrusive. Thirty pages of endnotes, a recipe, and a town map are appended to these Colonial Williamsburg tie-ins.

Reviewer: Anne St. John | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1988

(4) 4-6 Orphan Train Adventures series. A present-day museum "interpreter" tells four visiting children about two young people who lived in mid-1700s Williamsburg: Ann learns her dream of being a doctor is unacceptable, and young slave Caesar yearns for freedom but settles for being a personal servant. The historical detail in the narratives is intrusive. Thirty pages of endnotes, a recipe, and a town map are appended to these Colonial Williamsburg tie-ins.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) 4-6 Orphan Train Adventures series. A present-day museum "interpreter" tells four visiting children about two young people who lived in mid-1700s Williamsburg: Ann learns her dream of being a doctor is unacceptable, and young slave Caesar yearns for freedom but settles for being a personal servant. The historical detail in the narratives is intrusive. Thirty pages of endnotes, a recipe, and a town map are appended to these Colonial Williamsburg tie-ins.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) 4-6 Orphan Train Adventures series. A present-day museum "interpreter" tells four visiting children about two young people who lived in mid-1700s Williamsburg: Ann learns her dream of being a doctor is unacceptable, and young slave Caesar yearns for freedom but settles for being a personal servant. The historical detail in the narratives is intrusive. Thirty pages of endnotes, a recipe, and a town map are appended to these Colonial Williamsburg tie-ins.

Reviewer: Anne St. John | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 1988

(4) 4-6 Orphan Train Adventures series. When the Kellys' widowed mother realizes she cannot care for her six children in New York City, she sends them west to Missouri on the orphan train. Set during the Civil War, the books describe the adventures of the children, who, to their dismay, are placed in different homes. Readers will be drawn in by the drama; unfortunately, these large-print editions of the popular series are bound in unattractive, institutional covers.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(2) 4-6 The orphan train takes Deirdre O'Rourke to a childless minister and his humorless wife, who feed the girl but offer her little else. A talented singer, Deirdre joins a vaudeville troupe and eventually finds her way to Texas and to her brother. His placement--a happy farm situation--would welcome her as well, but Tamar has more satisfying, if somewhat theatrical, plans for the stage-struck girl.

Reviewer: Susan P. Bloom | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2000

(4) 4-6 Orphan Train Children series. Each novel tells about a child who rides an orphan train to Missouri in 1866. Independent Aggie finds a home with a like-minded family and discovers the women's suffrage movement. David encounters the Ku Klux Klan because of an ex-slave friend, but he too finds his niche. The protagonists and their stories are appealing, though predictable, and will likely attract younger readers of historical fiction. Background information is appended.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) 4-6 Orphan Train Children series. Each novel tells about a child who rides an orphan train to Missouri in 1866. Independent Aggie finds a home with a like-minded family and discovers the women's suffrage movement. David encounters the Ku Klux Klan because of an ex-slave friend, but he too finds his niche. The protagonists and their stories are appealing, though predictable, and will likely attract younger readers of historical fiction. Background information is appended.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert