One of the book s protagonists, an irish orphan, is. This list is a small portion of riders that rode the orphan train to the midwest. Recipient of the founders award presented by the national orphan train complex for her eminent presentations on the orphan trains and having two published books. Her first book for houghton mifflin, orphan train rider, won the 1996 boston globe horn book award for nonfiction. One of the book s protagonists, an irish orphan, is packed. Apr 11, 20 after tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train christina baker klines new novel incorporates a true piece of american history. About the author andrea warren is the author of many acclaimed nonfiction books for young readers, including orphan train rider. Warren lets lee tells his personal story while she provides historical. The orphan train adventures series in order joan lowery. Now featuring a sneak peek at christinas forthcoming novel the exiles, coming september 2020. Lee and a younger brother, leo, were placed in an orphanage. Discusses the placement of over 200,000 orphaned or abandoned children in homes. She has been a professional writer for twenty years and works from her home office in the.
Warren lets lee tells his personal story while she provides historical context for what is the largest childrens migration in history. Christy awardwinner hedlund crafts an enjoyable first installment of the orphan train series. One boys true story is about lee nailling, whose mother died when he was seven. Warren intercuts the story of one childs experience with being an orphan train rider with a general history of the trains. Hedlunds cinderella story, shedding light on the hardships women faced in both the east coast cities and the developing west in the 1850s, is a pleasant romance with plenty of twists to keep readers engaged until the final page. She has been a professional writer for twenty years and works from her home office in the kansas city area. Orphan train rider by andrea warren scholastic teacher store.
Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in. My first profiled rider is my grandfather oliver nordmark who, along with his younger brother edward, rode the orphan train from the childrens village orphanage on long island ny to bern, kansas in search of a home. Vivans story starts in 1929, when 9 year old vivian at that time called niamh loses her parents and is sent from new york to the midwest with an orphan. More than 200,000 homeless children were sent west on the trains.
With the current influx of underage children coming across the southern borders, will we seeing the same thing happen again. You mention rootlessness being a major theme of the book, which seems a result. Riders on the orphan train is an historical novel about a littleknown piece of american history. Her mother, sophia kaminsky hillesheim, 1917 orphan train rider, was one of the children of the orphan trains taking part in a phenomenal journey from new york city to the midwest. Genealogists ride search for orphan train rider ancestors. From the teeming streets of new york among a crush of immigrants. There are a couple of references to other childrens experiences, but its mostly just the one example.
Collect all four volumes of the beyond the orphan train series. Andrea warrens books about children are the result of her passion for history and her interest in young readers. The brave journey of an orphan train rider, on thursday, february 16 at 7 p. Many orphan train riders came through this institution. Beyond the orphan train series, volumes 14 by arleta richardson. Wisconsin orphan train rider biographies, research queries, and lists and dates of orphan trains stopping in wisconsin. The orphan train children lined up to board the orphan train this train came through arkansas when my mother was young. One of the books protagonists, an irish orphan, is packed. Orphan train rider does anyone here have experience with identifying an ancestor as an orphan train rider. It was not unusual for choices to come down to looks, hair and eye color, nationality, or health. Find out more about the history of the orphan trains and if emily does indeed prevail in our upcoming library program, emilys story. The orphan trains carrying homeless children to be placed in the west are a little known part of americas history. I gave this book to my mother, whose cousins were also orphan train riders. One boys true story, which won the boston globehorn book award.
A riveting look at the orphan train from historical novelist jody hedlund when a financial crisis in 1850s new york leaves three orphaned sisters nearly destitute, the oldest, elise neumann, knows she. Orphan train research person for this site is clark kidder author of emilys story. Charles was placed with j f bickford, in westford, mn martin county. All of the sections of orphan train set in present day take place in a fictional maine. Looking for descendants of the orphan train riders eastman. Read online orphan train by christina baker kline for. Christina baker klines novel orphan train has ridden the new york times bestseller list for the past 15 weeks, becoming a favorite of book clubs across the country. For example, in an excerpt from the orphan train by andrea warren november 1998 in the washington post, another orphan train rider, lee nailling 81 at the time of the interview, of atlanta, texas, remembers a large farmer sticking his hand into his mouth to see if his teeth were sound. The brave journey of an orphan train rider, on thursday, february 16. Between 1854 and 1929, over 250,000 orphans and surrendered children were placed out across the country. Nov 23, 2015 in this segment from the west by orphan train documentary, orphan train rider stanley cornell recounts the story of he and his brothers experiences living in an orphanage and their eventual. In recent years, some of the riders have begun to share their stories. Orphan train rider by andrea warren overdrive rakuten.
A lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten chapter of americas history. If you would like to read more about the orphan trains, here are a few excellent books. And, when she got old enough to date, she met william cole, another orphan train rider. A lovely novel about the search for family that also. Andrea warrens six books of nonfiction for young readers include orphan train rider, pioneer girl, escape from saigon, surviving hitler, and under siege warrens books have won a long list of honors, including the boston globehorn book award. Orphan train riders, from the riders on the orphan train multimedia performance at union depot in st. William was an alcoholic, and her family forbid their relationship. She has been a professional writer for twenty years and works from her home office. Apr 10, 2014 the main characters are vivian, the orphaned train rider who at 91 years of age tells her fascinating story, and 17 year old molly, also an orphan, who helps old vivian to clean up her attic. Between 1854 and 1930, more than 200,000 orphaned or abandoned children were sent west on orphan trains to find new homes.
Today, we welcome christina to the blog to discuss her experience with book clubs and the three most common questions that clubs have asked her about the novel. Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in americas pastand it includes a special ps section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more. The main characters are vivian, the orphaned train rider who at 91 years of age tells her fascinating story, and 17 year old molly, also an orphan, who helps old vivian to clean up her attic. Apr 02, 20 a penobscot indian who has spent her youth in and out of foster homes, molly is also an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past. Riders on the orphan train chronicles the lives of two children among approximately 250,000 young people placed out between 1854 and 1929. Most significantly, there are more than 2 million orphan train rider descendants in america today. Andrea warrens six books of nonfiction for young readers include orphan train rider, pioneer girl, escape from saigon, surviving hitler, and under siege warrens books have won a long list of honors. The complete series list for the orphan train adventures joan lowery nixon. After tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train christina baker klines new novel incorporates a true piece of american history. After tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train.
When she was older, she wrote to the orphanage to try to get information from them about her mother, but, there was not much to give. Between 1854 and 1930, more than 200,000 orphaned or abandoned children were sent west on. An orphan train rider, from the riders on the orphan train multimedia performance at union depot in st. Orphan train is a young adult historical fiction novel about the relationship between seventeen yearold molly ayer and ninetyone yearold vivian daly who, as the result of spending time together and sharing. The true story of an orphan train rider deerfield public.
A first cousin once removed has suggested that my great grandfather was one of the first. The orphan asylum was a type of group home for orphaned children. Andrea warren is the author of many acclaimed nonfiction books for young readers, including orphan train rider. In this segment from the west by orphan train documentary, orphan train rider stanley cornell recounts the story of he and his brothers experiences living in an orphanage and their eventual. Orphan trains were part of socalled placing out programs in new york city and. It is also estimated that around 2 million people are descendents of an orphan train rider. Orphan train is a book set in both the present day and the late 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Juvenile literature, orphans, abandoned children, orphan trains, biography. For example, in an excerpt from the orphan train by andrea warren november 1998 in the washington post, another orphan train rider, lee nailling 81 at the time of the interview, of atlanta. Moving between contemporary maine and depressionera minnesota, orphan train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, and unexpected friendship. Discusses the placement of over 200,000 orphaned or. Looking for descendants of the orphan train riders.
Vivian traveled from nyc to minnesota as a young girl on one of the infamous orphan trains that was used to get orphans out of the cities into the country where they might have a better opportunity to find families and to be able to make a good life. Recipient of the new york foundling award 2004 and 2018 presented by othsa and the national orphan train complex for preservation of orphan train history. Renee wendinger is from minnesota and is the youngest of five children. Published may 1st 1996 by hmh books for young readers.
During the early years, indiana received the largest number of children. Orphan train is a young adult historical fiction novel about the relationship between seventeen yearold molly ayer and ninetyone yearold vivian daly who, as the result of spending time together and sharing their experiences, form a bond, learn from each other, and change in significant ways. There are no studies to show what happened to them. One boys true story from a pastor at the church i attend when he referenced it during his sermon on grace. Many train riders were ashamed of this part of their past, and carried the. See more ideas about orphan train, orphan and american history. One boys true story, which won the boston globe horn book award. They started their journey in new york and were given away in train stations across the country. In this moving story of one orphaned boy, author andrea warren describes the role of charles loring brace and the childrens aid society in establishing orphan trains. He was a dear man who did all he could to help promote the history of the orphan trains, and he was proud of his book.
The brave journey of an orphan train rider, which chronicles the true life story of his paternal grandmother an orphan train rider sent to. One boys true story follows lee nailings journey from new york city orphan to texas country boy. Take a trip back in time to the early 20th century in america, where ethan cooper and his orphaned siblings are on a mission to find a family. The year was 1906 and oliver was 8 years old edward 5. Two years later, along with yet another brother, the boys were sent west on an orphan train. A lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to. Chas hendricks, american, age 11 nyo ny orphan asylum. Orphan trains were part of socalled placing out programs in new york city and other eastern cities between 1854 and 1930, an effort to find homes for white children without parental support. From the 1850s until the 1900s the childrens aid societys orphan trains brought children to families in the midwest. National orphan train complex museum and research center. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains transported more than 200,000 orphaned, abandoned, and homeless children many of them firstgeneration irish catholic. The following entries in the log books dated april, 1884 the childrens aid society. Orphan train is a specifically american story of mobility and rootlessness, highlighting a littleknown but historically significant moment in our countrys past.
127 197 171 733 245 669 680 1057 686 1167 1055 532 1351 1038 944 1062 53 257 50 232 1257 1361 1258 1047 53 1394 498 449 760 1506 876 594 576 1293 852 386 463 58 494 736 1142