Orphan Train tells the story of the unlikely friendship between Molly Ayers, a foster-kid hoping to avoid juvie, and Vivian Daly, the elderly woman she has been assigned to help. Shared experience serves to unite them as it comes to light that the aged Vivian spent time on "orphan trains," which ran regularly from the cities of the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest from 1854 to 1929, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by pure luck. The subject matter will grab students' attention because so few people know about this particularly heartbreaking piece of American history and the novel's message of resilience and unlikely bonds will carry them through.

Freshman Common Read: University of Alabama (Honors College), University of St. Thomas

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Published: 01/10/2017
ISBN: 9780061950728
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.50lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.40w x 0.90d

Review Citations: Library Journal 11/15/2012 pg. 59
Kirkus Reviews 02/01/2013
Publishers Weekly 02/11/2013 pg. 37
Romantic Times 04/01/2013 pg. 36 - Excellent
Booklist 03/15/2013 pg. 48
Library Journal 04/01/2013 pg. 74
People Weekly 04/08/2013 pg. 56
New York Times Book Review 06/09/2013 pg. 34
New York Times Book Review 02/22/2015 pg. 28

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 168412 / Orphan Train
Reading Level: 5.6 / Interest Level: Upper Grade / Point Value: 13