We Rode the Orphan Trains
We Rode the Orphan Trains by Andrea Warren, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2001, is a reprint edition comprising 132 pages. This book presents the poignant memories of child orphans who experienced significant transitions, adventures, and challenges, ultimately finding joy in belonging to new families. It recounts the efforts of Charles Loring Brace, a minister who founded the Children’s Aid Society, which facilitated the migration of homeless children from urban environments to families across the United States between 1854 and 1929.
Readers will discover the personal stories of several orphan train riders, including Betty, who found a new life in a grand hotel, and Nettie and Nellie, twins who escaped an abusive situation to find love in a caring family. The narratives also include the experiences of brothers Howard and Fred, who maintained their bond despite being adopted into different homes, and Edith, who sought to uncover the mysteries of her past. This edition offers insights into the historical context of orphans and foster homes in the 19th and 20th centuries, making it a valuable resource for those interested in juvenile nonfiction and family history.
Official synopsis Publisher
Listen to child orphans as they share their memories of transition and adventure, disappointment and loneliness, but ultimately of the joy of belonging to their own new families.
They were “throwaway” kids, living in the streets or in orphanages and foster homes. Then Charles Loring Brace, a young minister working with the poor in New York City, started the Children’s Aid Society and devised a plan to give homeless children a chance to find families to call their own.
Thus began an extraordinary migration of American children. Between 1854 and 1929, an estimated 200,000 children, mostly from New York and other cities of the eastern United States, ventured forth to other states on a journey of hope.
Andrea Warren has shared the stories of some of these orphan train riders here, including those of Betty, who found a fairy tale life in a grand hotel; Nettie Evans and her twin, Nellie, who were rescued from their first abusive placement and taken in by a new, kindhearted family who gave them the love they had hoped for; brothers Howard and Fred, who remained close even though they were adopted into different families; and Edith, who longed to know the secrets of her past.
“This is powerful nonfiction for classroom and personal reading and for discussion.” (School Library Journal starred review)
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