My Orphanland review (yes, I wrote this book)

Orphanland by Lauren Fischer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


EVERY BOOK IS NOT FOR EVERYONE, BUT EVERY BOOK IS FOR SOMEONE.
I thank every early reviewer who has taken the time to read and review Orphanland. As I said to one reviewer, on its publication day (November 12, 2025), Orphanland will have a life of its own; the life of a book is that some people will get it and enjoy it, and others will not, and that is OK. (I would hope that only people who have actually read a book would share an opinion about it!) I thank the website Pending Plays in the UK (https://www.pendingplays.co.uk) for this thoughtful review:

"Every so often, a book comes along that changes you as a person. Somehow, this pre-teen read manages to cover more social issues than a left-wing newspaper in Pride month. From drug overdoses, class divides and animal welfare to colonialism, LGBTQ+ and disabilities, everything is handled sensitively and in an accessible way for children. The representation is weaved unobtrusively throughout making this, in my opinion, a future classic."

A driving force behind my work is my belief that kids are smarter than we give them credit for. They see more than we like to think, and they are processing a very messy world. When you look outside your window, there is not one issue popping up on any given day, but many. In my writing, I do not shy away from this reality, even in a book written for kids. Rather, I represent the world as truthfully as I possibly can, based on my experiences and also on a lot of research.

IF YOU WROTE A BOOK FOR EVERYONE, THEN IT WOULDN'T BE FOR ANYONE.
"Representation matters" is more than just a hashtag. Representation of all types is crucial for young readers who are figuring out who they are. Windows and mirrors. Windows to see other peoples' perspectives, to build empathy, and mirrors to see a reflection of yourself, to know you are not alone. If representation is not included in books for kids, we do young readers a disservice. According to PEN America (https://pen.org/book-bans/),

"Our latest report, Banned in the USA: The Normalization of Book Banning, found that 6,870 books bans were enacted during the 2024-25 school year, across 23 states and 87 public school districts. And everywhere, it is the books that have long fought for a place on the shelf that are being targeted. Books by authors of color, by LGBTQ+ authors, by women. Books about racism, sexuality, gender, history. PEN America pushes back against censorship and the intolerance and exclusion that undergird it."

IF A BOOK IS NOT FOR YOU, THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT IS NOT FOR EVERYONE.
My hope is, and always has been, that Orphanland will find its way into the hands of as many young readers as possible, including kids who need to feel safe, and kids who long to be seen.



__________
October 2025
Dear Reader,
When I was working as a medical editor for the American Medical Association from 1999-2019, the opioid epidemic unfolded before my eyes. As the statistics grew worse and worse, I kept thinking about the people behind the data. In particular, I kept thinking about the kids affected by the crisis. I started writing Orphanland, and soon the voice of Willa Johnson spoke to me so clearly inside my head. She is the driving force behind the story. I’m excited to share her voice with everyone soon!
Lauren Fischer



View all my reviews