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The Orphans' Journey #2
Whistle-Stop West
Nine-year-old Ethan Cooper has managed to keep his family together for a year in a Pennsylvania orphanage. Now he and his siblings are boarding a train headed west. He can’t help but worry: Mr. and Mrs. Rush in Nebraska have agreed to adopt all four Cooper children, but what if they change their minds?
In the meantime, Ethan and his siblings encounter their first dust storm, explore train cars, and watch friend after friend leave with new parents. The children dream that soon they will have a new ma and pa too.
Based on the story of a real family, this second book in the historical Beyond the Orphan Train series reminds us that God never leaves us, no matter how far we journey to find home.
In the meantime, Ethan and his siblings encounter their first dust storm, explore train cars, and watch friend after friend leave with new parents. The children dream that soon they will have a new ma and pa too.
Based on the story of a real family, this second book in the historical Beyond the Orphan Train series reminds us that God never leaves us, no matter how far we journey to find home.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 1993
44 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Arleta Richardson
60 books108 followersArleta Richardson was an author, librarian, and a teacher. The Grandma's Attic series was her most well known series. She was born in Flint, MI, and served in World War II. She belonged to the Free Methodist Church.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 21, 2023
About this book:
“Nine-year-old Ethan Cooper has managed to keep his family together for a year in a Pennsylvania orphanage. Now he and his siblings are boarding a train headed west. He can’t help but worry: Mr. and Mrs. Rush in Nebraska have agreed to adopt all four Cooper children, but what if they change their minds?
In the meantime, Ethan and his siblings encounter their first dust storm, explore train cars, and watch friend after friend leave with new parents. The children dream that soon they will have a new ma and pa too.
Based on the story of a real family, this second book in the historical Beyond the Orphan Train series reminds us that God never leaves us, no matter how far we journey to find home.”
Series: Book #2 in “The Orphans’ Journey” series. Review of Book #1 Here!
Spiritual Content- Proverbs 20:7 at the beginning; Scriptures are read, quoted, ; Prayers & Blessings over food; Retelling about events from the Bible; Going to church (once); Talks about God; 'H's are capital when referring to God; A child says that he doesn’t know Jesus (which the Matron says that they want him to know about Jesus and tells him about Him); Mentions of God, Jesus, & trusting Him; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, services, pastors, sermons, hymns, & Sunday school; Mentions of Christians & a Christian duties; Mentions of a Christian children’s home; A few mentions of a mission society & missions; A couple mentions of spreading the Gospel; A mention of Heaven; A mention of being Blessed; A mention of a man doing “what he thinks the Bible tells him to” (about child rearing and teaching them to obey);
*Note: A mention of someone saying a couple doesn’t have children because of the Lord’s blessing as they don’t have a heart between them.
Negative Content- A bit of eye rolling & children bickering; Mentions of deaths, a child falling through a frozen pond, & grief (for a son, all up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a mortician & taking care of the bodies (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of a family dying in a fire (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of (adopted) children being punished (by a new father, because that’s how he was raised (obedience and not sparing the rod being mentioned and someone else saying the new father will make a strong-minded boy feel low); Mentions of gossip & rumors; A couple mentions of smallpox & deaths (a man’s wife and son); A couple mentions of kidnapping; A couple mentions of stealing; A couple mentions of jail & arrests; A mention of a tavern;
*Note: There are many prejudice comments about orphans (quite a few mentions of people sending the kids back if it doesn’t work out, replacing a child who has passed away, having them as unpaid servants, called “street kids” and thinking they may have diseases, some saying about not knowing where the kids come from or not wanting to let them into their homes; some of the comments or attitudes are corrected by others); A few comments from the hired help for a family complaining about the daughter of the family (calling her good-for-nothing and not wanting the family to adopt because it will be more work for them); Mentions of some children living on the streets & eating food from the trash or stealing it; Mentions of a wife complaining a lot (& her husband spending a lot of time out in the field because of it); A couple mentions of fighting Indians; A mention of a woman saying that her adopted daughter is “not very pretty” and hopes that she’ll grow out of it.
Sexual Content- N/A.
-Ethan Cooper
P.O.V. switches between many different characters
Set in 1908
192 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Four Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
{Could possibly be triggering for adoptees}
I do think this particular book could possibly be trigger or a hard read for adoptees due to all the prejudice comments made from people in different towns the orphan train is coming to. I would say it was about 60/40 on what was said about the children (negative vs kind/compassionate). While it’s easy to note based on the writing that the person is in the wrong (such as their words or actions with their comments being rude or hoity-toity), not all of those comments or thoughts are corrected. Unfortunately, it’s part of history—no matter if it’s hard, uncomfortable, or just plain wrong, it’s something orphans heard during this time (and sometimes nowadays still) and were treated as less than others or as servants. It definitely makes you compare the difference from then to now in how adoptions happen.
Because we are many different points of view, including the family that’s supposed to adopt the Cooper kids, there were cute moments and then moments that I felt a bit stressed! Especially towards the ending, and I’ll admit that it didn’t end how I was hoping, but hopefully the next book will make up for that. My jury’s out on the new family.
This series has been cute so far and I’m looking forward to continuing it, though, I am concerned about the new family.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
“Nine-year-old Ethan Cooper has managed to keep his family together for a year in a Pennsylvania orphanage. Now he and his siblings are boarding a train headed west. He can’t help but worry: Mr. and Mrs. Rush in Nebraska have agreed to adopt all four Cooper children, but what if they change their minds?
In the meantime, Ethan and his siblings encounter their first dust storm, explore train cars, and watch friend after friend leave with new parents. The children dream that soon they will have a new ma and pa too.
Based on the story of a real family, this second book in the historical Beyond the Orphan Train series reminds us that God never leaves us, no matter how far we journey to find home.”
Series: Book #2 in “The Orphans’ Journey” series. Review of Book #1 Here!
Spiritual Content- Proverbs 20:7 at the beginning; Scriptures are read, quoted, ; Prayers & Blessings over food; Retelling about events from the Bible; Going to church (once); Talks about God; 'H's are capital when referring to God; A child says that he doesn’t know Jesus (which the Matron says that they want him to know about Jesus and tells him about Him); Mentions of God, Jesus, & trusting Him; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, services, pastors, sermons, hymns, & Sunday school; Mentions of Christians & a Christian duties; Mentions of a Christian children’s home; A few mentions of a mission society & missions; A couple mentions of spreading the Gospel; A mention of Heaven; A mention of being Blessed; A mention of a man doing “what he thinks the Bible tells him to” (about child rearing and teaching them to obey);
*Note: A mention of someone saying a couple doesn’t have children because of the Lord’s blessing as they don’t have a heart between them.
Negative Content- A bit of eye rolling & children bickering; Mentions of deaths, a child falling through a frozen pond, & grief (for a son, all up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a mortician & taking care of the bodies (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of a family dying in a fire (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of (adopted) children being punished (by a new father, because that’s how he was raised (obedience and not sparing the rod being mentioned and someone else saying the new father will make a strong-minded boy feel low); Mentions of gossip & rumors; A couple mentions of smallpox & deaths (a man’s wife and son); A couple mentions of kidnapping; A couple mentions of stealing; A couple mentions of jail & arrests; A mention of a tavern;
*Note: There are many prejudice comments about orphans (quite a few mentions of people sending the kids back if it doesn’t work out, replacing a child who has passed away, having them as unpaid servants, called “street kids” and thinking they may have diseases, some saying about not knowing where the kids come from or not wanting to let them into their homes; some of the comments or attitudes are corrected by others); A few comments from the hired help for a family complaining about the daughter of the family (calling her good-for-nothing and not wanting the family to adopt because it will be more work for them); Mentions of some children living on the streets & eating food from the trash or stealing it; Mentions of a wife complaining a lot (& her husband spending a lot of time out in the field because of it); A couple mentions of fighting Indians; A mention of a woman saying that her adopted daughter is “not very pretty” and hopes that she’ll grow out of it.
Sexual Content- N/A.
-Ethan Cooper
P.O.V. switches between many different characters
Set in 1908
192 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Four Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
{Could possibly be triggering for adoptees}
I do think this particular book could possibly be trigger or a hard read for adoptees due to all the prejudice comments made from people in different towns the orphan train is coming to. I would say it was about 60/40 on what was said about the children (negative vs kind/compassionate). While it’s easy to note based on the writing that the person is in the wrong (such as their words or actions with their comments being rude or hoity-toity), not all of those comments or thoughts are corrected. Unfortunately, it’s part of history—no matter if it’s hard, uncomfortable, or just plain wrong, it’s something orphans heard during this time (and sometimes nowadays still) and were treated as less than others or as servants. It definitely makes you compare the difference from then to now in how adoptions happen.
Because we are many different points of view, including the family that’s supposed to adopt the Cooper kids, there were cute moments and then moments that I felt a bit stressed! Especially towards the ending, and I’ll admit that it didn’t end how I was hoping, but hopefully the next book will make up for that. My jury’s out on the new family.
This series has been cute so far and I’m looking forward to continuing it, though, I am concerned about the new family.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
January 8, 2022
These are absolutely heart warming and wonderful! Beautiful kid's books indeed....Such an easy to read book without the tediousness with some regular ones. This series is based on a true story about a family of four orphaned children and their adventures. I needed some "lighter" reading that was also uplifting these days. Definitely recommend these books for any family....I have read several of her other ones in the Grandma's Attic series; so delightful!
June 20, 2018
"That's how I'll feel when you get adopted," Ethan told Bet as they watched. "Bu I probably won't cry. I don't think boys do that."
"They do on the inside," Bert said. "I know I will."
This book! <3 I absolutely love the adventure parts of the Orphan Train, and when the kids get adopted - it's so wonderful! Bert's adoption was hilarious! I loved the couple he ended up with!
The characters are amazing! When you read this book, you're automatically drawn to each! It's very hard not to like them - even the not-so-nice-people! :D (Simon's adorable, okay?!) I love how most of the characters trust in God throughout the book!
My only complaint - I forgot to mention this in the first book - is that Alice is supposed to have red hair, but on the cover, she has brown!!
Time to find out more in the third book!
"They do on the inside," Bert said. "I know I will."
This book! <3 I absolutely love the adventure parts of the Orphan Train, and when the kids get adopted - it's so wonderful! Bert's adoption was hilarious! I loved the couple he ended up with!
The characters are amazing! When you read this book, you're automatically drawn to each! It's very hard not to like them - even the not-so-nice-people! :D (Simon's adorable, okay?!) I love how most of the characters trust in God throughout the book!
My only complaint - I forgot to mention this in the first book - is that Alice is supposed to have red hair, but on the cover, she has brown!!
Time to find out more in the third book!
July 5, 2018
Oh, this story was such a delight! Each of the little stories about the families waiting to adopt a child from the orphan train made me want to know what happened after they got their child! And Ethan is still the best big brother. So sweet! I wanted to take them all home with me. The Christian aspects of the story were woven in well, not just dumped.
No cautions necessary.
No cautions necessary.
February 2, 2010
"The Orphans' Journey" is one story told in 4 sequential books.
The setting of the books is in the late 1800's, where you meet the Cooper family of 9 siblings, who have no parents. There are too many children to take care of, so 4 of them are sent away to Briarlane Christian Children's Home. This story centers on those 4 kids: Ethan, Alice, Simon, and Will.
Ethan, being the oldest of the four being sent to the orphanage, feels he must be the one to keep his family together. Things get a little crazy & out of hand, as the train is coming to pick up orphans to take them across the country. To add to all the chaos, more challenges are created when bullies appear at the orphanage, and also when the siblings are threatened by being adopted into separate families.
In the Cooper's adventures, they encounter Indians, a dust storm, and meet up with a horrifying bandit. It takes a lot of courage for Ethan to keep track of his other 3 siblings, plus his new friends at the orphanage. He wants to stay with everyone he loves, but decisions have to be made. He finds that looking to God will help him sort his troubles.
In this series, where one book leaves off, the next book continues. It is like reading one big story, divided into 4 books (each of which are approximately 140 pages).
Also, you might recognize the author, Arleta Richardson, writer of the "Grandma's Attic" series.
This was a wonderful series of books. I learned a lot about orphan trains, and other things going on in that time period, etc. I think a lot of kids would definitely enjoy reading these books.
Book One: Looking for Home
Book Two: Whistle-stop West
Book Three: Prairie Homestead
Book Four: Across the Border
The setting of the books is in the late 1800's, where you meet the Cooper family of 9 siblings, who have no parents. There are too many children to take care of, so 4 of them are sent away to Briarlane Christian Children's Home. This story centers on those 4 kids: Ethan, Alice, Simon, and Will.
Ethan, being the oldest of the four being sent to the orphanage, feels he must be the one to keep his family together. Things get a little crazy & out of hand, as the train is coming to pick up orphans to take them across the country. To add to all the chaos, more challenges are created when bullies appear at the orphanage, and also when the siblings are threatened by being adopted into separate families.
In the Cooper's adventures, they encounter Indians, a dust storm, and meet up with a horrifying bandit. It takes a lot of courage for Ethan to keep track of his other 3 siblings, plus his new friends at the orphanage. He wants to stay with everyone he loves, but decisions have to be made. He finds that looking to God will help him sort his troubles.
In this series, where one book leaves off, the next book continues. It is like reading one big story, divided into 4 books (each of which are approximately 140 pages).
Also, you might recognize the author, Arleta Richardson, writer of the "Grandma's Attic" series.
This was a wonderful series of books. I learned a lot about orphan trains, and other things going on in that time period, etc. I think a lot of kids would definitely enjoy reading these books.
Book One: Looking for Home
Book Two: Whistle-stop West
Book Three: Prairie Homestead
Book Four: Across the Border
February 1, 2016
A wonderful collection of faith-filled stories based on a real-life account! Book 2 of the series tells how Ethan and his family are placed up for adoption, and take a ride on the Orphan Train all the way to their new home in Nebraska, with many interesting experiences along the way.
Written in a straight forward, uncomplicated style, the story of Ethan Cooper and his three young siblings was uplifting, endearing, and inspirational. This collection would be perfect for a family read aloud or homeschool reading list with the discussion questions and suggested activities included at the end of each book. The stories flow well from book to book with a little recap in subsequent books, enough to remind the reader where the story left off. Faith lessons woven into each story illustrate the power of prayer, trusting God in difficult circumstances, knowing each person matters to the Good Shepherd and that He cares about the details of each person's life. I enjoyed reading the history also at the end of each book, which told what really occurred in their lives.
Recommend for all ages, especially families looking for good historically based stories with faith elements. Fans of the Grandma's Attic series will enjoy this one as well!
(Book series provided by NetGalley and David C Cook Publications in exchange for my honest review.)
Written in a straight forward, uncomplicated style, the story of Ethan Cooper and his three young siblings was uplifting, endearing, and inspirational. This collection would be perfect for a family read aloud or homeschool reading list with the discussion questions and suggested activities included at the end of each book. The stories flow well from book to book with a little recap in subsequent books, enough to remind the reader where the story left off. Faith lessons woven into each story illustrate the power of prayer, trusting God in difficult circumstances, knowing each person matters to the Good Shepherd and that He cares about the details of each person's life. I enjoyed reading the history also at the end of each book, which told what really occurred in their lives.
Recommend for all ages, especially families looking for good historically based stories with faith elements. Fans of the Grandma's Attic series will enjoy this one as well!
(Book series provided by NetGalley and David C Cook Publications in exchange for my honest review.)
January 26, 2016
What a delightful story. Great characters. I will post my full review soon.
December 17, 2015
I'm feeling a little sad as I write this, as if I've just left behind a group of fond friends after a long and enjoyable journey together, and I guess in a way I have.
Two days ago, NetGalley gifted me all four books in the "Beyond the Orphan Train Series" by Arleta Richardson, in return for an honest review.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first received these books, I guess a part of me expected to cringe my way through them because the description likened them to the Little House on the Prairie, which I've always found to be a bit corny and though at times these books could indeed be that way, they still managed to absorb me completely.
The four books in the series are called, Looking for home, Whistle-Stop West, Prairie Homestead and Across the border.
All four of the books follow the story of the Cooper family which is comprised of Ethan and his younger siblings Alice, Simon and Will.
We meet the children not long after their mothers death as they are setting off on the first journey of their young lives, to a Christian orphanage.
What's great about these books, is that they came about because of the remembering of a real person, which means the majority of the happenings within its pages, really took place. Which only helps to further endear you to the characters and the amazing experiences they lived through in their younger years.
Not only that, but you get an interesting glimpse into American History that includes the little known ophan trains that transported thousands of children to Midwestern farm homes and small communities between 1854 and 1929.
As I read these books I found myself falling in love with not only the main characters but many of the bit players too and wishing that I could travel with all the children as they disembarked from the train and into the arms of their new families. So much so, that I was often holding back tears as I watched characters that I'd become attached to walk out of the story for good.
This was made even more poignant, by the thought, that many of them may have actually been real children, whose ancestors might still be alive today.
Oh how I'd love to be able to track those relatives down and discover what became of each and every child on that train, and that's the main problem with these books, the desire for them never to end.
These books; however, are not for everyone. Written in a simple fashion, no doubt due to their target audience being children, there were times when I felt as if issues resolved themselves a little too quickly and dare I say it unrealistically. This was probably in an attempt to hold children's attention, but after, what could be fairly long build up, at times, these quick endings left me feeling a little cheated. On top of that, there were times when I felt it would have been nice for the story to divulge a little more detail. Especially in the case of the other children that traveled on the orphan train. That said the stories base in reality probably made this impossible for the author to actually achieve, without adding a lot more fiction.
So who is this book for?
A young audience could definitely gain a lot from these books, not only can they enjoy a heartwarming tale of adventure, but they'll also learn some interesting American history, that could very easily open the door for some extended learning, which is always great for homeschooling mums like myself, that said, I still think there is a lot, adult readers can take away from these books if they approach them with an open mind. I've certainly enjoyed them and am really glad that I've read them.
Something else to remember is that these books are relatively short reads on their own. In fact, I found that reading all of them together, felt like reading just one novel of around 60'000 words.
If you do pick them up, remember to keep some tissues on hand.
originally appeared as a review on my blog, dreaming of publication, you can view it in it's original format at the following link
http://joss-dreamingofpublication.blo...
Two days ago, NetGalley gifted me all four books in the "Beyond the Orphan Train Series" by Arleta Richardson, in return for an honest review.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first received these books, I guess a part of me expected to cringe my way through them because the description likened them to the Little House on the Prairie, which I've always found to be a bit corny and though at times these books could indeed be that way, they still managed to absorb me completely.
The four books in the series are called, Looking for home, Whistle-Stop West, Prairie Homestead and Across the border.
All four of the books follow the story of the Cooper family which is comprised of Ethan and his younger siblings Alice, Simon and Will.
We meet the children not long after their mothers death as they are setting off on the first journey of their young lives, to a Christian orphanage.
What's great about these books, is that they came about because of the remembering of a real person, which means the majority of the happenings within its pages, really took place. Which only helps to further endear you to the characters and the amazing experiences they lived through in their younger years.
Not only that, but you get an interesting glimpse into American History that includes the little known ophan trains that transported thousands of children to Midwestern farm homes and small communities between 1854 and 1929.
As I read these books I found myself falling in love with not only the main characters but many of the bit players too and wishing that I could travel with all the children as they disembarked from the train and into the arms of their new families. So much so, that I was often holding back tears as I watched characters that I'd become attached to walk out of the story for good.
This was made even more poignant, by the thought, that many of them may have actually been real children, whose ancestors might still be alive today.
Oh how I'd love to be able to track those relatives down and discover what became of each and every child on that train, and that's the main problem with these books, the desire for them never to end.
These books; however, are not for everyone. Written in a simple fashion, no doubt due to their target audience being children, there were times when I felt as if issues resolved themselves a little too quickly and dare I say it unrealistically. This was probably in an attempt to hold children's attention, but after, what could be fairly long build up, at times, these quick endings left me feeling a little cheated. On top of that, there were times when I felt it would have been nice for the story to divulge a little more detail. Especially in the case of the other children that traveled on the orphan train. That said the stories base in reality probably made this impossible for the author to actually achieve, without adding a lot more fiction.
So who is this book for?
A young audience could definitely gain a lot from these books, not only can they enjoy a heartwarming tale of adventure, but they'll also learn some interesting American history, that could very easily open the door for some extended learning, which is always great for homeschooling mums like myself, that said, I still think there is a lot, adult readers can take away from these books if they approach them with an open mind. I've certainly enjoyed them and am really glad that I've read them.
Something else to remember is that these books are relatively short reads on their own. In fact, I found that reading all of them together, felt like reading just one novel of around 60'000 words.
If you do pick them up, remember to keep some tissues on hand.
originally appeared as a review on my blog, dreaming of publication, you can view it in it's original format at the following link
http://joss-dreamingofpublication.blo...
December 31, 2015
The second book, Whistle-Stop West, deals with the adventures of the Coopers and some of the other children we met in the first book, as they travel on the train to their new homes in the West. To know that this story is based on a real family makes this story so real for my boys.
Again there are a few adventures and scary moments that make us realize how fortunate we are not to have gone out to the unknown to find a family to love us. We meet circus performers on this one and Simone has his own adventure, and a few chuckles!
There are also some hard goodbyes when new families come and take some of the children at the stops along the route, how hard that must have been for these children to see those they care about leave, and never to been seen by them again.
We can’t wait for the next book in this series.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher David C. Cook, and was not required to give a positive review.
Again there are a few adventures and scary moments that make us realize how fortunate we are not to have gone out to the unknown to find a family to love us. We meet circus performers on this one and Simone has his own adventure, and a few chuckles!
There are also some hard goodbyes when new families come and take some of the children at the stops along the route, how hard that must have been for these children to see those they care about leave, and never to been seen by them again.
We can’t wait for the next book in this series.
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher David C. Cook, and was not required to give a positive review.
October 12, 2011
I found it interesting to learn about the orphan trains and the experiences the children had (or might have had). However, my son didn't get into these books, perhaps because they could have been better written.
June 29, 2012
I always LOVED these books as a kid. And now there's 2 more after this one. Yay! I always hoped the orphans would have a lovely life after they got picked.
April 24, 2020
4 stars for a positive take on the historical Orphan Trains that carried 1000s of children to homes in various parts of the country. Many found good homes, others did not. The children in this story find homes that suit them, so you know it is more fiction than fact. The characters could have used more substance, as little was said about them. It is a nice series for family reading, with good teaching points: life is not the same for everyone; not all children have happy home lives; bad or sad things happen to all sorts of people; family is important; a family is a group of people who love and care about one another. This family can even be in an orphanage.
August 15, 2022
This book is about 25 orphans on a train called The Orphan Train. It is a carriage that carries orphans through a state and orphans get adopted along the way. The main character is a boy called Ethan Cooper, who has a younger sister and two younger brothers. He has already been chosen by a family, and he has to travel, seeing all his friends from the Briarlane Orphanage get adopted by various people. My favourite parts of the story are when the children get adopted. My favourite character is Ethan. I learned that this book series was based on a real story, and the Orphan Trains were in operation from 1854 to 1929 and relocated more than 250,000 children.
November 2, 2023
audiobook
This was a good story of an eight-year old who travels to an orphanage with his three younger siblings.
The narrator was excellent in that voices were differentiated, and I could interact with the main characters. Ethan was a very mature boy for his age. He honored his mother's deathbed wish of keeping his siblings together.
I had to laugh when the wealthy wife of one of the board members did not heed the warning given and "kidnapped" three-year old Will. That was a weekend not to be forgotten!
This was a good story of an eight-year old who travels to an orphanage with his three younger siblings.
The narrator was excellent in that voices were differentiated, and I could interact with the main characters. Ethan was a very mature boy for his age. He honored his mother's deathbed wish of keeping his siblings together.
I had to laugh when the wealthy wife of one of the board members did not heed the warning given and "kidnapped" three-year old Will. That was a weekend not to be forgotten!
September 30, 2017
I think this should be required reading in elementary school.
It was a little too feel good, but I'm jaded and old and wish there was more feel good in the world.
The trip was cool, the circus perfect, and the insight into town people very good.
It was a little too feel good, but I'm jaded and old and wish there was more feel good in the world.
The trip was cool, the circus perfect, and the insight into town people very good.
February 25, 2018
Great book!
its about orphans going on a train
to meet their new families .
its about orphans going on a train
to meet their new families .
December 20, 2018
I thought that this book was okay. It wasn’t my favorite because of the very predictable plot line, and also because the book didn’t have very interesting details.
September 20, 2019
Really good little series
October 25, 2019
Another lovely read. Hard to comprehend how children were handed off to strangers but interesting to learn the history.
October 1, 2022
This is a good series.
February 26, 2023
Less depressing than book 1 but not a stand alone. This covers the journey west but ends before they arrive at their new home.
April 30, 2023
Very good.
November 10, 2023
A sweet story about the orphan train. It must’ve been difficult for children to stand there and hope somebody would pick them.
June 30, 2024
This a sweet and fun series! I really enjoyed all of the books in it.
November 7, 2024
When Lizzie read this, she gave it a 3. I would agree with her. However, the triplets enjoyed it more and gave it 5 stars. I may have liked it more if I had read it myself instead of using the audiobook. The narrator had a very strange reading cadence, almost always pausing between subject and verb.
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