Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story
Publication Information
Author:  Warren, Andrea	Illustrator:
Title:  Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story	Date:  1996
Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin	City:  Boston
ISBN, paperback:  0-395-69822-7	ISBN, hardback:
Recommended audience:
ABE/ABLE:   Yes	ESOL:
Family:	Young Adult:   Yes
Picture:
General Information:
Book Type(s):    nonfiction, true story
HSE Descriptor(s):    social studies
Summary:
Between 1859 and 1929, more than 200,000 children were sent "west" on Orphan Trains. The chapters in this book alternate between telling the larger history of this event and telling the individual story of one Orphan Train Rider, Lee Nailling.
Teaching Ideas:
This is a compelling story, enhanced by the alternating chapters and complemented by photographs. The book could be part of text sets on oral history, social problems (and how society deals with them), family structures, or children in history. Learners may want to compare this solution for orphaned children with current adoption efforts (e.g., Romania, former Soviet Union). The story is so engaging that literature circles or other free response activities will likely work well. Lee's perspective is clearly delineated, so a character sketch would also be effective. Excerpts might be read aloud.
Teaching Strategies:
Literature Circles    http://literacy.kent.edu/eureka/strategies/lit_circles.pdf
Keywords: select any link below for a list of resources which also have that keyword
Family > children History > time period > 20th Century Social Studies > sociology > social issues > social action Transportation > trains Sports/Recreation > travel > journeys/voyages Social Studies > sociology > social issues > orphans History > topic > orphan trains

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