Orphan Train Girl - Hardcover

Kline, Christina Baker

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062445944 ISBN 13: 9780062445940

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2017

Synopsis

This young readers’ edition of Christina Baker Kline’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel Orphan Train follows a twelve-year-old foster girl who forms an unlikely bond with a ninety-one-year-old woman.

Adapted and condensed for a young audience, Orphan Train Girl includes an author’s note and archival photos from the orphan train era. This book is especially perfect for mother/daughter reading groups.

Molly Ayer has been in foster care since she was eight years old. Most of the time, Molly knows it’s her attitude that’s the problem, but after being shipped from one family to another, she’s had her fair share of adults treating her like an inconvenience. So when Molly’s forced to help an a wealthy elderly woman clean out her attic for community service, Molly is wary. 

But from the moment they meet, Molly realizes that Vivian isn’t like any of the adults she’s encountered before. Vivian asks Molly questions about her life and actually listens to the answers.

Soon Molly sees they have more in common than she thought. Vivian was once an orphan, too—an Irish immigrant to New York City who was put on a so-called "orphan train" to the Midwest with hundreds of other children—and she can understand, better than anyone else, the emotional binds that have been making Molly’s life so hard.

Together, they not only clear boxes of past mementos from Vivian’s attic, but forge a path of friendship, forgiveness, and new beginnings.

About this title

About the Author:

Christina Baker Kline is the author of six novels, including the #1 New York Times bestseller Orphan Train as well as A Piece of the World. She lives outside New York City and spends as much time as possible on the coast of Maine. Learn more about Christina at www.christinabakerkline.com.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 4–6—Molly is a product of the foster care system and has spent most of her young life being shunted from one family to another. After stealing a copy of The Secret Garden from the public library, she is assigned community service: cleaning out the attic of the elderly, well-to-do Vivian Daly. The attic is full of mementos from Vivian's girlhood. As the two unpack boxes, Vivian shares her memories with Molly. Born Niamh (Neeve), Vivian first came to New York City in 1929 from Ireland. Not long after, Niamh's parents perished in a tragic fire, and she was transported with other orphans on a train bound for the Midwest to work for families in need of an extra pair of hands. After two unsuccessful placements, Niamh finally found a loving family. Molly comes to realize that she and Vivian share a lot in common. Molly, who is Penobscot Indian on her father's side, was raised on a reservation. After her father died in a car crash, her mother could no longer care for her properly, and she was forced to enter the foster care system. Kline expertly weaves the dual narratives of both Molly and Vivian as the two form a healing friendship. VERDICT With a mix of historical and contemporary settings, this successful adaptation of an adult novel is likely to appeal to both young and old.—D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0062445944
• ISBN 13: 9780062445940
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240