Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story [Hardcover]

Andrea Warren (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

The history of the orphan trains combined with the story of Lee Nailling, who in 1926 rode an orphan train to Texas.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8?Between 1854 and 1930, more than 200,000 orphaned and abandoned children from the cities of the eastern seaboard were "placed out" to new homes and families in the midwest and western states. Warren's account of the "orphan-train" phenomena, and of one man's story of how it affected his life, is an excellent introduction to researching or discussing children-at-risk in an earlier generation. The book is clearly written and illustrated with numerous black-and-white photographs and reproductions. The chapters alternate information about the largest agency, the Children's Aid Society, and its history, with the story of Lee Nailling, from whom the author has gathered the facts of his own childhood journey to Texas and his eventual reunion, late in life, with some of his long-lost siblings. Human interest is skillfully interspersed with factual information to create a fascinating book about a social movement that predated today's foster homes, adoption agencies, and homeless shelters. Annette R. Fry's The Orphan Trains (New Discovery, 1994) is written for the same age group and efficiently provides detailed information for research and reports. Eve Bunting's Train to Somewhere (Clarion, 1996), a picture book, tells the story for younger children. Together these books offer opportunities for discussion about the sometimes happy and sometimes misguided efforts to care for the orphaned and abandoned in our country's past. But if only one book can be acquired, Warren's title offers a wealth of information and is rich in human interest. It should be the primary purchase.?Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-6. From 1854 to 1930, the orphan trains took homeless children from cities in the East to new homes in the West, the Midwest, and the South. In Warren's book, one man's memories of his childhood abandonment and adoption give a personal slant on the subject. Chapters telling the story of Lee Nailing, who took an orphan train west in 1926, alternate with chapters filling in background information about the trains and the experiences of other children who rode them to their destinies. Throughout the book, black-and-white photos show both the people and places in Nailing's story and the broader topic of the orphan train experience. Children will find this a good resource on an intriguing subject. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; None edition (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395698227
• ISBN-13: 978-0395698228
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,860,734 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andrea Warren is a native Nebraskan who has called Kansas home since 1979. Her six books of nonfiction for young readers include "Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story"; "We Rode the Orphan Trains"; "Pioneer Girl: A True Story of Growing Up on the Prairie"; "Escape From Saigon: How a Vietnam War Orphan Became an American Boyp"; "Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps"; and "Under Siege! Three Children at the Civil War Battle for Vicksburg". Her seventh, "Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London," will be out in 2011.

Warren's books have won a long list of honors, including the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award,the William Allen White Award, and the Robert F. Sibert Honor Award.

Warren says, "I write true stories about young people caught up in dramatic events. It's an interesting way to learn about history. Readers identify with my main characters and ask themselves, 'If that had been me, what would I have done?'"

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book for Family Discussion, May 7, 2002

By 

Frederick S. Goethel "wildcatcreekbooks" (Central Valley, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story (Paperback)

I would like to start by saying that I think the suggested reading age is a little low. While the writing is well within in capabilities of most 4-6 graders, the subject may be a little touchy for the younger end of the group. I would be reluctant to let a sensative child read this book until at least the 5th grade.

That said, I think the book was wonderful.The writing is well done for children's non-fiction, but also is able to capture adult readers. The book is a fascinating story about one of the few surviving children who rode one of the orphan trains as well as the general story of the trains history.

My wife, 11 year old daughter and I read the book (my wife and I in 1 evening, my daughter the next) and then we discussed the concept of the trains, the needs for them and why such things are no longer in use in today's society. It made for a good family discussion and we all learned from the experience.

This book has very good content, as well as interesting information about the sociology of this country's past. It was well worth the read for both adults and our daughter and we all enjoyed it.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book, July 5, 2001

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story (Paperback)

In 1924, seven-year-old Alton Lou Clement's mother died in childbirth. His father, unable to take care of his seven children, sent the oldest three out into the world, gave the baby to a friend of the family, and gave the other three (including Alton) to an orphanage. Before he knew it, Alton and his brothers were bundled onto a train and sent towards Texas. The train they were riding was called an "orphan train." The orphan trains, running from 1854 to 1930, would carry young orphans from overcrowded Eastern orphanages out to (hopefully) loving families in the Midwest and West. This is the story of Alton Lou Clement (later Lee Clement Nailling), and the orphan trains.

The story of the orphan trains is one not known by many people. (I only first heard about it when reading Changes For Samantha by Valerie Tripp.) This wonderful book simultaneously tells the heart-wrenching stories of Lee Nailling, the conditions that orphans lived under, and the orphan trains that ran for nearly a century. Thankfully, the story of Lee Nailling and his brothers has a happy ending, and also contains Lee's uplifting thoughts. This is a wonderful book.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story, December 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story (Hardcover)

This is the story of one boy's journey after being placed in an orphange in New York City. It is a historical look at of one of the orphan trains, and contains black and white photos. I had never heard, (nor do I remember learning), about this part of American history. A very good book and I glady recommend it to students from the 5th grade through the 8th grade, or those interested in American history. It will also be a good book for the teachers to review with the class.