Roundup of the Street Rovers: Charles Loring Brace (Trailblazer Books #36) [Paperback]

Dave and Neta Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001 | Age Level: 8 and up

For Kip O'Reilly, life on the streets doesn't seem all that bad. At least he and the other rovers have each other, and that's more than enough to keep them happy--well, as long as they can steal to survive. Just selling newspapers doesn't quite cut it. When Kip is finally caught stealing one morning, he's sent to jail. Fortunately for Kip, Rev. Brace of the Children's Aid Society bails him out, but only on the condition he comes to live at the Boys' Lodging House and starts earning an honest wage. When the opportunity comes for the children at the Society to head west on the "orphan train" in search of families to take them in, Kip is on board. But when they reach the first town, it seems like everyone else is placed except Kip. Will his honesty about his past petty theft keep people from taking him in?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"could be enjoyed by younger children as well as older children. Superbly captures a segment of rich history. Highly recommended." -- Bookbrowser, Nov. 2001

About the Author

Dave and Neta Jackson are a full-time husband/wife writing team who have authored and co-authored many books on marriage and family, the church, relationships, and other subjects. Their books for children include the TRAILBLAZER series and Hero Tales, volumes I,II, III, and IV. The Jacksons make their home in Evanston, Illinois.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764222694
• ISBN-13: 978-0764222696
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,137 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Historical Novel!, January 3, 2002

By 

Christian Bookshelf "Christian Bookworm Reviews" (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Roundup of the Street Rovers: Charles Loring Brace (Trailblazer Books #36) (Paperback)

This book would be good for anyone wanting a little insight into what happened to orphan children before our current welfare system existed.

The book can be read as an adventure story about orphan children surviving the streets of New York. It starts with a young orphan boy named Kip who runs with a group of boys who are simply trying to survive on the streets of New York with no adult assistance. It tells how they trade coal and find other ways to get food in order to survive. It even shows how easily they found themselves placed in jail or just disappearing off the streets to parts unknown. The story shows you a few different views of how children suddenly found themselves orphaned in the big city. You can't help but wonder what would have happened to children like this if the Children's Aid Society of New York hadn't been started by Rev. Charles Brace.

Then, the story takes you through the children overhearing the adults discussing how the children will only remain dependent on society unless they can be placed in family situations. Then we learn about the orphan trains. I only vaguely remember reading about the orphan trains in the past, but after reading this book, I would like to learn more. This touching story takes you all the way from the streets of New York to the orphan children being placed with farm families in Michigan who love and care for them. There is list at the end of the story for further reading on Rev. Charles Loring Brace and the orphan trains for people who want to learn more. This book is good for a boy, girl or adult who would like to read about how some orphan children survived in the late 1800s to the early 1920s.

--- reviewed by Tammy for Christian Bookshelf