Andrea WarrenBesprekingen

Orphans and abandoned children in the east were loaded onto trains and adopted out to families in the west.

A jour - ney into the warehouses, slums, factories, and schools of Victo - rian England, and into the life of Charles Dickens, who used his tal - ent for writing to describe the lives of the poor and inspire readers to social action.

teen sexuality and how to deal with it

Andrea Warren writes about the life of Jack Mandelbaum and his experience with the holocaust. He is sent to four different concentration camps, and his main goal is to survive. He does this in whatever way he can, whether it's thinking of survival as a game or remembering his family. Despite horrible conditions, Jack is able to survive, but the rest of his family doesn't. The book includes pictures of the concentration camps and pictures of Jack, and seeing these pictures really brings to life how this was a real person living in this horribly unimaginable scenario.

The story is about kids who witness the civil war battles. The story starts with everyone screaming in terror since the only thing they hear is gun firing everywhere. It talks about their experience in the war as a confederate family during the war. Another part of the story talks about how a kid named willie had to fight in the war even though he was only 13 years old. He thinks it's unfair because he is only a child and he is already about to die at 13. So during the battle of Vicksburg the kid was going to leave until one of the soldiers grabbed him and made his return. The kid managed to surprisingly survived the war by himself without any parents with Lucy. Another person is a girl named Lucy wants was also in a confederate family. The gunfire was so intense at Vicksburg she had to live in a cave with her new family Wille for six weeks. They have to survive from snakes, heat, dirt, near suffocation. This is even harder on the kids since they don't even know if their parents are even alive.

In my opinion, I would rate the story 4. I would count the story as a five if, Some of the dates in the book were right. In the book, it says the battle of Vicksburg takes place in 1862 but it takes place a year after 1862. I found the story good because the story talks about how it affected the children then how it affected the parents. Most Civil War stories only talk about adults' point of view of the Civil War. Also, I like non-fiction books because they can be inspiring than a fiction book talking about superheroes saving the day. Also since it is a non-fiction book we can learn from our passed in a few hours then days/months. The reason I mostly picked out this book was that we were currently working on the Civil War in Class.½

I listened to this in audio format. It is a powerful story of former Congressman Norman Mineta's WWII experience in a Japanese internment camp, however, I think I would have enjoyed it more in its print version.

'Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story' is an excellent biography penned by a woman who taught both history and English. Andrea Warren organized this book in an interesting fashion. Much like the 'Grapes of Wrath', she alternated chapters between the specific story of Lee Nailling and what was happing on the Orphan Trains around the rest of the country. The author went a step further than simply telling the story of the Orphan Trains, she asked the important questions of why were they necessary in the first place and why is the retelling of this story is important?
Like many biographies worth their salt, the book's sources include a healthy combination of scholarly presses, primary sources, and original photographs. The author also includes a hefty reference index.
Prior to reading this biography, I was not familiar with the Orphan Trains. I was astonished that such an undertaking was imagined by one person. I found myself equally saddened by the many hardships suffered by these children and delighted by the successful pairings of children and adoptive parents. After reading this book, I am a firm believer that the majority had more fulfilling lives than they would have had they remained in New York.
As with many painful events in our history, more often than not, people do not like to dwell on them nor wish to discuss them. I am thankful to men like Lee Nailling who are brave enough to share their story.

This book brings to life some of the riders of the so-called orphan trains in a way that no other book to date has managed. It captured the heartbreak and the hope through biographers of 9 children who rode the trains, using interviews and, best of all, several photographs to recreate what life was like for these children (sometimes not orphans at all, by the way). Fortunately, these stories tend to end happily. I may have cried once or twice ;)

"Between 1859 and 1929, over 200,000 children were sent west on "orphan trains" to new homes." (Inside front cover) This repressed piece of history is incredible and I am grateful to Andrea Warren for telling one boy's story before it was too late. At the time this book was published in 1996, it was believed there was approximately 500 survivors remaining, all elderly. Twenty years later today, I would imagine there are no survivors left. It is important to continue sharing the stories of the children and of this successful program started by a young minister, Charles Loring Brace. Warren tells this story alternating chapters between Lee's personal account, with the history following the same timeline. There are photos are abundant, showing the hopeful faces of the abandoned children. Most photos do not have exact names or dates, assuming this information might not have been available. Warren does a wonderful job captivating the audience with Lee's story, giving the reader a direct look into the lives of the orphans. "A 1910 Children's Aid Society report said that 87 percent of the orphan train riders had "done well." (p. 60) This is an amazing success rate for a much needed experiment. One of the goals when teaching and reading nonfiction, is to make connections to today. Homeless children still exist, and are still in need of a loving home. This would be an excellent addition to any classroom, both ELA and history. The book includes a short bibliography as well as suggested reading. There are acknowledgements and photo credits, and an extensive index for both the text and photographs. Orphan Train is a well written book, and has motivated me to track down more of Warren's books.

The photos tell a sober tale of the plight of both the Union and Confederacy. In this well written narrative, we follow the plight of three children from three different families, two from the Confederacy and one from the Union. The anecdotes and details of their stories along with vivid photographs create an immersive experience that draws the reader into the depths of the misery that is siege warfare.

Have you ever heard of an Orphan Train? You are not alone if you haven't. Follow this biography of the emotional and often harrowing journeys of orphaned or abondoned American children, beginning in the late 1800's, who were sent across country in search of new families to love and care for them. Up until around 1929, it was estimated that some 200,000 children were transported by train to new homes out West. This story highlights nearly two dozen real-life riders and their unforgettable voyages into the unknown. After witnessing countless children spending the first parts of their lives in the dire conditions of orphanages in New York City, where they were often starving and neglected, Minister Charles Loring Brace, founded the Children's Aid Society to offer hope for these children's futures. He developed the concept of "placing out" as a way to find destitute babies and kids good-hearted families throughout the country who were willing to provide positive foster care environments. Although his heart was in the right place, Brace learned that not all people who stepped up to care for these young, broken souls would properly love and nurture them. He enlisted every day heros like Clara Comstock, a former school teacher, to be an advocacy agent for the orphans in their new living conditions and amid their foster journeys. Miss Comstock was described by some as an angel, but was tenacious when necessary, if a child was being mistreated in their new placement she would quickly come to their rescue. Experience a mission of faith, hope, suffering, tribulation, and love, in this enlightening book about an American sub-culture many may not have heard about until now. This book could be used to help modern American students compare and contrast some sociological standpoints of the Orphan Train Riders to present day childhood experiences.

A fascinating book about a forgotten social experiment in American history. Ms. Warren's account alternates following the experience of one young boy on an orphan train with general information chapters to fully explain the processes involved. First hand accounts are supplemented with archival photographs and relevant documents; there is an index, bibliography, and suggested further readings at the back. If you've ever wondered what life was like for young children in early Industrial America, this book will open up numerous avenues for further investigation.½

This book was something that I was really into reading. When I was in junior high I was introduced to many books about the Holocaust. This happens to be one of them. Rereading this book really opened my eyes to show me how blessed I am. I would recommend this book to junior high and high school (7th through 12th). It is something that students should know about because it played just a vital role in our history. This book is about about a young boy that gets separated from his family and taken away to a concentration camp. With very little food and poor living conditions, he finds hope in survival while thinking about his family. This book gives you a behind the scene sense of what it felt like going through such trying time. Even though, I will never be able to relate to such tragic event, some people may still find hope in this heart tugging biography.½

Between 1854 and 1930, more than 200,000 orphaned or abandoned children were sent west on orphan trains to find new homes. Some were adopted by loving families; others were not as fortunate. In recent years, some of the riders have begun to share their stories. Andrea Warren alternates chapters about the history of the orphan trains with the story of Lee Nailling, who in 1926 rode an orphan train to Texas.

We Rode the Orphan Trains, written by Andrea Warren, is a collection of brief biographies of men and women whose lives were changed by the orphan trains. Compiling personal interviews with historical research, Warren has gone through great lengths to merging memories with information as she tells the orphan train riders’ stories. Each chapter begins with the orphan train rider’s memories before the train, their experiences on the train, their life after being paired with a new family, and where they are presently (at the time of publication).

This book is written for young readers in grades 4-6. The cover is mostly navy blue with three photographs of children, who do not appear to be orphans, dressed up and posing for pictures with the title We Rode the Orphan Trains across the top. On the inside cover, Warren gives brief background information about orphan trains and their riders, as well as a brief description of the different lives these children found as a result. Each orphan’s story is completely unique, including “Betty, who found a fairy-tale life in a grand hotel; Nettie and her twin, Nellie, who were rescued from their first abusive placement and taken in by a kindhearted family who gave them the love they had hoped for; brothers Howard and Fred, who were adopted into different families; and edith, who longed to know the secrets of her past.” Warren highlights the pain and sorrow of growing up an orphan, as well as the joy belonging to a family.

Warren’s inspirational collection gives hope to adopted and foster families everywhere showing that “family can transcend biology, that strangers can learn to love each other, and that their bonds as family can be strong and true” (124).

I will add that I read Warren’s book in a pairing with a fictional piece titled Orphan Train Children: Lucy’s Wish by Joan Lowery Nixon. While both of these books are set during the same historical time period, and they tell similar stories of abandonment and belonging, they are starkly different. I found Nixon’s piece more difficult to read, even though it was written for a younger audience. I think the reason being that I knew I was reading historical fiction, so Lucy’s story, however emotional and inspirational it may be, is not real. However, Warren’s book is filled with personal accounts from real survivors of orphan trains, their struggles, their insecurities, their personal triumphs.In fact, if Nixon hadn’t included a nonfiction section at the end of her book, I’m not sure how useful it would be for a young reader because the lines between historical fact and fiction have been blurred. Also, Warren’s book seems to focus more on the personal success stories even though the people interviewed were orphan train riders. Nixon spends much of the novel highlighting the emotional pain and physical duress Lucy experiences, which could be useful to young readers. I would definitely use We Rode the Orphan Trains in my high school classroom. I would only suggest Lucy’s Wish to ab interested middle school student as an extension to a unit.

I read this in one sitting. Pretty good overview for a children's book. Several short, true stories - more like vignettes- of people who had ridden the 'orphan trains' at the turn of the century (early 1900's) as the title states. I would like to read something on the same subject that goes into a bit more depth. I'm not sure this is possible, as most of the train riders are deceased , and many of them who are still living did not want to speak about their early experiences. I think I liked the first book more, "Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story".

Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London – Andrea Warren
4 stars
There is a long tradition of biography as morality tale in children’s literature. Frequently there is little factual basis for the lesson; George Washington did not, in fact, chop down the cherry tree. However, with Charles Dickens, the lesson is implicit in the life of the man. Andrea Warren has presented the life of Charles Dickens in sixteen easy chapters with the clear intent of showcasing him as a social activist. The text is augmented with period illustrations and actual photographs. Following the last chapter are several brief selections that give additional information concerning Victorian England, workhouses and poorhouses in England and America, child labor laws and current charitable or activist organizations benefitting children worldwide. The book has an index, bibliography and a list of suggested websites.
The publisher recommends this book for ages 12 or above. I judge the reading level to be upper elementary; although some of the subject matter might be a bit mature. The text is informative and historically accurate, but is selected with a clear social agenda in mind.

*To understand this review fully, please read my review of Orphan Train Rider first.
In We Rode the Orphan Train's introduction, Andrea Warren says readers "were hungry for more stories," so wrote the follow up to Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story. Like these readers, I wanted to hear about other experiences. They couldn't have all been like Lee Nailing's story. Warren gives readers new perspectives, but the historical context is, at times, reprinted verbatim from the first text. Many of the visuals are also the same. I understand that she has to fill in readers who have not read her first book, but I would appreciate some effort to change it up a bit.

Here's what she does well: She includes a chapter about Miss Clara Comstock, a matron on the orphan trains who rode with the children and then became an agent. Warren describes her duties, highlighting her enormous responsibility. Lee Nailing hated the matron on the train, but it seems Miss Comstock was beloved by most orphan train riders.

After Miss Comstock's chapter, the following chapters are devoted to other riders. Readers can trace some common experiences and reactions to this experience. The riders tend to hate the secrecy surrounding their origins, which was upheld by the various societies that sent them away. It was considered better for the children if they didn't know anything about their parents and past. Most of the riders were bullied for being an orphan, and many of the riders do not remember what life was like before the train.

For the most part, the stories are positive ones. However, I was not shocked to discover more stories of abuse. For example, one girl couldn't stop crying at her new "home"; the woman who took her home slapped her and then locked her in the basement, in the dark. When Miss Comstock came to visit (as the agent), she took her away immediately. Another story involves a brother and sister who were sent to Michigan. Because of how isolated the home was, an agent didn't visit them for a full year. When the agent finally came, he/she took them away immediately. The sister, Marge, never talked to her little brother about what happened there. To reiterate what I said in my Orphan Train Rider review, silence is a common reaction to trauma.

In the last chapter, Warren writes: "There will always be critics of the placing out program who say that the orphan trains were wrong. Yet no better alternative was available at that time" (122). Let me break down my problem with this: Warren never includes criticism of the program. I may agree with her that this program was right for the time, but I find this shoddy scholarship. Always include naysayers. Or trust your young readers enough to let them make up their own minds about whether this program was right or wrong. And weren't there alternatives? Isn't that why they stopped running the programs?

Most of the sources cited in Orphan Train Rider were used for this book. Although I was shocked to see that there were fewer of them, she does mention that information was also gathered from interviews and "file materials from the Children's Aid Society" and "Orphan Train Heritage Society" (127). Neither organization is an unbiased third party. While troublesome, Warren does provide a platform for the riders to tell their stories though, and this is an important part of history that needs to be heard.

Have you ever heard of orphan trains? Well, don't feel bad if you haven't. I didn't know they existed until two years ago. My father-in-law was talking about this kid in Morgan City who came on the orphan train. My husband and I asked, "What is an orphan train?" He told us that kids would be put on the train and shipped west and south. Families would show up and pick out the kid they wanted. Fascinated, we had to know more. How is it that we never heard of this? When I saw these books in class, I had to read them.

Andrea Warren's Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story follows Lee Nailing's journey from New York City orphan to Texas country boy. Warren lets Lee tells his personal story while she provides historical context for what is the largest children's migration in history. She sets the stage for why there were so many orphans at the time: disease, mass immigration combined with unemployment, etc. Warren does not mention the lack of contraception and family planning, but I suppose this is for a younger audience and she doesn't want to go there.

Her bibliography is not extensive, but they texts are credible. The inclusion of newspaper ads and flyers about picking up orphans from the train were shocking and illuminating. Warren relies a lot on testimonials from orphan train riders. I found these to be moving, and the photographs of children drove the message home that these children were vulnerable and needed good homes.

Warren also includes some startling figures and horrifying testimonies. In 1850, NYC's population was 500,000, and there were 30,000 homeless children on the streets (17). Lee describes how his father dropped he and his brother off at the orphanage and later put their younger brother on the orphan train with them. When children arrived at various stops, siblings were split up. Adults inspected children's muscles and teeth like cattle, checking to see if they were strong and could work (43).

While some children suffered and were not placed in good homes, this was not the case for Lee. He found a loving family and could visit his brothers often. There are some excellent photographs of Lee as a young boy in Texas and as an adult, meeting his other brothers after so many years apart. Lee's struggles at the beginning make his happy ending even happier for the reader.

Clearly, the book ends on a positive note, but I wondered about all of the children who chose not to tell their stories or who were no longer around. Warren quotes a 1910 Children's Aid Society report: "87 percent of orphan train riders had 'done well'" (61). She qualifies this in the next sentence, "We cannot know exactly what the society meant by that, but 87 percent is a high success rate..." (60). Of course the society in charge of the orphan trains reported a high success rate. It's not a disinterested third party, why would she not question this number? She includes a number of success stories but not any statistics. Also, didn't the notion that the people who are alive and want to discuss their journey had a positive experience in the end?

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I am left wanting more, which I suppose is a good thing because I'm about to read her next book We Rode the Orphan Trains.

A short and informative true story about a child's experience as an Orphan Train Rider. While it was interesting, it doesn't go into much depth. I do think it's worth the read and is an important story. I'd also encourage others who want more detail to read Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. It is a very touching piece of historical fiction that deals with the same subject matter over the span of a girl's life.

An intriguing and fairly detailed look at the different aspects of Holocaust life from one survivor's perspective.

RGG: Clear, concise pull no punches biography. The horrors are not glossed over, but the text is still geared toward middle grade students. Reading Interest: 10 -14.

THE BOY WHO BECAME BUFFALO BILL by Andrea Warren is an engrossing nonfiction adventure featuring young Billy Cody.

This compelling true story details young Billy Cody’s life growing up on the plains and ultimately becoming an entertainer. Although the book discusses the Wild West show, emphasis is placed on his younger years. The bulk of the biography explores his tween and young adult years in Kansas, his role in the Civil War, and his work as a scout and guide.

The author skillfully weaves historical events into the real-life story of the beloved entertainer. The author’s notes point out that the legend can be difficult to distinguish from the facts. However, Warren’s well-researched biography does an excellent job focusing on historically accurate information.

Librarians will find this biography is written specifically for the middle grade audience. The easy-to-read narrative combined with the short chapters focusing on specific historical events will be attractive to young readers. The wealth of primary source documents including photographs will add to the appeal for young learners. A discussion guide is available for this title.

Add this title to your growing collection of outstanding biographical works by Andrea Warren.

To learn more about the author, go to http://andreawarren.com/.

Published by Two Lions on November 3, 2015. ARC courtesy of the publisher.½

An amazing American event that is almost never shared in school.Aimed at children in grades 4-8, this book is brief but powerful. The story told here is gut-wrenching at times but ends on a positive note. Highly recommended for any age.

This heart wrenching biography about Jack Mandelbaum was quite the tear jerker. A young man that came from a wealthy and loving family was stripped of everything during Hitler’s invasion of Poland. At only thirteen years old, Jack was sent to a dreadful concentration camp and his world was flipped upside down. Disease, beatings, and starvation took the lives of many, but Jack refused to give up. He was determined to fight through the harsh conditions and be reunited with his family. With so much to live for, Jack miraculously made it out alive, only to discover the devastating news about his loved ones. Still, Jack managed to overcome the misery once more and made it his life’s duty to provide aid to the survivors of the tragic holocaust.