Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story – A Historical Biography About Adoption and Lee's Journey for Kids (Ages 10-12)

This was an excellent book. I learned so much I hadn't known about the Placing Out Program. Lee's story was very compelling. He did an amazing job of turning the many lemons in his life into lemonade. His adoptive parents were good people! Thank you for this book.

My husband ordered this book; he said it was very good. We have a friend whose husband's family adopted one of the orphans. Also, we had been to a program where a speaker told about the Orphan Train with pictures. There were also three women there whose families had adopted some of the orphans. And one of the women there was the daughter of one of the adopted orphans. Another woman there said the orphan they were connected with still kept in touch with the family.

Lee, Leo and Gerald all grew up in Texas with loving families. These orphan train stories are heart wrenching and informative reading. This is part of our countries heritage, good and bad.

My grandmother was on an orphan train from New York to Texas. I have read several books trying to find more information about the experience. This book includes many of the same stories in other books and has more information. Good purchase.

I was not aware of the Orphan Train. While visiting a Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Ne. last year, I heard another visitor talk about her experience in Concordia, Ka. with another orphan. I wanted to learn more about their history. Why is there not more information about this part of our history and it isn't taught in schools? With the current influx of underage children coming across the Southern borders, will we seeing the same thing happen again? I really enjoyed the book and all the facts.

This is a well written and well documented book which holds the reader's interest. By alternating between the story of one boy's actual experience on the train and the interesting facts about Charles Brace the writer makes the book more than just a. documentary .

This was a surprising and heartbreaking story but one of over-coming as well. I donated this to a local school library! Kids need to know what happened in this country. For that matter, so do adults. I had no idea about the orphan trains. I am glad this ma spoke his story before he was gone. My dad ran away and boarded a train as a little kid (his dad was an engineer) and a conductor turned him over to authorities. He got a whooping of his life. Now I know why!!! It was the early 1930's. He could have been mistaken. These kids mostly do not remember their last names or have any contact with siblings or families adopting the name of new parents.

My daughter (12) had to do a report on this book. She actually picked it , because it was the shortest. She loved it. I also read it, & I loved it. Was a very good story & taught me something I did not know! I recommend this book to EVERYONE. It is short, it is interesting, even if you don't care for reading!

for the reader in the house its a must have

A short but very interesting book telling the history of the famous Orphan Trains or migration of so called orphan children from the American cities to the west of the country. Some were adopted by loving families but others were not as fortunate, often used as nothing but farm hands and servants.