Save the Children

Orphan Trains

From the Set Behind the Curtain

The events surrounding the Orphan Trains did not look the same to everyone involved. Step back in time and into the shoes of an orphan child heading to the Midwest, a Midwestern family awaiting a child, and a New York City child welfare worker as readers act out the scenes that took place in the midst of this historic event. Written with simplified, considerate text to help struggling readers, books in this series are made to build confidence as readers engage and read aloud. This book includes a table of contents, glossary, index, author biography, sidebars, and timelines.

Format List Price Your Price Qty
$32.07 $22.45
$14.21 $9.95
$32.07 $22.45
$49.21 $34.45
Interest Level Grade 4 - Grade 8
Reading Level Grade 2
Dewey 362.73
Lexile
ATOS Reading Level
Guided Reading Level W
Publisher 45th Parallel Press
Series Behind the Curtain
Language English
Available Formats Reinforced book (9781534159433), Paperback (9781534161733), PDF (9781534160583), ePub (9781534166356), Hosted ebook (9781534162884), Kindle (9781534165007)
Copyright 2020
Number of Pages 32
Dimensions 7 x 9
Graphics Full-color photographs, Historical photographs

School Library Journal - Save the Children: Orphan Trains

Gr 4-8–Readers learn about specific people and events from U.S. history through two styles: a straight narrative and a fictionalized, reader’s theater exchange. A historical summary of events and a list of characters open this series. The characters, who are based on real people, interact using fictionalized dialogue in two sections labeled Acts I and II. Repeated sidebars introduce individual and governmental shortcomings related to the highlighted subject. Critical thinking activities and recommended books, specific to each title, are in the back matter. There is no bibliography. The color and black-and-white photographs are credited but not captioned, which thwarts further learning.

Author: Virginia Loh-Hagan

Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan was born in the luckiest of all years, the Year of the Dragon. She’s an author, university professor, curriculum designer, and former elementary school teacher. She was inspired to write this story after doing author visits. Her young audiences wanted to know more about Chinese New Year! She lives in San Diego with one well-trained husband and two very naughty dogs.

  • Historical Background
  • Cast of Characters
  • Act 1
  • Act 2
  • Event Timeline
  • Consider This!
  • Learn More
  • Index
  • About the Author
Author/Illustrator biography
Glossary of key words
Index
Informative sidebars
Reviewed
Table of contents
Timeline of key events
Full-color photographs, Historical photographs