Orphan Train Rider | Book Review

This week, I didn't have any books I had to review...and actually, I haven't finished a book since two Saturdays ago (perhaps I've been a bit busy). I'm stuck on an orphan train research book. While it has a lot of facts, that's just what it has: facts (that are a little dry to swallow a lot at a time). But! Here's an orphan train book that I recently read and really enjoyed--I give it five stars.

My Thoughts
So much information is packed into this short book. Warren paints a very detailed picture of the situations and circumstances different orphans faced. Warren follows the true story of one orphan, Lee, and adds historical references. I thought the book was very well-rounded. Though I've researched the orphan train saga, I learned a lot from these 72 pages. 

I would say that this is acceptable for all readers. There is one sentence that states that some orphans were physically and sexually abused, but other than that, I didn't notice anything unacceptable. Some younger readers may not like the very real, dismal picture painted of the hopelessness of orphans in that time period.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and found it helpful for research.

About the Book
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 when he was nine years old.