Train to somewhere is a very moving book about 14 orphans who get on a train and head West in hopes of being adopted. The story is told from the point of view of the eldest orphan, Marianne. She has hopes of finding her mother who told her that she would be back for her one day. Marianne makes it through every stop without being chosen by any families, until she reached Somewhere. At the Somewhere stop a family was waiting in hopes of adopting a young boy. However, sometimes life doesn’t go exactly as planned and we have to learn to accept what we can get. The family happily takes her in and her life instantly changes. This book uses beautiful watercolor illustrations and is great for a class read aloud or even a bedtime story. ( )

Train to Somewhere is the story of fourteen orphans that are loaded on to a train from New York and taken west for adoption. It is told in the point of view of Marianne, the oldest orphan girl. She goes through all of the stop hoping to find her mother, who said she would come back for her. It gets to be the last stop and she is the only orphan left. She is in Somewhere. Her mother was not there. However, a couple, the Book family, are there. They wanted a boy. But they say sometimes what you get is much better than what you wanted. And take Marianne.

This book is absolutely touching. I loved it. It was very sad at times. I felt Marianne's pain. She didn't feel like you was wanted anywhere until the Book family.

I would hold a discussion and ask questions such as: "How would it feel to be the last one chosen?", "What did the feather symbolize?", "How do you know the Book family wanted a boy and not a girl?"

This story is told from the point of view of Marianne, a young orphan, who is traveling westward on the Orphan Train, with thirteen other orphans. She hopes to be reunited with her mother, even as the train stops at town after town, but never with her mother in sight. "Smile and look pleasant," the children are told, as people in each town come to look at them, choosing ones that appear cute or strong or funny. In one instance, when one orphan is chosen, her adoptive parent says to another woman, "Look at the one I got. She'll be a big help to me in the house. You should get one for your place." In another town, another parent says, "He'll be useful come harvest." Marianne stands by as the other children are selected, until she is the only child remaining. The final train stop is a town called 'Somewhere.' A couple carrying a small wooden toy train, admitted they hoped for a boy, but brought Marianne home with them. The story ends, in this case, with a new beginning for its main character. Ronald Himler's watercolor illustrations give the children and adoptive parents looks of anonymity, almost. Everyone blends together. And as the children are adopted, town by town, readers can see from the illustrations that there are fewer and fewer children, but Marianne always remains. Bunting takes her readers on this journey, conveying through words how anxious the children were, and how nonchalant the parents appeared to be. Based on the true story of the Orphan Train, this book teaches readers about a historical event. Beyond history, though, I think readers will feel for Marianne and hope that she will find a family and a home. ( )

This book is based on the Orphan Trains that traveled west from 1850-1920.

Genre: Historical fiction
Age Appropriateness: Primary and Intermediate
Review: This picture book is a great example of historical fiction. It is about orphans and the orphan trains that went west trying to find the children families. It was accurate as far as I know and did a good job capturing the emotions that these orphans may have felt. The main girl, Marianne, is round and dynamic. During the story,we learn why she is left at the orphanage and also how she learns to be ready to accept a new family.

Media: Watercolor and gouache ( )