Orphan Train Girl

This young readers’ edition of Christina Baker Kline’s #1 New York Times bestselling novel Orphan Train follows a twelve-year-old foster girl who forms an unlikely bond with a ninety-one-year-old woman.

Adapted and condensed for a young audience, Orphan Train Girl includes an author’s note and archival photos from the orphan train era. This book is especially perfect for mother/daughter reading groups.

Molly Ayer has been in foster care since she was eight years old. Most of the time, Molly knows it’s her attitude that’s the problem, but after being shipped from one family to another, she’s had her fair share of adults treating her like an inconvenience. So when Molly’s forced to help an a wealthy elderly woman clean out her attic for community service, Molly is wary. 

But from the moment they meet, Molly realizes that Vivian isn’t like any of the adults she’s encountered before. Vivian asks Molly questions about her life and actually listens to the answers.

Soon Molly sees they have more in common than she thought. Vivian was once an orphan, too—an Irish immigrant to New York City who was put on a so-called "orphan train" to the Midwest with hundreds of other children—and she can understand, better than anyone else, the emotional binds that have been making Molly’s life so hard.

Together, they not only clear boxes of past mementos from Vivian’s attic, but forge a path of friendship, forgiveness, and new beginnings.

This beautifully written middle grade novel explores what it means to truly belong.

• An Unforgettable Coming of Age: Twelve-year-old Molly Ayer has been bounced between foster homes for years. When community service lands her in an elderly woman’s attic, she doesn’t expect to find someone who finally understands.
• A Powerful Orphan Train Story: Ninety-one-year-old Vivian was once an Irish immigrant orphan, sent to the Midwest on a train full of children, carrying secrets she’s kept for decades.
• Two Timelines, One Shared Hope: The story alternates between Molly’s life in present-day Maine and Vivian’s childhood journey, weaving together two lives in a tale of survival and resilience.
• Perfect for Mother Daughter Book Clubs: Based on the #1 New York Times bestseller, this young readers’ edition is an ideal pick for shared reading, sparking conversations about history, family, and what it means to find home.

“Quietly moving.” - ALA Booklist

“Kline’s prose is fluid and draws readers into the characters, and each chapter’s cliffhanger ending keeps the pages turning. Part coming-of-age novel, part historical fiction, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers.” - BookPage.com

“Kline expertly weaves the dual narratives of both [characters] as the two form a healing friendship.With a mix of historical and contemporary settings, this successful adaptation of an adult novel is likely to appeal to both young and old.” - School Library Journal