Train to Somewhere

Bunting, Eve

ISBN 10: 0613286790 ISBN 13: 9780613286794

Publisher: Turtleback Books, 2000

Synopsis

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Heading west aboard the Orphan Train, shy, plain Marianne soothes her fears over not being adopted by hoping that her mother will claim her along the way, but no one seems to want her until she reaches the end of the line, a town called Somewhere.

About this title

About the Author:

Eve Bunting has written over two hundred books for children, including the Caldecott Medal-winning Smoky Night, illustrated by David Diaz, The Wall, Fly Away Home, and Train to Somewhere. She lives in Southern California.

From Booklist:

Gr. 2^-5. Another heartbreaking picture book by the pair who did The Wall (1990) and Fly Away Home (1991). This time, it's the story of the Orphan Train, told in the voice of one girl. Marianne is in a group of 14 homeless children traveling with a guardian from New York to the Midwest in 1878 in search of families to adopt them. The words and pictures are understated; readers will fill in the spaces for themselves. "I'm not pretty," Marianne tells us. She's the one nobody wants. She's older than the others, not as cute as the little girls, not as muscular as the boys, not manipulative. The train stops at small towns and railway sidings; the orphans try to smile and look their best; it's like an auction. The townspeople look them over ("They feel the boys' muscles through their coats" ). It's clear that some children will find loving homes; some will not. Marianne tries to tell herself that her mother is waiting for her somewhere out West. Himler's paintings in watercolor and gouache set the story against a bleak midwestern fall landscape. Occasional small pictures show the train steaming across the prairie. The group scenes of the children lined up for inspection evoke images of stiff family photos. Then, as the numbers dwindle, the focus is on individual faces staring ahead as their companions are embraced and adopted. The guardian is gentle--in one beautiful picture she combs Marianne's hair to prepare her for the last train stop--and the quiet ending is hopeful. Marianne is taken, finally, by an elderly couple. They really wanted a boy, but they like her, and they're kind. Even older students will find the history compelling and will want to find out more about what happened to those lonely children. Hazel Rochman

About this edition

• Publisher: Turtleback Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0613286790
• ISBN 13: 9780613286794
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Himler Ronald