Synopses & Reviews
Charles Dickens is best-known for his contributions to the world of literature:
Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and
A Christmas Carol. In
Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London, acclaimed historical author Andrea Warren shares with readers the motivations behind Dickens' novels and then brings readers headlong into the poverty-stricken world of 19th century London. During his young life, Dickens witnessed terrible things: families starving in doorways, babies being "dropped" on streets by mothers too poor or too sick to care for them, and most of all he witnessed a stunning lack of compassion from the upper class. After
his family went into debt and he found himself working at a blacking factory (where boot polish was made), Dickens, who had been raised to believe that the lower classes were not only undeserving of anything better, but were so dirty that he could be contaminated by them, soon realized that they were no different than he, and even worse, they were given no chances to better themselves. It was at this blacking factory that he met a kind friend named Bob Fagin, who would go on to be named one of Dickens' most memorable (and villanous!) characters in
Oliver Twist.
At 25, Dickens became the toast of London with his first novel, The Pickwick Papers. People of all classes read it - the poor would pool together money to purchase this serial novel. But Dickens had more serious stories to tell: he wanted to tell of the workhouses were small children toiled for their entire lives; he wanted to tell of all the horrible things he had seen the upper class turn their back to. He wanted to tell one child's story, and that child became Oliver. With the runaway success of Oliver Twist, and it's memorable "Please sir, I want some more," Dickens was thrust into the public spotlight as a spokesman championing the rights of the deserving poor. His time as an instrument of social change was just beginning. Along with some contemporaries in the world of music, art and education, Dickens changed school systems, hospitals, and orphanages, all while representing the lowest class with the same respect as the upper class in his novels.
Spirited, smart, and handsome, but not without his own demons and personal issues, Charles Dickens is an enigmatic character whose name is recognized the world over, but whose achievements outside the literary realm are not often discussed. Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London melds these two legacies in an intriguing, compelling and fast-paced biography, filled with historical images and photographs.
Review
"A fascinating book about a social movement that predated today's foster homes, adoption agencies, and homeless shelters." School Library Journal, Starred
Review
"Making no assumptions about her readers’ prior knowledge of Dickens, his novels, or the period, Warren writes in a clear, direct, vivid manner that brings it all to life."—Booklist, starred review
Review
"Making no assumptions about her readersand#8217; prior knowledge of Dickens, his novels, or the period, Warren writes in a clear, direct, vivid manner that brings it all to life."and#8212;Booklist, starred review and#160; "A well-researched biography explores how Charles Dickens used his stories to effect social change for Londonand#8217;s most destitute children... A lively biography and an interesting lens through which to see a venerated author."and#8212;Kirkus Reviews and#160; "The author adeptly makes connections between Dickensand#8217;s own experiences and key events and characters in some of his greatest novels... Readers will come away with a real sense of Dickensand#8217;s immense influence in both literature and society as well as an appreciation for the compassionate, tireless man who championed Victorian Englandand#8217;s most vulnerable citizens."and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review
Review
and#8220;[A] perceptive, captivating biography of one of the twentieth centuryand#8217;s most influential writers. . . . Teens jaded by too much classroom analysis of
The Old Man and the Sea and Hemingwayand#8217;s short stories will come away from Reefand#8217;s thorough, skillfully constructed biography with fresh interest in and appreciation for this American legend.and#8221;and#8212;
Booklist, STARRED review
and#8220;Reef creates a memorable portrait of the writer and his times, and even readers too young for most of Hemingwayand#8217;s oeuvre will enjoy armchair traveling to the bullfights in Spain. . . . Along the way, they will gain a sense of the writer and his times and will even pick up some writing tips, including Hemingwayand#8217;s insistence on simple, declarative sentences. The volume is attractively designed with well-chosen photographs, captions that add personality to the text, solid documentation and judicious use of quotations.and#8221;and#8212;Kirkus Reviews
and#8220;This engaging and detailed biography will be valued for its accessible style and honest portrayal of one of America's icons. Reef's account of Hemingway's life is riveting and unglamorized.and#8221;and#8212;School Library Journal and#8220;An accessible and entertaining look at an American icon.and#8221;and#8212;The Bulletin of the Center for Childrenand#8217;s Books
and#160;
Review
"This is powerful nonfiction for classroom and personal reading and for discussion." School Library Journal, Starred
"As fascinating as the original and a worthy sequel." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
The history of the orphan trains combined with the story of Lee Nailling, who in 1926 rode an orphan train to Texas.
Synopsis
An introduction to the life and work of one of the most significant and notorious American writers of the 20th century.
Ernest Hemingway's literary status alone makes him worthy of a biography. In addition, his life reads like a suspense storyand#151;it's full of action, romance, heartbreak, machismo, mishaps, celebrity, and tragedy. He had first-hand experience of several historic events of the last century, and he rubbed elbows with many other notable writers and intellectual greats of our time. Though his reputation has weathered ups and downs, his status as an American icon remains untouchable. Here, in the only biography available to young people, Catherine Reef introduces readers to Hemingway's work, with a focus on his themes and writing styles and his place in the history of American fiction, and examines writers who influenced him and those he later influenced.
Synopsis
They were “throw away” kids, living in the streets or in orphanages and foster homes. Then Charles Loring Brace, a young minister working with the poor in New York City, started the Childrens Aid Society and devised a plan to give homeless children a chance to find families to call their own.
Thus began an extraordinary migration of American children. Between 1854 and 1929, an estimated 200,000 children, mostly from New York and other cities of the eastern United States, ventured forth to other states on a journey of hope.
Andrea Warren has shared the stories of some of these orphan train riders here, including those of Betty, who found a fairy tale life in a grand hotel; Nettie Evans and her twin, Nellie, who were rescued from their first abusive placement and taken in by a new, kindhearted family who gave them the love they had hoped for; brothers Howard and Fred, who remained close even though they were adopted into different families; and Edith, who longed to know the secrets of her past.
Listen to these and other child orphans as they share their memories of transition and adventure, disappointment and loneliness, but ultimately of the joy of belonging to their own new families.
Synopsis
They were and#147;throwawayand#8221; kids, living on the streets or in orphanages and foster homes. Then Charles Loring Brace, a young minister in New York City, started the Childrenand#8217;s Aid Society and devised a plan to give these homeless waifs a chance at finding families they could call their own. Thus began an extraordinary migration of American children.
Between 1854 and 1929, an estimated 200,000 children ventured forth on a journey of hope. Here, in the sequel to Orphan Train Rider: One Boyand#8217;s True Story, Andrea Warren introduces nine men and women who rode the trains and helped make history so many years ago.
Synopsis
Provoked by the horrors he saw every day, Charles Dickens wrote novels that were originally intended as instruments for social change and#8212; to save his countryand#8217;s children. Charles Dickens is best known for his contributions to the world of literature, but during his young life, Dickens witnessed terrible things that stayed with him: families starving in doorways, babies being and#8220;droppedand#8221; on streets by mothers too poor to care for them, and a stunning lack of compassion from the upper class. After his family went into debt and he found himself working at a shoe-polish factory, Dickens soon realized that the members of the lower class were no different than he, and, even worse, they were given no chance to better themselves. It was then that he decided to use his greatest talent, his writing ability, to tell the stories of those who had no voice.
Synopsis
An extremely entertaining and meaningful biography about Americaand#39;s first animal rights activist and founder of the ASPCA: Henry Bergh.
About the Author
In 1996, Houghton Mifflin published Andrea Warren's first nonfiction book for young readers, Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story, which won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.and#160;Andrea travelled toand#160;London to do extensive research for this book; she has a master's degree in British Literature from the University ofand#160;Nebraska. Andrea lives inand#160;Kansas.