Lesson plans and resources for orphan train table of contents 1. Feel free to respond to one, two, or all of them as well as share your overall thoughts. So, please respond, ladies heres some general questions to get the discussion going. May 17, 2015 since orphan train was my book club choice for the year, i had to provide the discussion questions. Orphan train is a young adult historical fiction novel about the relationship between seventeen yearold molly ayer and ninetyone yearold vivian daly who, as the result of spending time together and sharing their experiences, form a bond, learn from each other, and change in significant ways. Pdf downloads of all 1297 litcharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy.
Niamh pronounced neev was an irish immigrant girl sent on an orphan train from new york city to minnesota in the late 1920s. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This is a summary of the book and not the original book. We didnt talk about all of them, but we did hit on most of the main ones. After tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train. Book club questions for the orphan train by christina baker. The orphan train by christina baker kline moves back and forth between two stories that of a young orphan girl in the early twentieth century and that of a teenager in the modernday foster care. Aug 18, 2018 the orphan train by christina baker kline moves back and forth between two stories that of a young orphan girl in the early twentieth century and that of a teenager in the modernday foster care system. Apr 11, 2014 online resources and questions for your book club to connect your groups lives, interests and personal experiences to books you discuss, friday, april 11, 2014 orphan train book discussion guide. Orphan train is a book set in both the present day and the late 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. To get you started, weve put together a list of 20 surefire conversation starters, ranging from the best contemporary literature to historical fiction, memoirs, and history.
Learn orphan train with free interactive flashcards. Was it common for train riders to keep their experiences secret. Between 1854 and 1929, socalled orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the east coast to the farmlands of the midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose. Luckily, there were some provided in the back of the book which i have listed below. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Today, we welcome christina to the blog to discuss her experience with book clubs and the three most common questions that clubs have asked her about the novel. They started their journey in new york and were given away in train stations across the country. The orphans tale by pam jenoff reading guidebook club. Choosing a book for your book club to read can be challenging.
Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. A lot of the women in this group liked the book along with our strong male contingency of one but not as much as i did. Vivian traveled from nyc to minnesota as a young girl on one of the infamous orphan trains that was used to get orphans out of the cities into the country where they might have a better opportunity to find families and to be able to make a good life. Collect all four volumes of the beyond the orphan train series. One of the books protagonists, an irish orphan, is packed. Theyre like having inclass notes for every discussion. Riders on the orphan train is an historical novel about a littleknown piece of american history. This 38page guide for orphan train by christina baker kline includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 7 parts, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Bird in hand, the way life should be, desire lines and sweet water. You want books that are thoughtprovoking and intelligent but still approachable.
Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. This book follows two characters, and i loved reading the flashbacks from the perspective of the old woman, who traveled on an orphan train after her family was killed in a fire in new york. Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in americas pastand it includes a special ps section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more penobscot indian molly ayer is close to aging out out of the. On the night of her high school graduation in 1986, kathryn campbells best friend, jennifer, vanished without a trace. Christina baker klines novel orphan train has ridden the new york times bestseller list for the past 15 weeks, becoming a favorite of book clubs across the country. Orphan train by christina baker kline tells the story of molly and vivian, two people who seem very different, but discover that they have similar stories. Orphan train is a great book club discussion book and we recommend it to everyone. Orphan train by christina baker kline i remember at the age of 10 or so reading a novel about the late19th and early 20thcentury orphan trains, which took children and babies from east coast slums and brought them to the midwest, where they were given an opportunity for a potentially prosperous new life in the fresh rural air.
On a day off from school, molly decides to visit vivian s house early to knock out extra community service hours. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. Take our free orphan train quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Author bio birth1964 raisedin maine and tennessee, usa, and the uk educationb. Nyt best selling author christina baker kline answers the top ten questions book clubs ask about orphan train. I love when i find a winner with my book club and this is definitely a winner. Find orphan train lesson plans and teaching resources.
Beyond the orphan train series, volumes 14 by arleta richardson. Poll book tally orphan train by christina baker kline rounded up to 4 stars. Online resources and questions for your book club to connect your groups lives, interests and personal experiences to books you discuss, friday, april 11, 2014 orphan train book discussion guide. Christina baker klines orphan train is an unforgettable story of friendship and second chances that highlights a littleknown but historically significant movement in americas pastand it includes a special ps section for book clubs featuring insights, interviews, and more. If you are the publisher or author of this book and. Take a trip back in time to the early 20th century in america, where ethan cooper and his orphaned siblings are on a mission to find a family. Orphan train riders, from the riders on the orphan train multimedia performance at union depot in st. But in interviews, and on her blog, kline says one of the major themes she wanted to tackle. A novel christina baker kline, 20 harpercollins 278 pp. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. Orphan train by christina baker kline book club discussion. Apr 02, 20 vivians journey west was aboard an orphan train, a bit of misguided 1900sera social engineering moving homeless, destitute city children, mostly immigrants, into midwest families. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts.
See more ideas about orphan train, orphan train book and orphan. Christina answers top 10 book club questions youtube. But dont worry, christina baker kline wraps it all up neatly at the end so you wont go into a tailspin. Vivians journey west was aboard an orphan train, a bit of misguided 1900sera social engineering moving homeless, destitute city children, mostly immigrants, into midwest families. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. There are no studies to show what happened to them.
Questions every book club asks, the story behind the writing of orphan train, and more. Orphan train by christina baker kline a 30minute summary. From the teeming streets of new york among a crush of immigrants. Christina baker kline is a novelist, nonfiction writer and editor. A novel by christina baker kline conversation starters limited time offer.
Apr 11, 20 on the night of her high school graduation in 1986, kathryn campbells best friend, jennifer, vanished without a trace. Rich in detail and epic in scope, orphan train by christina baker kline is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are. Between 1854 and 1929, over 250,000 orphans and surrendered children were placed out across the country. Overview of the entire book introduction to the important people in the book summary and analysis of all the chapters in the book key takeaways of the book a readers perspective. May 23, 2014 map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in 18531910. These questions about the novel can help foster discussion in your group.
Instant downloads of all 1296 litchart pdfs including orphan train. The girl on the train book club discussion questions. She served as writerinresidence at fordham university from 2007 to 2011 and. Orphan train christina kline baker flashcards quizlet. Orphan train by christina baker kline, paperback barnes. The question and answer sections of our study guides are a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss literature. On the surface, vivians and mollys lives couldnt be more different. The orphan train children lined up to board the orphan train this train came through arkansas when my mother was young. Book club kit discussion guide orphan train by christina. She was deposited with the byrnes, who wanted only child labor in a dressmaking enterprise. In addition to orphan train 2011 and a piece of the world 2017, her novels include bird in hand. Who would you cast to play the major roles in a film version of the book. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points if you have not read the book.
Angry, she accuses molly of breaking in and argues that she cant assume vivian who is sleeping will be. When a divorce sends kathryn reeling back to the maine town where she grew up, the young journalist. Between 1854 and nearly a quarter of a million children from the east coast of the united states were resettled under what came to be known as the orphan train. Brought together by mollys community service sentence, seventeenyearold molly learns that she has much more in common with ninetyoneyearold vivian than she first. In the prologue vivian mentions that her true love died when she was 23, but she doesnt mention the other big secret in the book. Riders on the orphan train chronicles the lives of two children among approximately 250,000 young people placed out between 1854 and 1929. Christina answers the top ten questions book clubs ask. Map of united states showing number of orphan train riders in. Two of us had heard of orphan trains before reading this book. Kline has written six other novels orphan train, orphan train girl, the way life should be, sweet water, bird in hand, and desire lines and written or edited five works of nonfiction. We didnt get a lot responses last month, so this month will determine whether or not we continue the book club.
More than 200,000 homeless children were sent west on the trains. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. What does the girl on the train have in common with gone girl. The orphan train has several threads for book clubs to discuss. Orphan train tackles some pretty heavy themes, such as finding family and figuring out your identity. The orphan train by christina baker kline questions. Vivian knows molly is coming, but they didnt discuss a time. Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning.
Its been ten years since then, but kathryn still feels the conspicuous void in her life and the nagging, guilty sense that she has failed her friend. Ron weasley for the role of the redhaired man, of course. This book is equal parts heartwrenching and heartwarming. Kline reminds us that we never really lose anyone or anything orperhaps most importantlyourselves. May 23, 2014 information about orphan trains and the book, orphan train by christina baker kline. When a divorce sends kathryn reeling back to the maine town where she grew up, the young journalist finds herself facetoface. Orphan train was a mix of favorite childhood books of mine such as anne of green gables, heidi, and understood betsy, and ms. In orphan train, christina baker kline seamlessly knits together the past and present of two women, one young and one old. You will become a better person for having read it. Choose from 212 different sets of orphan train flashcards on quizlet.
The flashbacks of her life were interesting, well written and i couldnt get enough. Moving between contemporary maine and depressionera minnesota, orphan train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, and unexpected friendship. Since orphan train was my book club choice for the year, i had to provide the discussion questions. Available in a special hardcover edition, christina baker klines smash bestseller that is a lovely novel about the search for family that also happens to illuminate a fascinating and forgotten chapter of american history ann packer. Spruce harbor, maine, 2011 in christina baker klines orphan train. After tragedy, young girl shipped west on orphan train christina baker klines new novel incorporates a true piece of american history. Its been ten years since then, but kathryn still feels the conspicuous void in her lifeand the nagging, guilty sense that she has failed her friend. But in interviews, and on her blog, kline says one of.
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