Trains, Plains, and History: Two Books Chronicle the Adventure of a Young Orphan Boy

Fly Little Bird, Fly!

and

Beyond The Orphan Train

Growing up as a kid, I was always interested in history. So much so that I ended up getting an advanced degree in a related field and much of my time is spent researching and writing about prehistoric North America and United States history. However, I was always interested as a kid in the more "exotic" forms of history - Native Americans, ancient archaeological sites, the land before "discovery" and so on. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to European or United States history in terms of what is often called "White Mans" history. One of the reasons was simply that it was often taught in a very boring manner - especially for a rambunctious kid in elementary school. I never thought this was a problem until recently. As my wife and I begin to think about our own kids and how they are being educated, I've realized the importance of making sure they know US history, and have decided to hunt down and find books that DO teach US history - but in an exciting, adventurous way.

Well, I'm pleased to say that I've encountered two books that not only teach important parts of American history - and parts that I didn't even know took place - but that also are written in an engaging and readable style for my kids. The series by Donna Nordmark Aviles - Fly Little Bird, Fly!and Beyond The Orphan Train- are two books that cover an important but little known part of US history. Not only that, but these two books are based on real stories and real events and are written in a style that my kids could approach.

Telling the true life story of Oliver Nordmark, these two books take the reader on an adventure beginning in New York City but that soon moves to the Great Plains at the beginning of the 20th century. Shipped out on what was called the "Orphan Train" by the Children's Aid Society, Oliver and his brother Edward soon find themselves in the Great Plains working as farm hands. Engagingly written, these two books give a first-hand account of what it was like to be young orphans at a time when America was booming and the Great Plains were still a vast grassland with small farms, local communities, and independent folks.

Reading these two books to my kids was a great pleasure. Not only did they learn about life on the Great Plains when farming was a major occupation, but they learned about the amazing life of Oliver Nordmark. History always sticks in the mind when you are able to empathize with the story, and in these two books that was no exception. Declared an orphan at the young age of eight, Oliver (and his younger brother Edward) rode the Orphan Train to Kansas where they were placed with a harsh, unforgiving farm family. Escaping after several hard years, they are split up as they jump trains and travel further west, learning the ropes of jumping trains, living with hobos, working on farms, and avoiding the authorities.

Like I said at the beginning, these stories chronicle a time in American history that many people are unfamiliar with. I'm glad that I encountered these two books - and that Donna Nordmark Aviles decided to share the story of her grandfather. Not only did I learn something from reading these stories with my kids, but I think they did too. I know this because recently they have been asking me all sorts of questions about what life was like on the Great Plains at the beginning of the 20th century: How did people survive? Did people really live in sod houses? Were orphans really given to farming families to help with the labor?


Fly Little Bird, Fly!and Beyond The Orphan Trainare two excellent books that every kid growing up in the US should read. Understanding the settlement of the Plains from a personal perspective is a powerful method for teaching history. I'm glad I found them and read them to my kids. Hopefully other families will do the same - these are important stories that chronicle an important time in our collective history.


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