Will's Choice

Orphan Train Children #2

by Joan Lowery Nixon

It's 1866 and 12-year-old Will Scott is not happy to be riding the orphan train. That's because Will's not really an orphan. He has a father--Jesse, a circus performer. But Will is no good at circus tricks, and Jesse tells him he'd be better off with a new family out "I'm giving you a better life, Will."



Will is placed with the kindly Dr. and Mrs. Wallace. Assisting Dr. Wallace on his rounds of the local farms, Will finds to his surprise that he's really good at something--helping people who are sick and hurt. But he still misses his father terribly. And then one night, Jesse's circus comes to town....

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Author of more than one hundred books, Joan Lowery Nixon is the only writer to have won four Edgar Allan Poe Awards for Juvenile Mysteries (and been nominated several other times) from the Mystery Writers of America. Creating contemporary teenage characters who have both a personal problem and a mystery to solve, Nixon captured the attention of legions of teenage readers since the publication of her first YA novel more than twenty years ago. In addition to mystery/suspense novels, she wrote nonfiction and fiction for children and middle graders, as well as several short stories. Nixon was the first person to write novels for teens about the orphan trains of the nineteenth century. She followed those with historical novels about Ellis Island and, more recently for younger readers, Colonial Williamsburg. Joan Lowery Nixon died on June 28, 2003—a great loss for all of us.

Reviews

[Bev Walkling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that I received through inter-library loan.After the author finished her Orphan Train Quartet she went on to write quite a few more books which I found to be geared to a lower reading level. Each book included some historical information about the orphan trains and the time period and it appeared to be the same in both books that I read. Each book contained words for spelling or for definition.

This book focused on Will, a young boy who lived with his father at a circus. His mother had died and his father decided that he needed to move on and would be unable to take Will with him. The decision his father made was so sudden that Will had trouble accepting it and hated that people seemed to believe he was an orphan. He was adopted by a doctor and his wife who treated him extremely well but other children, one boy in particular, tended to bully him relentlessly. Will continued to hope that he would be able to return to living with is father, but when the opportunity presented itself he learned what was truly important to him and what love was really all about.

It would probably be interesting for a younger reader but after the earlier books in the series this one didn't quite reach their level.

[Mamiko · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book of this series that I read, and I am coming to enjoy the series. The writing is quite simple and doesn't go deeply into the protagonist's feelings, but enough is said to make you imagine and relate to the protagonist. I had no idea that such a train carrying orphans from NYC to the West existed since right after Civil War for almost seventy years, and it's moving to know that some of these "orphan train riders" became people of influence. I enjoyed learning about this period and event through a young person's perspective.

[Jaida · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a fast read but pretty good and well written

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

12 year old Will has to be on the orphan train because his father works at a circle and tells Will that he has no talent and will only be a burden. Will is adopted by a doctor and his wife and even though Will battles wanting to be with his "real" father, he learns that a family are those around you who love you and care about you. A good story!

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is from a spin off series (of Nixon's Orphan Train Adventures)and brings back one the original orphan train orphans as a social worker. The stories are a little predictable but bring up some interesting historical context and would be interesting to the intended audience.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, I am totally going to go on with the series!!!

[Katie Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

another of my favorite books as a kid