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Orphan Eleven
Four orphans have escaped from the Home for Friendless Children. One is Lucy, who used to talk and sing. No one knows why she doesn't speak anymore; silence is her protection.
The orphans find work and new friends at a traveling circus. Lucy loves caring for the elephants, but she must be able to speak to them, and to warn others of danger. If Lucy doesn't find her voice, she'll be left behind when the circus goes on the rails. Meanwhile, people are searching for Lucy, and her puzzling past is about to catch up with her.
The orphans find work and new friends at a traveling circus. Lucy loves caring for the elephants, but she must be able to speak to them, and to warn others of danger. If Lucy doesn't find her voice, she'll be left behind when the circus goes on the rails. Meanwhile, people are searching for Lucy, and her puzzling past is about to catch up with her.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2020
21 people are currently reading
536 people want to read
About the author
Gennifer Choldenko
43 books735 followersThere’s a Lego in my bum which fits with the Lego in my chair and when I sit down to write, I hear the satisfying snap of the two pieces fitting together. I love words, dictionaries, thesauruses, sharp pencils, the smell of book ink and the delicious art of carving out sentences on clean white paper. I love to slip into another person’s skin and feel what it’s like to live another life. I love when characters come to me out of nowhere and make me cry so hard my mascara runs or laugh until my stomach hurts. I love the crazy fun and infinite possibility of storytelling.
What prepared me for a life of writing fiction? Though I have a BA from Brandeis University in English and American Literature and a BFA in illustration from Rhode Island School of Design, the true answer is probably genes. I come from a long line of Irish storytellers on my father’s side and theatre people on my mother’s. I always knew I loved to write, but it took me a long time to summon the courage to chase the dream. I finally went for it when I realized I would prefer to be a failure at something I wanted to do, then a success at something I didn’t.
While I was pretending I wasn’t a writer, trying to be a nice person with a nice quiet job somewhere, I sold lingerie, lipstick and lamp shades. I wrote junk mail. I taught visually and hearing-impaired kids horseback riding. I held a prestigious job in rubbish removal and I worked in a factory wearing a paper gown while wielding a large mallet on small serving packages of ketchup.
One Third Nerd, my funniest novel yet, is due out in January 2019. My most famous novel, Al Capone Does My Shirts, garnered 20 awards, one of which was the Newbery Honor. The Tales of Alcatraz series has sold more than 2 million copies. What will probably be the last book in the series: Al Capone Throws Me a Curve is the best of the fifteen books I’ve written so far.
I am a fitness fanatic; a book-obsessed, tennis-playing woman who thinks like a twelve-year-old. If I ever get the good fortune to meet you, offer me coffee and I will be your friend for life.
What prepared me for a life of writing fiction? Though I have a BA from Brandeis University in English and American Literature and a BFA in illustration from Rhode Island School of Design, the true answer is probably genes. I come from a long line of Irish storytellers on my father’s side and theatre people on my mother’s. I always knew I loved to write, but it took me a long time to summon the courage to chase the dream. I finally went for it when I realized I would prefer to be a failure at something I wanted to do, then a success at something I didn’t.
While I was pretending I wasn’t a writer, trying to be a nice person with a nice quiet job somewhere, I sold lingerie, lipstick and lamp shades. I wrote junk mail. I taught visually and hearing-impaired kids horseback riding. I held a prestigious job in rubbish removal and I worked in a factory wearing a paper gown while wielding a large mallet on small serving packages of ketchup.
One Third Nerd, my funniest novel yet, is due out in January 2019. My most famous novel, Al Capone Does My Shirts, garnered 20 awards, one of which was the Newbery Honor. The Tales of Alcatraz series has sold more than 2 million copies. What will probably be the last book in the series: Al Capone Throws Me a Curve is the best of the fifteen books I’ve written so far.
I am a fitness fanatic; a book-obsessed, tennis-playing woman who thinks like a twelve-year-old. If I ever get the good fortune to meet you, offer me coffee and I will be your friend for life.
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February 7, 2020
(Full disclosure here. I am the author of Orphan Eleven so of course I love the book.)
Orphan Eleven is about a girl in search of her voice, a big sister who will do anything to find her little sister, an elephant with a big personality, and a group of ragtag orphans who look out for each other. I am so proud to have written this book. It feels like a gift from eleven year old me to eleven year old you.
Orphan Eleven is about a girl in search of her voice, a big sister who will do anything to find her little sister, an elephant with a big personality, and a group of ragtag orphans who look out for each other. I am so proud to have written this book. It feels like a gift from eleven year old me to eleven year old you.
November 21, 2025
2.5 stars ⭐️ Middle-Grade Fiction - Historical
TW: orphan main character living in a cruel orphanage; main character went through verbal abuse from cruel adults and has selective mutism because of it; main character hears the lies they told her (including later hearing them in her own voice).
I wasn’t sure if I would like this book because I’ve heard mixed things about other books by this author and I’m not usually attracted to circus books, but decided to give it a try.
Set in 1939, this book follows Lucy a girl who was part in an orphanage five years prior and due to the cruelty of adults in charge, she now has selective mutism. While not harped on greatly, this element of the story with the cruel adults was still very hard to read and could definitely be triggering for adoptees or orphans like Lucy. It had a sad tone to the book because of it, but ends well. My heart hurt for Lucy and I just wanted to give her a hug the entire book and fight on her behalf.
The only content elements I would really put a notice out about would be those cruel adults, punishments Lucy and other orphans face, and a side character who is pretty unbearable with her selfish attitude and lying. There was also a comment from the cruel matron at the orphans saying she and the other woman there “earned their place in heaven“ —which even if that wrong theology was right about earning your salvation (which it’s not), yeah, no, not based on how you treat the children. I had righteous anger everything they appeared or seeing the awful impact on Lucy.
Overall not a bad book and honestly cleaner than I was expecting, but there was the mental and verbal cruelty that Lucy faces that would make be hesitate to recommend this book to middle-grade readers unless I know the child well. As I worked on this review, I ended up dropping it half a star because of the injustices Lucy face that made me so mad.
Some highlights on content:
🪄: No magic, set in 1939.
💋: One of the boys is teased about liking Lucy & he blushes a few times around her. No information about if Lucy feels the same way about him.
🤬: None, but there are some “shut up” and “stupid” said. Also verbal abuse towards the main character.
🗡️: No major violence, however the main character (Lucy) was/is verbally abused for eighteen months by adults to prove a case study about stuttering. Because of this and her remembering their words, she doesn’t speak. Also a scene of Lucy being roughly grabbed by a matron and locked in a room.
❗️Lessons: I didn’t notice an obvious lesson in this story.
Writing ✍️ quality: A little basic, but not poorly written.
LGBTQ: None.
Main Content:
Spiritual-
Lucy writes a letter to her late mama saying “The sky is big. I don't know if you can see me from where you are, but I wave up at you every night” and is told that “you stay alive inside us, and when we wave up at you, you wave down”.
A mean orphanage woman says “We don't turn children away. Earned our place in heaven, that's for sure”; A character wonders how you’re supposed to forgive someone who doesn’t think they did wrong (not answered).
A few mentions of fortune-telling ponies at the circus, the fortune-tellers, & a crystal ball boiling when Doris comes near it; A mention of wishing someone Godspeed; A mention of a church women’s luncheon; A mention of a man being superstitious; A mention of someone having a sixth sense.
Language-
A woman says “thank God” in relief and another says “Lordy” in shock; Phrases like “for Pete’s sake” and “Great balls of fire”; Other minor words like “shut up”, “idiot”, “stupid”, and “darn”; Eye rolling.
Orphanage Setting & Content Regarding It-
Lucy and three other kids runaway from the orphanage; The other girl in the group (Doris) is a brat who is selfish and accuses Lucy of lying plus steals from others (all looked upon as wrong and an adult talks about it to her; Not fully resolved by the end, but better); Despite Doris’ actions, Lucy and the two boys stand with her and make a plan that they all go together or not at all; By the end, *Spoiler* .
Lucy is grabbed, yanked around, almost slapped, & locked in a room by the Matrons; Lucy lies to get out of the locked room & to the Matrons; An adult and another child lie to help Lucy.
Lucy doesn’t think the women from the orphanage will waste time trying to find them because “No one cared about orphans. That was why they were orphans”, but the women do try to track down Lucy (this is because of the spoiler listed below); Lucy recalls the woman saying "Good riddance to bad rubbish” when kids ran off; Lucy thinks that “Being an orphan was something to hide”.
Lucy used to trust the Matron at the orphanage, but for the last year and half, the Matron has humiliated Lucy anytime she would speak (this includes telling her she is a disappointment, that Lucy will never amount to anything, how she is an embarrassment and useless, etc.); Some of these repeat in Lucy’s mind in both her own voice and others’ and is written in a bold font on-page; The orphanage matron belittles Lucy & often scolds her (cruel and unnecessary) for about half of the book (but Lucy remembers her mean words even when not near her); Lucy has nightmares of their cruel words as well.
*Major Spoilers, but about mistreatment and Lucy’s condition*
Because of Lucy feeling stupid (because of being told lies about herself and verbal abuse) and thus not talking for herself, she feels “the shame closed her throat like a noose” about not talking, how “as long as Lucy kept her mouth shut she was safe. Talking made her feel stupid-like she couldn't do anything right. Silence was how she protected herself.” and “the second the sounds came out [of her mouth], the criticism began. Miss Holland and Mackinac had drilled into her how embarrassing she was. Damaged. Ruined.”; Lucy thinks “It was Miss Holland's scorn that had made Lucy hate her own mouth. Hate her own stupid tongue.”; About a third into the story, *Spoilers* .
An adult encourages Lucy to speak by saying “Don't relinquish any more of your precious life to whoever it is who has hurt you”, but Lucy thinks that it’s her choice to not talk; Lucy thinks Doris will be the first to make fun of her stutter if she spoke.
It’s noted that “It had been a long time since Lucy had known a nice adult. Miss Ellie, the teacher, had been nice. All the girls cried when Miss Ellie left. Bernadette [a helpful young woman] had been nice, but she was so young. The meanness of adulthood hadn't taken over yet.”
Mentions of the poor conditions & mistreatment at the orphanage (such as a lack of food, poor quality food, rushing to eat, items being stolen, Lucy’s friend being punished as motivation for Lucy to do what the adults said, threatened with going to reform school, and girls being locked in the attic for days for misbehaving); The author also shares quotes from those raised in orphanages in the author’s note about punishments (including physical).
Also a comment about “At the orphanage you were taught to forget about the bad things. Your life before was over. But that was a lie they told orphans. Lucy knew regular people celebrated birthdays and anniversaries.” and later Lucy recalls being told “Girls who let go of their old lives and fully commit to their new circumstances thrive here at the home”.
*Major Spoilers* .
Negative-
Lucy is picked to be a knife-thrower’s target at the circus & when she realizes what she happening (spinning wheel and a man throwing knives towards her), she panics, throws up, & thinks that she could have her head separated from her body (The man likes the idea of a child being apart of the act and wants to play up that element; He later uses a rag doll instead).
Nico (one of the boys) was a con-man’s assistant who would tell him other people’s cards when playing poker; The man has replaced him with a younger boy and Nico is very upset when the man won’t take him back; (This makes Lucy wonder if her sister replaced her; Doris pokes at Nico about being replaced and Lucy knows she’s taking her anger out on him; *Spoilers* .
A man growls at Doris to not touch him and gives her a dollar to go away.
Eugene (the other boy and Doris’s brother) was sent to the orphanage by their mother because he gave their food to a neighbor girl; Doris brings this up a couple of times to hurt him.
When the kids meet Jabo (a dwarf with the circus), he tests his new project on them that makes him look headless with a fake head to the side, which frightens them; Jabo tells the kids about his father’s look of shame when he saw him because of his height and says “The day he left me was the worst and best day of my life”; In the author’s note, she shares that in the historical setting of this book, Jabo would have been called a “midget” but because that is a derogatory term today, she used “dwarf” and “little person” instead.
Mentions of kids running away from an orphanage; Mentions of deaths, grief, & missing someone (including Lucy for her mother who passed & missing her big sister who she wishes to find); Mentions of stealing, stolen items, & orphans “borrowing” (stealing) from each other; Mentions of lies, lying, & a girl who lies often (Doris); Mentions of poker games, gambling, cheating, & con-men; Mentions of cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, & adults smoking; Mentions of throwing up; Mentions of Lucy having dreams about her mom and sister (which causes her to miss them more); A couple mentions of bullies; A couple mentions of pee and urine soaked laundry; A mention of a parent in prison; A mention of snuff.
Gender comments-
The strong woman at the circus says “Typical idea man—long on optimism, short on operations”; A man comments about her by saying “Who thought it was a good idea to put a lady in charge?"; Lucy notices that some of the woman at the circus wear pants and she wonders what her mama would have thought of that; The strong woman is said to be able to lift multiple people but “never loses her femininity, her graciousness, her charm”; Lucy wears overall and it feels weird to her as she’s never worn pants before.
Odds & Ends-
One odd comment: When sleeping in a safe place with a nice pillow, Lucy dreams that she’s sleeping in a pregnant woman’s tummy.
An adult comments “we love who we love” and Lucy later quotes it as well (regarding family-like love).
Sexual/Crushes-
When telling Lucy exciting news, Nico hugs her and Doris teases them that Nico likes Lucy (which makes him blush and Doris says that everyone knows he likes Lucy); Nico later blushes again and says that if Lucy’s sister looks like her, she must be beautiful too; Someone says Nico is smitten with Lucy.
For a circus act, Lucy wears a dress with “straps that slid off her arms” and thinks that “a young lady should not be seen in a dress like this���.
Mentions of “dames” (including a man telling one of the boys that he can always get another dame in another town); A couple mentions of dating; A mention of a teen girl blushing; A mention of a “barely dressed” girl doing backflips at the circus.
TW: orphan main character living in a cruel orphanage; main character went through verbal abuse from cruel adults and has selective mutism because of it; main character hears the lies they told her (including later hearing them in her own voice).
I wasn’t sure if I would like this book because I’ve heard mixed things about other books by this author and I’m not usually attracted to circus books, but decided to give it a try.
Set in 1939, this book follows Lucy a girl who was part in an orphanage five years prior and due to the cruelty of adults in charge, she now has selective mutism. While not harped on greatly, this element of the story with the cruel adults was still very hard to read and could definitely be triggering for adoptees or orphans like Lucy. It had a sad tone to the book because of it, but ends well. My heart hurt for Lucy and I just wanted to give her a hug the entire book and fight on her behalf.
The only content elements I would really put a notice out about would be those cruel adults, punishments Lucy and other orphans face, and a side character who is pretty unbearable with her selfish attitude and lying. There was also a comment from the cruel matron at the orphans saying she and the other woman there “earned their place in heaven“ —which even if that wrong theology was right about earning your salvation (which it’s not), yeah, no, not based on how you treat the children. I had righteous anger everything they appeared or seeing the awful impact on Lucy.
Overall not a bad book and honestly cleaner than I was expecting, but there was the mental and verbal cruelty that Lucy faces that would make be hesitate to recommend this book to middle-grade readers unless I know the child well. As I worked on this review, I ended up dropping it half a star because of the injustices Lucy face that made me so mad.
Some highlights on content:
🪄: No magic, set in 1939.
💋: One of the boys is teased about liking Lucy & he blushes a few times around her. No information about if Lucy feels the same way about him.
🤬: None, but there are some “shut up” and “stupid” said. Also verbal abuse towards the main character.
🗡️: No major violence, however the main character (Lucy) was/is verbally abused for eighteen months by adults to prove a case study about stuttering. Because of this and her remembering their words, she doesn’t speak. Also a scene of Lucy being roughly grabbed by a matron and locked in a room.
❗️Lessons: I didn’t notice an obvious lesson in this story.
Writing ✍️ quality: A little basic, but not poorly written.
LGBTQ: None.
Main Content:
Spiritual-
Lucy writes a letter to her late mama saying “The sky is big. I don't know if you can see me from where you are, but I wave up at you every night” and is told that “you stay alive inside us, and when we wave up at you, you wave down”.
A mean orphanage woman says “We don't turn children away. Earned our place in heaven, that's for sure”; A character wonders how you’re supposed to forgive someone who doesn’t think they did wrong (not answered).
A few mentions of fortune-telling ponies at the circus, the fortune-tellers, & a crystal ball boiling when Doris comes near it; A mention of wishing someone Godspeed; A mention of a church women’s luncheon; A mention of a man being superstitious; A mention of someone having a sixth sense.
Language-
A woman says “thank God” in relief and another says “Lordy” in shock; Phrases like “for Pete’s sake” and “Great balls of fire”; Other minor words like “shut up”, “idiot”, “stupid”, and “darn”; Eye rolling.
Orphanage Setting & Content Regarding It-
Lucy and three other kids runaway from the orphanage; The other girl in the group (Doris) is a brat who is selfish and accuses Lucy of lying plus steals from others (all looked upon as wrong and an adult talks about it to her; Not fully resolved by the end, but better); Despite Doris’ actions, Lucy and the two boys stand with her and make a plan that they all go together or not at all; By the end, *Spoiler* .
Lucy is grabbed, yanked around, almost slapped, & locked in a room by the Matrons; Lucy lies to get out of the locked room & to the Matrons; An adult and another child lie to help Lucy.
Lucy doesn’t think the women from the orphanage will waste time trying to find them because “No one cared about orphans. That was why they were orphans”, but the women do try to track down Lucy (this is because of the spoiler listed below); Lucy recalls the woman saying "Good riddance to bad rubbish” when kids ran off; Lucy thinks that “Being an orphan was something to hide”.
Lucy used to trust the Matron at the orphanage, but for the last year and half, the Matron has humiliated Lucy anytime she would speak (this includes telling her she is a disappointment, that Lucy will never amount to anything, how she is an embarrassment and useless, etc.); Some of these repeat in Lucy’s mind in both her own voice and others’ and is written in a bold font on-page; The orphanage matron belittles Lucy & often scolds her (cruel and unnecessary) for about half of the book (but Lucy remembers her mean words even when not near her); Lucy has nightmares of their cruel words as well.
*Major Spoilers, but about mistreatment and Lucy’s condition*
Because of Lucy feeling stupid (because of being told lies about herself and verbal abuse) and thus not talking for herself, she feels “the shame closed her throat like a noose” about not talking, how “as long as Lucy kept her mouth shut she was safe. Talking made her feel stupid-like she couldn't do anything right. Silence was how she protected herself.” and “the second the sounds came out [of her mouth], the criticism began. Miss Holland and Mackinac had drilled into her how embarrassing she was. Damaged. Ruined.”; Lucy thinks “It was Miss Holland's scorn that had made Lucy hate her own mouth. Hate her own stupid tongue.”; About a third into the story, *Spoilers* .
An adult encourages Lucy to speak by saying “Don't relinquish any more of your precious life to whoever it is who has hurt you”, but Lucy thinks that it’s her choice to not talk; Lucy thinks Doris will be the first to make fun of her stutter if she spoke.
It’s noted that “It had been a long time since Lucy had known a nice adult. Miss Ellie, the teacher, had been nice. All the girls cried when Miss Ellie left. Bernadette [a helpful young woman] had been nice, but she was so young. The meanness of adulthood hadn't taken over yet.”
Mentions of the poor conditions & mistreatment at the orphanage (such as a lack of food, poor quality food, rushing to eat, items being stolen, Lucy’s friend being punished as motivation for Lucy to do what the adults said, threatened with going to reform school, and girls being locked in the attic for days for misbehaving); The author also shares quotes from those raised in orphanages in the author’s note about punishments (including physical).
Also a comment about “At the orphanage you were taught to forget about the bad things. Your life before was over. But that was a lie they told orphans. Lucy knew regular people celebrated birthdays and anniversaries.” and later Lucy recalls being told “Girls who let go of their old lives and fully commit to their new circumstances thrive here at the home”.
*Major Spoilers* .
Negative-
Lucy is picked to be a knife-thrower’s target at the circus & when she realizes what she happening (spinning wheel and a man throwing knives towards her), she panics, throws up, & thinks that she could have her head separated from her body (The man likes the idea of a child being apart of the act and wants to play up that element; He later uses a rag doll instead).
Nico (one of the boys) was a con-man’s assistant who would tell him other people’s cards when playing poker; The man has replaced him with a younger boy and Nico is very upset when the man won’t take him back; (This makes Lucy wonder if her sister replaced her; Doris pokes at Nico about being replaced and Lucy knows she’s taking her anger out on him; *Spoilers* .
A man growls at Doris to not touch him and gives her a dollar to go away.
Eugene (the other boy and Doris’s brother) was sent to the orphanage by their mother because he gave their food to a neighbor girl; Doris brings this up a couple of times to hurt him.
When the kids meet Jabo (a dwarf with the circus), he tests his new project on them that makes him look headless with a fake head to the side, which frightens them; Jabo tells the kids about his father’s look of shame when he saw him because of his height and says “The day he left me was the worst and best day of my life”; In the author’s note, she shares that in the historical setting of this book, Jabo would have been called a “midget” but because that is a derogatory term today, she used “dwarf” and “little person” instead.
Mentions of kids running away from an orphanage; Mentions of deaths, grief, & missing someone (including Lucy for her mother who passed & missing her big sister who she wishes to find); Mentions of stealing, stolen items, & orphans “borrowing” (stealing) from each other; Mentions of lies, lying, & a girl who lies often (Doris); Mentions of poker games, gambling, cheating, & con-men; Mentions of cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, & adults smoking; Mentions of throwing up; Mentions of Lucy having dreams about her mom and sister (which causes her to miss them more); A couple mentions of bullies; A couple mentions of pee and urine soaked laundry; A mention of a parent in prison; A mention of snuff.
Gender comments-
The strong woman at the circus says “Typical idea man—long on optimism, short on operations”; A man comments about her by saying “Who thought it was a good idea to put a lady in charge?"; Lucy notices that some of the woman at the circus wear pants and she wonders what her mama would have thought of that; The strong woman is said to be able to lift multiple people but “never loses her femininity, her graciousness, her charm”; Lucy wears overall and it feels weird to her as she’s never worn pants before.
Odds & Ends-
One odd comment: When sleeping in a safe place with a nice pillow, Lucy dreams that she’s sleeping in a pregnant woman’s tummy.
An adult comments “we love who we love” and Lucy later quotes it as well (regarding family-like love).
Sexual/Crushes-
When telling Lucy exciting news, Nico hugs her and Doris teases them that Nico likes Lucy (which makes him blush and Doris says that everyone knows he likes Lucy); Nico later blushes again and says that if Lucy’s sister looks like her, she must be beautiful too; Someone says Nico is smitten with Lucy.
For a circus act, Lucy wears a dress with “straps that slid off her arms” and thinks that “a young lady should not be seen in a dress like this���.
Mentions of “dames” (including a man telling one of the boys that he can always get another dame in another town); A couple mentions of dating; A mention of a teen girl blushing; A mention of a “barely dressed” girl doing backflips at the circus.
August 24, 2020
This book brought to mind some good memories! When I was eight, I fell in love with the book and movie of “Toby Tyler, Or Ten Weeks With the Circus”. I remember asking my family to please call me Toby for awhile after that!
Orphan Eleven also has other elements of stories I enjoyed as a kid. A red-haired orphan singled out for discipline in an orphanage run by truly mean grown-ups, (“Annie” come to mind, anyone?) The scenes of the circus being put up and taken down, complete with elephants and roustabouts, had the songs from the original “Dumbo” coursing through my head. The settings of Orphan Eleven and the Dumbo were set around the same time period, as a fun coincidence!
Finally, I must say that historical fiction element really made this book great for me. The author’s notes make it chillingly clear that experiments were actually performed on certain orphaned children by medical people, doctors and psychologists.This changes the tone from just being an adventure book about running away to join a circus, and gives some insight into why children like Lucy were desperate to escape from orphanages.
I would recommend this to middle-grade readers, teachers, and history buffs who love stories about old-timey circuses!
Orphan Eleven also has other elements of stories I enjoyed as a kid. A red-haired orphan singled out for discipline in an orphanage run by truly mean grown-ups, (“Annie” come to mind, anyone?) The scenes of the circus being put up and taken down, complete with elephants and roustabouts, had the songs from the original “Dumbo” coursing through my head. The settings of Orphan Eleven and the Dumbo were set around the same time period, as a fun coincidence!
Finally, I must say that historical fiction element really made this book great for me. The author’s notes make it chillingly clear that experiments were actually performed on certain orphaned children by medical people, doctors and psychologists.This changes the tone from just being an adventure book about running away to join a circus, and gives some insight into why children like Lucy were desperate to escape from orphanages.
I would recommend this to middle-grade readers, teachers, and history buffs who love stories about old-timey circuses!
August 15, 2020
Had no idea that the studies involving orphans and inducing stutters were a real thing. Also love that a portion of the sales of this book will go to savetheelephants.org!
October 18, 2024
*audiobook
July 9, 2021
My 170th read of the year! You look at this book & think circus..but also orphans/orphanage-it’s both, & so much more. This is set in 1939, & many things in here are based on actual things that really happened. The authors note was so fascinating & equally horrifying to realize that some of the terrible things done in the book actually happened back then.
The characters in here are so fantastic. Starting with our MC Lucy. My heart ached for her from the start. She stayed hopeful though, no matter what life kept throwing at her. What she endured that made her stop speaking is horrible-the fact that part is based on real things that happened in an orphanage in Iowa makes it even more horrific. Nico is a smooth character, & I loved his devotion to Lucy. Eugene is such a great kid, so dependable & a great friend-his sister Doris can be horrible, but somehow by the end of the book, I even had a soft spot for her. These kids became a family of their own, & then found the circus family. What an adventure from the very start they go on together.
You get to see 2 very real life experiences of the era-the circus life & the orphanage life. It still is crazy to me how orphans were treated back then..the fact they were allowed to shave heads as punishment & even beat them at an orphanage makes me so angry. This author has an amazing writing style, & the story built perfectly, & there was wonderful character development-seeing how Lucy grows from the start to the finish is a remarkable & beautiful thing. Both the orphanage & the circus setting were also so atmospheric! Described in vivid detail. The ending was amazing! I never saw it ending like that, & I loved how it did. My heart! So good! Highly recommend! Stunning cover by one of my top all time favorites Iacopo Bruno too!💜
Add on to my review——
Also, I can never review a book that includes a circus w/animals w/o saying I despise any circus w/animals. The animals in the books(it’s mainly the 2 elephants , only a small glimpse at any others)are treated wonderfully-except the big elephant has to haul huge tent poles, & she is ridden(automatically means an elephant was abused & “broken”). I can read a book set in that time though & understand this is how it was then. The author mentions in the back she visited 4 elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. I hope they were actual sanctuaries & not the ones that say that & are the opposite(tip:if it says it’s a sanctuary & there is any elephant riding-its not). What I loved is that she also said a portion of the proceeds of this book will be donated to savetheelephants.org. That’s amazing! These beautiful animals need all the help they can get. So I love her already for just that.💜
The characters in here are so fantastic. Starting with our MC Lucy. My heart ached for her from the start. She stayed hopeful though, no matter what life kept throwing at her. What she endured that made her stop speaking is horrible-the fact that part is based on real things that happened in an orphanage in Iowa makes it even more horrific. Nico is a smooth character, & I loved his devotion to Lucy. Eugene is such a great kid, so dependable & a great friend-his sister Doris can be horrible, but somehow by the end of the book, I even had a soft spot for her. These kids became a family of their own, & then found the circus family. What an adventure from the very start they go on together.
You get to see 2 very real life experiences of the era-the circus life & the orphanage life. It still is crazy to me how orphans were treated back then..the fact they were allowed to shave heads as punishment & even beat them at an orphanage makes me so angry. This author has an amazing writing style, & the story built perfectly, & there was wonderful character development-seeing how Lucy grows from the start to the finish is a remarkable & beautiful thing. Both the orphanage & the circus setting were also so atmospheric! Described in vivid detail. The ending was amazing! I never saw it ending like that, & I loved how it did. My heart! So good! Highly recommend! Stunning cover by one of my top all time favorites Iacopo Bruno too!💜
Add on to my review——
Also, I can never review a book that includes a circus w/animals w/o saying I despise any circus w/animals. The animals in the books(it’s mainly the 2 elephants , only a small glimpse at any others)are treated wonderfully-except the big elephant has to haul huge tent poles, & she is ridden(automatically means an elephant was abused & “broken”). I can read a book set in that time though & understand this is how it was then. The author mentions in the back she visited 4 elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. I hope they were actual sanctuaries & not the ones that say that & are the opposite(tip:if it says it’s a sanctuary & there is any elephant riding-its not). What I loved is that she also said a portion of the proceeds of this book will be donated to savetheelephants.org. That’s amazing! These beautiful animals need all the help they can get. So I love her already for just that.💜
May 31, 2020
Gennifer Choldenko is the master of unique storylines for middle school readers. I had no idea what it expect. It looked like a book about a circus but the title suggested an orphanage. Well it is about both, but mainly about family, love and loyalty.
A lot of horrible things happened during this time in history. Orphan Eleven is set in 1939. Without revealing a spoiler, I continue to be appalled at the way children were used as expendable guinea pigs for unethical human experimentation.
The story is about 4 orphans who have escaped from the Home for Friendless Children. One is Lucy, who USED to talk and sing. So what changed for a Lucy?
The orphans find work and new friends at a traveling circus. Lucy loves caring for the elephants, and the elephants have taken to her. But, the selfish and unkind orphan matrons are searching for Lucy, and her puzzling past is about to catch up with her.
The story began a little slowly for me, but as the plot began to unfold, the story became fascinating and thrilling. There are so many people to pull for in this story and those you just want to smack!
Put this on on your list, 2021 Newbery Committee.
Second review...
This is the inspiring story of 11-year-old Lucy who escapes the orphanage and finds a home with a traveling circus while searching for her older sister Dilly who might be in Chicago.
For the past five years, Lucy has lived at the Home for Friendless Children. Lucy is an A student with the gift of a beautiful voice. In fact she was chosen for special lessons with a “university lady.” Sounds good? Well no, because she is subjected to constant criticism and humiliation during the lessons. For this reason, Lucy begins stuttering and eventually stops speaking, becoming selectively mute. One day, when left unattended outside the orphanage fence, Lucy and three other orphans take off, hitching a ride to Chicago, and connect with a sympathetic dwarf named Jabo. Jabo is the ringmaster of Saachi’s Circus Spectacular. (I realize the term dwarf is dated, rather, Jabo today would be called a little person, but the book is set in the’ 1930’s, therefore the term dwarf.) Under Jabo’s guidance, the three other children find apprenticeships with the circus, but no one will take Lucy on unless she speaks. Lucy must overcome her fear of speaking, if she wants her place with the circus, and connect with her sister.
Set in 1939, Lucy’s dramatic story plays out in Gennifer Choldenco’s carefully researched and authentically portrayed environment of a sad orphanage. Along with this first scenario, you view the colorful, dynamic, diverse circus world. A world that is a little to eager to employ four orphaned children, with no questions asked.
The other aspect of Lucy’s story is her missing sister Dilly. The author intersperses letters from Lucy’s sister that reveal the orphanage’s unethical attempts to keep Lucy from her family.
Readers will enjoy the mystery surrounding Dilly.
I predict this to be another Choldenko hit with middle school readers.
The author’s note reveals the horrifying reality that inspired Lucy’s story.
Thank you Netgally and Random House Children’s Books for granting me the privilege to read the ARC by this remarkable author.
A lot of horrible things happened during this time in history. Orphan Eleven is set in 1939. Without revealing a spoiler, I continue to be appalled at the way children were used as expendable guinea pigs for unethical human experimentation.
The story is about 4 orphans who have escaped from the Home for Friendless Children. One is Lucy, who USED to talk and sing. So what changed for a Lucy?
The orphans find work and new friends at a traveling circus. Lucy loves caring for the elephants, and the elephants have taken to her. But, the selfish and unkind orphan matrons are searching for Lucy, and her puzzling past is about to catch up with her.
The story began a little slowly for me, but as the plot began to unfold, the story became fascinating and thrilling. There are so many people to pull for in this story and those you just want to smack!
Put this on on your list, 2021 Newbery Committee.
Second review...
This is the inspiring story of 11-year-old Lucy who escapes the orphanage and finds a home with a traveling circus while searching for her older sister Dilly who might be in Chicago.
For the past five years, Lucy has lived at the Home for Friendless Children. Lucy is an A student with the gift of a beautiful voice. In fact she was chosen for special lessons with a “university lady.” Sounds good? Well no, because she is subjected to constant criticism and humiliation during the lessons. For this reason, Lucy begins stuttering and eventually stops speaking, becoming selectively mute. One day, when left unattended outside the orphanage fence, Lucy and three other orphans take off, hitching a ride to Chicago, and connect with a sympathetic dwarf named Jabo. Jabo is the ringmaster of Saachi’s Circus Spectacular. (I realize the term dwarf is dated, rather, Jabo today would be called a little person, but the book is set in the’ 1930’s, therefore the term dwarf.) Under Jabo’s guidance, the three other children find apprenticeships with the circus, but no one will take Lucy on unless she speaks. Lucy must overcome her fear of speaking, if she wants her place with the circus, and connect with her sister.
Set in 1939, Lucy’s dramatic story plays out in Gennifer Choldenco’s carefully researched and authentically portrayed environment of a sad orphanage. Along with this first scenario, you view the colorful, dynamic, diverse circus world. A world that is a little to eager to employ four orphaned children, with no questions asked.
The other aspect of Lucy’s story is her missing sister Dilly. The author intersperses letters from Lucy’s sister that reveal the orphanage’s unethical attempts to keep Lucy from her family.
Readers will enjoy the mystery surrounding Dilly.
I predict this to be another Choldenko hit with middle school readers.
The author’s note reveals the horrifying reality that inspired Lucy’s story.
Thank you Netgally and Random House Children’s Books for granting me the privilege to read the ARC by this remarkable author.
June 7, 2020
4.5
In the first few pages of Orphan Eleven, Choldenko ratchets up the tension bit by bit until BAM! the action starts. And the tension doesn't stop until the very end. Through a lucky break, Lucy, a selective mute, and her three fellow orphan runaways wind up at the circus. Their luck continues when one of the circus folk takes them under his wing and encourages them to find their niche, and a home, under the big top. But earning a permanent spot is not guaranteed, and the orphans must overcome internal and external struggles to succeed.
In one of the last scenes, Choldenko once again had me on the edge of my seat with a series of missed connections between Lucy and her beloved older sister.
Bald Doris, an orphan whose head was shaved due to a lice infestation, was very unlikeable and untruthful and her actions repeatedly threatened the well-being of the orphans. As much as I disliked her, I was able to learn about the other characters through their reactions to Doris's behavior. The orphans' pledge to stick together was all the more meaningful considering that ditching Doris would've made their lives much easier.
There is the obligatory evil headmistress of the orphanage, made even more despicable by the fact that her actions were based on actual unethical experimentation on orphans during that time period.
I highly recommend this book. It is full of heart.
In the first few pages of Orphan Eleven, Choldenko ratchets up the tension bit by bit until BAM! the action starts. And the tension doesn't stop until the very end. Through a lucky break, Lucy, a selective mute, and her three fellow orphan runaways wind up at the circus. Their luck continues when one of the circus folk takes them under his wing and encourages them to find their niche, and a home, under the big top. But earning a permanent spot is not guaranteed, and the orphans must overcome internal and external struggles to succeed.
In one of the last scenes, Choldenko once again had me on the edge of my seat with a series of missed connections between Lucy and her beloved older sister.
Bald Doris, an orphan whose head was shaved due to a lice infestation, was very unlikeable and untruthful and her actions repeatedly threatened the well-being of the orphans. As much as I disliked her, I was able to learn about the other characters through their reactions to Doris's behavior. The orphans' pledge to stick together was all the more meaningful considering that ditching Doris would've made their lives much easier.
There is the obligatory evil headmistress of the orphanage, made even more despicable by the fact that her actions were based on actual unethical experimentation on orphans during that time period.
I highly recommend this book. It is full of heart.
July 22, 2025
"Laughter is popcorn for the soul."
April 15, 2023
I feel like the orphanage/mutism/stuttering and the circus are two different stories that didn’t totally come together. I think I would have liked it more if it focused on one or the other. (Love to hate Bald Doris, though!)
July 22, 2020
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This is honestly one of those books that made me go through so many emotions and had me at the edge of my seat. I just loved everything about Orphan Eleven.
The main highlight of the story is Lucy! What a wonderful character. My heart just went out to her from page one. She is charming main character, whose wings have been clipped. Yet she is always hopeful to lead a better life and find her sister Dilly. The journey that Lucy goes through in this book will just make you root for her all the way. Moreover, the author wrote all the characters in such a charismatic manner. You love to hate the villains, and you start to like even girls like Doris. Jabo is hilarious, and Diavolo is mysterious. There was something in each character that made them all stand out.
Also, it is clear that the author did extensive research on the subject matter. Her style of writing is simply wonderful. In the first half, she beautifully describes the colorful life of the travelling circus. However, on the second half, she paints a dark image of the horrid experiments and life of children in the orphanage. Even though the story shifts contrast, that doesn’t make it any less gripping! Also, in the end, the author provides snippets of similar practices that were done back in the day, which I found fascinating.
Anyway, “Orphan Eleven” was a book that touched my heart. I hope we have a sequel for the other characters as well please? I would love to read what happens to Doris and Nico and Eugene. Overall, this is one of the best middle grade books I read this year.
July 20, 2020
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author and the e-arc as well. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: Orphan Eleven
Author: Gennifer Choldenko
Book Series: Standalone? Should be a series
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: (selective?) mute character and a stuttering character. Also a little person character
Recommended For...: running away to the circus, historical fiction, middle grade
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
Genre: MG Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary events, child labor)
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Four orphans have escaped from the Home for Friendless Children. One is Lucy, who used to talk and sing. No one knows why she doesn't speak anymore; silence is her protection.
The orphans find work and new friends at a traveling circus. Lucy loves caring for the elephants, but she must be able to speak to them, and to warn others of danger. If Lucy doesn't find her voice, she'll be left behind when the circus goes on the rails. Meanwhile, people are searching for Lucy, and her puzzling past is about to catch up with her.
Review: Overall, I thought this was a well done novel! I loved to see these children’s journey and their character development was very well done. The world building was marvelous and to my knowledge this book was well researched. The book also has an authentic voice, sounding like it is from the prospective of a middle grader.
My only issue is that I felt that the book didn’t have a lot of backstory for all of the characters and I would have liked some more. I also felt like in some spots the book was too slow and while I didn’t like how Jabo is referred to, it is historically accurate (but probably should have a blurb about so kids don’t use that to be unintentionally cruel to another little person).
Verdict: A well done middle grade novel! I highly recommend it!
Book: Orphan Eleven
Author: Gennifer Choldenko
Book Series: Standalone? Should be a series
Rating: 4/5
Diversity: (selective?) mute character and a stuttering character. Also a little person character
Recommended For...: running away to the circus, historical fiction, middle grade
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
Genre: MG Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary events, child labor)
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Pages: 320
Synopsis: Four orphans have escaped from the Home for Friendless Children. One is Lucy, who used to talk and sing. No one knows why she doesn't speak anymore; silence is her protection.
The orphans find work and new friends at a traveling circus. Lucy loves caring for the elephants, but she must be able to speak to them, and to warn others of danger. If Lucy doesn't find her voice, she'll be left behind when the circus goes on the rails. Meanwhile, people are searching for Lucy, and her puzzling past is about to catch up with her.
Review: Overall, I thought this was a well done novel! I loved to see these children’s journey and their character development was very well done. The world building was marvelous and to my knowledge this book was well researched. The book also has an authentic voice, sounding like it is from the prospective of a middle grader.
My only issue is that I felt that the book didn’t have a lot of backstory for all of the characters and I would have liked some more. I also felt like in some spots the book was too slow and while I didn’t like how Jabo is referred to, it is historically accurate (but probably should have a blurb about so kids don’t use that to be unintentionally cruel to another little person).
Verdict: A well done middle grade novel! I highly recommend it!
July 20, 2020
Four orphans eagerly wait for an opportunity to escape from the Home for Friendless Children. Lucy, one of the orphans, used to love to talk and sing. Now, she no longer speaks as she believes silence is the only way to protect herself.
After a tumultuous journey, the orphans find work and new friends aboard a traveling circus. Lucy loves being able to take care of the elephants but, for her to secure the job of the elephant handler, she will need to speak to the elephants and warn others of danger. If Lucy doesn't cope with her fear of speaking, she will lose her chance to join the circus. Meanwhile, the matrons of the orphanage are eager to get Lucy back at the orphanage.
The book was a fun and cute read. It was nerve-wracking following the orphans' journey for a home and a place to belong. I liked that the author included a section about notes on the book. It was shocking to find out how much of Lucy's story was based on horrifying events. The novel was a heartwarming and enjoyable read and perfect for fans of the author.
After a tumultuous journey, the orphans find work and new friends aboard a traveling circus. Lucy loves being able to take care of the elephants but, for her to secure the job of the elephant handler, she will need to speak to the elephants and warn others of danger. If Lucy doesn't cope with her fear of speaking, she will lose her chance to join the circus. Meanwhile, the matrons of the orphanage are eager to get Lucy back at the orphanage.
The book was a fun and cute read. It was nerve-wracking following the orphans' journey for a home and a place to belong. I liked that the author included a section about notes on the book. It was shocking to find out how much of Lucy's story was based on horrifying events. The novel was a heartwarming and enjoyable read and perfect for fans of the author.
August 4, 2020
I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!!! I can't remember the last time I was so drawn to a character quite so quickly. Lucy tugged at my heartstrings from page one and never let go! I was pulling for her to succeed and found myself cheering when things went right and sobbing when they didn't. Gennifer Choldenko did not disappoint (she rarely ever does) and I applaud the amount of research she devoted to this amazing story! I learned so many things about the circus and orphanage life that I had never known before, without it feeling like a lesson. I very much enjoyed seeing the names of places in Iowa that I am familiar with. As you may assume, I HIGHLY recommend this title! It would be a great classroom read aloud!
March 17, 2021
I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH AND Gennifer Choldenko BETTER WRITE ANOTHER BECAUSE I LOVE THIS BOOOOOOOOOOK
July 16, 2022
Since my early childhood days, when I fell in love with the book Toby Tyler or Ten Weeks With The Circus by James Otis & the classic 1950’s TV show: Circus Boy – I’ve loved everything to do with the magic surrounding circuses.
So, dear reader, prepare to plunge into the bygone days of the past with this wonderfully told tale about living in a traveling circus, during the 1930’s.
This well-crafted story is about four orphans: Lucy, Doris, Nico and Eugene who bravely escape the Home for Friendless Children. The main narrator of this story is Lucy – an 11 year old girl who once talked & sang, but is now completely silent.
Lucy was left at the orphan’s home five years ago and has always been tormented by the head matron & the visiting music teacher. Nobody knows exactly what happened to Lucy’s voice. For Lucy, being silent means being safe and not getting into any trouble.
Shortly after running away from the orphan’s home, the four children travel to Chicago where Lucy hopes to find her older sister, Dilly. Dilly is the only family Lucy has left. What Lucy doesn’t know, is that the head matron hasn’t been giving her the letters sent by her sister Dilly. Things don’t work out very well for the four young orphans in Chicago, but things begin to look hopeful when they befriend a friendly dwarf named Jabo.
Jabo works for Sacchi’s Circus, which is a traveling show – one day, he hopes to become the ringmaster. Jabo tells the orphans that if they each secure an apprenticeship in one week without making three mistakes, then they can stay with the circus permanently.
Soon after arriving at the circus, Lucy discovers she has a unique bond with the circus elephants. She wants very much to help take care of the elephants, but is told the job is too dangerous for someone who doesn’t speak. Lucy needs to be able to talk with the elephants to give them commands & also to warn other performers of any dangers nearby.
If Lucy cannot find her voice once again, she will be left behind when the circus leaves the winter quarters. Unbeknownst to Lucy and her friends, people are searching really hard for Lucy. What will happen to Lucy – will she find her voice or not?
To find out the surprising conclusion to this magical story – grab a copy today & immerse yourself in a marvelous adventure.
So, dear reader, prepare to plunge into the bygone days of the past with this wonderfully told tale about living in a traveling circus, during the 1930’s.
This well-crafted story is about four orphans: Lucy, Doris, Nico and Eugene who bravely escape the Home for Friendless Children. The main narrator of this story is Lucy – an 11 year old girl who once talked & sang, but is now completely silent.
Lucy was left at the orphan’s home five years ago and has always been tormented by the head matron & the visiting music teacher. Nobody knows exactly what happened to Lucy’s voice. For Lucy, being silent means being safe and not getting into any trouble.
Shortly after running away from the orphan’s home, the four children travel to Chicago where Lucy hopes to find her older sister, Dilly. Dilly is the only family Lucy has left. What Lucy doesn’t know, is that the head matron hasn’t been giving her the letters sent by her sister Dilly. Things don’t work out very well for the four young orphans in Chicago, but things begin to look hopeful when they befriend a friendly dwarf named Jabo.
Jabo works for Sacchi’s Circus, which is a traveling show – one day, he hopes to become the ringmaster. Jabo tells the orphans that if they each secure an apprenticeship in one week without making three mistakes, then they can stay with the circus permanently.
Soon after arriving at the circus, Lucy discovers she has a unique bond with the circus elephants. She wants very much to help take care of the elephants, but is told the job is too dangerous for someone who doesn’t speak. Lucy needs to be able to talk with the elephants to give them commands & also to warn other performers of any dangers nearby.
If Lucy cannot find her voice once again, she will be left behind when the circus leaves the winter quarters. Unbeknownst to Lucy and her friends, people are searching really hard for Lucy. What will happen to Lucy – will she find her voice or not?
To find out the surprising conclusion to this magical story – grab a copy today & immerse yourself in a marvelous adventure.
May 8, 2021
This book was good for my circus-loving heart. It was deep and meaningful, and as an adult reading a children's novel, I enjoyed every scene. The author touches on some difficult topics, in a gentle, artful way. I'm so glad I grabbed this off the library shelf one day.
February 27, 2020
Lucy is in an orphanage in 1939 after her mom dies. She is separated from her sister before she enters the orphanage and is treated poorly. When Lucy and a few other have the opportunity to run away, they do. They join the circus hoping to earn apprenticeships. But because of Lucy’s stuttering, she is not likely to be asked to stay. All circus members need to be able to yell “John Robinson” if there is danger.
Lucy is a strong and lovable character as are her friends Nico and Eugene. Doris is not as likable, But she causes those issues herself. The circus life is intriguing and a great background for the orphans. I enjoyed reading the author’s note as well providing more information on orphanages, circuses and medical experiments linked to Lucy. An excellent story that will appeal ti a wide variety of readers.
Lucy is a strong and lovable character as are her friends Nico and Eugene. Doris is not as likable, But she causes those issues herself. The circus life is intriguing and a great background for the orphans. I enjoyed reading the author’s note as well providing more information on orphanages, circuses and medical experiments linked to Lucy. An excellent story that will appeal ti a wide variety of readers.
February 27, 2020
"In this world that can be terribly hard & unkind, there are miracles...(p. 285)"
Experience the miracle of Lucy who runs away from the orphanage and has the adventure of a lifetime as she discovers her talent of working with elephants in the circus. There are ups and downs and lots of interesting history in this story.
Experience the miracle of Lucy who runs away from the orphanage and has the adventure of a lifetime as she discovers her talent of working with elephants in the circus. There are ups and downs and lots of interesting history in this story.
February 16, 2020
Set in 1939, Lucy and three other children escape the Home for Friendless Children. With the help of some kind, former orphans, the four find themselves searching for apprenticeships with a travelling circus. But Lucy is mute, and not speaking is not an option in circus work. Lucy used to speak and sing, so why won't she now? And why are the matrons of the orphanage so insistent on bringing her back, but not the others?
This mystery and Lucy's spirit made it hard for me to put this book down. The themes of love, family, friendship, loyalty, and resilience are heartwarming.
The trauma that Lucy suffers is based on experiments that were done on children in the 1930's and it's infuriating to think that children went through this. Choldenko appears to have done in her homework in researching the historical aspects of this novel.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this review.
This mystery and Lucy's spirit made it hard for me to put this book down. The themes of love, family, friendship, loyalty, and resilience are heartwarming.
The trauma that Lucy suffers is based on experiments that were done on children in the 1930's and it's infuriating to think that children went through this. Choldenko appears to have done in her homework in researching the historical aspects of this novel.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for this review.
May 3, 2020
I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Choldenko spins tales that immediately connect to readers. This book is about orphans and the circus - almost seems like a cliche - until you step into the world she creates in 1939 Illinois.
The orphanage where Lucy lives is as vile and depressing as expected. What is unexpected is the way the university uses some of the orphans for a speech study. In essence, this study has turned Lucy into a selective mute as they are researching whether they can make children become stutterers by constantly attacking their speech. Lucy and three others run away and are rescued by another former orphan who guides them to the circus. Each has to make their way there. Several further twists await readers including Lucy being caught and returned to the orphanage, discovering the file notes from the university study and reuniting with her sister.
Choldenko has again created a literary journey to capture the imagination of middle grade readers.
Choldenko spins tales that immediately connect to readers. This book is about orphans and the circus - almost seems like a cliche - until you step into the world she creates in 1939 Illinois.
The orphanage where Lucy lives is as vile and depressing as expected. What is unexpected is the way the university uses some of the orphans for a speech study. In essence, this study has turned Lucy into a selective mute as they are researching whether they can make children become stutterers by constantly attacking their speech. Lucy and three others run away and are rescued by another former orphan who guides them to the circus. Each has to make their way there. Several further twists await readers including Lucy being caught and returned to the orphanage, discovering the file notes from the university study and reuniting with her sister.
Choldenko has again created a literary journey to capture the imagination of middle grade readers.
March 30, 2020
Choldenko never ceases to amaze me at how she grabs random weird pieces of history and weaves them together to create a really great story and teach us something totally new. In this book, we learn about orphanages, the circus, and a study regarding stuttering. All of this with quirky, endearing, and interesting characters and a plot with nice-paced action. AND she's donating some proceeds to elephant rescue too! "Orphan Eleven" was a quick and enjoyable read. I would give it to students who were partial to "The One and Only Ivan."
July 12, 2020
I am not one to read books with circus themes, but I do like elephants and Gennifer Choldenko, so I gave this book a go and you know, I ended up finding the descriptive circus life quite interesting. I think the characters is what made me enjoy the story. Readers root for Lucy from page one and also for her fellow orphans, Eugene, Nico, and yes - even the angry, lying Bald Doris. Many of the eclectic people they meet at the circus are likable while the bad people are realistic and make readers want to jump in the pages and give them what for. Although this book is fiction, it has some historical features in it, including some circus situations and the terrible reason behind Lucy's selective mutism of which Choldenko offers more detail in her end note. There is an underlying theme of facing your fears with help from friends and family. The following quote is perhaps my favorite from the book: "None of us get long on this lush and lovely planet. Don't relinquish any more of your precious life to whoever it is who has hurt you."(p. 136) It takes time and a lot of heartache, but Lucy ultimately follows that advice and overcomes the fear and evil that haunt her. I think young readers will enjoy the adventure and courage of the characters. And the elephants...who couldn't like Jenny and fiesty Baby?!
March 31, 2021
I'm ranking it a 3 because it didn't suck me in, personally, but I'll certainly recommend this to kid readers.
Lucy and three other kids escape a horrible orphanage, manage to get to a circus, and the circus has elephants! Lucy is enthusiastic about them, but has to manage her overwhelming fear of speaking in order to work with them. Things are looking up, but the orphanage ladies refuse to let Lucy go. And Lucy refuses to let go of the dream of finding her sister, Dilly. Thanks to letters from that personage that are interspersed throughout the book, it seems that inclination is reciprocated.
I suppose I just a had a little trouble working up the proper sort of anxiety over this one. We knew from those letters that Dilly was looking for Lucy. And good things just kept falling in the kid's lap, a little bit? As an adult reader, perhaps I was looking for a little more suspense. As a kid, I think I would have liked it a lot more - I was a different reader then. I didn't mind suspiciously happy endings. Or maybe I've just read too many heavy things recently, so this just felt too easy? I should read some fluff and mentally reset.
Anyway, I think kids who are into elephants and the circus and the age-old, "running away from the evil orphanage" bit (which was a FAVORITE bit of mine when I was young) will enjoy this quite a lot.
Lucy and three other kids escape a horrible orphanage, manage to get to a circus, and the circus has elephants! Lucy is enthusiastic about them, but has to manage her overwhelming fear of speaking in order to work with them. Things are looking up, but the orphanage ladies refuse to let Lucy go. And Lucy refuses to let go of the dream of finding her sister, Dilly. Thanks to letters from that personage that are interspersed throughout the book, it seems that inclination is reciprocated.
I suppose I just a had a little trouble working up the proper sort of anxiety over this one. We knew from those letters that Dilly was looking for Lucy. And good things just kept falling in the kid's lap, a little bit? As an adult reader, perhaps I was looking for a little more suspense. As a kid, I think I would have liked it a lot more - I was a different reader then. I didn't mind suspiciously happy endings. Or maybe I've just read too many heavy things recently, so this just felt too easy? I should read some fluff and mentally reset.
Anyway, I think kids who are into elephants and the circus and the age-old, "running away from the evil orphanage" bit (which was a FAVORITE bit of mine when I was young) will enjoy this quite a lot.
May 17, 2020
Lucy had been placed in an orphanage, the Home for Friendless Children, by her step-father after her mother died and is now eleven years old. She hopes that her older sister Dilly, who would now be seventeen, will come and claim her someday. Meanwhile, she has gotten in trouble again and has to do extra work, she, another girl and two boys are left working outside the fence. Lucy sees her opportunity and runs off, only to find that the other kids have followed her and now they are all trying to get to Chicago. Lucy hopes to find her sister in the old neighborhood but they get sidetracked along the way and helped along by a young woman who used to be in the same orphanage, she gives them a number to call and they end up trying to land jobs in the circus. Underlying all this adventure is that Lucy has been part of a cruel study on stuttering and is now a selective mute. She is needed back by the orphanage so that the administration can keep lining their pockets with the extra funds from the university for the study.
#OrphanEleven #NetGalley #ARC
#OrphanEleven #NetGalley #ARC
September 11, 2020
Historical fiction set in 1939 about four orphans who seize the opportunity to flee their painful existence at an the Home for Friendless Children, which is run by two unscrupulous adults and exploited by unethical researchers. They find themselves jostled in the back of Bernadette's pick-up, and speeding toward Chicago where they hope to connect with friends and family, until their plan disintegrates. Streetwise Bernadette has foreseen a problem and has planted a phone number for Lucy, a selective mute, to find. Cue the arrival of Jabo, an aspiring ringmaster and philosophical mentor, who transports the group to the Saachi's Circus where they are embraced by the circus folk. The children have a short period of time to explore and prove themselves worthy of an apprenticeship, which would mean they could remain with the circus. Unique voices and plot points make each character's personality jump from the page. It was refreshing to find so many examples of quality adults who cared for the well being of the children. Started to read, and never put it down.
November 2, 2020
Fascinating story of orphans combined with circus. Lucy (who has become selectively mute) and three others with the help of the OOFO (Order of Fine Orphans) escape from the Home for Friendless Children and make their way via several digressions to Saachi's Circus where Lucy becomes an apprentice elephant girl. In the the Afterword, Choldenko explains the factual elements behind the book-- the circus lore and history gained from reading and visits to Baraboo, Wisconsin, home of the Ringling Brothers Winter Quarters and the stories of the Soldiers' Orphans' Home in Iowa that allowed orphans to become part of the University of Iowa's Fluency Study (how children can be made to become stutters). Lucy and her sister Dilly and Lucy's fellow orphans (Doris, Eugene, and Nico) and manage to survive the machinations of the orphanages' two ugly, mean matrons: Mackinac and Grundy.
June 10, 2020
This is the first novel I’ve read by Gennifer Choldenko, who is well known for her Tales from Alcatraz series. Based on Orphan Eleven, it’s not hard to see why she’s a Newberry Honor author. She’s excellent at setting both scene and pacing.
There’s a charm to Orphan Eleven that you wouldn’t immediately consider based on the above synopsis. But it’s there nonetheless. Lucy’s dogged determinedness and inner strength are the trunk from which her story branches out. Experiencing the circus through her eyes is magical. Even the mundane gets a flair of life.
Orphan Eleven is an engaging read that grabs you from the first page, and makes you want to know more about Lucy and her friends long after you’ve finished.
There’s a charm to Orphan Eleven that you wouldn’t immediately consider based on the above synopsis. But it’s there nonetheless. Lucy’s dogged determinedness and inner strength are the trunk from which her story branches out. Experiencing the circus through her eyes is magical. Even the mundane gets a flair of life.
Orphan Eleven is an engaging read that grabs you from the first page, and makes you want to know more about Lucy and her friends long after you’ve finished.
March 13, 2023
Ohhhhh-kay. I'm not sure how to start this review. As I said in my Goodreads status update, I literally knew nothing about this book going into it. I saw it in my library's children's section, and I grabbed it, because... the circus cover. Maybe this review shouldn't even really count, because I wasn't the target audience for this book, but I did enjoy some aspects.
Totally judging the book by it's cover, I kind of thought it would be a mystery about orphans who ran away and joined the circus. However, what I didn't realize is that although it is about orphans running away to join the circus, it centered a lot around circuses in the 1930's. It wasn't my cup of tea, but it was a fun, quick read. I definitely enjoyed the circus aspects of this book, but the orphanage part... not so much.
Personally, this wasn't my favorite, but it was fun, and sort of a quick book that totally fits with my 'kid hero' for this month's reading challenge, so I'm glad I gave it a try. I would be open to trying another of Gennifer Choldenko's books in the future.
Totally judging the book by it's cover, I kind of thought it would be a mystery about orphans who ran away and joined the circus. However, what I didn't realize is that although it is about orphans running away to join the circus, it centered a lot around circuses in the 1930's. It wasn't my cup of tea, but it was a fun, quick read. I definitely enjoyed the circus aspects of this book, but the orphanage part... not so much.
Personally, this wasn't my favorite, but it was fun, and sort of a quick book that totally fits with my 'kid hero' for this month's reading challenge, so I'm glad I gave it a try. I would be open to trying another of Gennifer Choldenko's books in the future.
November 28, 2020
Elissa: A realistic historical fiction set in 1930s Midwest touches on an actual science experiment inflicted on children. Lucy used to be able to speak, but now she’s mute and living in a terrible orphanage far from her sister who promised to come back for her. One day, Lucy and some other children escape and join the circus (yes, really!). As each child finds their place, Lucy wants to work with the elephants. However, she is not permitted to do so unless she can talk. If that wasn’t enough, Lucy has to keep escaping the bad guys determined to keep her in the orphanage—and away from her sister. Intrigued yet?
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