What do you think?
Rate this book
Worth
After Nathaniel's leg is crushed in an accident, his father brings home an orphan boy, John Worth, to help work the fields. Worth has come to Nebraska from New York City on the Orphan Train, which brings homeless children west to find new lives.
Nathaniel feels increasingly jealous of the boy who has taken over not only his work but the attention of his father, who has barely spoken to him since his injury. In school for the first time he is far behind even his youngest classmates, and he feels as useless there as he does at home.
Meanwhile, Worth is still grieving for his family and his old life. As the farm chores prevent him from going to school, he also resents losing his dream of an education and a good job. And for all the work he does, he knows he will never inherit the farm that he's helping to save.
But a battle between ranchers and farmers -- and a book of Greek mythology that Nathaniel reads aloud each evening -- forges a connection between the two boys, who begin to discover that maybe there is enough room on the farm, and in the family, for both of them.
A. LaFaye's dynamic portrayal of two boys longing for something they no longer have -- and finding the resources to face the future -- offers a fresh perspective on the thousands of children who moved west via the Orphan Trains in the late nineteenth century.
Nathaniel feels increasingly jealous of the boy who has taken over not only his work but the attention of his father, who has barely spoken to him since his injury. In school for the first time he is far behind even his youngest classmates, and he feels as useless there as he does at home.
Meanwhile, Worth is still grieving for his family and his old life. As the farm chores prevent him from going to school, he also resents losing his dream of an education and a good job. And for all the work he does, he knows he will never inherit the farm that he's helping to save.
But a battle between ranchers and farmers -- and a book of Greek mythology that Nathaniel reads aloud each evening -- forges a connection between the two boys, who begin to discover that maybe there is enough room on the farm, and in the family, for both of them.
A. LaFaye's dynamic portrayal of two boys longing for something they no longer have -- and finding the resources to face the future -- offers a fresh perspective on the thousands of children who moved west via the Orphan Trains in the late nineteenth century.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1998
39 people are currently reading
912 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
August 19, 2020
Just one month ago, my daughters and I “traveled” to North Dakota and discovered Jake's Orphan, a story that revolved around a farming family who “took in” a boy from the orphan train.
Unfortunately for Worth, a middle grades novel set in Nebraska, we had the recent comparison in our minds of. . . a story that revolved around a farming family who “took in” a boy from the orphan train.
Even so. . . if we hadn't had the comparison to make, this story would have fallen short for us.
I'm sorry, but if you have a 144 page book, and for 136 pages of the book “Ma” and “Pa” treat the orphan like a flea-infested stray dog, refusing to look him in the eyes, giving him residence in a lean-to that is no better than a garden shed, and making him eat all of his meals out on a tree stump, you can't wrap up this mess in a tidy 8 pages.
In 8 pages, you can't make this boy seemed “beloved” and an accepted member of a family, after he's been treated worse than an unwanted dog in all previous pages.
And, even though I applaud this author for donating a portion of the proceeds from this book to the North American Council on Adoptable Children (www.nacac.org), I must contribute that I find this story an awkward representation of a successful adoption story.
I am a proud mother of both biological and adopted children, and the parents in this story, the Peales, are absolutely appalling to me. They don't have any knack with their original, biological child, and they certainly don't have any leftover love for a newly arrived, traumatized orphan. I was ashamed of them as human beings, to be honest, and I'm not sure the author knew quite, quite what she was doing, in representing them as so cruel and unfeeling and then giving them a quick change of heart, in the last remaining pages.
Also, what's wrong with pronouns? We need them, we love them, they work for us in stories.
This novel needed pronouns, and, frankly, outside of poetry, no writer is so clever that they can write riveting prose without them.
Unfortunately for Worth, a middle grades novel set in Nebraska, we had the recent comparison in our minds of. . . a story that revolved around a farming family who “took in” a boy from the orphan train.
Even so. . . if we hadn't had the comparison to make, this story would have fallen short for us.
I'm sorry, but if you have a 144 page book, and for 136 pages of the book “Ma” and “Pa” treat the orphan like a flea-infested stray dog, refusing to look him in the eyes, giving him residence in a lean-to that is no better than a garden shed, and making him eat all of his meals out on a tree stump, you can't wrap up this mess in a tidy 8 pages.
In 8 pages, you can't make this boy seemed “beloved” and an accepted member of a family, after he's been treated worse than an unwanted dog in all previous pages.
And, even though I applaud this author for donating a portion of the proceeds from this book to the North American Council on Adoptable Children (www.nacac.org), I must contribute that I find this story an awkward representation of a successful adoption story.
I am a proud mother of both biological and adopted children, and the parents in this story, the Peales, are absolutely appalling to me. They don't have any knack with their original, biological child, and they certainly don't have any leftover love for a newly arrived, traumatized orphan. I was ashamed of them as human beings, to be honest, and I'm not sure the author knew quite, quite what she was doing, in representing them as so cruel and unfeeling and then giving them a quick change of heart, in the last remaining pages.
Also, what's wrong with pronouns? We need them, we love them, they work for us in stories.
This novel needed pronouns, and, frankly, outside of poetry, no writer is so clever that they can write riveting prose without them.
August 23, 2016
This book is about a boy named Nathaniel, who is trying to survive and find happiness after his leg is brutally injured in the storm. His family runs a farm and all the crops were destroyed due to the storm. The family also lack in business and have to take a lot of loans to pay for the crops. Things have changed ever since this incident has taken place. His dad hasn’t had any conversation with him and his mom is always depressed and mad about the death of her daughter Missy, years ago. Nathaniel is finding it very hard to live this way and wants to change his style of living. But, to make things worse, his dad brings home a boy named John Worth, (from the Orphan Train) to do Nathaniel's chores. Nathaniel feels like he’s worthless and that he is no use to the family. He is truly sad since is not being able to help on the farm and is actually jealous of John since he has caught the attention of his father. After some great tragedies in John’s life, he is finding it hard to fit in the family. just know that everything works out in the end! But, something helps brings the family together (you're gonna have to find out!) to create a special bond that I think is very touching! For me, this story was a little hard to follow at the start,(and there were parts that were boring) and I was on the verge of abandoning it. I felt the need to read more to understand it better and sure enough ,as I kept reading, the story got more intense and I started enjoying it. The plot of this story was good and I particularly liked how the main character dealt with his problems. I also liked all the emotions that the characters displayed. My favorite part was, “Lumbering around like a newborn colt, I spun to get up and hug Ma. She hugged me right back, letting out a laughing sigh. “Don’t you worry, Nathaniel. I’m not going anywhere.” And for the first time, I hoped John Worth didn’t have to go anywhere either.” This shows that Nathaniel had empathy John because of the hard times he has been through and doesn’t want him to go. Overall, I think this was a great book and I really recommend it!
March 13, 2009
Nathaniel and his family are homesteaders in Nebraska in the 1800s. Nathaniel breaks his leg in a freak accident and is told that he may be lucky to walk again. Because times are hard and money is tight, his father takes in an orphan boy from New York to help around the farm – John Worth. Nathaniel, once his leg begins to heal, is sent to school so that he can make something of himself. Nathaniel resents and envies the relationship that John seems to have with *his* father, but after learning John lost his family in a terrible fire, the two begin to be friends.
Meanwhile, there’s a lot of tension between the farming and ranching families – farmers are regularly suing their ranching neighbors when their cattle break through the farm fences and destroy the farmers’ crops. Nathaniel’s father is on good terms with his neighbor, but he continues to lose money whenever the cattle stampede. The ranchers and the farmers are about to settle their differences when some fence cutters attempt to stir things up again. Nathaniel and John catch them in the act and the kids are brought to justice.
This was a great look at what homesteading life might have been like back in the 1800s. There were also several unexpected details which made this read more fascinating than, perhaps, the usual fare: Nathaniel’s mother is the educated one in the family, and also the handy person; she can repair just about anything she sets her hands to (she also handles all of the bookkeeping). Nathaniel also becomes friends with a Greek girl who has immigrated to the States and they bond over a book of Greek mythology, which actually helps Nathaniel learn to read. These quirks made the characters stand out, made them more realistic – I’d never have thought about homesteaders being interested in things like mythology. Nathaniel and John are both easy to like – strong characters with strong opinions. This short, meaty read should appeal to boys.
Meanwhile, there’s a lot of tension between the farming and ranching families – farmers are regularly suing their ranching neighbors when their cattle break through the farm fences and destroy the farmers’ crops. Nathaniel’s father is on good terms with his neighbor, but he continues to lose money whenever the cattle stampede. The ranchers and the farmers are about to settle their differences when some fence cutters attempt to stir things up again. Nathaniel and John catch them in the act and the kids are brought to justice.
This was a great look at what homesteading life might have been like back in the 1800s. There were also several unexpected details which made this read more fascinating than, perhaps, the usual fare: Nathaniel’s mother is the educated one in the family, and also the handy person; she can repair just about anything she sets her hands to (she also handles all of the bookkeeping). Nathaniel also becomes friends with a Greek girl who has immigrated to the States and they bond over a book of Greek mythology, which actually helps Nathaniel learn to read. These quirks made the characters stand out, made them more realistic – I’d never have thought about homesteaders being interested in things like mythology. Nathaniel and John are both easy to like – strong characters with strong opinions. This short, meaty read should appeal to boys.
June 12, 2017
Third in the Nissa great literature series for juvenile readers and revolving around Nathaniel Peale and his whole family. Based in 19th century Nebraska.
In 2008, Worth was nominated for the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award. In 2006, it won the Simon Honor Book. In 2005, it won the Scott O’Dell award, and in 2004, it won the California Book Award Silver Medal for Juvenile. And I can see why it won all these awards. This is brilliant.
My Take
Absolutely brilliant. I’d give it a “7” if the rating system would let me. It’s ideal for nine- to thirteen-year-olds…and adults will appreciate LaFaye’s absolutely gorgeous, and I mean, GORGEOUS, descriptions that are so unique and yet capture the feeling.
It’s a story rampant with guilt. Pa’s. Nate’s. Worth’s. LaFaye uses first-person protagonist point-of-view from Nate’s perspective, and we learn firsthand how agonizing those pains are. The leg, his father’s abandonment, and the new “son” who’s come to take his place, all with LaFaye’s deft turn of phrase, describing emotions and actions in totally new ways that make you feel it all.
I do have a couple niggles…I wanna know more about Ma. A woman who “hears the lightning in the tall grass” and tinkers with repairs. Ya gotta admire a woman like her. But I also want to know why she’s taken against Worth. For such a “Christian” woman, she sure is unChristian. I’m also confused over those oranges. How could they have lasted long enough to get to Nebraska from New York?
Listening to Nate talk about their home in Nebraska, and how it started out. The slow, very slow, accumulation of chairs, a table, beds…even windows. Further on, the talk is about schoolin’. Ma desperately wants Nate to go, and she is the learned one in the family. It’s a great opportunity to talk with your kids about education. The limitations on how far (or if) one could attend school. I know the kids'll come up with all sorts of positives about that one, lol, and it's a good opportunity to note those negatives. How it hampered people as well as the whys of not being able to go to school. And Nate’s exposure to learning is what helps him and Worth bond.
Another good topic is the relationship Pa has with his ranching neighbor. It’s a Christian (and I mean this in the original way) attitude that pays big dividends for both families and is an excellent example of working together to solve problems.
The Story
It’s a disaster in so many ways, leading to radical changes in the Peale family. Pa must deal with his guilt while Nate battles the loss he knows and the one he fears.
As for Worth…he’s lost so much more…
The Characters
Nathaniel “Wood” Peale is eleven years old and hasn’t yet been to school. Ma, Mary Eve, mends household goods for folks, although Pa, Gabe, takes the credit. People prefer to think women can’t do a man’s work. Vernon, Dixie, and Belle are the draft horses; Dimple is the cow. Missy is the daughter who died while in Verna Crawford’s neglectful care; Mr. Crawford shooed Nate out. I think Uncle Jasper is Ma’s brother. Uncle Paul had been building a curing shed.
John Worth is an orphan boy, a city boy from New York whose family died in a tenement fire. Tommy was his brother, and he’d had three sisters.
Seth Clemson is their neighbor who runs a herd of cattle. One of his hands is Gavin Tussler. More neighbors include Tin Harper, a rancher; the Kinleys are farmers; the Campbells got themselves a new son; the Gantrys are a ranching family feuding with their neighbors, the farming Danvers (and Calvin Danver was found dead); the Dales; and, Widow Kerensky is a rancher.
Doc Kelly is the local doctor. Baker is the even-handed sheriff. Mr. Carter owns the bank. Ralph Pitcher runs the mercantile. Pastor Emerson preaches. Mr. Kennel teaches school in a soddie. The other students include Penny Dale, Milton Harper, Horace Danver, Katia Mavchek, Trevor Gantry, Theo Harper, the Kerensky twins, Margaret Planck, and Alexander and Anemone Cordimas who are from Greece.
Hester Feringeld was a neighbor while Mrs. Kempki worked in the drug store in Chicago. Benny Saddler had been Nate’s friend. Mana is Greek for mother. I’m thinking that Eddie Dawson’s ma would have preferred not to have survived. Willie Sharp’s success gives Worth his goal.
The Cover and Title
The cover is an out-of-focus photograph of a young Nathaniel running through a field of fluorescent yellow hay. In the pinks and browns background is the family farm, a windmill on the right with streaks of pink lightning flashing, a portent of the storm that is to come. A white informational blurb is at the very top with the author’s name in a deep grayed-out brown right aligned under it. The title is below that in white with a deep brown shadow. Off-center at the bottom is a round gold medallion for the Scott O’Dell Award.
The title can go two ways: that orphan boy and for what it’s Worth.
In 2008, Worth was nominated for the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award. In 2006, it won the Simon Honor Book. In 2005, it won the Scott O’Dell award, and in 2004, it won the California Book Award Silver Medal for Juvenile. And I can see why it won all these awards. This is brilliant.
My Take
Absolutely brilliant. I’d give it a “7” if the rating system would let me. It’s ideal for nine- to thirteen-year-olds…and adults will appreciate LaFaye’s absolutely gorgeous, and I mean, GORGEOUS, descriptions that are so unique and yet capture the feeling.
”Then a fog rolled in, misting me clean through — no pain, no thoughts, nothing but wet gray haze, liked I’d been set adrift in a boat at dawn.”Yep, if you fancy yourself a writer, BUY this book. It’s easy to read and those descriptions…oh, yeah…
”Just like that he went from laughing to crying so hard he couldn’t breathe. The suddenness of it sent Ma forward, like she was catching someone who’d taken a fall.”LaFaye has created a world that brings it home, how families struggled with the anger between farmer and rancher as well as the battle to survive, to earn that homestead, to pay the bank, to make it. The storm and Nate's struggle are excellent metaphors for their trials.
It’s a story rampant with guilt. Pa’s. Nate’s. Worth’s. LaFaye uses first-person protagonist point-of-view from Nate’s perspective, and we learn firsthand how agonizing those pains are. The leg, his father’s abandonment, and the new “son” who’s come to take his place, all with LaFaye’s deft turn of phrase, describing emotions and actions in totally new ways that make you feel it all.
I do have a couple niggles…I wanna know more about Ma. A woman who “hears the lightning in the tall grass” and tinkers with repairs. Ya gotta admire a woman like her. But I also want to know why she’s taken against Worth. For such a “Christian” woman, she sure is unChristian. I’m also confused over those oranges. How could they have lasted long enough to get to Nebraska from New York?
Listening to Nate talk about their home in Nebraska, and how it started out. The slow, very slow, accumulation of chairs, a table, beds…even windows. Further on, the talk is about schoolin’. Ma desperately wants Nate to go, and she is the learned one in the family. It’s a great opportunity to talk with your kids about education. The limitations on how far (or if) one could attend school. I know the kids'll come up with all sorts of positives about that one, lol, and it's a good opportunity to note those negatives. How it hampered people as well as the whys of not being able to go to school. And Nate’s exposure to learning is what helps him and Worth bond.
Another good topic is the relationship Pa has with his ranching neighbor. It’s a Christian (and I mean this in the original way) attitude that pays big dividends for both families and is an excellent example of working together to solve problems.
The Story
It’s a disaster in so many ways, leading to radical changes in the Peale family. Pa must deal with his guilt while Nate battles the loss he knows and the one he fears.
As for Worth…he’s lost so much more…
The Characters
Nathaniel “Wood” Peale is eleven years old and hasn’t yet been to school. Ma, Mary Eve, mends household goods for folks, although Pa, Gabe, takes the credit. People prefer to think women can’t do a man’s work. Vernon, Dixie, and Belle are the draft horses; Dimple is the cow. Missy is the daughter who died while in Verna Crawford’s neglectful care; Mr. Crawford shooed Nate out. I think Uncle Jasper is Ma’s brother. Uncle Paul had been building a curing shed.
John Worth is an orphan boy, a city boy from New York whose family died in a tenement fire. Tommy was his brother, and he’d had three sisters.
Seth Clemson is their neighbor who runs a herd of cattle. One of his hands is Gavin Tussler. More neighbors include Tin Harper, a rancher; the Kinleys are farmers; the Campbells got themselves a new son; the Gantrys are a ranching family feuding with their neighbors, the farming Danvers (and Calvin Danver was found dead); the Dales; and, Widow Kerensky is a rancher.
Doc Kelly is the local doctor. Baker is the even-handed sheriff. Mr. Carter owns the bank. Ralph Pitcher runs the mercantile. Pastor Emerson preaches. Mr. Kennel teaches school in a soddie. The other students include Penny Dale, Milton Harper, Horace Danver, Katia Mavchek, Trevor Gantry, Theo Harper, the Kerensky twins, Margaret Planck, and Alexander and Anemone Cordimas who are from Greece.
Hester Feringeld was a neighbor while Mrs. Kempki worked in the drug store in Chicago. Benny Saddler had been Nate’s friend. Mana is Greek for mother. I’m thinking that Eddie Dawson’s ma would have preferred not to have survived. Willie Sharp’s success gives Worth his goal.
The Cover and Title
The cover is an out-of-focus photograph of a young Nathaniel running through a field of fluorescent yellow hay. In the pinks and browns background is the family farm, a windmill on the right with streaks of pink lightning flashing, a portent of the storm that is to come. A white informational blurb is at the very top with the author’s name in a deep grayed-out brown right aligned under it. The title is below that in white with a deep brown shadow. Off-center at the bottom is a round gold medallion for the Scott O’Dell Award.
The title can go two ways: that orphan boy and for what it’s Worth.
July 25, 2023
Good read for middle school but still learned from it as an adult. It was about a farmer and his family, son was injured and father brought home a boy who arrived on the orphan train to help with work on the farm. The book got into disputes between farmers and ranchers, conflict between orphans who came on the train, and the families they lived with. Well-done and interesting.
xx-dnf-skim-reference
April 27, 2025A short book, so when I was getting fed up with Ma's cruelty to the orphan boy and with all the other awfulness, I stopped this LFL find at p. 35.
August 1, 2018
It was ok. Like reading a Bonanza type of book.
February 6, 2017
Afraid of being replaced by another boy, Nathaniel James tries to heal sooner to work with his Pa again. This book is a fiction. This book is okay but it could do better. When Nate gets struck by the lightning, his Pa brings a boy, not a son, but someone who can work with him while Nate heals.
The setting is in a farm in Nebraska. Nathaniel wanted to work in the farm with his Pa again. But with his leg injured he can't really do much. So, he decided to just be mean to the boy, John Worth. Then some things start to happen, like they start to get along with each other. John Worth's family died in a fire, but Nate doesn't know that. Nate's little sister died by choking on a piece of bread. After Nate got struck by the lightning, he couldn't work with his dad and his dad was so busy. So, his dad really couldn't be around Nate for a long time because he had to get to work. When his dad brought John Worth to their home, Nate felt as if he was being replaced. His dad said that the boy was just going to help around with the crops and animals.
The first person point of view affects the story because the reader knows how the main character feels. A major event that changed the main character is when he got struck by the lightning because after that his Pa didn't talk to him much because of all the work. The setting adds to the conflict because since it was in a farm where he got struck and there's many work to do, his Pa is busy and Nate can't do that work and has to stay in bed for most of the time.
I was surprised when his mom didn't want to accept John Worth. Mostly because she was depressed about the death of her daughter. I liked the way the author made the two main characters (Nathaniel and John) get along at the end, like in most stories. An interesting thing I learned from this book was you shouldn't judge someone if you don't even know them.
I rated this book a 2 out of 5 because this book didn't really interest me. It could have had more details about the incident and about how Nate's dad felt about everything. I would like to recommend this book to people who like to read books about a boy getting injured and then thinking he might be replaced. This book was good because it showed how a boy didn't think about getting to know the other boy first before starting to judge him. At the end when he figures out what actually happened, he feels very sorry for acting the way he did and they end up getting along very well. They end up becoming brothers from another mother.
The setting is in a farm in Nebraska. Nathaniel wanted to work in the farm with his Pa again. But with his leg injured he can't really do much. So, he decided to just be mean to the boy, John Worth. Then some things start to happen, like they start to get along with each other. John Worth's family died in a fire, but Nate doesn't know that. Nate's little sister died by choking on a piece of bread. After Nate got struck by the lightning, he couldn't work with his dad and his dad was so busy. So, his dad really couldn't be around Nate for a long time because he had to get to work. When his dad brought John Worth to their home, Nate felt as if he was being replaced. His dad said that the boy was just going to help around with the crops and animals.
The first person point of view affects the story because the reader knows how the main character feels. A major event that changed the main character is when he got struck by the lightning because after that his Pa didn't talk to him much because of all the work. The setting adds to the conflict because since it was in a farm where he got struck and there's many work to do, his Pa is busy and Nate can't do that work and has to stay in bed for most of the time.
I was surprised when his mom didn't want to accept John Worth. Mostly because she was depressed about the death of her daughter. I liked the way the author made the two main characters (Nathaniel and John) get along at the end, like in most stories. An interesting thing I learned from this book was you shouldn't judge someone if you don't even know them.
I rated this book a 2 out of 5 because this book didn't really interest me. It could have had more details about the incident and about how Nate's dad felt about everything. I would like to recommend this book to people who like to read books about a boy getting injured and then thinking he might be replaced. This book was good because it showed how a boy didn't think about getting to know the other boy first before starting to judge him. At the end when he figures out what actually happened, he feels very sorry for acting the way he did and they end up getting along very well. They end up becoming brothers from another mother.
March 3, 2010
Grades 4-7
Rebecca Caudill Award Nominee
Audio Book read by Tommy Fleming
Eleven-year-old Nate and his family experience setback after setback, and end up farming in Nebraska and desperately trying to make ends meet. Life becomes even more difficult when Nate's leg is struck by lightning. To help out on the farm, Nate's father brings home John Worth from the Orphan Train. John's family, like many during that time, was killed in a tenement fire. John was treated essentially like slave labor, especially by Nate's mother who grieves the loss of her baby daughter and Nate's leg. The novel explores numerous interesting issues, including the notion of "women's work" (Nate's mother is a "tinkerer," a job generally held by men), city and country life, immigration, acceptance, literacy, grief, love, and what it means to be a community and a family.
The conflict explored between Nate and his family and John Worth is situated in a larger conflict between ranchers and farmers, and presents an interesting portrait of late-19th century America.
The audio recording of "Worth" ruined the simplicity of the language, and at times, interfered with my comprehension of the story. The reader's accent was overwrought and uneven. The worst part of the reading is when Fleming attempted to speak with a Greek accent when the character Anemone entered the story. At the time of the recording, Fleming was in high school, so with that in mind he did a good job; however I would never use this recording to assist struggling readers, as it would detract from their experience rather than add to it.
Rebecca Caudill Award Nominee
Audio Book read by Tommy Fleming
Eleven-year-old Nate and his family experience setback after setback, and end up farming in Nebraska and desperately trying to make ends meet. Life becomes even more difficult when Nate's leg is struck by lightning. To help out on the farm, Nate's father brings home John Worth from the Orphan Train. John's family, like many during that time, was killed in a tenement fire. John was treated essentially like slave labor, especially by Nate's mother who grieves the loss of her baby daughter and Nate's leg. The novel explores numerous interesting issues, including the notion of "women's work" (Nate's mother is a "tinkerer," a job generally held by men), city and country life, immigration, acceptance, literacy, grief, love, and what it means to be a community and a family.
The conflict explored between Nate and his family and John Worth is situated in a larger conflict between ranchers and farmers, and presents an interesting portrait of late-19th century America.
The audio recording of "Worth" ruined the simplicity of the language, and at times, interfered with my comprehension of the story. The reader's accent was overwrought and uneven. The worst part of the reading is when Fleming attempted to speak with a Greek accent when the character Anemone entered the story. At the time of the recording, Fleming was in high school, so with that in mind he did a good job; however I would never use this recording to assist struggling readers, as it would detract from their experience rather than add to it.
February 28, 2013
Worth tells the story of a Nebraska farm family in the second half of the 19th century. When the only son is badly injured in a farm accident, the family "adopts" a boy, Jack Worth, from one of the orphan trains that brought orphans from East Coast cities out to live with and work on farms. The story is told through the perspective of Nathaniel, the crippled son, as he deals with losing full use of his leg, being made to go to school instead of work with his father on the farm, and adjusting to an addition to the family who seems to be there to "replace" him. The novel also brings up issues such as the conflict between farmers and ranchers, the struggle for outsiders to belong in this insular community, and household roles at the time.
This book provides perspective on a period of history which is often not discussed, unless you grew up in Nebraska or another Great Plains state. While providing new information, it also connects with experiences that many children share today--family struggles, the sense of belonging in a new community, difficulty in school. However, I think like most historical fiction, it would be best combined with a brief study of Orphan Trains, the conflict in the Great Plains over farming and ranching, and farm life in general. The ideal age group for this novel would be grades 5-7.
This book provides perspective on a period of history which is often not discussed, unless you grew up in Nebraska or another Great Plains state. While providing new information, it also connects with experiences that many children share today--family struggles, the sense of belonging in a new community, difficulty in school. However, I think like most historical fiction, it would be best combined with a brief study of Orphan Trains, the conflict in the Great Plains over farming and ranching, and farm life in general. The ideal age group for this novel would be grades 5-7.
March 3, 2011
Since the story is told in first person, by the main character, Nathanial, the audio CD is read by a young male actor. The narrator does a great job with changing voices, not only between the young male characters, but also taking on the voices of the adults in the story. The voices are believable and it is evident that the reader is skilled at storytelling/acting.
December 4, 2018
Rats. I remember flipping through this in a bookstore years ago and being intrigued by it. This time, I started reading from the beginning and was very invested and deeply interested. Then about halfway through, they had to slip a profanity into an argument. Very sad and frustrated.
February 26, 2022
I mean I wouldn't say I hate this find
June 10, 2020
Nathaniel’s mother can tell when lightning’s coming, even when there’s not a cloud in the sky. She says she hears it in the grass. Hearing the lightning doesn’t guarantee that rain will come, but she isn’t usually wrong about the lightning. Sometimes there’s lightning and no rain at all. “Run out and warn your father,” she tells Nathaniel. Father takes her word for it, even though it’s a beautiful sunny day. If lightning’s coming, they’ve got to get all of the hay into the barn or lose it—either it’ll rot when it’s soaked or it’ll burn if lightning strikes it. So much hay! And only two of them, and only one wagon.
It’s not going to get into the barn if they stand there thinking about it, though, so they start in, as fast as they can, and after only a few wagon loads are in the barn, the clouds hang heavy in the sky and the lightning starts to flash. First far away, as they throw load after load of hay into the wagon, and then closer and closer, followed by loud crashing thunder. Nathaniel is up on the edge of the wagon, moving the hay with his pitchfork when the sky lights up and CRASH! A thunderclap roars right over his head. The horse, spooked by the terrifying noise, jerks forward, causing the wagon to lurch, Nathaniel falls and his leg is crushed beneath the wheel.
Months later, Nathaniel can stand on his leg but only to limp—he’ll never be able to help around the farm again. His family, so close to bankruptcy already, is desperate: if they don’t have help around the farm, they’ll lose everything! His father announces that they’re adopting an orphan, coming west on the train from New York, to help with the chores. Nathaniel knows why: “A steer you’d have to pay for, but a boy you could adopt for free.”
When John Worth arrives and he’s Nathaniel’s age but without the bum leg, Nathaniel hates him. “What good am I anymore?” Nathaniel thinks. He’s filled with fear and anger: he’ll do anything to keep John from replacing him in the family.
(Issues: Good historical fiction. Orphan train book, not from the orphan’s point of view but from the adopting family’s point of view. Why would someone adopt one of these children? Here’s one reason, with the attendant feelings to go along with the action. Not out of compassion but need; the mother is hostile toward John, stereotyping him as a street urchin who’d steal rather than the unfortunate victim of an apartment fire as he actually was. Nathaniel is hostile as well, for different reasons, and his father is all business: you’ll get a roof over your head (although it’ll be a lean-to, not a house roof) and food for your work, but don’t expect more than that. What John craves is the love of a family again, and he fears for his future: all work, no education, no inheritance. That will go to Nathaniel, who hates school and does poorly at it. It’s reasonably well written, although the turn around at the end is rather sudden, and would make for a few good discussions in class.)
It’s not going to get into the barn if they stand there thinking about it, though, so they start in, as fast as they can, and after only a few wagon loads are in the barn, the clouds hang heavy in the sky and the lightning starts to flash. First far away, as they throw load after load of hay into the wagon, and then closer and closer, followed by loud crashing thunder. Nathaniel is up on the edge of the wagon, moving the hay with his pitchfork when the sky lights up and CRASH! A thunderclap roars right over his head. The horse, spooked by the terrifying noise, jerks forward, causing the wagon to lurch, Nathaniel falls and his leg is crushed beneath the wheel.
Months later, Nathaniel can stand on his leg but only to limp—he’ll never be able to help around the farm again. His family, so close to bankruptcy already, is desperate: if they don’t have help around the farm, they’ll lose everything! His father announces that they’re adopting an orphan, coming west on the train from New York, to help with the chores. Nathaniel knows why: “A steer you’d have to pay for, but a boy you could adopt for free.”
When John Worth arrives and he’s Nathaniel’s age but without the bum leg, Nathaniel hates him. “What good am I anymore?” Nathaniel thinks. He’s filled with fear and anger: he’ll do anything to keep John from replacing him in the family.
(Issues: Good historical fiction. Orphan train book, not from the orphan’s point of view but from the adopting family’s point of view. Why would someone adopt one of these children? Here’s one reason, with the attendant feelings to go along with the action. Not out of compassion but need; the mother is hostile toward John, stereotyping him as a street urchin who’d steal rather than the unfortunate victim of an apartment fire as he actually was. Nathaniel is hostile as well, for different reasons, and his father is all business: you’ll get a roof over your head (although it’ll be a lean-to, not a house roof) and food for your work, but don’t expect more than that. What John craves is the love of a family again, and he fears for his future: all work, no education, no inheritance. That will go to Nathaniel, who hates school and does poorly at it. It’s reasonably well written, although the turn around at the end is rather sudden, and would make for a few good discussions in class.)
April 11, 2019
Nathaniel Peale's leg is crushed in an accident, leaving him unable to help his father work the family farm. His father tries to make do for a time, but there's just too much work for one person and the family can't risk losing their homestead if they can't bring the crops in for resale. Nathaniel's father decides to go meet the Orphan Train coming into their Nebraska town. He comes back with John Worth in tow.
Nathaniel struggles with feelings of jealousy as he watches his father bond with John. His emotions get the best of him, to the point where it starts affecting his schooling. Meanwhile, John has a stew of emotions he's trying to control: he's mourning the loss of his entire family (by fire), envious of Nathaniel being able to continue with his education while John does all the manual labor on the farm, and upset that all his hard work will likely be for naught, as the farm will be passed down to Nathaniel and who knows what will happen to John in a few years time?
The boys stick to their corners for much of the story, and Nathaniel's mother is a little overly harsh with John, always waiting for him to mess up, it seems. But eventually Nathaniel & John come to find themselves bonding over a mutual appreciation for Greek mythology, brought about by Nathaniel befriending Greek immigrant classmate Anemone Cordimas.
Later on, the boys also unite over the herder vs. homesteader conflict, both feeling protective of the Peale farm. Once he has a good think on things, Nathaniel realizes that John's fears and insecurities actually mirror a lot of his own.
The father in this story seemed alright most of the time, solid father figure and all... though he is a little distant with his son for a little while after the accident. I think that was more him not being sure how to adjust to the new situation, rather than him being mean or uncaring. But at times he could be a little condescending with his wife. Not that he didn't love her... and he's not abusive... there's just something about him that comes off as a "as long as she remembers her place" kind of guy.
In general, the story was not bad, there's just not a lot to it. Orphan Train stories are generally pretty gripping but we only get to know just a tiny bit of John's story. And not much is done with the herder / homesteader conflict either.... so the reader is mostly left with day to day life running the Peale farm... which is fine, but makes for kinda slow reading.
*Note To Parents / Educators: Though this novel may be geared toward the middle grade audience, be aware there is a small amount of profanity within the text.
Nathaniel struggles with feelings of jealousy as he watches his father bond with John. His emotions get the best of him, to the point where it starts affecting his schooling. Meanwhile, John has a stew of emotions he's trying to control: he's mourning the loss of his entire family (by fire), envious of Nathaniel being able to continue with his education while John does all the manual labor on the farm, and upset that all his hard work will likely be for naught, as the farm will be passed down to Nathaniel and who knows what will happen to John in a few years time?
The boys stick to their corners for much of the story, and Nathaniel's mother is a little overly harsh with John, always waiting for him to mess up, it seems. But eventually Nathaniel & John come to find themselves bonding over a mutual appreciation for Greek mythology, brought about by Nathaniel befriending Greek immigrant classmate Anemone Cordimas.
Later on, the boys also unite over the herder vs. homesteader conflict, both feeling protective of the Peale farm. Once he has a good think on things, Nathaniel realizes that John's fears and insecurities actually mirror a lot of his own.
The father in this story seemed alright most of the time, solid father figure and all... though he is a little distant with his son for a little while after the accident. I think that was more him not being sure how to adjust to the new situation, rather than him being mean or uncaring. But at times he could be a little condescending with his wife. Not that he didn't love her... and he's not abusive... there's just something about him that comes off as a "as long as she remembers her place" kind of guy.
In general, the story was not bad, there's just not a lot to it. Orphan Train stories are generally pretty gripping but we only get to know just a tiny bit of John's story. And not much is done with the herder / homesteader conflict either.... so the reader is mostly left with day to day life running the Peale farm... which is fine, but makes for kinda slow reading.
*Note To Parents / Educators: Though this novel may be geared toward the middle grade audience, be aware there is a small amount of profanity within the text.
May 15, 2024
I don't appreciate this overused tactic of coming up with a strong one-word title, and making it the protagonist's name. Nevertheless, this is a great story, winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Set in the early days of settlement in Nebraska. It is about friction between farmers and ranchers. It is about a boy who ended up on the Worth farm via the orphan train, and a farming accident that left Nathaniel Worth, our protagonist, a cripple. With Nathaniel pining for the old days of working side by side with his dad on the farm, and hating his time spent in a classroom; and John hating his days working side by side with Nate's dad and pining for book learning so he can work in finance, these two boys have a long way to go before they can be friends. It's easy to lose track of Mom's story. Like everybody on the plains, she harbors deep grief over loss of children, and she hides her own talents for the benefit of her struggling family. This story is a reading level suitable for fourth/fifth graders, yet it is a story that kept me, an adult, engaged.
January 26, 2023
Worth is a book about giving people chances to speak to understand their full story. Nate is a child who lives on a farm in Nebraska with his parents. They have experienced a tramatic accident with the baby sister, and Nate feels the pressure of pleasing and doing his best for his parents on the farm. However, things quickly turn when Nate is severely injured in an accident and no longer able to help his father. As a result of his accident, Pa brings home an orphan boy to assist with the work. Nate and John Worth have issues, but toward the end of the book they become friends as Nate listens to the stories of John's past. I liked this book and thought that it would be an easy read for younger students. I can remember reading this in elementary school and remembered the feelings I had associated with it, but could not remember the entire story. I enjoyed reading this and reflecting on my thought process as a younger student.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2024
I own several copies of Worth that I used the two years that I taught fifth grade as a small group reader to add a historical fiction about two boys on a homestead in Nebraska in the past. Nate was hurt in an accident that messed up his leg so he had to learn to walk again. Because he wasn't able to help his pa on the farm, his father brought home John Worth, an orphan from New York City to help on the farm.
This caused many difficulties for the members of the family. It took the two boys to bring them all together as a new family by facing the difficulties of life on the plains and the struggles to build up the farms. It is a realistic account of the times on the farm and how people lived, traded and came to understandings to solve problems.
It is a great way to read and use to discuss how things have changed and what we can learn from the lessons the boys learned in the book with a good look at the reality of history of ordinary people or that time.
This caused many difficulties for the members of the family. It took the two boys to bring them all together as a new family by facing the difficulties of life on the plains and the struggles to build up the farms. It is a realistic account of the times on the farm and how people lived, traded and came to understandings to solve problems.
It is a great way to read and use to discuss how things have changed and what we can learn from the lessons the boys learned in the book with a good look at the reality of history of ordinary people or that time.
December 18, 2020
The beginning of A. LaFaye's book Worth is a real page-turner. Despite being a historical piece at the beginning you are very invested in what is going to happen to Nathaniel. This is a good book to give someone who has trouble getting started on a book.
However, as you continue to read and John Worth joins the family from the orphan train the book becomes less wholesome. It begins to feel terrible reading about how John is treated and it seems to go on forever. By the time things get better for the audience, it feels too little too late. You have no sympathy for the family and don't want John to stay there. It is kind of a scapegoat for just how terrible his life has been for the whole book only for it to suddenly be all okay. The ending of Worth is not satisfying to the reader and John deserves better.
However, as you continue to read and John Worth joins the family from the orphan train the book becomes less wholesome. It begins to feel terrible reading about how John is treated and it seems to go on forever. By the time things get better for the audience, it feels too little too late. You have no sympathy for the family and don't want John to stay there. It is kind of a scapegoat for just how terrible his life has been for the whole book only for it to suddenly be all okay. The ending of Worth is not satisfying to the reader and John deserves better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2023
2005 Scott O'Dell Award Winner.... Nice historical novel for late elementary/middle school age. Good for read aloud as there are some hard topics that could be discussed: grief, death of children, orphan trains, loss of family members, immigrants, neighbors feuding. I felt like the narrative was sparse but had punchy details that give you just enough for what the authors needs you to know. First person POV from a farm boy in Nebraska who has lost the use of his leg and now feels 'replaced' by an orphan from NYC who works and lives with them bringing his own tragic story to the midwest. Both boys have to wrangle their grief, fear and pain and begin to see each other as companions rather than adversaries.
June 8, 2017
Excellent book written by A. LaFaye. This book is a winner of the Scott o'dell award for historical fiction and talks about a boy named Nathaniel who is trying to recover after he fatally injured his leg in a storm. His help around the house was essential and now his father adopts another son through the Orphan Train. Things have changed since the incident, Nathaniel attends school and felt replaced and John is able to do the hard work around the farm that earns Pa's attention. Somehow John realized that he is being treated more like a servant than a son that make him feel sad. This book is appropriate for children 7 and up.
July 1, 2022
Not the best children’s book I’ve read but a good plot and the story gets progressively more intense and interesting. I liked the rawness in both the boys’ emotions. My favorite part was, “Lumbering around like a newborn colt, I spun to get up and hug Ma. She hugged me right back, letting out a laughing sigh. “Don’t you worry, Nathaniel. I’m not going anywhere.” And for the first time, I hoped John Worth didn’t have to go anywhere either.”
Just proved to show how Nate was finally learning to be empathetic and understanding of John and his trials and tribulations.
Just proved to show how Nate was finally learning to be empathetic and understanding of John and his trials and tribulations.
April 2, 2020
Nathaniel worked on the farm for his family. One day Nathaniel broke his leg and his family had to go pick up an orphan boy ( john worth ). But Nathaniel didn't like how john was taking over all of his jobs. What will Nathaniel do to get his jobs on the farm back? I gave this book 2 stars because it was not entertaining at all. There was basically no action. The theme of this story id to never give up.
October 19, 2017
I enjoyed this book on many levels. I appreciated the parallels between the boys' conflict and the town's conflict. I loved the author's approach to both boys' dilemmas--both were worthy of the reader's compassion. The description of the main character's accident and ensuing pain was very well done. The moment John and his adopted mother reached an understanding was deeply moving. This book offers a great depiction of farm life and its hardships, the one-room school, and 1870's Nebraska. It would be a perfect book for a classroom, and it's definitely deserving of its Scott O'Dell award.
September 26, 2019
This is such an interesting story of a family homesteading in Nebraska. The young son is seriously injured in a farm accident so his father takes in an orphan boy from New York to help on the farm. This brings up resentment, but through a series of incidents an understanding develops.
I listened to this story on a 2-cd set, and it was very well performed.
I listened to this story on a 2-cd set, and it was very well performed.
July 19, 2022
I read this because it’s on the Battle of the Books list for my 5th & 6th graders this coming school year. I was happy it was my favorite genre, historical fiction. I enjoyed reading about Nate and John and watching them form a brotherly bond. (I listened to the audiobook and liked the narrator’s accents.)
April 22, 2019
Genre: Fiction/ Historical Realistic
Grade: 6th-8th
I cannot imagine how it would feel to be "replaced" in your own family. Or being the kid who was adopted, but not treated like part of the family, but as something lower. This is a tear jerking story but it also has a happy ending.
Grade: 6th-8th
I cannot imagine how it would feel to be "replaced" in your own family. Or being the kid who was adopted, but not treated like part of the family, but as something lower. This is a tear jerking story but it also has a happy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2019
Period piece. What happened to children on the Orphan Train? Age appropriate, great handling of tough subjects. American history that is never really taught. Empathy towards others. I got it from the library discard for 50 cents but it was worth it.
May 17, 2020
The main character in this book was annoying to me. He hurts his leg at the first of the book and so the family hires an orphaned boy to help out around the house. I wasn’t inspired by his way of tackling his challenges.
May 18, 2020
Hi! So I liked this book, it full of a BUNCH of things I love to read about. I got to the middle of the book and just....stopped. I don't really know why. It just got really boring. But otherwise, the writing was REALLY good.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews