Laura Baker (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 17, No. 2))
When Nathaniel’s leg is crushed in a farm accident, his father brings home a boy from the Orphan Train to help with chores on their Nebraska farm. Nathaniel is resentful of the boy, John Worth, because he feels John is replacing him in his father’s eyes. John, a city boy from the streets of New York, feels out of place on the farm and struggles to find his way in a new environment. How the boys come to an understanding and a grudging appreciation of each other is the main thrust of this book. There have been many Orphan Train stories, but LaFaye’s is unique in that it is written not from the orphan’s perspective but from that of the family who takes in one of the children. Not all families treated the orphans as part of their household, often considering them barely more than indentured servants. The author weaves many historical and social facts into the story, such as the importance of education, the bitter range wars between the farmers and the ranchers, and the treatment of immigrants. Through it, the reader gets a rich sense of what that period of history was like. The author explores many relational themes as well. Nathaniel must come to terms with his impairment and John Worth’s presence. Nathaniel’s father, already guilty over earlier family tragedies, feels responsible for what happened to Nathaniel and struggles to express his feelings. Nathaniel’s mother is angry over John’s presence and tries to hold her family together. In the midst of it all is John Worth himself, young and alone and in a hostile environment. LaFaye realistically conveys the complex feelings of these multiple characters. The reader understands why they feel the way they do. The growing resolution, however, was a bit rocky and contrived. The mother, for instance, swung from expressions of sympathy for John Worth’s tragedy to acts of insensitivity by insisting he sleep in the woodshed and take his meals outside the house. The final scene also seemed too quickly resolved, perhaps due to space considerations. The historical and emotional themes provide much material for discussion. As a thought-provoking piece of historical fiction, this book is recommended. Fiction. Grades 4-7. 2004, Simon & Schuster, 144p., $15.95. Ages 9 to 13.

Ann Philips (Children's Literature)
In this riveting story of two boys' terrible losses, Nate's father brings home a city orphan, John Worth, to help on their Nebraska farm after Nate's leg is crushed in a haying accident. Nate lies in bed for months feeling useless as John takes his place working beside Dad. Then Nate is sent to school where he lags behind even the youngest pupils. LaFaye's splendid prose evokes the searing physical pain of Nate's leg injury and John's lonely grief over his family's death in a tenement fire. The novel incorporates important themes of 19th century rural America in believable and moving ways: the range wars pitting rancher against farmer; the community's ambivalence about the need for schooling; the uncertainties of lives in which family members die suddenly and bankrupt families abandon their homesteads; and the plight of foreign immigrants seeking tolerance. The family survives by repairing metal pans and tools, and it is versatile Ma who, contrary to convention, is the tinker. Nate's invigorating idiomatic language and lively metaphors firmly ground each character and the rural setting. "The thunder kept threatening like a big old empty cloud clearing its throat," Nate observes. After the two boys chase down fence-cutters who are plaguing the community, Nate realizes that he wants John to join the family permanently. Dad subdues his shame over Nate's injury and finally confirms the worth of both sons. An excellent addition to library collections and social studies curriculum. 2004, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $15.95. Ages 8 to 12.