ON TRACK FOR TREASURE

The kids of Wanderville (2014) are back riding the rails after the sheriff of Whitmore, Kansas, finds their makeshift home.

After rescuing more orphans from the horrible conditions at the Pratcherds’ beet farm, they jump on the first train heading out of town. Trouble with the law in Kansas City makes their best hope a minister and his wife, who take the eight children to their home in Missouri. But where will the children sleep? Inside the home with real beds? Or out in the barn, where they can keep some of their hard-won independence? McClure focuses on the main characters of Frances, her younger brother, Harold, and the two boys sparring over leadership of the group, Alexander and Jack. These four choose to sleep in the barn, and their “outdoor orphan” status gains the respect of the sharecropper tenants. Underlying themes thread their way through the story, including lessons from both hobos and reverends. The second half of the book covers topics of racism, violence, abandonment and alcoholism. The story speeds up when Eli, an abused and troubled young sharecropper boy, takes the blame for a crime committed by Harold. As this story presents just a slice of the orphan train experience, it’s best read in accompaniment with strong nonfiction resources.

The ending points the resilient Wanderville kids toward California, ensuring another adventure for fans.