Fly Little Bird, Fly!: The True Story
of Oliver Nordmark & America's
Orphan Trains
by Donna Nordmark Aviles
of Oliver Nordmark & America's
Orphan Trains
by Donna Nordmark Aviles
FLY LITTLE BIRD, FLY! by Donna Nordmark Aviles
Category: Historical
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 2/24/04
Publisher: Wasteland Press
Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose
Rating: 4 Stars
When Oliver Nordmark decided to play hooky from school one day in 1905, he never imagined that his mistake would
lead to a life-changing event.
After one week in the Guarish Society Detention Center, he is told that his mother has died and his father is nowhere to
be found. He and his little brother, Edward, are taken to the New York State Orphanage, and a few months later, both
board one of the Orphan Trains heading west to be “resettled” with new families.
Finding himself now in charge of his younger brother, eight-year-old Oliver struggles to keep the two of them together.
As the brothers try to make their way against dismal odds, they learn that they must rely on nobody but themselves.
Based on the true story of the author’s grandfather and his travels on the Orphan Train in 1906, this story brings to life
the grim reality that many children faced at the dawn of today’s foster care system.
Category: Historical
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 2/24/04
Publisher: Wasteland Press
Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose
Rating: 4 Stars
When Oliver Nordmark decided to play hooky from school one day in 1905, he never imagined that his mistake would
lead to a life-changing event.
After one week in the Guarish Society Detention Center, he is told that his mother has died and his father is nowhere to
be found. He and his little brother, Edward, are taken to the New York State Orphanage, and a few months later, both
board one of the Orphan Trains heading west to be “resettled” with new families.
Finding himself now in charge of his younger brother, eight-year-old Oliver struggles to keep the two of them together.
As the brothers try to make their way against dismal odds, they learn that they must rely on nobody but themselves.
Based on the true story of the author’s grandfather and his travels on the Orphan Train in 1906, this story brings to life
the grim reality that many children faced at the dawn of today’s foster care system.