Families who loved Orphan Trains: Taking the Rails to a New Life by Rebecca Langston-George often look for books with a similar feel. These 20 recommendations were selected for their similarity in style, theme, and reading level.
Reach for this book when your child starts asking deep questions about what makes a family or expresses curiosity about how children lived in the past. It is an essential resource for children processing themes of displacement, adoption, or the fear of being separated from loved ones. The narrative provides a sensitive yet factual look at the Orphan Train Movement, which relocated thousands of children from crowded cities to rural homes between 1854 and 1929. Through real historical accounts, the book balances the hardship of poverty and loss with the resilience and hope of children seeking a place to belong. It is written at a middle grade level, making it approachable for ages 8 to 12. Parents will appreciate how it opens a gentle door to discussing social history, class differences, and the diverse ways families are formed, all while honoring the bravery of the children who lived through it.
