Parents' Guide to

Orphan Eleven

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Orphans seek home in the circus in riveting page-turner.

Orphan Eleven Poster Image

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What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 9+

Based on 1 parent review

age 9+

An entertaining page-turner mystery about a courageous orphan’s journey to find a home in a traveling circus

This is a wonderfully engaging book about courage and perseverance, orphans/orphanages, family ties, friendship, and community. The heroine is an 11-year-old girl trying to escape the orphanage - where she is being abused - to find her older sister from whom she was separated years ago. Her friends are 3 other orphans who straggle behind her when she escapes the orphanage. The community they learn to be part of is that of a traveling circus (typical of the 1940’s), where they eventually find a welcoming home. Along their way the orphans face many obstacles and setbacks and learn the true meaning of friendship and ‘family’. The book is true to the history of its time and very educational.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This riveting, uplifting page-turner about a girl who flees a cruel orphanage and finds home and family in a traveling circus has strong messages of courage, friendship, and determination. The odds seem heavily stacked against Orphan Eleven, who was traumatized into silence by "lessons" at the Home for Friendless Children. But as she soon discovers, the world isn't all villains -- there are people out there who will go to a lot of trouble to help one another, and you.

"'Seriously, Lucy, Saachi's is its own kind of special,' Buck said. 'A home for those of us don't fit anywhere else.'

"Lucy smiled.

"'What do you think, boys, is she a keeper?'"

Book Details

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