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    City of Orphans
    City of Orphans
    City of Orphans
    Audiobook8 hours

    City of Orphans

    Written by Avi

    Narrated by Chris Sorensen

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Newbery Medal-winning author Avi has penned over 50 novels for children and young adults. His historical fiction, in particular, is often singled out for glowing praise thanks to his engaging characters and carefully researched period details. In City of Orphans, Avi transports listeners to the streets of 1893 New York City for an adventure starring young newsboy Maks Geless. Amongst the grime and filth of the streets, Maks and his new friend Willa make a stand against a gang of bullies and embark on a thrilling quest to clear Maks' sister's name after she is imprisoned for theft.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 28, 2014
    ISBN9781490607924
    Author

    Avi

    Avi is the award-winning author of more than eighty-two books for young readers, ranging from animal fantasy to gripping historical fiction, picture books to young adult novels. Crispin: The Cross of Lead won the Newbery Medal, and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle and Nothing but the Truth were awarded Newbery Honors. He is also the author of the popular Poppy series. Avi lives in Denver, Colorado. Visit him online at avi-writer.com.

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    Reviews for City of Orphans

    4/5

    59 ratings6 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Good story !!!!!! Narrator did a greatly fantastic job??? ?
    • 2/5
      children's/teen/middlegrade fiction; historical (1890s NYC). It wasn't bad, I just didn't think I could read a whole book written in Maks' "newsies" vernacular: "Don't forget: I'm telling this story. And don't count on gettin no break from me for a long time. At least not til I meet Willa. She's a girl." (*ok, I'm exaggerating here, but that's about how much I got annoyed after the first 13 pages or so--I couldn't even make it to 50 pages.)
    • 3/5
      The setting is 1893 in Brooklyn, New York. The families you get to know are living in poverty where every penny is cherished.
    • 4/5
      Just as the Lorax speaks for the trees, we have Avi to speak for the children. The lives of the children of immigrants in New York City at the end of the 19th century were filled with dangers, suffering, and hardships utterly foreign to children living today. And yet children's lives were also filled with adventure, love, and a sense of pride and work ethic. Avi brings these facets to life through his characters Maks and Willa. City of Orphans packs a punch - sometimes literally - and will have young readers at the edge of their seats by its conclusion. Avi is indeed a master storyteller. The pacing is impeccable. The details are meticulous and unobtrusive. The voice of Maks is lively and authentic. And the connections he weaves together by the story's end are more than coincidental - they are miraculous and magical. I only wish I had a classroom of students - especially those immersed in studying Ellis Island and immigration - to read it aloud to and bring it to life. It's that good.
    • 2/5
      I originally thought my daughter would like this book since she likes mysteries and we live in the Lower East Side (albeit in the 21st rather than the 19th century.) She read the first page and decided that she would pass. (For those who know my daughter, you'll know that this is a rarity)

      I got a kick out of the descriptions of the Tombs (did they really have food hawkers inside the Tombs?), but the writing seemed choppy and hard to follow. The coincidences also seemed too contrived for my taste (although keep in mind that I'm about 20 years older than the book's intended audience).
    • 3/5
      Life for 13-year-old Maks Geless is hard enough, treasuring every penny he makes selling newspapers to help his Danish immigrant family get by. But when his older sister is accused of and arrested for stealing a gold watch, it threatens to tear his whole family apart. With the help of a plucky orphan friend, Maks has to get to the bottom of things... and fast!Newsies! Gangs! Robberies! Mystery! Murders! This is a historical novel rife with intrigue and adventure. The setting is, of course, well-researched and thorough. Avi draws the reader into 1893 New York City with all its sights, sounds, and smells. The novel features immigrants from many different countries and makes for interesting reading when you think about the similar and different issues that today's immigrants face. This one is a nice romp and I'd try it on fans of books like UPRISING by Margaret Peterson Haddix or detective stories.