Orphan Runaways

by Kristiana Gregory

Book Overview

From the award-winning author of JIMMY SPOON AND THE PONY EXPRESS comes an exciting historical adventure in a boomtown during the great gold rush. When twelve-year-old Danny and six-year-old Judd lose... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0590603663
• ISBN13: 9780590603669
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Length: 151 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.8" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Orphan Runaways

I enjoyed this book. It brought tears to my eyes at one point. I love readying Kristiana Gregory books.

Accurate Historical Fiction

I had anticipated a cute historical fiction novel about two brothers, much like the Boxcar Children Series, but instead I was pleasantly surprised to find a greatly researched historical fiction story. Danny and his younger brother Judd leave the orphanage in search of relatives. Because they don't have very much money, Danny opts to go and find their Uncle Hank in California's gold country. Danny carries his pride and keeps he and his brother as well as a twelve year old in the 1880's can. He meets a host of interesting people that add flavor to the history and sense of community that existed in the mining towns. In another part of this well weaved story, Kristina Gregory opts to focus intermittently on the racism that existed in the United States and California during this era. Danny must come to his own conclusion of how other people should be treated. With some help from local people Danny reaches a conclusion that he can ultimately live with. Two nice notes in the book, in the final pages, the author shares some of her research, including a picture of a woman she brings to life in the pages of her tale, a historical map of the area Danny and Judd ultimately call home, and a glossary. The book is rated on a reading level of 5, but is written that perhaps some Californian 8th graders might enjoy the story as an addition to their exploration of the United States Western Expansion.

Boys excape out of an Orphan House!!!

Orphan Runaway is the best book I've ever read. It makes you keep going on to the book in till your to the end of it because you never want to stop.Something new is happening in the book.You definitley want to read this book if you like mysterys and adventures and you definitley like a good book of orphans and runaway people, then you'll love Orphan Runaway by: Kristiana Gregory.You will definitley have a great time with this book I know I did. I've read this book three times and I'd read it again.

A Great Book

This great book written by Kristiana Gregory is the story of to orphan brother that escape from there orphanage in San Francisco, and try to reach an uncle that lives in a mining camp named Bodie (was created at the time of the gold rush). Captain Billy, Madame Mustache, and Smoky Joe and his friends are here to help Danny and his little brother Judd to adapt to the ruff climate of the mountains until there uncle Hunk accept to be there new father. Danny has one problem, his uncle is friancaded to a woman of Chinese origin. At that time Chinese people were not very well accepted in the United States. After skiing and almost killing himself Danny, Judd and his friends go for a treasure hunt. Will they find it? How? Who was the thief? These questions can be answered if you read the book which I promise you is exiting. The story takes place in a mining camp named Bodie in California. It is the worst mining camp in the hole United States. The story happened in 1879 at the time of the gold rush. A lot of the facts about the story and the characters are true. The book was written in the third person point of view. The conflicts that the hero has to endure are most likely person vs. Nature and person vs. Society. One conflict is that the friance of uncle Hunk is Chinese and that Danny is scared that his friends might make fun of him if his new mom is Chinese. The other conflict is the ruff winters that occurs in Bodie. This book reminds me of how harsh people were in the 1800 hundreds and how lonely an orphan can feel. It will also show you who in those days epidemic were very deadly for everyone. This is a unique book that you will want to read. If I were to rate the book from one throw ten I would give it a ten because its true facts and attractive story. This is a great book to read for young teenagers. I guaranty you that you will never get board but instead you will rapidly finish is to find what happened to are heroes Danny and Judd.

Great Book!

This was a great book. It is about two orphan brothers, 12 year old Danny and 6 year old Judd, who search for their uncle in the California gold camps after their parents die in an epidemic. I noticed that the brothers were related to characters in three of the authors other books, ACROSS THE WIDE AND LONESOME PRAIRIE, THE WINTER OF RED SNOW, and EARTHQUAKE AT DAWN.