Review | Orphan Eleven

Summary: Orphan Eleven

Four orphans, Lucy, Nico, Eugene, and (Not-Bald) Doris, are four orphans who decide to escape from The Home for Unfriendly Children, their awful orphanage in the 1930s. Their poorly planned escape plan leads them to become circus apprentices. But Lucy has selective mutism, being able to speak but never speaking since some incidents with the home’s matron, which makes it hard to get a job in the circus. With the home’s matron hunting down Lucy, Lucy’s sister searching for her, and Lucy desperately trying to find her voice again so she can belong in the circus, this book takes readers on a surprising but heartwarming adventure.

The Good

One thing this book won the award for is its unique setting. I don’t think I’ve ever read a middle grade book with so much information about the circus, and Choldenko brings everything to life so vividly — from the elephants to the little people. Although this book is set in the 1930s, there isn’t too much information about The Great Depression era, although food is scarce for the orphans. So perhaps this isn’t the best book to invoke the feel of that time period.

Something else I enjoyed was the friendship between the four orphans. Doris is Doris, but the kids do come up with a “one for all and all for one” motto that is utterly heartwarming, especially as we learn how and why they each ended up in the orphanage. Eugene and Doris are siblings abandoned at the home by their mother. Lucy is there because her mother’s boyfriend dumps her in the orphanage. All four kids just want a forever home, and the circus proves to be that for them.

Finally, there’s a touch of mystery in this story. Lucy has selective mutism and prefers to communicate by writing on a notepad. We see glimpses of her life in the orphanage and try to piece together the reason for her mutism. She also keeps hoping her older sister Dilly will come and get her from the home. At the same time, her sister is looking for, writing multiple letters to the orphanage with suspiciously deceptive responses from the establishment. Eventually, we uncover a sinister plot (the reason why Lucy is mute) after her. The Author’s Note also delves deeper into the historical elements and why Choldenko decided to write this story, which adds so much depth to the book.

The Not-So-Good

Content Notes

Here are some specifics to know about the content.

Content Warnings

• Death: None on the page
• Alcohol/substance abuse: None
• Sexual content: None
• Violence: None

Diversity

• Ethnic: Main characters are white
• Sexual orientation: None

Recommended for ages: 9+

Good for kids who like:

• Books about orphans
• A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
• The Greatest Showman movie
• Historical fiction
• Books about selective mutism