Always a fan of Little House on the Prairie when I was younger (seriously though I could read them again) I jumped at the chance to review these books. I was so glad I did because I know I will be buying them for my grandson soon. I can just see him getting lost in these kind of books just like I did. He will be able to imagine in his mind through the skillful writing of Arieta Richardson the hard life, the orphanage, the adventure of the train rides, the scenery, and the bond that these children had with each other.

These books were brought about by the life happenings of Ethan Cooper. Ethan remained my favorite character throughout. He did his best to protect his sisters and brothers, he learned to love God, and he was a hard worker. He went through a lot in his younger life but stayed on the right path.

All of these books are small but just the right size for a younger children. I can imagine Mom or Dad reading them at a earlier age (6-8) as a chapter book also. Just the right amount of action will keep them interested and the life lessons will stay with them forever.

I looked up the author Arleta Richardson and was so delighted to find out she was born in Flint MI back in 1923. That is so close to home it makes the books even more special!

Wonderful books!

I was given the Beyond the Orphan Train Series in exchange for my honest review from Netgalley.

Beyond the Orphan Train series by Arleta Richardson contains four books in one. Beyond the Orphan Train contains Looking for Home, Whistle-Stop West, West Prairie Homestead, and Across the Border. The books show the life of Ethan Cooper from May 1907 through May 1912. Ethan is eight years old at the beginning of the series and he promised to take care of his younger siblings. The familys mother passed away and their father took off. The older siblings all have jobs and cannot take care of the younger children. Ethan, Simon, William, and Alice are sent to an orphanage where they eventually get on an orphan train headed west. The orphanage hopes that each child will find a home. The Cooper children want to find a home for all of the together (which is next to impossible). Join Ethan and the other children on an adventure to find forever families.

Beyond the Orphan Train is well-written and easy to read (has a good flow). The stories are for children, but I believe that readers of all ages will enjoy these heartwarming stories as well. They are Christian stories that include history (from the areas including Pancho Villa) and talking points at the end (that you can use with kids especially if reading the book in a class or for homeschooling). I enjoyed these sweet stories. The book emphasized that God is always with you if you believe (have faith). I give Beyond the Orphan Train 5 out of 5 stars.

I received a complimentary copy of Beyond the Orphan Train from NetGalley in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.

I bought this series to supplement my homeschoolers history lesson and help them better envision the time period. I was not disappointed! The author really interviewed a man (&his family) who had been an orphan on one of those trains in the early 1900's so it felt very authentic.

I used it as a read aloud for my children (reading 3 or 4 chapters a day) but after we finished the first book and I put them to bed I stayed up to read the entire 2nd book ahead of them THEN woke up early to read the 3rd because I just had to know what happened next!

My children kept begging for "just one more chapter" each of them investing in a character because they are so relatable. Especially to our family since the ages of the main family closely resembles our own with older teens, a group of younger, and a baby. The story mostly follows the middle 4, a group ages 8-2, with the 8 year old being the main character who takes his responsibility of protecting his 3 younger siblings very seriously.

I especially love that it has scripture and follows the growth and development of a child's faith, and I love the instances where an antagonist can go from villain to beloved character after a heart change. It's such a fair price that I'll probably get another set for my kids so they can follow along and do a book report. This is definitely a story you'll enjoy, reread, and want to pass on to your children and grandchildren.