Orphan at My Door: The Home Child Diary of Victoria Cope

This book is one of the Dear Canada series, which are historical novels, written in diary format, about fictional girls during different periods of Canadian history. Victoria Cope, who lives in the town of Guelph, Ontario, begins her diary on her eleventh birthday. Because her mother is unwell, her father decides the family will take in a Home Child, an orphan from England, to help with the housework. The girl who joins their household is a small, quiet twelve-year-old named Mary Anna Wilson. Through Victoria's diary, we learn of Mary Anna's plight -- her mother died, and she has been separated from her younger brother and sister. Victoria also tells of the daily life for a young girl in Canada in 1897 and her decision to try and help Mary Anna find her family. This was the first book I read in the Dear Canada series and I loved it. It was very well written and keep me interested the entire time. The characters of Victoria and Mary Anna were very realistic and likable, and their stories showed how very different life was for rich children and poor children in the late 1800s. This book is still one of my favorites from the series and I'd highly recommend it to young readers who enjoy historical fiction in diary format.

This was an amazing book! Definately one of the best Dear Canada books. I read it in one day, but the only reason was because I started it in the morning and read it until 1 o'clock in the morning! It was a totally amazing book! Just WOW

My daughter and I were caught up in the suspense, the hopes, the tears. What a beautiful book, again, from Jean Little. My daughter (almost 8) says it is the book ever, and she wants to start back at the beginning and hear it again.

The author has created an entirely believable tale of a bygone era in "Orphan at my door: The home child diary of Victoria Cope". We se the development of the friendships, the resentments and love and development of the characters over the period of a year and a half. I was left wishing that I could read more of these children as they grew on in life. At the end of the book are some little gems that will really enhance the story on the second reading. Read and then read it again and to savor the beauty of a story well recounted.The binding of this book with it's ribbon marker make the reading experience all the more enjoyable.

I just received this book today and finished it in one day. The book is set in the late 1800s about Home Children. Here we meet Victoria Cope, whose family takes in a twelve year old Home Girl. Readers will experience the suffering that children had to endure by moving to help other families when their own cannot support them. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction.