Roundup of the Street Rovers: Introducing Charles Loring Brace

This book would be good for anyone wanting a little insight into what happened to orphan children before our current welfare system existed. The book can be read as an adventure story about orphan children surviving the streets of New York. It starts with a young orphan boy named Kip who runs with a group of boys who are simply trying to survive on the streets of New York with no adult assistance. It tells how they trade coal and find other ways to get food in order to survive. It even shows how easily they found themselves placed in jail or just disappearing off the streets to parts unknown. The story shows you a few different views of how children suddenly found themselves orphaned in the big city. You can't help but wonder what would have happened to children like this if the Children's Aid Society of New York hadn't been started by Rev. Charles Brace.Then, the story takes you through the children overhearing the adults discussing how the children will only remain dependent on society unless they can be placed in family situations. Then we learn about the orphan trains. I only vaguely remember reading about the orphan trains in the past, but after reading this book, I would like to learn more. This touching story takes you all the way from the streets of New York to the orphan children being placed with farm families in Michigan who love and care for them. There is list at the end of the story for further reading on Rev. Charles Loring Brace and the orphan trains for people who want to learn more. This book is good for a boy, girl or adult who would like to read about how some orphan children survived in the late 1800s to the early 1920s.--- reviewed by Tammy for Christian Bookshelf