DNF at about 15%. I had high hopes for this novel, but I lost interest pretty quickly. Will still buy for my library -- Choldenko is a recognized name and hopefully that will get some traction with readers.

This is honestly one of those books that made me go through so many emotions and had me at the edge of my seat. I just loved everything about Orphan Eleven.

The main highlight of the story is Lucy! What a wonderful character. My heart just went out to her from page one. She is the charming main character, whose wings have been clipped. Yet she is always hopeful to lead a better life and find her sister Dilly. The journey that Lucy goes through in this book will just make you root for her all the way. Moreover, the author wrote all the characters in such a charismatic manner. You love to hate the villains, and you start to like even girls like Doris. Jabo is hilarious, and Diavolo is mysterious. There was something in each character that made them all stand out.

Also, it is clear that the author did extensive research on the subject matter. Her style of writing is simply wonderful. In the first half, she beautifully describes the colorful life of the traveling circus. However, in the second half, she paints a dark image of the horrid experiments and life of children in the orphanage. Even though the story shifts contrast, that doesn’t make it any less gripping! Also, in the end, the author provides snippets of similar practices that were done back in the day, which I found fascinating.

Anyway, “Orphan Eleven” was a book that touched my heart. I hope we have a sequel for the other characters as well, please? I would love to read what happens to Doris and Nico and Eugene. Overall, this is one of the best middle-grade books I read this year.

Eleven-year-old Lucy used to talk and sing, but now she refuses to open her mouth, and none of her friends at the Home for Friendless Orphans knows why. Abused and belittled by the orphanage’s cruel matron, Lucy and three friends run away and are taken in by a traveling circus, where they each receive an opportunity to earn an apprenticeship. Lucy quickly falls in love with the show’s two elephants, but her refusal to speak—and consequent inability to shout for help if there’s an accident—jeopardizes her place with the circus. Lucy must find her voice and hold on to her position long enough to reach Chicago, where she hopes to find her older sister.

Taking place over the course of a week in April 1939, Orphan Eleven is a beautiful tale of friendship, sisterhood, and the eccentricities of traveling circuses in the late 1930s. The supporting characters, including a little person named Jabo and a fellow orphan nicknamed “Bald Doris” for the unfortunate haircut she received at the orphanage when she caught lice, are as colorful and complex as Lucy herself. And, of course, elephants are always an excellent addition to a story. Newbery Honor-winner Choldenko deftly unspools both the cause of Lucy’s selective mutism and her family history slowly over the course of the book. Both are revealed in their entirety in the climax of the story, which keeps readers waiting on tenterhooks to see if Lucy will find her sister or be recaptured by the cruel orphanage matron.

Intended for a middle-grade audience, this fast-paced delight will find fans of all ages. Highly recommended.

I loved everything about this story! This is the story of four orphans who shows that friendship has no bounds (well maybe not all of them). It shows a horrible view of orphans back in the 1930's and it shows that not all adults are bad. You see a family with the orphans as well as the circus people. Loved this story!!

Cute but nothing ground breaking. I liked the circus backdrop and found the characters very likable.

At first, I thought this was going to be just another lower middle grade book. The short choppy endings gave me that feel and the tone of the letters that the sister writes made me think that she was younger than she is. I felt bad for the orphans having the typical abusive matrons.

Lucy was dumped there her mother's boyfriend and has been wanting her sister to come rescue her. She runs away with three other orphans and she thinks that the matrons won't care because it will be 4 less mouths to feed, but the matrons come running after her. The orphans run to the circus and work hard to show that they can be apprentices, only it takes Lucy longer to be able to secure hers as an Elephant Girl is because she is a selective mute.

Getting to read this book taught me more about history that I had never known about. Lucy was part of a study and I figured that the author just made it up, but it actually took place in universities all over the country in the 1930's up until the 2000's. Where orphans who spoke so well, would get belittled and yelled at and verbally abused that they would start to stutter and make them think that to not get into trouble to couldn't talk.

I have to learn more about this subject. Why isn't this talked about.

A great middle-grade story about the power of friendship, family, and the true meaning of home. Set in 1939 during hard economic times, Lucy and three fellow orphans escape from the Home for Friendless Children and find refuge in a traveling circus. As each orphan seeks to find their 'real' family and their place in the world, they discover new talents and new friends. This is a great read for kids who like a bit of historical fiction mixed with excellent characters and a blend of sadness and 'feel goodness'.

Historical fiction set in 1939 about four orphans who seize the opportunity to flee their painful existence at an the Home for Friendless Children, which is run by two unscrupulous adults and exploited by unethical researchers. They find themselves jostled in the back of Bernadette's pick-up, and speeding toward Chicago where they hope to connect with friends and family, until their plan disintegrates. Streetwise Bernadette has foreseen a problem and has planted a phone number for Lucy, a selective mute, to find. Cue the arrival of Jabo, an aspiring ringmaster and philosophical mentor, who transports the group to the Saachi's Circus where they are embraced by the circus folk. The children have a short period of time to explore and prove themselves worthy of an apprenticeship, which would mean they could remain with the circus. Unique voices and plot points make each character's personality jump from the page. It was refreshing to find so many examples of quality adults who cared for the well being of the children. Started to read, and never put it down.

This was such a well thought out, endearing story about family, compassion, and loyalty that is perfect for middle grade readers. Gennifer Choldenko held such a personal voice that is sure to resonate with young readers to learn about found family and how, in even the direst circumstances, you can find a home with those you cherish.

It isn’t often that a middle grade title hooks me from page one and hold my interest, but Orphan Eleven did just that. The main character suffers from selective mutism and has to overcome her communication barriers as well as a wounded self-image. The element of surprise being that she and her runaway friends are picked up by the circus. The time period and challenges they live in add depth to the story. I enjoyed the adventures they experience as well as the tenacity shown by Lucy.

A wonderful read about 4 orphans who escape from their orphanage - the Home for Friendless Children - and go on an adventure to find Lucy's sister. Lucy used to sing beautifully but after being berated by one of the teachers, she stopped speaking. No one knows why she stays silent but she is trying to protect herself with her silence. The orphans come across a traveling circus that intrigues them and they are invited to apprentice with the circus workers. Lucy is fascinated with the elephants and has a natural talent with them but if she is not able to speak - she won't be taken on as an apprentice. In alternating chapters, we read letters from Lucy's sister who has been trying to find her after her parents died. The orphanage is keeping Lucy's existence a secret. Lucy must learn to speak and find her sister while in danger of being found. Such a great read!

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author and the e-arc as well. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Orphan Eleven

Author: Gennifer Choldenko

Book Series: Standalone? Should be a series

Rating: 4/5

Diversity: (selective?) mute character and a stuttering character. Also a little person character

Recommended For...: running away to the circus, historical fiction, middle grade

Publication Date: May 26, 2020

Genre: MG Historical Fiction

Recommended Age: 10+ (some scary events, child labor)

Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books

Pages: 320

Synopsis: Four orphans have escaped from the Home for Friendless Children. One is Lucy, who used to talk and sing. No one knows why she doesn't speak anymore; silence is her protection.

The orphans find work and new friends at a traveling circus. Lucy loves caring for the elephants, but she must be able to speak to them, and to warn others of danger. If Lucy doesn't find her voice, she'll be left behind when the circus goes on the rails. Meanwhile, people are searching for Lucy, and her puzzling past is about to catch up with her.

Review: Overall, I thought this was a well done novel! I loved to see these children’s journey and their character development was very well done. The world building was marvelous and to my knowledge this book was well researched. The book also has an authentic voice, sounding like it is from the prospective of a middle grader.

My only issue is that I felt that the book didn’t have a lot of backstory for all of the characters and I would have liked some more. I also felt like in some spots the book was too slow and while I didn’t like how Jabo is referred to, it is historically accurate (but probably should have a blurb about so kids don’t use that to be unintentionally cruel to another little person).

Verdict: A well done middle grade novel! I highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED this amazing middle grade novel about four orphans who have escaped from a miserable orphanage in search of a better life. Set in the 1930s when traveling circuses were popular, the book takes us on an action-packed ride through our protagonist Lucy’s journey to find out about her long-lost sister and puzzling past. Excellent storytelling, and I always love books involving elephants!

This was a sweet story of a young girl overcoming obstacles that were put upon her by others. I loved the friendships that were built, the resilience this young girl had, and her desire for a life with her sister.

A good story about friends, family, and growing up.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Gennifer Choldenko, who is well known for her Tales from Alcatraz series. Based on Orphan Eleven, it’s not hard to see why she’s a Newberry Honor author. She’s excellent at setting both scene and pacing.

There’s a charm to Orphan Eleven that you wouldn’t immediately consider based on the above synopsis. But it’s there nonetheless. Lucy’s dogged determinedness and inner strength are the trunk from which her story branches out. Experiencing the circus through her eyes is magical. Even the mundane gets a flair of life.

Orphan Eleven is an engaging read that grabs you from the first page, and makes you want to know more about Lucy and her friends long after you’ve finished.

Kiddos will enjoy this book about family, friendship, and learning to never give up. I enjoyed the main characters personality, but I felt like she felt even younger than her age in some of her thinking. But the writing was on par with her other works, and I enjoyed it!

Orphans at the Home for Friendless Children don’t have a very good life. So four children decide enough is enough and find their chance to escape. After escaping, they’re taken in by a circus and need to prove themselves in order to be able to stay.
Lucy, the main character, doesn’t speak. There’s reasons why, but the circus doesn’t care. They need her to speak to keep her spot. Can she find the courage to talk again?
This was a 3.5⭐️ read for me!

In the first few pages of Orphan Eleven, Choldenko ratchets up the tension bit by bit until BAM! the action starts. And the tension doesn't stop until the very end. Through a lucky break, Lucy, a selective mute, and her three fellow orphan runaways wind up at the circus. Their luck continues when one of the circus folk takes them under his wing and encourages them to find their niche, and a home, under the big top. But earning a permanent spot is not guaranteed, and the orphans must overcome internal and external struggles to succeed.
In one of the last scenes, Choldenko once again had me on the edge of my seat with a series of missed connections between Lucy and her beloved older sister.
Bald Doris, an orphan whose head was shaved due to a lice infestation, was very unlikeable and untruthful and her actions repeatedly threatened the well-being of the orphans. As much as I disliked her, I was able to learn about the other characters through their reactions to Doris's behavior. The orphans' pledge to stick together was all the more meaningful considering that ditching Doris would've made their lives much easier.
There is the obligatory evil headmistress of the orphanage, made even more despicable by the fact that her actions were based on actual unethical experimentation on orphans during that time period.
I highly recommend this book. It is full of heart.

Choldenko certainly isn't afraid to show us marginalized populations in historical contexts and the harshness of everyday lives. Here we have orphaned/abandoned children coming into contact with circus folk, a group bound to be populated by outsiders. We see these people trying to find a place in life, a place they can belong and feel safe. This is paralleled in the elephants. The young elephant's loving acceptance and general skittishness are a direct reflection of various characters. The plot never digs too deep into any topic, somewhat to a disappointing degree. I might have liked more reflection on the reality of the life Lucy has left behind ,the future that awaited her. Or even more reflection on the things that influence the four orphans, the hurts that have caused the to act out, to act not in their own self interest. Add in the circus which had an almost magical air, a sense of unreality, and I found I wasn't as satisfied with the book on the whole as I'd have liked.

Travel back in time to meet Lucy and her orphan friends as they escape a local orphanage and join a colorful and quirky traveling circus. The characters are well defined and keep this book exciting. Several secrets are revealed throughout including what happened to Lucy's family and who is orphan eleven. A solid story for chapter book readers!

Orphan Eleven is the story of Lucy, an girl living at an orphanage in Iowa in 1939. She believes her sister is in Chicago and would be happy to have her live with her, if only she knew Lucy's circumstances. Lucy is known for her sweet singing voice. but has stopped speaking altogether recently. Early in the book, Lucy seizes an opportunity to run away along with three other orphans. Through a short series of events they end up at the winter quarters of a circus. There the four orphans are given the chance to become apprentices and travel with the circus. Lucy wants to work with the elephants, but is told she must use her voice if she wants to stay.
This is a story that seems to be split between two distinctive plots - the children's time at the circus and Lucy's own struggle with what happened to her at the orphanage and her need to find her sister. It felt like the two parts just didn't quite come together. Each separate part was well-thought out and I liked reading them, but it never truly felt as though they joined up completely.
Overall, I found this to be a very quick and engaging read, but I was left wanting in terms of the final story arc. I do think middle grade readers will enjoy the circus terminology and learning more about circus life in the 1930's.
I received this ebook from NetGalley and Wendy Lamb Books in exchange for a fair and honest review.