Product Description

Ten-year-old Lucy Griggs's mother has just died, leaving Lucy orphaned and living on the streets of 1866 New York City. Then Lucy hears about the Children's Aid Society, a group that sends orphans out West to new homes. Lucy knows she'll never replace her mum, but maybe now she'll find a family--and even a little sister--to love.



But the family that takes her in is far from ideal. Mr. Snapes seems kind, but Mrs. Snapes is a bitter, angry woman. And Emma isn't the sister Lucy has dreamed of. Emma is a girl who people call "simple." Can Lucy learn to love this less-than-perfect family?


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #726309 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-07
• Released on: 1999-09-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6AIn 1866, Lucy Griggs, 10, becomes an orphan. After surviving alone on the streets of New York City for several weeks, she learns about the Children's Aid Society, an organization that helps children find homes. The group sends Lucy and other orphans west by train, hoping that they will be adopted. Lucy is afraid that no one will want a girl her age, but eventually a farmer takes her to his home in Missouri. Although her new family is not what she envisioned, she is grateful that she has gained a sister. The story is mostly upbeat; Lucy is compassionate and good spirited. A glossary and interesting information about the orphan trains, New York City, and the Children's Aid Society are included. This is the first novel in a new series and can be introduced with two excellent nonfiction titles: Annette Fry's The Orphan Trains (Silver Burdett, 1994) and Andrea Warren's Orphan Train Rider (Houghton, 1996).AMary M. Hopf, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap
Ten-year-old Lucy Griggs's mother has just died, leaving Lucy orphaned and living on the streets of 1866 New York City. Then Lucy hears about the Children's Aid Society, a group that sends orphans out West to new homes. Lucy knows she'll never replace her mum, but maybe now she'll find a family--and even a little sister--to love.



But the family that takes her in is far from ideal. Mr. Snapes seems kind, but Mrs. Snapes is a bitter, angry woman. And Emma isn't the sister Lucy has dreamed of. Emma is a girl who people call "simple." Can Lucy learn to love this less-than-perfect family?


From the Hardcover edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Lucy Amanda Griggs squirmed between the two large boxes she had found in the alley. Even though she was very tired, she couldn't sleep. The ground was hard and lumpy, and the bright morning sunlight forced Lucy to open her eyes.

She tugged her ragged shawl up to cover her head. Her hair felt damp and greasy. How long had it been since she'd had a bath? Lucy couldn't remember.

She smiled at Baby, cradling the doll in her arms. One side of Baby's face was covered with a spiderweb of cracks. And there was a hole in her cloth body, where Lucy had to keep poking the stuffing back inside. Lucy didn't care. She had found Baby in a trash bin. She knew that Baby needed her, and she needed Baby. The cracks, the faded dress, and the hole didn't matter. From the moment Lucy saw Baby she loved her.

Lucy rocked Baby and sang to her. It was a soft, sleepy song that Lucy's mother had always sung to her. "Rock, rock, my baby-o. Rock, rock, my baby."

But Lucy's song melted into tears as memories of her mother swept over her.

She angrily brushed the tears away. Crying didn't help. Lucy remembered the time when Mum had told her that Father had been killed in an accident. It was four years ago. Lucy and Mum had clung to each other and sobbed, but their tears hadn't brought Father back.

Lucy shivered and hugged Baby tightly. She thought about the terrible day when Mum had died of cholera. That was four--or was it five?--weeks ago. Inspectors from the Metropolitan Board of Health had hurried into Lucy and Mum's room. The inspectors were afraid that the disease would spread. Cholera had already killed more than two thousand New Yorkers. Even before the inspectors left, the landlord, Mr. Beam, had ordered Lucy to leave the building.

He had clutched her shoulder as he pushed her toward the doorway. "It's a matter of business. I've got to clean up that room and rent it to someone who can pay," he'd said. His eyes were not on Lucy, but on the inspectors.

Lucy had been so frightened that her heart had pounded. She'd clenched her hands to keep them from shaking. "But, sir, I've got nowhere to go," she had pleaded.

Mr. Beam had glanced nervously at the inspectors. He had lowered his voice and answered, "I can't worry about your problems. I've got enough of my own. The Board of Health like to have ruined me last February. They blame the landlords for the cholera that swept through this city."

He had cleared his throat with an angry harumph! and added, "Meeting their demands to clean up and make repairs cost me a great deal of money. I've nothing to spare, so don't be coming to me for help."

Weak from fear, but with no choice, Lucy had wandered out to the street. She had plopped down on a curb, heedless of the hooves of the horses and the heavy wagon wheels that rumbled near her toes. She had wept in sorrow, but her tears hadn't brought Mum back. They hadn't helped at all.

As Lucy's sobs became dry shudders, she had looked up and seen the Olneys' butcher shop across the street.

Sometimes Mum, with Lucy in hand, had stopped by the shop. Sometimes she had managed to come up with enough coins to buy a small piece of meat or a soup bone. And sometimes Mum had played with and talked to the Olneys' son, Henry.

Mrs. Olney looked unhappy whenever anyone asked her about Henry. "Never been right in the head since he was born," she said. "Can't nothin' be done about it."

Mum had treated Henry the way she treated everybody else. Henry tried to talk to Mum, and Mum seemed to understand. When she paid attention to Henry, he smiled and laughed.

Once Lucy overheard another neighbor say, "I'm always kind to the lad. I tell myself, "There but for the grace of God go I.'"

Under her breath, so that only Lucy could hear, Mum had whispered, "I tell myself, "There go I.'"

Later, when they were alone, Lucy had asked Mum, "Why is Mrs. Olney always so cross? Why doesn't she ever talk to Henry?"

Mum had shaken her head sadly. "Mrs. Olney wanted a strong, healthy child who could work in the shop and learn his father's trade. She's so bitter, she can't see that Henry has feelings like everyone else."

Lucy thought about the blue-and-green marble Mum had found and had given to Henry. He had laughed and clapped his hands with joy. "You know what Henry likes, and you can talk with him," Lucy had said. "I wish Mrs. Olney would try."

"Maybe someday she will," Mum had said. "For now, you and I will be Henry's friends."

Customer Reviews

"Lucy's Wish" touched my heart.
This is a little story that can touch your heart. It is about a little orphan whose mother has died. Lucy learns of the Orphan Train through a friend and wishes for a little sister and a kind mother and father. Lucy meets two friends on the Orphan Train, a Princess and Daisy. All three find families, but will Lucy get her wish? This reader spent most of one night reading the book until she finished and learned the answer to that question.

Good book
This book is about Lucy Amanda Griggs, a ten year old orphan. After her mother dies from cholera, Lucy is left homeless on the streets of New York City, until she is told about the orphan trains that take city orphans west to new homes. Maybe now Lucy will get the little sister she's always wanted. But Lucy discovers a very special sister in Emma, whom many of the local children tease because she is "simple."

Lucy Gets Her Wish
In 1866, Lucy's mom died. Lucy was living in the streets of New York City. Then she went on the orphan train. She wanted to find parents and a little sister. At the first stop, no one picked her as a daughter. Then, at the second stop, Mr. Snapes picked Lucy. She got a sister but she was mentally retarded. Lucy almost got her wish. She was happy because she had a mom, dad and little sister. It was a good book. Anyone could enjoy this book.
Laura