City of Orphans

Avi's portrayal of New York City in 1893 offers flawless research and Dickensian characters. When speaking as the story's omniscient narrator, Chris Sorensen's voice takes on the tone of a tough guy. He drops final letters and liberally uses street slang to create a convincing sense of place and period. His quick changes between accents help depict the multicultural mix of classes. Sorensen's reading ably contrasts the two heroes. As 13-year-old Maks Geless, a newsboy who is the son of Danish immigrants, Sorensen speaks boldly and unemotionally. Sorenson gives Willa, a homeless girl of undetermined background, more refined speech, colored with uncertainty. When Maks's sister is arrested, the pair functions as a detective duo. Sorensen's skill gives even stock characters depth, most noticeably the hard-boiled dying detective Bartleby Donck, who mentors the two children. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Starred review from August 22, 2011
Thirteen-year-old Maks Geless, the oldest son of Danish immigrants, makes eight cents a day hawking The World on Manhattan street corners in 1893. Newbery Medalist Avi tells his story in a vibrant, unsophisticated, present-tense voice (a typical chapter begins, “Okay, now it’s the next day—Tuesday”), and it’s a hard life. Maks’s sister Agnes has TB, the shoe factory where Agnes and Mr. Geless work is suspending operations, and the grocer and landlord want their accounts paid. Then Maks’s oldest sister, Emma, is accused of stealing from a guest at the Waldorf Hotel, where she is a maid. Amid this strife, the good-hearted Gelesses take in Willa, a homeless girl who saved Maks from a street gang. Maks and Willa must prove Emma’s innocence, with the help of an odd, possibly dying detective (he’s coughing up blood, too). The contrasts among Maks’s family’s squalid tenement existence; Emma’s incarceration in the Tombs, the city’s infamous prison; and the splendor of the Waldorf bring a stark portrait of 19th-century society to a terrifically exciting read, with Ruth’s fine pencil portraits adding to the overall appeal. Ages 10–14.

March 1, 2012

Gr 6-9-Times are tough for most families in New York City in 1893, and Maks's family is no exception. They live in a tenement building with almost 200 other people and everyone in the family contributes to paying the rent. Maks is a "newsie," standing on the corner every afternoon selling copies of The World, "the world's greatest newspaper." When the local Plug Uglies gang tries to rob Maks, he's saved by a resilient homeless girl named Willa. Thankful, Maks brings her home and soon she becomes part of their family. Maks and Willa band together to help prove that Maks's sister, falsely accused of stealing in the fancy Waldorf Hotel, is freed from prison. With the help of a private detective, they connect the theft to a small-time mobster, who happens to be Willa's deadbeat father. With his youthful tones and lively narration, Chris Sorenson does a wonderful job of narrating Avi's historical novel (Atheneum, 2012). The period details come to life, enticing listeners to learn more about the tenements and the rich upper class living in New York City just before the turn of the century. Maks's ingenuity and Willa's bravery shine through this tale of danger and intrigue. For all library collections.-Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.