City of Orphans (350 pages +2 pages Author's note)

Avi has written this historical fiction book about New York City's early immigrant children. He states in the author's note that he did a tremendous amount of research prior to writing this novel. So although the characters are conceived by him, the facts of the story are true. I think this is a perfect middle school read, but could also be a jumping off point for a creative writing assignment for any student. The story takes place at the close of the 1800's, and focuses on Macs, his family, and Willa, a young orphan who comes to live with Mac's family. Life in lower New York's tenements is harsh to the say the least, but when juxtaposed against the wealth of patrons of the new Waldorf Astoria, the reader is able to understand the gap between the haves and the have-nots!This is a mystery that readers will find pretty amazing. You might want them to read the author's note first so that they have an understanding of the amount of truth within these pages. Good read!