orphans

In London during World War II, Alice enters quarantine with her boyfriend Alfred, whose tuberculosis doctors think might kill him by morning. She reads him their favorite story--"Alice in Wonderland"--and soon has difficulty separating reality from the story. Eventually Alice is forced to choose between the comfort of the story and the pain of real life.

In 1939, after cruel treatment at her orphanage renders her mute, Lucy runs away and joins the circus, working with the elephants and unaware that the orphanage matrons are hunting for her.

"Who will be the first to discover the secret of flight! Yesterday, Magpie was one of the best thieves in all of France. But an encounter with a boy dangling from the sky will change her life forever. And even though it ends in disaster, Magpie becomes enthralled by the idea of flying over the rooftops of Paris like the dangling boy. His family, the Montgolfiers, are desperate to be the first to discover the secret of flight. And Magpie has some ideas of her own. As the shadow of her thieving past looms over her, she'll realize that flight may be her only escape. In a test of bravery, imagination, science, and friendship -- Magpie, Pierre, and their pet birds are in a race against time. It'll take two children, a chicken, a duck, and a sheep to help them find the answers. But others, too, are determined to discover the Montgolfiers' invention..."--Provided by publisher.

"After their death, Spindrift's parents leave behind one keepsake--a glass orb containing a magical orchid that has the power to make all her wishes come true, but the allure of this extraordinary orchid puts Spindrift's life in danger, leaving her to wonder whether a wish is just a curse in disguise"--Provided by publisher.

"A mysterious gothic Christmas tale set in a frost-bound Victorian country mansion. When orphaned Seren Rees is given a mysterious package by a strange and frightened man on her way to her new home, she reluctantly takes it with her. But what is in the parcel? Who are the family who must not be spoken of, and can the Crow help Seren find Tom, before the owner of the parcel finds her?"--Provided by publisher.

Fleeing abusive relatives and extreme poverty in Mexico, young Santiago endures being detained by ICE while crossing the border into the United States.

"Twelve-year-old Elfina lives with her grandmother in in Paraguay. When a distant relative offers to have Elfina come live with her in the city so she can attend school, Elfina's grandmother sends her off for a better life. But life with her relatives isn't what Elfina thought it would be, and soon Elfina finds herself far away from home, living in Canada, and kept as a domestic servant by the family" -- Amazon.

The boxcar children travel to Maine, take canoes into the wilderness and live in a house exactly like the one on Surprise Island, except the Maine house is brown, not yellow. They untangle the mystery of the two houses.

Eccentric Aunt Jane needs help on her ranch so the Aldens, affectionately known as the Boxcar Children, get help from a private detective.

Henry, Jessie, Benny, and Violet Alden meet Mike Wood and a strange chain of events begins. Mike's house is mysteriously burned down, a man in a blue hat appears, and the Aldens' uranium mine is in danger of being sabotaged.