Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl
I have a couple of relatives who were adopted as a sibling group after living in an orphanage in the 1940s or 1950s, but it would be quite rare for that to happen these days as most children in the foster system are now either being looked after through kinship care or traditional foster care.
The interesting thing about orphanages to me is how long they’ve stuck around in pop culture after being phased out in North America decades ago with rare exceptions. (Yes, I know they still exist in other parts of the world…but even there I believe the trend is often moving towards placing kids with relatives or foster families).
Here are some books I’ve read and enjoyed that were set in orphanages.
1. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
2. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children, #1) by Ransom Riggs
3. The Cider House Rules by John Irving
4. The BFG by Roald Dahl
5. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
6. The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman
7. Orphan Number Eight by Kim van Alkemade
8. Baby Alicia Is Dying by Lurlene McDaniel
9. Hollow City (Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children, #2) by Ransom Riggs
Have you noticed this literary trend as well?
It is strange that orphanages are still so prevalent in books when we don’t have them here any more. And what does it say about me that I do love reading books with that orphange setting? ;D Great TTT list!
Thank you, Lark. And, honestly, same. 😂
What a good topic! I had never really thought about it, but there are a lot of books set in orphanages. I’ve read 5 on your list. Before We Were Yours is probably my favorite.
Thank you, Kelsey. Yeah, that was a great one.
So many of the children’s books I’ve read have orphans as the main characters. Great idea for a list!
Yes, that’s a very common trope! Thanks, Deb.
Orphanages do make great settings for childrens books! It gives the characters a bit more freedom, an exciting location to roam around and (usually) some bad guy adults to outwit 😂
An unexpected approach, but interesting!
I had Ransom’s book at one time because I intended to read it when all of the film adaptation hype was popular. Never did though (even though this would have been when I was reading a lot!). I think I also owned Lisa’s at one time too! Another I never read. But maybe someday I will yet. Thanks so much for visiting my list today!