The Orphan of Ellis Island

Author: Elvira Woodruff

A class field trip turns into the adventure of a lifetime when young Dominic Cantori, an orphan, visits Ellis Island. Uncomfortable with all of the discussion about ancestry during the field trip, Dominic wanders off from the group, falls asleep in a utility closet, and soon finds himself swept away to another time and place. This time travel trip takes Dominic to Italy in 1908 where he befriends three orphaned brothers. He discovers the harsh conditions that compelled people to leave their homes and seek refuge in the United States. Dominic joins the brothers as they leave Italy and experiences first-hand what it felt like to travel as a steerage passenger aboard a ship to America. Upon entering New York Harbor he is elated to see the Statue of Liberty and soon discovers the challenges immigrants faced at Ellis Island. When Dominic returns to the present he has developed a deeper appreciation of the struggles of those long-ago immigrants and welcomes the opportunity to be placed with a foster family that is eager to adopt a child like him.

The Orphan Of Ellis Island

Year Released: 1997

Grade 4-6