The Orphan of Ellis Island facts for kids
The Orphan of Ellis Island: A Time Travel Adventure is an exciting children's novel written by Elvira Woodruff in 1997. It tells the story of a boy who travels back in time to experience a piece of history.
What's the Story About?
The story begins at Ellis Island, a famous place where many immigrants arrived in America. A boy named Dominic is on a school trip there. He has just moved to a new foster home and feels a bit lonely. During the trip, Dominic finds a quiet janitor's closet. He falls asleep inside.
When Dominic wakes up, everything has changed. His classmates and teachers are gone. He feels scared and alone. He starts listening to old recordings on display telephones. These recordings are voices of immigrants sharing their life stories and their journeys to America. Suddenly, someone whispers back to him!
In a flash, Dominic is transported back in time. He finds himself in Italy in 1908, standing on a green hill. There, he meets three brothers: Antonio (who is 7), Salvatore (who is 10), and Francesco Candiano. They are very poor and have no family. Dominic is confused and asks where he is and what year it is. The boys think he might have lost his memory because of a recent earthquake.
Dominic and the brothers quickly become friends. They go on many adventures together. They face dangers and even experience sadness as they make their way toward America.
How the Author Wrote the Book
Elvira Woodruff, the author, uses different ways to get accurate information for her books. She loves to visit the actual places where her stories happen. She says that visiting a place is just as important as reading books for her research.
For The Orphan of Ellis Island, she visited the Ellis Island Museum. While there, she saw a display of old drawings and messages left by immigrants. These were like graffiti. She noticed a drawing that looked like a small goat with wings. This image really stuck with her.
That winged goat drawing gave her the idea for a character in her story: Violetta, the goat. It also helped her connect the story in a special way. At the end of the book, Dominic scratches that very same image onto a pillar at Ellis Island while he is waiting in line. This brings the story full circle, connecting his past and present.
