Train I Ride

Twelve-year-old Rydr is leaving behind her life of trauma in California– poverty, finding her mother dead from a drug overdose, living with a grandmother who can no longer care for her, and apprehension by social services – and heading to Chicago on a train to live with an unknown great-uncle. During her journey, Rydr meets people who teach her that she is loved and important, and has the power to become who she wants to be. Suitable for grades 5-8, the novel is suited for a novel study, guided reading text, or teacher read-aloud, and for a unit on identity and self-determination, or to launch discussions about diverse families, childhood trauma, and developing a sense of self. Social considerations noted; teacher pre-reading and guidance recommended.