A little slow to get into, but worth the wait. This charming middle grade read is about a found family of misfits living in a small town Ohio orphanage. Most are truly orphans, but a few, like Kacey, have been abandoned by their parents. Primarily told through the eyes of eleven-year old, Willa, this story is one of friendships, the family you make, rising from the ashes, and of course there is a little mystery at the heart of it all. Willa discovers that Mercy (the manager of Southern Ohio Children's Home) is hard pressed for money and looking for a way to keep the orphanage running. That's when they discover that there is an old boys school practically in their back yard. It's neglected and falling apart and Mercy owns it. Will she sell it to make ends meet? What happened there and why will no one talk about it? Orphanland deals with a lot of meaty issues; opioid addiction, losing your parents, consent, injustice, losing your parents, gender identity and more. I was so impressed with how topics were respectfully discussed without being too preachy. Orphanland is a great book for kids to read and then start asking questions of their own. The cover and title is awful, if it were re-branded I think this book would go gangbusters!
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