SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION PRESENTATIONS

Donna Nordmark Aviles is available for presentations on the Orphan Train Movement.  These books fit in nicely with 4th and 5th grade curriculum and can be used to enhance other fiction works that the students may study.

Community Organizations, such as Rotary Clubs, Senior Clubs, Book Clubs and Genealogy Clubs will enjoy learning about the Orphan Trains, as well as how to search for a rider and the importance of Oral Histories and Personal Narratives. 

Signed copies of both books are made available during all presentations.  Pre-sales are encouraged at schools to allow more time for discussion and questions. 

Visit the SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS page of this website, listed above, or contact Donna Nordmark Aviles at daviles@comcast.net to find out more about how to schedule your presentation!

TESTIMONIALS

     "It's very American - their journeys to find their places in the world.  Donna tells the truth of it.  I'm attracted to true stories and these have a lot of heart.  When you get into the minutiae of characters you find a wellspring of drama, humor and adventure.  Donna's books transport you back in time.  It's a really interesting part of our history that never really has been written about but I think will appeal to a large audience." 

    -William Rotko, Screenwriter BREACH (Universal Pictures)

 

"Oliver was really a larger than life character.  He was so tough and such a good person.  This story should be made into a movie.  The book is very well written - my goodness, what a man!"

-Ellen Taylor, Genealogist   Phoenix, AZ

                  

"Excellent book, even adults would love it!  It keeps one captivated, wondering NOW what will happen to these two brothers.  FLY LITTLE BIRD, FLY! touches on brotherly love and the importance of family, in addition to the contribution of historical information."

-Renee Wendinger, VP Minnesota Orphan Train Riders Assoc.

 

" PEANUT BUTTER FOR CUPCAKES" is bound to be considered a classic in its genre.  Rarely do you find a story than can not only teach your chldren important history lessons, but also how families in the past survived some of the hardest of times.  It is this final aspect that give the book its unique component, for it provides young people with a sense of respect for their ancestors - a level of respect that is very deserving but often not given.  "PEANUT BUTTER FOR CUPCAKES", like Donna Aviles' two other books, should be considered esential reading."

-Peter N. Jones, PhD Cultural Anthropologist

LATEST HAPPENINGS!

 

23RD ANNUAL MUSHROOM FESTIVAL-KENNETT SQ., PA

     The INDEPENDENT AUTHORS GUILD will be hosting a booth at this year's annual MUSHROOM FESTIVAL in Kennett Square, Pa on  Sept. 6 & 7th.  Five authors from the Guild - including myself - will be selling and signing copies of our books at the corner of State and Center Streets from 11am-7pm on Sat. and from 10am-5pm on Sunday.  This is a huge event attended by more than 100,000 people.  If you're in the area, be sure and stop by to pick up a book or just say hello!  For more information on the festival go to www.mushroomfestival.org

POTENTIAL MOVIE DEAL:

 The screen rights to FLY LITTLE BIRD, FLY! and BEYOND THE ORPHAN TRAIN have been optioned by Los Angeles screenwriter William Rotko (BREACH, Universal Pictures).  He will now work to bring the story of Oliver Nordmark and the Orphan Train Movement of 1854-1929 to the big screen for family viewing!

NOW AVAILABLE!!

PEANUT BUTTER FOR CUPCAKES, A True Story From The Great Depression is now available.  Based on the oral histories of Oliver's three surviving sons, this engaging story for ages 9 and up is full of historical information and over twenty photographs.

"Engaging, informative and educational, PEANUT BUTTER FOR CUPCAKES brings alive the life and times of one of the most difficult periods of U.S. history.  Unlike standard history text, or those big biographical tomes that are typical of books covering the Depression, author Donna Aviles delivers a story written to capture the heart and soul of the reader."

-Peter N. Jones, PhD - Anthropologist

Order your signed copy now by sending $17.95 to Donna N. Aviles, P. O. Box 1303, Hockessin, DE  19707

 

GREAT NEW BOOKS REVIEW

On April 23, 2008 Fly Little Bird, Fly! and Beyond The Orphan Train received high praise from GREAT NEW BOOKS stating that these are "Two excellent books that every kid growing up in the U.S. should read."  The reviewer is Peter N. Jones, Ph.D. Cultural Anthropologist and Director of the BAUU Institute.  Please check out the full review at www.newgreatbooks.blogspot.com/2008/04/trains-plains-and-history-two-books.html  

AUDIOBOOK:

The audiobook version of FLY LITTLE BIRD, FLY! and BEYOND THE ORPHAN TRAIN is in production. Both books will be included on one CD. Stay tuned for updates and availability.

 

FLY LITTLE BIRD, FLY! The True Story of Oliver Nordmark & America's Orphan Trains ISBN# 1932852-07-7  Ages 8    RL 6.1

Holding tight to one another, vowing never to be separated, Oliver and Edward board the Orphan Train headed west to find a new home.  The year is 1906 and the boys have been told that their mother has died and they are now alone.  Follow the adventures of the Nordmark brothers as they travel on America's Orphan Train from the streets of New York City to the vast farmlands of the Midwest.  Will they find a family to love?  Will they be able to keep their promise?  The future that awaits them will be full of twists and turns, surprises and anguish, all of which will shape their lives forever!

 

BEYOND THE ORPHAN TRAIN A True Adventure  ISBN#1-932852-94-8  Ages 8   RL 6.1

Oliver and Edward Nordmark are young boys in 1906 when they are plucked from their New York orphanage and placed on one of America's Orphan Trains to Kansas.  After being sent to different farms, the brothers lose track of one another.  In 1913, fifteen-year-old Oliver decides to hop a freight train and strike out on his own in hopes of finding his lost brother.  Follow Oliver's true story of adventure and discovery as he learns to live by his wits and survive on his own - a child alone in a man's world.  Where will he go?  How will he earn a living?  What kind of people will he meet along the way?  Will he be able to find Edward?  All your lingering questions will be answered in this, the companion story to the author's first book, FLY LITTLE BIRD, FLY!

 

PEANUT BUTTER FOR CUPCAKES, A True Story From The Great Depression, ISBN# 978-1-60047-216-9 Ages 9 RL 6.9

As the stock market crashes on October 29, 1929, Oliver fears for his job at the silk mill.  When his nightmare comes true and the mill shuts down, Oliver is hesitant to allow his wife, Estella, to take a job at the local coffee shop.  When he finally gives in, with tragic results, Oliver and his six young children struggle to survive as the Great Depression takes its grip on the country.

 

PEANUT BUTTER FOR CUPCAKES is the true story of the Nordmark children.  Their father, Oliver Nordmark, is the subject of the author’s first two books, FLY LITTLE BIRD, FLY! and BEYOND THE ORPHAN TRAIN.  Find out what lies ahead for May,  Bud, Margaret, Oliver Jr., Jim, and Benny as they learn their life lessons from a father who never had a parent of his own.  Life with Oliver is full of fun and adventure one minute, but marked with poverty and abandonment the next.   A story that will leave you with a deeper understanding of what life was like during the 1930’s, and how “boys will be boys” even in the hardest of times!

 

PURCHASE THE BOOKS

FLY LITTLE BIRD, FLY! - $9.00

BEYOND THE ORPHAN TRAIN - $9.00

PEANUT BUTTER FOR CUPCAKES - $14.95

Please add....

Shipping for one book  $3.00

Shipping for two books $3.50

Shipping for three books $3.75

Send check or money order to:  Donna Aviles, P.O. Box 1303, Hockessin, DE  19707  Please indicate if you would like your books signed. 

Make an online payment via www.paypal.com to daviles@comcast.net

Books can also be purchased at BOOKS AND BEYOND in the Shoppes of Hockessin, online at www.amazon.com , www.barnesandnoble.com , and other online outlets, or ordered from any larger bookstore.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A resident of Hockessin, Delaware, Donna Nordmark Aviles is the granddaughter of Oliver Nordmark, the protagonist of her first two books.  She has worked in many fields including foreign exchange, social services and business.  After raising three children, Aviles returned to her early love of writing and is currently working on her next book.  She enjoys speaking to school students and organizations about the Orphan Train Movement and The Great Depression, and welcomes your questions or comments in the GUESTBOOK section of this website.  To view student artwork illustrating Fly Little Bird, Fly! click on the "view photo album" link on the left hand side of the page.