In The Face of Danger (Orphan Train Adventures)

I didn't read Megan's part of the series the first time around years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I enjoyed it. Poor Meg got the "Beth March" edit, the shy, quiet, boring one, and as a result, is easily overlooked both in the story and to the reader. It is a shame, because In the Face of Danger is not only better written than the first two books in the series, but also a great (and realistic) tale.In In the Face of Danger, Meg is sent to live far away from her brothers and sisters to the territory of Kansas. Also unlike Peg and Danny, and Frances Mary and Petey, she is adopted without a sibling to cling too. Meg believes herself to be a "bad luck penny" because of what a "gypsy" told her when she was younger. Because of this, Meg fears that all the family's troubles are because her her. Adding this to her general characterization of being shy and sensitive, Meg is the child both Frances Mary and their mother worry the most about.However, after reading the story in which Megan meets head on all the obstacles of prairie life with a refreshing sense of humbleness and practicality, it is clear that Meg is the one Kelly child who will be just fine. She's brave and takes to action (see the climax in which Meg singlehandly takes down a rouge outlaw) while Frances Mary merely lets life happen to her. Mike's still the most interesting sibling, but through Meg, the reader is allowed to experience the frontier in a realistic and entertaining way. A must read for young adults who wish to see first hand how the Kansas prairie may have been like on the eve of the Civil War.

Ok, ok, ok - so I'm not a little kid that this series is targeted for, but even as a 26 year old I LOVE this series. Starting from the first book and going on, this series peaks my interest even greater. the first is about a family separated because the widowed mother couldn't care for her children. each book follows a child and the experiences they face moving from New York to the west in the 1800s. This one is about a little girl who thinks she caused her family's hardships and is causing more problems for the family that adopted her. I don't have children of my own, but I see it as a great way to expose children to historical events and concepts of that time... presidential elections, slavery, settlers moving west (especially Kansas and Missouri), farming, appreciating little things like family and a full belly, and life without technology.If my husband and I ever have kids, I'll gladly read these to them, but until then I'll just let myself get lost in the storyMisouri

My daughter read the first book in this series (A Family Apart: The Orphan Train Adventures) and was hooked! We read the first book in a school "chat n chew" forum and the 5th grader boys and girls both liked the book. The series has 6 books that follows the kids in one family as they leave inner city New York for the "wild west" in Missouri and Kansas. Wonderful series!Definitely recommend reading these books in order! This is the 3rd book in the series and is about Megan.

I enjoyed the story about the orphan train and the little girl who rode it. It was not only educational but heartwarming. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone and was an easy read.

I like the first book we read it in school then I decided to read the series and I loved it.

Excellent book for kids!

awesome series

i like this book. it gave me a sense of suspence and eagerness to see what happens next.i like how each character had their own fears , likes, dislikes, and feeling. it also let the reader know what was inside the mind of the girl who was "cursed" by the gypsie and how it affected her.