City of Orphans

City of Orphans is a 2011 middle-grade novel by Newbery Medal-winning author Avi. Set on the Lower East Side of New York City in 1893, it centers on 13-year-old Maks Geless, who works as a newsie to provide for the needs of his immigrant family. When Maks’s sister is jailed for theft, he is tasked with gathering clues to help save her.

Plot Summary

Maks spends his days selling papers with his newsie friends and traveling through New York City dodging the filth and crime of the industrialized urban life. Until now, his most formidable foe has been red-headed bully Bruno and his Plug Ugly Gang. Attempting to outrun the gang, he trips over a young orphan girl named Willa living in an alley. Taking her home for a hot meal, Maks discovers he has more to worry about than just the Plug Ugly waiting for him on the street corner. His sister Emma has been accused of stealing a valuable watch at the Waldorf Hotel, where she works as a maid. Maks and his immigrant family live on slim margins as it is and have no spare income to pay for a lawyer, so it will be up to Maks to find a way to prove her innocence.