City of Orphans

Though Maks is only 13, he's one of the primary breadwinners in his Danish immigrant family, so when the local Plug Ugly gang begins to harrass him, he fights back with the help of Willa, a street urchin who is very accomplished with her ever-present cudgel.  Life is complicated ever further when Maks's sister, a maid at the fabulous Waldorf Hotel, is accused of theft and thrown in jail.  Maks and Willa must rely on their street smarts - and the help of a former Pinkerton detective - to set things straight.

 

A vibrant, fast-moving mystery set in a well-developed historical setting.