The Boxcar Children 5-8

The Boxcar Children

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The paperback editions of The Boxcar Children Mysteries: #5, Mike's Mystery; #6, Blue Bay Mystery; #7, The Woodshed Mystery; and #8, The Lighthouse Mystery are offered together in a cardboard case.

Genres: Childrens, Mystery, Fiction, Young Adult, Classics, Middle Grade

576 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Gertrude Chandler Warner was born in Putnam, Connecticut, on April 16, 1890, to Edgar and Jane Warner. Her family included a sister, Frances, and a brother, John. From the age of five, she dreamed of becoming an author. She wrote stories for her Grandfather Carpenter, and each Christmas she gave him one of these stories as a gift. Today, Ms. Warner is best remembered as the author of THE BOXCAR CHILDREN MYSTERIES.

As a child, Gertrude enjoyed many of the things that girls enjoy today. She loved furnishing a dollhouse with handmade furniture and she liked to read. Her favorite book was ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Often on Sundays after church, Gertrude enjoyed trips to visit her grandparents' farm. Along the way, she and Frances would stop to pick the wildflowers they both loved. Gertrude's favorite flower was the violet.

Her family was a very musical one. They were able to have a family orchestra, and Gertrude enjoyed playing the cello. Her father had brought her one from New York ---a cello, a bow, a case and an instruction book. All together, he paid $14. Later, as an adult, she began playing the pipe organ and sometimes substituted for the church organist.

Due to ill health, Ms. Warner never finished high school. She left in the middle of her second year and studied with a tutor. Then, in 1918, when teachers were called to serve in World War I, the school board asked her to teach first grade. She had forty children in the morning and forty more in the afternoon. Ms. Warner wrote, "I was asked or begged to take this job because I taught Sunday School. But believe me, day school is nothing like Sunday School, and I sure learned by doing --- I taught in that same room for 32 years, retiring at 60 to have more time to write." Eventually, Ms. Warner attended Yale, where she took several teacher training courses.

Once when she was sick and had to stay home from teaching, she thought up the story about the Boxcar Children. It was inspired by her childhood dreams. As a child, she had spent hours watching the trains go by near her family's home. Sometimes she could look through the window of a caboose and see a small stove, a little table, cracked cups with no saucers, and a tin coffee pot boiling away on the stove. The sight had fascinated her and made her dream about how much fun it would be to live and keep house in a boxcar or caboose. She read the story to her classes and rewrote it many times so the words were easy to understand. Some of her pupils spoke other languages at home and were just learning English. THE BOXCAR CHILDREN gave them a fun story that was easy to read.

Ms. Warner once wrote for her fans, "Perhaps you know that the original BOXCAR CHILDREN. . . raised a storm of protest from librarians who thought the children were having too good a time without any parental control! That is exactly why children like it! Most of my own childhood exploits, such as living in a freight car, received very little cooperation from my parents."

Though the story of THE BOXCAR CHILDREN went through some changes after it was first written, the version that we are familiar with today was originally published in 1942 by Scott Foresman. Today, Albert Whitman & Company publishes this first classic story as well as the next eighteen Alden children adventures that were written by Ms. Warner.

Gertrude Chandler Warner died in 1979 at the age of 89 after a full life as a teacher, author, and volunteer for the American Red Cross and other charitable organizations. After her death, Albert Whitman & Company continued to receive mail from children across the country asking for more adventures about Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny Alden. In 1991, Albert Whitman added to THE BOXCAR CHILDREN MYSTERIES so that today's children can enjoy many more adventures about this independent and caring group of children.

Books about Gertrude: https://www.goodreads.com/characters/...

Reviews

[Sean Soth · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone that has children, or are kids at heart, the "The Boxcar Children Mysteries" were truly the start of my love of reading. They gave me, for the first time, a real escape into the amazing world of fiction, and literature. My Nieces and Nephews have followed my path (with encouragement) into this fantastic series.

[Horizon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids have been on a boxcar children kick. They are great for kids 5-10.

[Traci Imlau · Rating 4 out of 5]

so much fun revisiting a childhood favorite

[Kathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read these as separate books but did not want to put individual books in Goodreads. Read these in the 5th grade. I remember discovering them in the school library and being so excited because I had loved the earlier books from the series when my fourth grade teacher read them to the class. I read these very quickly. Loved them--childhood favorites. Definitely recommend this series for young readers.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Boxcar Children mysteries are a great series to start your young child on! This series is about four young orphans who go on adventures solving mysteries. It is a fun and exciting series for young people.

[Megan Mweemba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, now THESE are books I read as a kid and DO remember! The Boxcar Children used to be my favorite series. I read the first one over and over, many times. I would definitely recomend these, great children's books.

[stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite childhood series

[Darby · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are childhood favorites for me. I read them over and over! They were a wonderful escape!

[Sarahjane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allright, I know I read these when I was very young. But I don't remember them. Maybe when Izzie is old enough we could read them together.

[Ilene Fey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son's favorite series

[Mell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved these as a kid! I remember waiting for them to be returned to the school library. I wanted to read them in order.

[Michael C. Gwynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mountain Top. Mystery

Great mystery for. Young readers with a good moral of working hard and paying attention to elders - recommended as a read a lot

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

See review for books 1-4.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My six year old loved this and it's one of his favorite books so far.