The Box That Watch Found

The Boxcar Children #113

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

One day in the park, the Aldens' dog, Watch, comes across a mysterious box with a note inside. "Congratulations!" the note says. “You’ve found it!” The box is part of a fun new treasure-hunting game, and soon Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are looking all over town for cleverly hidden boxes. But they’re not the only ones on the trail for clues! When several of the treasure boxes go missing, the game is ruined for everyone. Who would steal the boxes―and why?

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook, Juvenile, Chapter Books, Middle Grade

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

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

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Boxcar Children are firmly in the New Millennium and go geocaching. I still don't find the writing style particularly grand, but I appreciated that the mystery was a bit more involved than the original "mysteries" by GCW herself. Also, the kids are actually hanging out with their dog again -- yay! I do think this is a case where the ghostwriter books are actually better than the originals; we have read several of the more recent books and I can definitely see their appeal for young readers today whereas I really wonder why most of the original books are still in print other than for the sake of nostalgia.

[Cairn · Rating 3 out of 5]

good

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 113 of the Boxcar Children series​. This one is focused on Geocaching. There is still a mystery but it takes a strong backseat to teaching the reader how, why, and the enjoyment of geocaching. A great intro to people who’ve never done this. Only a little dated as most just is their phone now.

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com

[Cherish Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4☆ Would recommend)
I loved these books as a kid & I'm really enjoying reading through the series again. I liked the mystery & the suspense. I like how there is more than one possible suspect, who each have reasonable motive. Would recommend.

[Charles Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

90%
I love geocaching

[Lynette Dvorak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahhhhh I read this entire series in fourth grade. I remember how vivid these stories were in my head.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really good! We learned about geocaching.

[Allison Garman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks, now we have a new hobby. 😂

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this one when I heard about it. The Boxcar Children discover geocaching. I hadn't read one of these stories in years and it was indeed strange to hear the Boxcar Children discuss the Internet and using laptops.
When they're playing in the park their dog Watch discovers a box full of stuff. When they try to take it home to figure out what it is a father and son come along and tell them to leave it alone and that it is part of a game called geocaching. As the kids start to get into the game and meet other players in the area they, gasp, come across a mystery. Geocaches are dissapearing and it's up to them to find the thief. Needless to say, they succeed and all is well.
It's a decent introduction to geocaching for any kids in the 3rd or 4th grade.

[Jibin · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is about a mystery that someone goes missing and boxes of a fun treasure hunt game is dissapearing

[Hailey Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

[Johannes Kristian · Rating 5 out of 5]

great!

[Lesley Looper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this children's mystery that's actually about geocaching! Cute! I think I'm done with the Boxcar Children now (too many grown-up books to read), but I'm glad I read this one.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay children's book. Read it because of the geocaching. Had never heard of this series before. I gather it's rather popular.