The Woodshed Mystery

The Boxcar Children #7

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The old farm where Grandfather grew up is full of stories. The Aldens must find out the truth about a devastating fire and a secret dating back to the Revolutionary War!

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

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

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

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun re-read for a challenge. Always enjoy reading these books

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am truly baffled as to why this series is still in print when some gems by gifted authors like Carol Ryrie Brink are not. *sigh* That said, my children continue to enjoy the series and beg for more, so I suppose it does have appeal even for today's youngsters. I find them immensely dull, personally. In this one, we have what could actually be an exciting premise: Aunt Jane is coming back East to live in the farmhouse where she was born. (Miraculously, this farmhouse is available, albeit rundown, and, of course, every able bodied man in town jumps when Grandfather says how high and gets the place all fixed up for Aunt Jane in a jiffy!) However, there's very little ambiance about the farm or anything else around there. Mostly, we spend our time in woodsheds and potato cellars. Which, my boys loved. ("Read the part again where Violet gets scared in the cellar!") But, personally, YAWN. The mystery is actually one of the better ones as far as the series goes, and weaves in a smidgen of history pertaining to the American Revolution. But, things don't really get going until about half way through the book. The rest of the time we have exciting conversations, like this one in which Benny (whom I'm pretty sure is about ten-years-old by now) acquires the marvelous knowledge that some people enjoy hardboiled eggs for breakfast (gasp!) and that pickles are actually made of cucumbers!

"Benny's eyes grew wide with surprise.
'Oh, those eggs were hard-boiled already!' creid Benny. 'I thought they would run out when I saw you crack them.'
'Yes, I always have cold eggs for my family. They like cold hard-boiled eggs for breakfast.' [said the farmer's wife]
'Well, I don't.' said Benny. 'I like cold eggs for a picnic. And for breakfast I like them hot and soft-boiled.'
Mrs. Morse laughed. 'Most people do,' she said. 'I've got a funny family.'
[...]
'You like pickles?' she asked.
'Oh, we love pickles!' said Benny. He looked up. He expected to see a bottle of pickles. But these pickles were as long as his hand.
'My, these are superman pickles,' he said. 'One will be enough. It looks just like a cucumber.'
'Pickles are cucumbers, Benny," said Jessie.
'Well, I never knew that," said Benny."

Zzzzzzz.

There's also the situation of Willie, the elderly hired hand at the neighboring farm. (One of the Alden's group actually tells him to his face, what!? a grown-man named Willie!? Your name should be William! This is why the Aldens and their set get on my nerves!) He doesn't talk much and, of course, this is enough to get those meddlesome Aldens in a twitter. "What's the matter with him" Benny demands after Willie leaves. "Can't he talk?" The housekeeper says, "Well, he doesn't act very smart to me. Maybe he doesn't know very much. Not very bright. He can't help that. Maybe he's a good worker. He sells very nice eggs." *wince* Of course, this comes into play later as The Mystery Plays Out and it's all pretty uncomfortable, as is the part where Aunt Jane literally says she wants to shoot a man because she is mad at him. (Of course, she doesn't mean it, but, really, Aunt Jane! Gasp!)

That said, this is my kids' favorite book so far.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fun to revisit this series that I read when I was very young. I remember loving this one and its historic connection.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice Revolutionary war twist on a classic secret passage mystery. I hadn't heard about the smuggling of weapons and gunpowder during the Revolutionary War so I enjoyed discovering something new. Good mystery. Also, it's interesting seeing the kids so grown up. I had to keep reminding myself that Henry is in college and Jessie is a senior in high school (which doesn't make the attention of the FBI guy all that creepy in my book, the girl is either 18 or nearly so...)

I am still very much enjoying this series!

[Karalynn Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book in the Boxcar Children series was especially interesting because it had ties to American history and the Revolutionary War. My 7 year old loves when we read these books and we enjoyed this book very much. As a history teacher I also explained some of the history to him which we also enjoyed. Love that this book gave us the springboard to have good conversations about our country’s history.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main characters in this book are Benny, Henry, Jessie, and Violet Alden, along with their grandfather, and his sister. The book is set in New England (United States) during a time around the 1960s. The conflict is that their (Great) Aunt Jane is coming back from the West to live in New England again, so the kids grandfather buy the house that he and Jane grew up in and they fix it up for when she comes, but while their fixing it up, and when she arrives, the kids find themselves a mystery.
Something I liked in this book was that it was a short, easy read that was still a good book with an interesting plot and varying characters. One other thing that I liked was how funny, happy, and purely innocent Benny is when it comes to just about anything. Whenever I read a Boxcar Children book, he is one of my favorite characters every time. I also liked that Andy and Jane were happy together in the end and decided to get married, after having not seen each other for a long time. One thing that I didn't like was that the author wasted time on useless things, like saying that the family ate breakfast, or that they went outside and sat on the grass. Also, I didn't like that the author sometimes seemed to leave gaps in the explaining/solving of the mystery. I would recommend this book to anybody who is able to read chapter books, who likes adventure, mystery, suspense, and/or realistic fiction, or any combination of those, and for any of you who need a quick and easy read.

[Mikayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed revisiting this story. It felt a bit more disjointed then the others, with not nearly as much family interaction, but still very sweet.

[Butterfly McCurdy]

good

[Justin Swanson]

🗣️read aloud to kids

[Austin Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Decided to reread one of these at random. Used to enjoy these Boxcar Children books as a kid. And it seems they are better left alone as fond memories.
Can't say I enjoyed this at all as a 26 year old. I get that these books are geared towards younger kids, and these were written a long time ago when entertainment (kids' especially) was far more pure and innocent than what we often see today. But I can think of many other children's books and series that have far more depth to them than what we see here.
This book is quite simply, very dull. The characters are all flat, there is no logic to the "mystery" whatsoever, with so called "clues" conveniently popping up as the story progresses. There really isn't even a cohesive plot...
Again, I get these books come from a different time and different target audience... but there are other children's books out there that are superior in every way. (Beverly Cleary, I'm looking at you...)

Can't say I recommend this for kids or adults.
1 / 5

[Kaotic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to flip between what rating to give these books. They aren't the worst things I've ever read, but they certainly are not great.

This one actually had a mystery again, one dating back all the way to the Revolutionary War.

They just magically wander into these mysteries, everything interesting happens to these very uninteresting children.

They are terrible characters, there is nothing to them and everyone in the books are generic and blindingly helpful and cheerful. It's incredibly unrealistic.

On a positive note I like questioning these stories and the fact that the kids are actually growing up through the books.

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good and I really enjoyed it. I highly recommend this book.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested read this book! It is really good!!!!! The children discover lots of different things! This book has some twist and turns! Lots of stories tell people about this house but are they true?🤔read the book to find out! I hope you read it!!!!!😍😁

[Jg · Rating 5 out of 5]

cool fun and woody.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the better mysteries in this wonderful children's series. All the familiar faces are back as everyone gathers together at the Aldens. For the first time the children do not go on a vacation for the summer, breaking the mold of all the previous books. Aunt Jane moves back to their part of the country, moving into the old family home. Even though the mystery is easily solved by an adult, for the first time in this series a genuine mystery with clues and ties to the past, including the Revolutionary War bring about an exciting story making this one of the finer stories in the collection. At this point Henry is in college, Jessie a high school senior and Violet is ready to start high school after this summer so the dynamics of the children are changing too with Benny still being the only little one left. Most of the minor characters are collected here but with the marriage of one, there is also the mention that some will be leaving and I'm thinking may be departing from the series at this time, while the marriage adds a new character who could easily fill the role played by the departing characters: adventure supervisor, adult companion etc. Since I'm reading Warner's 19, I'm appreciating the flow of the basic plot continuity of reading them in numerical order as well.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. You know, the historical aspect of this is mildly interesting - the kids investigate a mystery with its roots in the American Revolutionary War when they find old flintlocks hidden under the woodshed - but the opening is so unpleasant it spoilt the whole thing for me. Aunt Jane is moving back east, getting away from the uranium mine no doubt, so she doesn't spend the remainder of her life glowing and turning mutant. And of course Grandfather Alden, the old bastard, has to remind everyone of how stupid she was to stay there in the first place, when back in the day he, as her younger brother, decided she should move back east with him and left her to starve when she wouldn't jump on command. She was so stubborn, everyone agrees, but now that she's doing what she's told she's much better now. Again I say it: ugh.

There's a small side track about how no-one wants to live in the Alden's old farmhouse, which Grandfather has bought for Jane now that she's knuckled under. It's shades of a haunted house story, but I reckon, historical explanation aside, it's because the whole place was permeated with Grandfather's smug nastiness and his whole horrible miasma drove every subsequent owner away.

[Leanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last year, I taught college English classes at a satellite campus located in a junior high school. One evening I found myself scanning the teacher’s collection of books. One caught my eye: The Woodshed Mystery. I have fond memories of reading The Boxcar Children. I remember wanting to live the Aldens’ life. I wanted to fend for myself in a boxcar—and to solve mysteries while I was at it.

I read The Woodshed Mystery, and it was only vaguely what I remembered. As a child, for example, I did not catch the social mores of the 1940s, when Gertrude Chandler Warner started writing the series. I felt uncomfortable with many of the sexist and racist undertones of the book. Why were Violet and Jessie expected to do all of the cooking and cleaning? Because they were female?

I was intrigued by one aspect of The Woodshed Mystery. The book suggests there is some sort of romance between Jessie, who is a teenager, and John Carter, who is a retired FBI agent. Oh my. I read another four books just to see how this obviously inappropriate relationship would advance. Perhaps Warner realized its inappropriateness because none of the other books mention the relationship.

[♥Xeni♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I read these Boxcar Children books when I was a lot younger. There were some that I would read over and over and others that I read once and chucked to the back of my bookcase. Overall, though, I loved them all.

The Woodshed Mystery fascinated me, at the time, because it was one of the first books that I read that dealt with the Revolutionary War. I loved hearing about the secret tunnels and the old weapons and all the battles that were fought, and the Alden family were there right alongside with me!

[Susan]

The children are staying with Aunt Jane on the farm in New England where she and their grandfather grew up. They discover things in the old potato pit and also in the woodshed that they find on the farm - items that may go back to the Revolutionary War. And Aunt Jane meets an old friend - eventually. Several interesting twists in this one!

[Nevada Libert · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a great read aloud, me and the boys really enjoyed the mystery.

[Megan Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fun book to read with kids around the Fourth of July, because there's a Revolutionary War connection. The setting is Massachusetts, and everything has a New England countryside feeling. The grandfather tells the kids many things about how things used to work in the old days, and since this book was originally published in 1962, the "old days" are pretty old -- in a fun way. Grandpa Alden calls the tiny town store for info, and the man lives above the store, which surprises the kids. Information travels by word of mouth in the tiny community, and families have stayed put for generations. While trying to work out the mystery, they go and talk to the oldest man in town, who is close to 100. I LOVED that scene. Their picnic is hard-boiled eggs and pickles, and Grandpa wants to have a bathroom with a toilet (as opposed to an outhouse) put in as a gift to Aunt Jane.

There are also some outdated things that aren't as fun, like gender stereotypes, but the intentions are very innocent. For example, when they discover a secret room underground, it's the boys (including a 7yo Benny) who explore first, so that the girls don't get dirty or hurt. Jesse is a senior in high school, but her 7yo brother has to protect her from dirt and harm. Y'know, things like that.

This is a quote from the beginning of the book:
Henry nodded at his sister. "I think Aunt Jane wants to be near you, Grandfather. I think she feels safer."
"Maybe you are right, Henry," said Mr. Alden. He laughed again. "Maggie is coming with Aunt Jane. Remember Maggie who stayed with her for so long? Then Sam and his wife will come and stay this summer anyway."
"That's good," said Jesse. "Maggie knows what Aunt Jane needs. They will all take care of Aunt Jane. She ought to have a man in the house."

It's not awful, it's just old-fashioned. Just be sure to note that this book is from an older time.


Another thing that surprised me is that an old gun is central to the mystery. They talk about a fire that was started by a teenage boy using a gun. These are farm families, who have lots of experience with guns, and I'm sure a "gun accident" doesn't have all the added context of our modern life, but it may be worth talking about with your kids. Oh, and remember when the two Alden boys are in the secret room underground? Benny (yes, the 7-year-old!) cheerfully holds up an old flintlock musket that he finds on the ground in a bit of straw. No one bats an eye! It's just a blip in the conversation. LOL. So yeah, a discussion about responsible gun handling is probably a good idea. :)

Grade 1+ (because of reading level, not content)

[Misbah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunt Jane wants to move back to the village she grew up in, in the East. Grandpa Alden goes an buys a house in the village and takes the kids with him to help fix it up. When they get the house set up Aunt Jane moves in. Soon the kids are acquainted with a lot of the people there and they learn that Aunt Jane was in love with a boy that used to live on a nearby farm. He had suddenly disappeared without a trace after Jane had had a fight with him. Aunt Jane admits that she wanted to marry him but she fought with him because she didn't want to take his last name, Bean.
The kids discover a hidden tunnel in a woodshed attached to the house and also a place to hide people in the cellar of their house. They soon learn that someone has been living in the woodshed and they come back a few times to figure out who it is.
They discover that it was Andy Bean, Aunt Janes sweetheart, who had come back to the village after all these years so that he could be with Jane again. Jane is happy to see him. He reveals that he left because he was afraid of Jane and he had still loved her all these years. He had traveled the world as a sailor and he had collected precious stones where ever he went to that he could one day give them to Jane. He proposes and she accepts and they get married. (SO SWEET! I wish love was like that in real life. Enduring through time and space.)
Andy tells the kids about how he found the mysterious tunnel in the woodshed when he was a kid and he had found some artifacts in there from the revolutionary war and learned the reason for the tunnel. The house originally belonged to a couple 200 years ago. During the revolutionary war they had hid ammunition there and soldiers from their side of the war. The wife writes that because of their secret they had to cut ties with their neighbors because they were afraid someone would tell the Redcoats and they would be hanged for treason. (So cool!)

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book's premise really makes no sense. If Jane needed a place to live--why did she sell to the kids? And even if she "sold" it to them, why can't she live there still? She's already about to die from radiation poisoning, it doesn't really matter at this point. The only buying we really get is the grandpa buying another farm, pretty easily. Very little food talk, though Benny did find out what pickles were made of, so that obviously was riveting. Henry is finally in college, but for some reason still hanging out with this lot. We find one dish towards the end-but no other dish talk! Am I even reading a boxcar book? We find out Jane really is a bitch, between not marrying Andy because of his last name and then threatening to shoot him present day. Wow Jane. Somehow they both get over this and it ends oddly with them deciding to get married.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be one of my favorites in the series.

The Alden children are off to another adventure as they visit their grandfather's childhood home in Massachusetts. When they get there, soemthing's afoot as local townsfolk report of inexplicable weird happenings surround the house. It involves and old Revolutionary War firearm, a potato pit, and childhood sweetheart. It all comes together in the end in true Alden fashion of inquisitiveness, deductive reasoning, as well as a little help from friends.

I love the wholesomeness of the characters, how close they are to each other as siblings and to their remaining kin, and their industry and resourcefulness which allows them to go on these adventures. Children need to read more books like these--and learn some history as well.

[Lianna Kendig · Rating 2 out of 5]

(LL)
Damn, the kids treat people like crap in these books. They literally told a grown man that he should call himself William instead of Willie, and insinuated the same man wasn’t smart because he didn’t say much to the people who were rude as hell to him.

Moreover, their stories just aren’t interesting. The only reason these kids can have these “adventures” and try and solve their “mysteries” is because their grandfather is rich and can bring them places. Boring. I’m so disappointed by these books it’s unreal.

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far of The Boxcar Children novels, this one has been my favorite. This is a fun mystery that feels a lot more historically accurate than previous books. It also felt like the author is starting to catch their stride. The pacing was spot on and the dialogue a little less cheesy. Considering everything, I am excited for the next couple that I have queued up. Again for the right age group I would fully recommend these books. At 48 they are a tad cheese with dialogue that is on the nose.​

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.con

[Sarah Nessler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew that the mystery was extremely old. Everyone was afraid to live at the old Alden farm but no one could pinpoint why for sure. They knew something happened in the past and that is all. With little information to go on as usual the Alden children are on the case. Being clever and having an attention to detail is no small feat for them. A stranger comes back after so many years and is reacquainted with one of the Alden clan. Interesting book!

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this is a very cute story. Although, this is made for younger children. So, I think that this is a great book for younger ages, the older ages, well, this is proabably best for just some simple light reading. The words are easy to understand, the bigger font makes it easier to read, and the chapters are a short length. Overall, good for younger ages, who are starting to read chapter books. Enjoy!

[Kayla Yirdaw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be a bit of a snooze-fest. The action didn’t begin until halfway through the story. If I were a kid reading it, I likely would have put the book down before getting this far.

Some of the language is also a little dated (e.g. “queer floor”) and the role of Andy Bean felt somewhat predictable.

I remember reading this series as a kid but I don’t remember loving it. I will likely maintain the same sentiment as an adult.

[The United and the Irish States set me Wild · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun mystery book with all the elements of a soft mystery read. there is a grandpa, his sister, Jane, who wants to return to their old farm. there are also several grandkids, Benny being the youngest and the most mischievous of them all. grandpa buys the old farm for his sister. they realise it's a hiding place as old as the revolutionary wars with woodsheds and potato pits used to hide ammunition. there is still a man hiding their. but he (Andy) is actually jane's old crush!