The Mystery of the Star Ruby

The Boxcar Children #89

by Gertrude Chandler Warner (Creator)

The Alden children are visiting a gem mine that is holding its annual gem-hunting competition. With a little instruction and the right gear, the Aldens have everything they need to begin their search. It's not long before Jessie makes a fabulous find. But just when she’s about to win the contest for finding the biggest ruby, her gem disappears! Now instead of digging for rocks, the Aldens are digging for clues. Who wants to win the contest so much that they would steal from the Boxcar Children?

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

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

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

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!!!!! Please read it! I was very excited to see who the thief is! A really cool Boxcar Children is The Dog Gone Mystery! Jessie finds a star ruby! But strange things happen. First Jessies backpack goes missing! They have three suspects! Who is the theif? Read the book to find out!!!!!

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 89 of the Boxcar Children series. This book has the secret sauce. So entertaining it even made me want to go pan for gems. Lots of suspects and plenty of twists. Ends in a perfect wrap up. Highly recommend for young readers. ​

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.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids get to mine for gems like in the good old days. But adults start being jerks and want what everyone else has and the kids have to solve the mystery so the cheaters can't win.

[The Book Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was good. review to come

[Charles Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

74%

A fun story

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Boxcar Children, but this was not a top favorite of mine. Just not enough action in the story.

[Nicole Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to love this audio book as a kid, and wanted to see if it held up. It’s still cute. Can’t go wrong with a classic like “The Boxcar Children.”

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this why I always love novelty gem-panning experiences??? The Boxcar Children had such a chokehold on me in first grade and honestly I think this holds up.

[Kim Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun addition to this series.

[Andrea Carter]

The book 'The Mystery of the Star Ruby' from the series the Boxcar Children follow the Alden children: Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. This book brings me back to my childhood since the Boxcar Children series was one of the first chapter books I read. I read these books up until my teacher said they were too easy for me. The storyline of this book follows the mysterious disappearance of the star ruby Jessie finds. The Boxcar Children go on a quest to find the thief of the star ruby! The cover of this book in the series shows the four Alden children looking at what seems to be the "star ruby." All of the children look wonderstruck in the cover. The illustrations inside the book are black and white and shaded differently. They appear to be colored in pencil. However, they are very detailed even showing the delicate wrinkles in a man shirts. I think this book should definitely be used in elementary aged classrooms. When I was younger my teacher read the first book in the series and this is what sparked my interest in the books. The book has rather large print for being a chapter book. Something I love about this series is the book trailer/commercial on the back of the book. The Boxcar Children always seem to have the reader wanting to dive into the book after the short mystery on the back cover!

[Sy Ewoniuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read The Boxcar Children The Star Ruby Mystery by Gurtrude Chandler Warner. I finished on 8/24/12. This book is a mystery. What I like about this book is that it kept me on my heels. There was twists and turns and was really suspensful. I would use the words suspenseful, amazing, entertaining, and cool. Yes, I would read more books by this author. I've read 2 more books by this author this quarter. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes tennagers and mysteries.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember thinking these books were so dorky when I was younger, and they kind of are, but we've really been enjoying listening to them in the car lately. My 6 year old loves the mystery aspect and I love that the siblings in the book are kind to each other. I really prefer for my kids to listen to audiobooks as opposed to watching tv or movies; the audiobooks seem to engage their minds so much more and they still really enjoy them.

[Laura Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our family goes gem mining in North Carolina as part of our annual family vacation, which just so happens to be the setting of this book. Thus making it an even more personal and entertaining BoxCar Children mystery where everyone seems to be a culprit.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Alden chldren have entered the Ruby Hollow Gem Mine's annual gem-hunting compettition. With a little instruction and the right gear they have everything needed to become real rock hounds.

Will work with: Rocks in his head by Carol Otis Hurst

[Mrs. Bahns · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book the Aldens enter a gem finding contest, but when Jessie finds one someone steals it. They want to get it back but don't know who took it.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

great when ur little

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rebecca]

One of my favorite childhood series. I read over a hundred of them. The first 50 or so were in order; after that I read whatever book I could get my hands on :)