The Haunted Cabin Mystery

The Boxcar Children #20

by Gertrude Chandler Warner, Charles Tang (Illustrations)

The Alden children stay in a haunted cabin, but as more spooky things happen, they begin to wonder if there really are ghosts, or if someone is trying to scare them away. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Spotlight is a division of ABDO.

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

121 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1991

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]

In case you couldn't tell by the children's attire in that cover art, this is circa 1990 and it definitely has the feel of the "middle" Boxcar Children books -- a bit updated, but still with lots of holdover from Gertrude's originals (Benny's pink cup makes an appearance! Jessie spends a ton of time in the kitchen! The Alden children are So Ridiculously Perfect!) I grated my teeth a bit at the goodie-goodie presumptuousness of the Aldens deciding to go ahead and visit Grandfather's old friend because they think they can help him while he's injured. Nice to want to help someone out, but, come on, at least someone use a telephone and give the man a heads up that you are actually coming since he specifically told you not to! What is Grandfather thinking!? Anyway, the mystery was pretty easy and the spooky aspects are just right for kiddos who don't want anything too scary. My boys enjoyed it at Halloween.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 3 out of 5]

This, the next in the series, is (as I have just discovered) the first not written by Warner, as she died after #19 and the series carried on without her. Honestly, I can tell the difference, and it's for the better. All four children are featured equally, which is a marked improvement over the Benny Show that the Boxcar books were becoming, and there's also a return to the children being genuinely helpful and useful, as they go to stay with a lonely, injured friend of their grandfather, so that he has people to look after him as he recovers. The kids look after the garden and the animals and the house, and there's a mystery too, as always, and it's well-structured and interesting. The oddest thing is the kids seem to all be several years younger again, as they were in the first book, and not the aged-up versions of themselves that they had become by the last. I don't mind that, so long as the quality keeps up.

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.8)

This is the first story that was written by a ghost writer and thankfully the writing doesn't show too much. However, we see that everyone has been de-aged and it seems to be set in its "modern day," aka 1978-1979. Though somewhat annoying, this allows for the different adventures to happen in the way that has become familiar to readers over the years.

Recommended 8+ for scary situations.

[Cheryl Gilmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice addition to the series. An easy to listen to audiobook with a great narrator. Wonderful, fun characters and a sweet plot.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quaint and sweet, you know the drill.

[Melmo2610 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily a top 3 BCC story for me. Excellent read!!

Just read for the 3rd time. Still one of my BCC favorites!

[Abby Stopka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a little bit to get into this book. However like every other all the mystery it was a great 1 and kept me riveted once I finally got into the book.

[Cherish Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3☆ Got something out of, but wouldn’t read again)
I loved these books as a kid & I'm really enjoying reading through the series again. I understand that the original author only wrote the first 19 books & years later other authors picked up the series & wrote under the original author's name, but there are so many major flaws. First, the original author wrote all the books in chronological order; from Henry being a 14-year-old to a grad student. This book goes back in time to when Henry is a 14-year-old boy. If you're reading the series in order, this is trippy. And the way the author writes the synopsis of the first book (their origin story) into a conversation between the kids is off-putting. It feels forced & doesn't naturally flow. It would have been better if it was from a narrator's perspective instead of a conversation from the kids that they would most likely never have. I also didn't like how the "bad guys" did things that were wrong, but weren't punished in anyway. I feel like it has a completely different message than the original books had about justice.

[Marion Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Boxcar Children is a very good series for kids to read. The Haunted Cabin Mystery book was about the Aldens going to visit old Cap Lambert, their grandfather's friend. The Aldens (children) noticed that something was off at the Cap Lambert's cabin. They decided to go deeper and unravel the mysteries that were hidden in the cabin. This is a great mystery series to have in the classroom library that kids from 2rd graders can read on their own.

[Susan]

The children ride a paddle-wheeler to visit a friend of their grandfather who lives in a remote cabin. When he hurts his ankle, he tries to cancel the visit, but the children insist on going anyway to take care of him. After they arrive, a lot of spooky things start happening in the area, and a strange man they met on the boat turns up again - is he spying on them? An interesting one, very quick read.

[Kim Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of the series that wasn't written by Gertrude Chandler Warner herself (although it's credited to her, she had already passed away). I was a little nervous about how the series would change, and they did go back to when the kids were younger (Henry was driving at the end of the series and Benny had a job, and now Henry is 14 and Benny is 6), but I thought the writing style was similar and I enjoyed the mystery.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first addition to the series not directly written by the original author, this particular story was pretty good! The Alden siblings are on their toes, diving into a mystery as they always do, doing good where they're able, and generally having a good time. Loved this series as a kid, but never read the whole thing in its entirety. Looking forward to picking up and reading a few that slipped past my notice when I was younger!

[Library Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first Boxcar Children story not written by Gertrude Chandler Warner! It's not bad, just very simplistic and not very scary at all. When I was kid, I had no idea that the majority of the Boxcar Children books had been ghost written using the original author's name, and now I'm curious as to who actually is writing them. Is it all the same person? Is it 20 different people? hmm...

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boxcar Children number 20. After all the stuff I have been reading lately, it was nice to return to the Aldens. This was a cute little mystery that left you guessing until the end. Good misdirection and great resolution leaves you feeling good about old values. ​Reminds you that family is the most important thing. Recommended.

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com

[L.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the last book in the series, Henry was a college student and Benny was old enough to have a part-time job as a delivery boy. In this book, they're back to being much younger, Henry is 14 and Benny only 6. I like the books where the kids are older, the younger Benny is kind of annoying but the older Benny is much more charming. Still a good story and a great ending.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book 📖 is really good. These kids have a good mystery that they are solving as a family. They are also helping this older man, taking care of a horse 🐎, hens and a garden. The 2 👦 get to ride the horse 🐎 into town to go to the hardware store and the grocery store.

[Jishnu Thakkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite character was Benny cause he loves to eat like me

nothing surprised me

i would not change the ending

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook
The narrator’s voice for 6-year-old Benny is ridiculous.
Nice wholesome mystery books for beginning readers.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew mr jay was caps son from the beginning

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio.

[Ashley♡♤ S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what I was expecting, but the narrator was great!

[Charles Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

74%

Got damned children stealing eggs 🥚

[Nader Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun book to read, fast paced and I really liked the example given by the Alden grandfather at the end of the book.
VERDICT: (7.6/10)

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The 6 year old read half out loud and I read the other half. It was fine, but not as good as the first one

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the boxcar children, but they made the graphic novel way to short to be enjoyable. It made it feel like I was only reading the plot points to a story.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A re-read from my childhood for a Halloween themed boom challenge.

[Mara K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

not bad

[Sue Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

love it

[Holly Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is a part of a series of mysteries. Four siblings who were orphaned go to stay with this old man, they begin to hear noises and see flashing lights, they decide to solve this mystery by themselves. Read to find out if they solve the mystery!