The Boxcar Children # 1

The Boxcar Children #1

by Getrude Chandler Warner

So far the best thing about doing this blog is I'm discovering all sorts of books where I ask, "Why haven't I read this one before?"  I asked that question after the reading my first Nancy Drew book, after my first Hardy Boys book, and now after reading my first Boxcar Children book.  While I anticipate reading more from all three series, I think I liked the Boxcar Children the best.  The four Alden orphans are amazingly hardworking, resourceful, and fun.


Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are orphans on the run from their wicked grandfather whom they've never met.  They decide their best bet to remain a family is to set up house in an abandoned boxcar.  They use a brook to wash,  a waterfall as a refrigerator, a public fountain for water, empty milk bottles to store water, and eating utensils they found at the dump to create the necessities of home. In addition they create their own broom to clean with, a cart for Benny to play with, and a book to teach Benny to read.  I just loved to see what they would come up with next. The way they took advantage of every little item reminded me of two series I did read as a child, The Borrowers and The Littles and a newer book I've recently read, Masterpiece.


While this book was mainly about the hardworking and resourceful nature of the four Alden children which kept wondering if they could make it on their own,  there was also the mystery of their grandfather.  Why was he considered so evil? Why exactly were the Alden children hiding from him?  Would their grandfather ever track them done? If he did what would happen?  Was he like Count Olaf in the Series of Unfortunate Events.


One aspect that I think today's readers will find interesting is how the Alden orphans took advantage of every little thing they came across.  They found four wheels in the dump and turned it into a cart.  They treated slightly broken cups like little treasures.  Recently my son bought a cup at a rummage sale.  He dropped it on the floor when we got home and it shattered.  We threw it out.  I can't imagine the Alden orphans throwing anything out.  


I'm extremely excited about this book and was thrilled to see one of my students reading a book from the series this past week.  I hope to find time to read book 2 soon.  I want to see how the conclusion of book 1 leads them into new adventures.  


First published in 1942

Reading Level: Slightly Easier Than Fifth Grade Level

Genre: Mystery

Locations: classroom library, school library, Grace A. Dow, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

The Tower Treasure

The Tower Treasure by Franklin W. Dixon is the first Hardy Boys mystery.  The brothers, Joe and Frank, set off to find the Applegate's, a really rich eccentric Bayport family, stolen jewels and securities in order to clear their good friend Slim's dad from being arrested for the crime. The Hardy boys are tenacious and never give up even though many of their efforts to find the thief prove fruitless.

One thing I found very surprising was how involved their father was in helping attempt to solve the mystery.  I say attempt to solve the mystery, but this is book one of the Hardy Boys series, so you can probably guess the eventually outcome, even though I won't say what the actual outcome is. Now back to Joe and Frank's dad, Fenton Hardy is a world class detective.  He actually does a lot of the leg work involved in finding  the missing treasure.  With out his help, the outcome of the story would have been much different than it was.

While reading this book, you can't help but like the Hardy boys. Not only do they never give up but they are also extremely nice to their friends and respectful of their parents and other elders, except for Detective Smuff, whom they tend to mock a little bit. I would too because his name reminds me of Smurf and I kept picturing him as a little blue guy, but that isn't why Joe and Frank mocked him.  Smurfs didn't exist back in 1927, the Hardys just didn't respect Smuff.

In order to solve the mystery of the missing jewels and securities, (Oops I said I wasn't going to spoil the outcome, but come on it is the Hardy Boys and you know what's going to happen.) Joe and Frank did some top notch detective work.  I had closely predicted the eventual solution, but the way it was actually solved surprised even me.  The Hardy Boys and their dogged determination allowed them to solve the case and clear their good friend Slim's dad name.

Once again I would recommend the book.  It is a great mystery and with it's all ages story line perfect for young readers.  It can be found in our school library under the title: The Best of the Hardy Boys.  It is available for purchase at amazon.com.

Reading Level: Slightly above average fifth grade reader

Genre: Mystery

The Secret of the Old Clock

Since this is my first blog posting about a book, I decided to write about one of the newest books on the market, The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene.  I'm just joking, it's not a new book but it is the book I'm writing about today.

The Secret of the Old Clock is the first book in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series.  Surprisingly, I had never read a Nancy Drew or a Hardy Boys book before.  My dad had encouraged me to read them when I was a kid and his approval was their kiss of death. I love my dad, but his book ideas weren't impressive.  My mom took me to book shops and libraries.  In all honesty, if my mother had recommended them I probably would have read them.  With that said, I need to apologize to my dad.  "Dad, I should have read these books sooner."

Now back to the point, The Secret of the Old Clock starring Nancy Drew is a good book.  Even though the book is 80 + years old, with somewhat hokey dialogue, this mystery seemed timeless. There were characters you rooted for: Nancy, her dad, little Judy, and the Hoover sisters; and characters you rooted against: the whole Topham family. The mystery kept you wondering, was there a second will that spread
Josiah Crowley's wealth out among multiple families, or was the will that gave everything to the Tophams the only will?  Nancy's determination to find the second will and help the needy families connected to Josiah Crowley that she met throughout the book made you root for and like her.  Finally, Nancy faced down danger on multiple occasions. With all that, my one year old daughter will be reading this book in 10 years and her children will be reading it once they exist.

I would recommend this book.  It is a fun mystery.   It is available in my school library and can be purchased from Amazon.com.

Reading level: Slightly above average fifth grade reader

Genre: Mystery