The Amusement Park Mystery (The Boxcar Children #25)

The year was 1959 and I was a 4th grader at Buckeye Elememtary, in Buckeye Arizona. It had been my most difficult school year yet, as Mrs. Goodwin was a task master of the highest order and didn't seem to appreciate my wandering imagination, or lack of attention. In short...I was bored. I was sure nothing less than a miracle could make me like her, or my 4th grade class. Well, thankfully miracles do happen. Mrs. Goodwin decided that we were all going to get library cards and trotted us down to the school library. After getting over the initial shock of being around that many books, I got excited by the idea of being able to choose one to read. I don't remember what made me choose the Boxcar Children from all the other books, but it was my first independent reading experience...and it literally changed my life. The story of 3 young orphaned children who survive on their own in an abandoned boxcar was mesmerizing. I sat on the couch in our living room, unmoved by either hunger...or even the call of nature...because I was so involved in the lives and adventures of these children. It was the first time I found myself transported via the written word to a different time and place...and it was magic! I reread this book again just recently...and to my delight, I still find it wonderful. I defy any child not to find magic in these pages. And because the Boxcar Children is appropriate for either boys, or girls (a rarity these days) it's the perfect book for a parent to read to their children. This is truly a classic...right up there with "Doctor Dolittle", "The Wizard of OZ", or the "Enchanted Garden" and a "must have" for any family's book collection. Don't be surprised if your child can't put it down either and be prepared to read all the other books in the series. They are all wonderful as well. By the way, after reading this book back in 1959, I looked at 4th grade and Mrs. Goodwin in an altogether different light. Anyone, I thought, who appreciated great books like the Boxcar Children had to be okay...and she really was. This book was the key that opened a door to communication between us. Maybe it wasn't a miracle, but it came pretty darn close. Buy Boxcar Children...or, at the least...go to you local library and check it out. You won't regret it.

I loved this book as a child and read it over and over, more than any other book. I lived in the boxcar with the children (I had a very vivid imagination as a child), loving the sanctuary of this home in the woods, free from adults and making use of resources available.When I found a copy about a year ago, I was thrilled. I still love reading it.My 8-year-old granddaughter hated to read. She skimed through books she was forced to read. I introduced this book to her (along with the Nancy Drew series), and now she loves to read, and she can't wait to get on to the next book. I've been reading each mystery too, and we love to talk about them.I plan to get every book of the series. I enjoy Ayn Rand, Anne McCaffrey, Alice Walker, and other authors, but it's also enjoyable to sit down and read some of the simple books your kids read and your grandkids read, especially this series.If you know anyone in this age group who hates to read, give them the Boxcar Children as a gift. You'll see them turning into an avid reader.

Before I read the Boxcar Children, in Elementary School, our class would make frequent visits to the library where I would check out books regularly. With the same regularity, however, I would usually turn them in unfinished, or unread altogether. I picked up this book, recommended to me by a teacher in the 3rd grade, and became earnestly engrossed in literature for the first time; I read the book 4 times. The central characters in this book are 4 children of various age, who find what they need to survive without parents to guide their decisions. The young central characters and the vivid descriptions make it easy for young readers to empathize with the children and visualize each event vicariously. The wilderness, the boxcar, the confrontations, the simple yet clever comforts they create for themselves, and the uncertainty of their future are among those things that make this book an enthralling and memorable read. I remember getting a chill at the "finish". A great book and a joy to read.I recommend The Boxcar Children to all young readers.

I forget pretty much of this book but I remebered it was the first Boxcar Children book I read and it brought me into liking the Boxcar Children.

I can still remember the day in the 4th grade I checked out this book from the Crescent School library. Up until that time I had never read any book of substance, just those 5 minute "See Jane run" titles that are so forgettable. This book had me rivited. I was so proud that I had read such an "adult" book. There was such a sense of accomplishment, and the story was so interesting that I blew through it in just a few days. A year earlier I was held back in the 3rd grade and was not a very successful student. This book changed all of that for me. For the first time reading was something fun, and not just homework. After I read it I wanted to read more of these kinds of books but the school year was ending. That summer I enrolled in the Public Library Reading Club and read 75 more books. Today I look back on THE BOXCAR CHILDREN with fond memories. I went looking for it as a Christmas Present for my brother's son who is now in the 3rd grade. I was suprised to find that it was published during the heart of World War II in 1942. Great things endure and obviously I was not the only one to have discovered this book. I want to thank Mrs. Evelyn Wilkerson, that wonderful librarian who suggested the book for me. She gave me such a wonderful Christmas gift, the gift of reading for the enjoyment and pleasure of it. I totally recommend this title for any young person!!!! I always seem to be in need of Presents, I think I will go back and buy a few extra copies just in case :-) Ed Henderson Associate Editor of Scouter's Journal Magazine Past Chairman of the Spalding County Library Board