The Boxcar Children Mysteries Boxed Set 1-4: The Boxcar Children; Surprise Island; The Yellow House; Mystery Ranch

This pleasant story opens as four tired and hungry siblings, aged 5 to 15, press their noses against a bakery window, eyeing the lovely goodies inside. They have recently lost their parents and are on the run from their mean grandfather, whom they have never met. They find an abandoned boxcar in the woods, set up housekeeping, and live quite happily on berries, bread, and a little meat bought with the oldest boy's gardening pay. Life is very good until one of the girls becomes sick and they must tell an adult about where they live. The book was written in the 1942 by a teacher who cleverly used only the 500 most common words in the English language to create a very easy to read, yet exciting, beginning chapter book for 7 and 8 year olds. Most of the story concerns the children's sense of fun and boundless resourcefulness, as they take care of themselves, all the while being cheerful and thankful for what they have. Children who are ready for a chapter book will be delighted to find this one is very easy to read. They will enjoy the children's adventure of living in the woods without adults, and, of course, it has a very happy ending. This book is the first (and I think the best) of a very long series of adventures for the Boxcar Children.

My 11 year old son has a reading deficit, and hates to read! We ordered the first 2 boxed sets in this series for him to read and number 9 as well...we got them two days ago and he has read almost the entire first book already and can't wait to finish it tomorrow *and* start on a new one! I am so impressed with the enthusiasm he has! This is the first time I have seen him read for enjoyment! I say buy as many as you can if you want to encourage your kid to read!

My kids love these books! Are the characters kind, polite, and "good"? Yes! Is the setting unfamiliar to today's kids? Yes! Isn't this what we should be wanting to introduce to our children? Please, yes! I am disappointed that the publishers have tried to "update" the books by modernizing the pictures on the covers (1980's--talk about outdated!) instead of staying true to the time period. Let our kids see how people dressed and the kinds of things they had. Let them experience healthy, kind relationships. Fill them with good examples, rather than expecting them to only care for the familiar reality of their own lives that is so often lacking moral good. One other note--only the first 19 books are the original stories written by Mrs. Warner. The publisher decided to continue the series due to popularity, but I wouldn't count on the same quality.

I read these books in 3rd grade. I'm 25 now. I still think fondly about the times when I read the Boxcar Children series. I still remember the vivid explaination by Gertrude Chandler Warner of the treasures the children find including a cup with a chip in it that they use to survive while living in the boxcar.This is one of the many books that helped me develop a great love for reading. As an educator, I can now say that this is one of the literary gems out there that is timeless for students (and adults) of all ages to enjoy.