The Boxcar Children is a popular series of children’s books in the US, first published in 1942. The books follow four orphaned siblings who solve mysteries. The original author, Gertrude Chandler Warner, wrote the first 19 books and the series continues after her death. The stories encourage problem-solving skills and responsibility towards others. While some content may be old-fashioned, the books remain entertaining for modern readers. Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and the Bobbsey Twins are similar options for more advanced readers.
The Boxcar Children are the protagonists of a series of children’s books of the same name. These books have been popular with American children since the 1940s, and the series continues to be produced, although the original author is dead. Many children’s bookstores carry Boxcar Children, and you can also find them in boxed sets at various retailers. The reading level of the books ranges from second to fourth grade, depending on the individual child’s abilities and interests.
The first book in the series, The Boxcar Children, was published in 1942. The book introduced readers to the four children, Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny Alden, who were orphaned. As the children fear their new guardian is mean, they run away, taking refuge in an abandoned boxcar, supporting themselves with odd jobs. Eventually, the children are introduced to their guardian, who turns out to be a very nice man, and they move in with him. He even installed the boxcar in his backyard to make the kids feel more at home.
After the introductory novel, the rest of the Boxcar Children books involve children solving various mysteries. The original author, Gertrude Chandler Warner, also aged the children as the series progressed, although books written by later authors have kept the children’s original ages, which can be a bit confusing. Warner wrote the first 19 books in the series and the books were so popular that the publisher decided to continue producing books under her byline after her death.
Many children enjoy reading the series because the Boxcar Children are resourceful, compassionate, and intelligent, and the stories are often entertaining and interesting. Each child has a well-developed character, enabling many readers to find something in common with at least one of the characters, and the books encourage people to develop problem solving skills and awareness and responsibility towards others.
Modern readers may find some of the content of Boxcar Children old-fashioned, especially in the case of the early 1940s books, but the books are entertaining nonetheless. If you have a child in your life who likes the Boxcar Children but wants something a little meatier, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys and the Bobbsey Twins are all good shows to consider.
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