The Boxcar Children

The Boxcar Children is a popular book series by American writer Gertrude Chandler Warner; it is also the title of the first book in the series. It was originally published in 1942.

The Story

The first book tells the story of four children: Henry Alden, 14; Jessie Alden, 12; Violet Alden, 10; and Benny Alden, 5. Upon the death of their parents, their grandfather assumes custody of the children, but they run away because they believe him to be cruel. Finding an abandoned boxcar, they start a new life of independence. A man named Dr. Moore, who lives in a nearby city, hires Henry to do odd jobs. With the help of Henry's income and living off the land, the children are able to take care of themselves until Violet becomes ill and they must go to Dr. Moore for assistance.

Shortly afterward, Dr. Moore reads in the newspaper that a man named James Alden was offering a $5,000 reward for anyone who could locate four lost children. Dr. Moore contacts him, and he arrives just as the children bring in Violet for treatment. Not wanting to frighten the children into running away again, their grandfather referred to himself as Mr. Henry (Henry being his middle name). Not knowing that the man was their "cruel" grandfather, the children warm to his kindness and are surprised but delighted when Dr. Moore reveals to them that he is their grandfather. After moving in with their grandfather, Mr. Alden moves the boxcar to his backyard for their enjoyment.

Further stories involved the children solving various mysteries, and occasionally travelling to other locations as they did so.

About the author

Warner wrote the first 19 books in the series, and when she died, the series was maintained by a variety of authors. It is still in production today, by Albert Whitman & Co., 27 years after her death. Before her death, she received a large number of letters asking her for more books in the series. Each book written since her death still has the byline "Created by Gertrude Chandler Warner" on its cover.

The series are divided into mysteries and specials; all of the specials were written after Warner's death. However, the books written after Gertrude Chandler's death have suffered from continuity problems -- for example, the ages and abilities of the major characters have fluctuated throughout the series. In the books written by Chandler, the children steadily aged; Henry went to college. After her death, the children's ages have remained the same: Henry is 14, Jessie 12, Violet 10, and Benny 5. As of 2007, there are 113 mysteries and 21 specials in the series, with the most recent mysteries being #112, The Ghost in the Front Row and #113, The Box That Watch Found (Warner, G. (2007). Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company).

In July 2004, a museum in Putnam, Connecticut was opened to honor Gertrude Warner and the Boxcar Children series.

Gertrude is buried in Grove Street Cemetery, Putnam, Connecticut.

List of Boxcar Children Books

Note that these are only the books in the main series. For descriptions and info on the series for younger readers and the Specials, see

Main article: List of Boxcar Children books

1. The Boxcar Children
2. Surprise Island
3. The Yellow House Mystery
4. Mystery Ranch
5. Mike's Mystery
6. Blue Bay Mystery
7. The Woodshed Mystery
8. The Lighthouse Mystery
9. Mountain Top Mystery
10. Schoolhouse Mystery
11. Caboose Mystery
12. Houseboat Mystery
13. Snowbound Mystery
14. Tree House Mystery
15. Bicycle Mystery
16. Mystery in the Sand
17. Mystery Behind the Wall
18. Bus Station Mystery
19. Benny Uncovers a Mystery
20. The Haunted Cabin Mystery
21. The Deserted Library Mystery
22. The Animal Shelter Mystery
23. The Old Motel Mystery
24. The Mystery of the Hidden Painting
25. The Amusement Park Mystery
26. The Mystery of the Mixed-Up Zoo
27. The Camp-Out Mystery
28. The Mystery Girl
29. The Mystery Cruise
30. The Disappearing Friend Mystery
31. The Mystery of the Singing Ghost
32. The Mystery in the Snow
33. The Pizza Mystery
34. The Mystery Horse
35. The Mystery at the Dog Show
36. The Castle Mystery
37. The Mystery of the Lost Village
38. The Mystery of the Purple Pool
39. The Ghost Ship Mystery
40. The Canoe Trip Mystery
41. The Mystery of the Hidden Beach
42. The Mystery of the Missing Cat
43. The Mystery on Stage
44. The Dinosaur Mystery
45. The Mystery of the Stolen Music
46. The Chocolate Sundae Mystery
47. The Mystery of the Hot Air Balloon
48. The Mystery Bookstore
49. The Mystery of the Stolen Boxcar
50. Mystery in the Cave
51. The Mystery on the Train
52. The Mystery of the Lost Mine
53. The Guide Dog Mystery
54. The Hurricane Mystery
55. The Mystery of the Secret Message
56. The Firehouse Mystery
57. The Mystery in San Francisco
58. The Mystery at the Alamo
59. The Outer Space Mystery
60. The Soccer Mystery
61. The Growling Bear Mystery
62. The Mystery of the Lake Monster
63. The Mystery at Peacock Hall
64. The Black Pearl Mystery
65. The Cereal Box Mystery
66. The Panther Mystery
67. The Mystery of the Stolen Sword
68. The Basketball Mystery
69. The Movie Star Mystery
70. The Mystery of the Pirate's Map
71. The Ghost Town Mystery
72. The Mystery in the Mall
73. The Gymnastics Mystery
74. The Poison Frog Mystery
75. The Mystery of the Empty Safe
76. The Great Bicycle Race Mystery
77. The Mystery of the Wild Ponies
78. The Mystery in the Computer Game
79. The Mystery at the Crooked House
80. The Hockey Mystery
81. The Mystery of the Midnight Dog
82. The Summer Camp Mystery
83. The Copycat Mystery
84. The Haunted Clock Tower Mystery
85. The Disappearing Staircase Mystery
86. The Mystery on Blizzard Mountain
87. The Mystery of the Spider's Clue
88. The Mystery of the Mummy's Curse
89. The Mystery of the Star Ruby
90. The Stuffed Bear Mystery
91. The Mystery at Skeleton Point
92. The Tattletale Mystery
93. The Comic Book Mystery
94. The Ice Cream Mystery
95. The Midnight Mystery
96. The Mystery in the Fortune Cookie
97. The Radio Mystery
98. The Mystery of the Runaway Ghost
99. The Finders Keepers Mystery
100. The Mystery of the Haunted Boxcar
101. The Clue in the Corn Maze
102. The Ghost of the Chattering Bones
103. The Sword of the Silver Knight
104. The Game Store Mystery
105. The Mystery of the Orphan Train
106. The Vanishing Passenger
107. The Giant Yo-Yo Mystery
108. The Creature in Ogopogo Lake
109. The Rock 'n' Roll Mystery
110. The Secret of the Mask
111. The Seattle Puzzle
112. The Ghost in the Front Row
113. The Box That Watch Found