In elementary school, teachers are always trying to get you excited about reading. My teachers would often recommend books or series they thought we would like, and I even remember in third grade my teacher actually bought each individual student their own book for the holidays that she thought we would enjoy — Mrs. Moultrie, you’re still one of my favorites.Â
One such book series I was recommended by my teachers was The Boxcar Children. The original novel was published all the way back in 1924, if you can believe it, and was written by Gertrude Chandler Warner, though an updated version that came out in 1942 is what you’ll remember reading. For those who don’t remember, or didn’t have the experience of reading these novels, the first book sets up the Boxcar kids — four siblings named Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny, who were orphaned and end up living in a boxcar while homeless and trying to make ends meet. By the end of that first book, it turns out they don’t need to be living in this perilous situation, as their grandfather is wealthy and kinder than they had been brought up to believe. What luck!
After the first book, the story takes a turn into more of a mystery format, where the Boxcar kids act as sort of amateur sleuths, encountering a different mystery in every book, no matter if they are away on vacation, or at home. The original author, Warner, said that she specifically aimed to write a book where the kids don’t have much adult supervision, as that would appeal more to children. And when you think about it, a lot of different books and series have followed in this trend throughout the years. One of the most famous of all time has very little adult supervision and was also an orphan (yes, we’re talking about Harry Potter).Â
The Boxcar Children series includes over 150 titles, but only the first 19 are actually written by Warner, who passed away in 1979. In fact, books are still being produced to this day. While the original series was set in the 1920s and 1930s, the books that are produced today are written in the present. Who needs continuity!Â
Still, it’s pretty amazing that the book series has endured over so many generations. The ‘90s saw a surge in popularity thanks to a partnership with Scholastic, which brought the series into paperback and also shared them with children whose schools participated in the Scholastic Book Fairs and Book Clubs around the country.Â
Did you read The Boxcar Children series? What are your favorite memories of Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny? Let us know in the comments!
- Benny Uncovers a Mystery was the last book in the series written by the original author, Gertrude Chandler Warner in 1976. She wrote a total of 19 books in the series.
- In 2004, a museum was opened in Putnam, Connecticut dedicated to Warner and The Boxcar Children. The museum is in an actual boxcar and as of early 2021, is being renovated, with an expectation to reopen in May 2021.
- An animated film version of the first book was released in 2014, directed by Mark Dippe & Dan Chuba, and produced by Hammerhead Productions.
- In 2016, the first five books were translated and published into Spanish for the very first time. The Spanish language title is Los chicos del vagón de carga.
- Warner was a first-grade teacher, and as she wrote the first book, she read it to her classes and rewrote it based on their feedback, making sure the words were easy to understand as a lot of her students did not speak English as a first language.
- Benny Uncovers a Mystery was the last book in the series written by the original author, Gertrude Chandler Warner in 1976. She wrote a total of 19 books in the series.
- In 2004, a museum was opened in Putnam, Connecticut dedicated to Warner and The Boxcar Children. The museum is in an actual boxcar and as of early 2021, is being renovated, with an expectation to reopen in May 2021.
- An animated film version of the first book was released in 2014, directed by Mark Dippe & Dan Chuba, and produced by Hammerhead Productions.
- In 2016, the first five books were translated and published into Spanish for the very first time. The Spanish language title is Los chicos del vagón de carga.
- Warner was a first-grade teacher, and as she wrote the first book, she read it to her classes and rewrote it based on their feedback, making sure the words were easy to understand as a lot of her students did not speak English as a first language.
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