The Boxcar Children, 60th Anniversary Edition [Library Binding]

Gertrude Chandler Warner (Author), L. Kate Deal (Illustrator), Barbara Elleman (Preface)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Orphaned and alone but determined to stay together, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden set off on their own and turned an abandoned boxcar into their home.

The 60th Anniversary edition will feature a beautiful new four-color jacket by Linda Fennimore. L. Kate Deal's beloved original silhouettes will illustrate the interior of the book. Barbara Elleman, noted children's literature specialist, has written a foreword. This edition will also include new photographs of Gertrude Chandler Warner as well as information about her life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Children's NOTES Boxcar Children Redux Two titles mark a landmark anniversary of a classic series. The first, The Boxcar Children 60th Anniversary Edition by Gertrude Chandler Warner, illus. by L. Kate Deal, contains the original text, with an introduction by Barbara Elleman, as well as a brief biography of the author, b&w photos and "An Open Letter to Children Who Ask How I Happened to Write The Boxcar Children," all contained in a handsomely designed volume. (Sept)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...a handsomely designed volume." -- Publishers Weekly, July 1, 2002

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Library Binding: 163 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company; 60 Anv edition (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807508489
• ISBN-13: 978-0807508480
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (165 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,365,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gertrude Chandler Warner was born in Putnam, Connecticut, on April 16, 1890, to Edgar and Jane Warner. Her family included a sister, Frances, and a brother, John. From the age of five, she dreamed of becoming an author. She wrote stories for her Grandfather Carpenter, and each Christmas she gave him one of these stories as a gift. Today, Ms. Warner is best remembered as the author of The Boxcar Children Mysteries.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

154 of 162 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pure Delight!, August 6, 2001

By 

Linda J. Barrett (Tempe, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children, No. 1) (Boxcar Children Mysteries) (Paperback)

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.

61 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the book that started my love of reading, December 23, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Boxcar Children (Hardcover)

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

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I found a passion for reading as a child - it began here.., September 16, 2000

By 

Jon T. Lawrence "compassionate, heretical, ic... (Roanoke, Tx USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children, No. 1) (Boxcar Children Mysteries) (Paperback)

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.