Journey on a Runaway Train

When I read that there was a BoxCar Children Re-Boot I had several thoughts:

Nooooo.

Why?

Can’t anyone come up with something original?

I stand (well, sit) before you chagrined. The characters are the same except it’s now- as in the kids have cell phones and laptops. I’ve read nearly all of the previously published Boxcar children stories aloud to all five of my offspring. We still own the Boxcar Children Cookbook and consult it regularly. You could say we are fans of the series. We are purists in that I consider only the first 19 books to be originals.

They lost us completely after The Mystery of the Purple Pool (book 38). It just wasn’t the same in modern times. We liked the whole back in the day plot lines. The writing just wasn’t the same and the characters showed no development at all past a few key personality points from the original books.

So that’s the attitude I started with and was so pleased to encounter an actual mystery with characters I liked. Yes, this book could have been written with different characters and still would have been an entertaining read. The way the story develops, I was glad to see these kids again in the modern world. I got about halfway through my review copy and realized that we should be reading this aloud and started over that night reading to my 11yo. We’re in a “low tide” section of our school year and are reading on our own and out loud for much of every day. I was thrilled to squeeze this in and put off our next book a few days longer.

I don’t think that you can avoid discussing whether or not book reboots are useful or not. In this case, it works for me. The characters maintained their personalities and the setting was similar enough to the original books that only the technology made it different.

The kids are still on their own somewhat although now they are working with a secret society that apparently has almost unlimited means to aid the children in their quests to recover stolen artifacts. This is the first book of a new miniseries that will follow the children around the globe.

I think first through maybe fifth graders will enjoy it, older kids too if they are fans of the original books. Years ago we used a homeschool program called Five in A Row, and that is where I learned how to create a unit study. I think the old books and the new would be fun to use that way for early to mid-elementary grades.

A Fine Addition to the Boxcar Canon

The first 19 Boxcar Children books were actually written by Gertrude Warner, (the first one in 1924, then 18 more between 1949 and 1976). After that, like The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and the like, the books were written by other authors, but always identified as "Created by Gertrude Chandler Warner". In total there are about 145 Boxcar Children Mysteries, and over 20 "Specials". The four kids have never aged, although their adventures have been brought up from the 1920's to modern times. Anyway, Albert Whitman & Company, which appears to have been the caretaker of the series since the first book was reissued in 1942, has come up with a brand new five volume "Great Adventure" set, of which this is the first volume.

The premise here is that the Boxcar Children, (the four Alden siblings), have been recruited by a secret society to return lost artifacts to their rightful original homes. To do that they'll have to travel all over the world, being guided and supported by the secret society and its global network of agents. The upshot is that the Aldens get to travel, (along with the reader), to exotic foreign locations in the company of a few fun recurring characters and a wide range of one-time guest agents. They also learn a bit about the artifacts they handle. This really opens up the series, and who doesn't like world travel and shady global conspiracies?

This first volume is the tamest of the five, because the premise has to be set up. While still at home, the Aldens have to come to grips with a few small mysteries and solve some puzzles in order to earn the trust of the society. Then it's off to Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico to return an item. By the end they are being pointed to their next, more exotic, destination. This is whirlwind plotting and pacing, with lots of lurking and eavesdropping and clue finding and problem solving and bad guys, (there are always bad guys), and some avoiding and escaping.

This version of the Boxcar Children is fresh and modern. We're in a world of laptops, WiFi and GPS. The boys and girls are equal players, and since the books are new you don't encounter those awkward bits of old-fashioned nonsense that you sometimes have to overlook when revisiting other older adventure series. The writing is crisp and direct and clearly aimed at younger readers. A nice touch is that the older kids often explain more advanced words, references, and historical bits to the youngest Alden, Benny, and these explanations, of course, are also intended to help younger readers follow what's happening. That sort of in-book annotating struck me as a nice touch.

In any event, though, the bottom line is that the books are fun, fast paced, clever, and entertaining. The whole series feels like a good idea, and this book is a fine start.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

The Boxcar Children 2.0!
The new Great Adventure series is a excellent continuation following the spirit of the original Boxcar stories. The children are the same -thoughtful, courteous, polite and quick thinking - which makes me all the more eager to recommend this reboot.
I think any child between 6-12 can enjoy this series, by either listening or reading independently and find excitement in the mystery!

Thank you to NetGalley and Albert Whitman and Company for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

As usual, the Boxcar Children are a great, clean series for young (and old!) readers. This took me down memory lane, since it's been a long while since I've read any of these books, but the basics are all the same. None of the characters' personalities changed to match the 21st century "need" for romance or "being tough." It's a good clean book that draws readers in without needing to rely on modern crassness. The only modern upgrades, was that the kids did some research on the internet, in addition to going to the library. But a laptop and cellphone didn't change the overall tone.

This series seems to be moving in a 39 Clues kind of direction - travel around the world while solving mysteries. At the same time, it is meant for younger readers, so the information and story line is more basic and less violent (if you would call The 39 Clues "violent").

I highly recommend it for all children, especially for beginner chapter book readers.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Aw! My favorite childhood mystery series is getting a reboot! How cool is that?!

I was super excited to hear about this new 5-part series about the Boxcar Children. The four Alden kids have received the unique opportunity to set out on a globe-trotting adventure, after being hired by a secret society to locate historical artifacts. (In a way, this can remind you of the 39 Clues series, right?!) I sure an interested to find out what kind of interesting places they're going to visit!

The Alden kids are clearly now in the 21st century. They use cell phones and modern electronics. What I liked best though is they get to ride an old-fashioned train in this story, which brought in some of the "timelessness" I like to see in this series.

Overall, I think this is the start of a fun, fresh adventure. Oh, and Watch the dog is just as cute as ever!

This is a "clean" read. I would best recommend for 7-11 year old readers.

Journey on a Runaway Train by Gertrude Chandler Warner is the start of a five book series with the kids known as The Boxcar Children! The four Aldens are now living with their grandfather with the boxcar in the backyard when finding a painted turtle, they are soon recruited into the Reddimus Society. The Reddimus Society is a secret guild who's mission is returning lost or stolen artifacts in which the turtle is one of them. As they learn what the society dos, a trip on a train to return the turtle to New Mexico will test the children in ways they never expected that will ultimately, lead them to their next adventure!

This version of the Boxcar Children is fresh and modern. We're in a world of laptops, WiFi and GPS. The boys and girls are equal players, and since the books are new you don't encounter those awkward bits of old-fashioned nonsense that you sometimes have to overlook when revisiting other older adventure series. The writing is crisp and direct and clearly aimed at younger readers. A nice touch is that the older kids often explain more advanced words, references, and historical bits to the youngest Alden, Benny, and these explanations, of course, are also intended to help younger readers follow what's happening.

I thank NetGalley and Albert Whitman & Company for a free advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.