Surprise Island (The Boxcar Children, #2)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Surprise Island (The Boxcar Children #2)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 3,661 ratings · 110 reviews

Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny used to live alone in a boxcar. Now they have a home with their grandfather and are spending the summer on their own private island. There is a mysterious stranger on the island with a secret--but that's not the only surprise in store for the Boxcar Children.

Paperback, 178 pages

Published January 1st 1989 by Albert Whitman & Company (first published January 1st 1949)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Best Books for Reluctant Readers

382nd out of 470 books — 786 voters

A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle

A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter

Ash-Eater's Fugue, Anno 2021 by Kim Koning

Violin books

46th out of 46 books — 18 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Nov 29, 2012 Jamala Alkeshi added it

This is another great Boxcar children book continuing the story of them finally finding their grandpa and living in the boxcar in his backyard. This is when the books start to become mystery's and the boxcar children are solving them all by themselves. In this book they find out that their grandpa has an island that they eventually get to go spend the summer on. Eventually they start finding evidence that Indians used to live on the island, and it starts to become a mysterious Island as they unc...more

like · see review

Oct 21, 2012 Laken Doom rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: popular-series

This second book in the popular series "The Boxcar Children" was written by Gertrude Chandler Warner and illustrated by Mary Gehr. This book follows the summer of four children Jessie, Henry, Benny and Violet. The four children are surprised by their grandfather when he announces he not only owns an island but that they will be staying on that island all summer long by themselves! We follow them all throughout their journey on the island and learn about Indians that used to live on the island ba...more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 06, 2012 Meredith Buchanan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was going to read Surprise Island, and then comment on it, but every page is such a treasure trove of clichés, naïveté, and ridiculousness, that I think I might have to grace you with a running commentary.

Chapter One: The First Surprise

The book begins with Grandfather lovingly telling his grandchildren that he bought them an island, *cough* I mean, his father bought an island a long time ago, and they can stay there ALL SUMMER. He’d visit, but he’s just too busy.

Grandfather: (Shrug.) “But boy,...more

like 2 likes · see review

Sep 02, 2011 Nicola rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Reason for Reading: This is another book from the Random Bookshelf that I am reading from this year.The Boxcar Children have played a big part in my and my children's lives. I intend to acquire a complete set of the first 19 books (the others hold no interest to me) and keep them as keepers on my juvenile shelves for my future grandchildren.

Book 2 is very similar to that of the first in the series. First of all, there is no real mystery except for the hidden identity of a man on the island known...more

like · see review

Mar 19, 2013 Cynthia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, adventure, mystery-and-suspense, series, dictionaries, chapter-book, graphic-novel

Summary
The orphaned Alden children (Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny) and their dog Watch now lives with their grandfather James Alden. Their grandfather had a surprise for the children – the opportunity to spend the summer on a small island his father bought. Dr. Moore and his mother went along to enjoy the island for the summer. Captain Daniel took them to the island and delivered supplies to them. On the island the children lived in the barn while the grandfather returned to the mainland for...more Summary
The orphaned Alden children (Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny) and their dog Watch now lives with their grandfather James Alden. Their grandfather had a surprise for the children – the opportunity to spend the summer on a small island his father bought. Dr. Moore and his mother went along to enjoy the island for the summer. Captain Daniel took them to the island and delivered supplies to them. On the island the children lived in the barn while the grandfather returned to the mainland for the summer. The children pick and caught food that Jessie cooked for them to eat on the table Henry built. The children explored the island and found interesting items and artifacts they placed in the museum they started in the upstairs section of the barn. The children met Captain Daniel’s friend Joe who befriended the children, helped them with their explorations, and taught Violet to play the violin. Their grandfather came to visit and told him about Joe and all the things they found, they showed him their museum and he showed them The Alden Museum. They also had visits from a man named Browning who was looking for a lost explorer and their friends who came for a picnic. It was Benny’s birthday and Violet and Joe played the violin together to celebrate. There were surprises for all on Benny’s Birthday because Joe turned out to be a long lost cousin.

Response
This book teaches independence and responsibility. The children showed these characteristics by cooking and eating food from the garden and food they were able to catch. They washed their dishes when they finished eating. The children did chores and took care of one another. The also showed they were responsible enough to explore and learn from their explorations.

Classroom Connection
I would connect this book to a writing assignment. I would have each student think about going on a trip to a private island. I would then have the children write a story about going on an adventure to a private island. The story should include adventure and mystery.

Text Complexity
This book is a 530L Lexile measure with a Guided Reading level O. There is a read aloud level of Grades 3 – 5 and DRA level of 34. Students should be able to read this book by themselves during the beginning of 3rd Grade.
(less)

like · see review

May 05, 2013 Irene rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Elementary school aged kids

Shelves: children

I am really loving this series!

This book has all four children equally represented, and I feel we do get to know them a little better. I probably should not have read any of the books out of order; this being the second in the series, it makes sense that this book would have more character development than some of the later books, when the kids are already established characters. Here, we learn that Violet is artistic (she likes to paint and she has a gift for music), Jessie really is a great co...more I am really loving this series!

This book has all four children equally represented, and I feel we do get to know them a little better. I probably should not have read any of the books out of order; this being the second in the series, it makes sense that this book would have more character development than some of the later books, when the kids are already established characters. Here, we learn that Violet is artistic (she likes to paint and she has a gift for music), Jessie really is a great cook (she makes clam chowder and whips up an apple pie) and likes order (she likes to plan out their days and keep to a schedule), and Henry is quite handy (he builds cabinets and tables out of scrap wood) and has an interest in academia (he likes museums). True, they all stick pretty close to age and gender roles... But that's okay, the book was written in 1949 after all. (Another detail that dates this book is an illustration in which the kids are boating without life jackets!)

But what I really liked - and for this reason I would give this book 4 1/2 stars if I could - is that Benny actually throws a tantrum in this book! Finally! The kids are not all super well-behaved all the time! Haha. Maybe it was nice, too, that it was clear that Benny's fit was not a result of his being "bad", but more of just an age-related issue; Henry said, "He will stop some time. Some day he'll grow up." If only I could be so matter-of-fact about my kids' tantrums!

There was also another child character, a friend of Benny's named Mike, who was loud and obnoxious. Benny liked him because they had fun together, but the older kids didn't think he was so great to have around. Even though the Alden kids are almost perfect, it was still nice to see that other less-than-perfect kids also lived in their world. :P

I also liked that this book finally made me understand why people always run out to buy bread and milk before a big storm. It probably stems from the old days, depicted in these books, when bread and milk really were food staples. Whole meals could be had by just eating bread with milk poured on top! As Jessie said, "We have to buy bread and bottles of milk. Then we could live, even if we didn't have anything else to eat."

As usual, the kids are models of resourcefulness. Besides the bread and milk, they eat food they gather themselves - though it helped that Grandfather started a vegetable garden for them in anticipation of their stay. Still, even though Grandfather is rich and the kids basically get whatever they want, they love taking care of themselves in the barn on the island! I love their attitude, summed up when Jessie said, "This is what I like. Everything seems better when we have to work to get it."

I have to admit, I didn't give this book 5 stars because the whole story about Joe was just a little contrived. I liked the ending, of course, but really, why didn't he just go back to his uncle as soon as he could?! The idea of not returning until he was 100% recovered seemed to put a bit too much emphasis on independence, which perhaps was a highly valued quality in individuals in 1949.

It was interesting, too, that this book didn't actually use the word "mystery" - Joe's unknown origin was just like a question always hanging around in the background. I wonder if the author sort of just found herself falling into writing "mysteries" simply because having unanswered questions helped to keep a story interesting. (less)

like · see review

Sep 03, 2012 Bird rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids-novels, read-in-2012, read-with-pb

I read this with PB, hoping for a nice, warm feeling of nostalgia. Instead, I was hit with the reality of just how bad these books are. The writing is bad (how many times can she used the speaking tag "cried" for Benny?!), the story is mundane and repetitive (oh look, the children are having milk and bread for dinner - again), and the kids don't act anything like real children (I have to assume that not only did the author not have children, but that she never spent any time around an actual chi...more

like · see review

Feb 01, 2013 Greg Fewer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, archaeological-fiction, children-s-books

This is an enjoyable enough children's story where four siblings are permitted to spend their summer holidays living in an old barn on an island, supervised - from afar - by an old fisherman and a young handy man with a mysterious past. Themes apparent in the novel's predecessor, The Boxcar Children - the practicality and (relative) independence of the children, the sexual division of labour and the extent to which the kids co-operate on various tasks (which I remarked upon in my review of that...more This is an enjoyable enough children's story where four siblings are permitted to spend their summer holidays living in an old barn on an island, supervised - from afar - by an old fisherman and a young handy man with a mysterious past. Themes apparent in the novel's predecessor, The Boxcar Children - the practicality and (relative) independence of the children, the sexual division of labour and the extent to which the kids co-operate on various tasks (which I remarked upon in my review of that book) - are repeated here. However, the practical advice given in the earlier book (e.g. about hygiene and fire safety) is not as evident. Something of the time it was written in (Surprise Island was first published in 1949) is indicated about the surprise the children had about how much knowledge Joe had when, as Violet put it, he is just 'just a handy man', Henry also commenting at one point that 'Joe is a very strange handy man, to know the names of the different kinds of seaweed'. The idea that a knowledgeable person might want to work as a handy man or casual labourer, even if only for a short while, betrays the author's social class bias (although this is also indicated by the wealth of the children's family).

The story had added interested for me as the children make an interesting discovery on the island. (view spoiler)

It's funny how, with children's books, I sometimes come across words I've never encountered before. In this case, I was pleased to learn a new word derived from eighteenth-century Narragansett - 'quahog' - which is a type of edible clam found along the east coast of North America.

In conclusion, kids should enjoy reading this book because I'm sure many of them would love to emulate the independence experienced by the children in the novel as well as share their explorations and discoveries on the island, and also because of the mystery surrounding the handy man. Nostalgic adults might enjoy it too!(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Oct 21, 2011 Kokoro rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read 131 to 143 pages on Friday, October 21. Benny is Reconciliationed with Mike. I'm glad.

I read 118 to 130 pages on Wednesday, October 19. They painted bird. Because, it was rain day. And, Jessie make a big applepie. Then, they eat with Mr. Browning.
The other day, four children invite their friends. But, Benny and his friend Mike are started fighting...

I read 98 to 117 pages on Tuesday, October, 18. I like "Grandfather's visit." Grandfather is coming to island. Then, four children show th...more

like · see review

May 07, 2013 Natalie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adolescent

I read this book to my six year old son and it took us many sittings to finish. It wasn't as quick or exciting as the first book, there was really no mystery and there wasn't anything at stake. It sort of meandered like a stream, taking the story this way and that, but never really making any progress. These children also don't act like any 6, 10, 12, and 14 year olds that I know. Who leaves four children to their own devices on a private island for the summer with only a teenager and a crotchet...more

like · see review

Jan 28, 2013 Christi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another great "chapter" book in the Boxcar series. This book focuses on the wonderful adventures that the little "family" of four children have on a small island owned by their Grandfather. It's full of the same theme as the previous book, that hard work, family, and working together will be of benefit for all. There are a couple new characters in this book along with the "mystery" that truly is a fun one to play along with and my 4 and 2 year old girls loved the anticipation of waiting until th...more

like · see review

Mar 16, 2012 Traci rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Boxcar Children is an amazing series. I used to read them all the time. Mysteries were always my favorite growing up and still really interest me. This book was great because there was a lot of suspense and you always had to keep reading because you wanted to know what was going on. I was never bored and couldn't put it down. The four children in the story are orphans but go to live with their grandpa and spend the summer on an island where strange things keep happening. There is also a stra...more

like · see review

Jul 19, 2012 Kristine Pratt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kids, mystery

I'd read The Boxcar Children probably a dozen times in my life, but for some reason never once thought to look up the other books in the series. That was my loss because what made the first book magical is still there in the second books.

The children get to spend summer on an island - on their own no less, just like they were in the Boxcar days (with some kindly adults looking in now and again). They camp out, handle their own meals and all adventures, and even find a mystery to solve.

I loved t...more

like · see review

Oct 13, 2011 Pamelabyoung rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a great bedtime book! My son and I enjoyed this sequel to The Boxcar Children and had a hard time closing the book each night. We loved the mystery of Joe and all of the museum finds the children discovered on the island. I loved that the naive, sweet qualities of the original book were continued throughout this sequel. I need to research at which point Gertrude Chandler Warner stopped writing the books. I find it amazing that there are over 100 books in the series and I only knew about the...more

like · see review

Jul 08, 2012 Jodi rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: not sure

Shelves: books-in-a-series, books-read-to-my-children

Decent book but dated - it was written in 1949. My kids were shocked at the thought of 4 children being allowed to live in a stable on an island for the summer with little adult supervision. Sure it would be fun and maybe during the time this book was written it was possible, but today it would never be allowed. Also, my modern mentality made my hackles raise at the thought of a strange man on the island who kept showing up to talk to the children. Of course, it all worked out fine with it being...more

like 1 like · see review

Oct 24, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

I decided to read one of the Boxcar Children books after reminiscing about them with a colleague. Turns out, they are pretty strange from an adult perpective. When I was a kid, I thought it would be great to be as self-sufficient as these kids. As an adult, I'm thinking, "What, you let your grandkids live on an island for the summer with nobody but some stranger who lost his memory?!" But still, they're good books. It was fun to take a trip down memory lane with this group of resourceful youngin...more

like 2 likes · see review

Oct 24, 2011 Simon rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Man this book is for kids. The children all oh so friendly to each other and agree with everything. The world seems to be made of butterflies and rainbows.

And If I had a brother like Benny, I would have bopped him in the mouth for every time he "howled".

Finding ancient artifacts was about the best part in this dry read. Yet it is for kids, and I when I read this as a Kid, I was thrilled. It is safe to say times have changed.

like · see review

Sep 20, 2011 Stacia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-books, secular-fiction

I didn't read The Boxcar Children growing up, but I grabbed it cheap to read to my kids. I didn't think that this particular story had much of a mystery to it, and it seemed kind of cheesy, but it was written more than 50 years ago, so I'm sure that the culture was different then. Even if I wasn't impressed with the book, my son loved it. Each night he would ask if we could read our mystery book. :)

like · see review

Feb 04, 2010 Andrew Jameson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Nov 22, 2010 Zanzarr rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, series

The Boxcar Children were what got me hooked on reading. I remember I was in the third grade when I first picked up one of these books and from there reading became a part of me just as much as my eyes, my legs, and my teeth are a part of me. These books will always have a place in my heart. If not for them I may not have learned the joys of reading.

like · see review

May 03, 2009 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I adore this series. I'm reading these with my 8 year old and recalling all the things I loved about the series as a child. Good mystery without being too scary for the young ones. Large focus on the self-efficacy of the children. And what a great adventure to be able to explore an island and fend for yourself all summer long!

like · see review

Aug 21, 2012 Kricket rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, kids, retro

henry, jessie, violet and benny spend the summer living in a barn on an island owned by their grandfather. they go exploring and find native american artifacts. there is a lot of focus on henry building a dish cupboard. this one didn't stand up to the test of time quite as well, but it was one of my favorites as a kid.

like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Jacky Chen added it

This book is " The Boxcar Children" by Gertrude Chandler Warner .Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny used to live alone in a boxcar. Now they have a home with their grandfather because they don't want their kid live outside .One he went to the boxcar (the pleace that they live ) and tell them to live wit him.....

like · see review

Jan 23, 2013 Clong rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-stuff

Haters gonna hate. It's a children's book so if it's filled with nostalgia and naïveté I'm willing to roll with it. Read this in 3rd grade, just read it again with my son and it's as wonderful as I remember. Damn, milk and bread for dinner never sounded so good.

like · see review

Aug 15, 2012 Beth Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, read-aloud

Read aloud to Emma. This one was slower than the first book, but set up future stories nicely. Some chapters were a little long and made it harder for Emma to follow. We'll probably take a break before reading another, although if I remember correctly, the rest are mysteries, which could make them more exciting.

like · see review

Sep 03, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: christine-s-50

I read a chapter a night to the kids because they wouldn't let me read anything else. :) We're really liking how the books end with a bit of a mystery that's answered in the next book -- keeps them wanting to read the next one! :)

like · see review

Nov 28, 2011 Daniel Osborn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Again a really great series. I read all of these books when I was a kid and had the first 12 in a set that i got in 3rd grade. Really read them up fast. Just a great story adventure. it's like hardy boys but with a family.

like · see review

Dec 22, 2011 Alexandra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The first and second books in this series are pretty similar. They're both basically the 4 children surviving and cooking their own meals and having fun. They're pretty cute and set the stage for future books to come.

like 1 like · see review

Mar 20, 2011 Tiffany rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-aloud-to-my-kids

Read this one outloud to my 7 year old and 4 year old, and it just wasn't that great. We got through it, and they were sort of interested, but a little ho-hum about it. (And I personally was kind of bored by it.)

like · see review

Mar 30, 2010 Jileen rated it 3 of 5 stars

#2 in the Boxcar children series. I read this chapter book to my 7 and 5 year old boys. It wasn't amazing but still a good read for that age group. They would have probably given more stars if it were up to them.

like 1 like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (16)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

83 users

Childrens

74 users

Young Adult

25 users

Adventure

10 users

Childrens > Juvenile

10 users

Classics

8 users

Childrens > Middle Grade

5 users

Childrens > Chapter Books

5 users

Kids

5 users

Realistic Fiction

4 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Gertrude Chandler Warner

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 CH...more 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.

As a child, Gertrude enjoyed many of the things that girls enjoy today. She loved furnishing a dollhouse with handmade furniture and she liked to read. Her favorite book was ALICE IN WONDERLAND. Often on Sundays after church, Gertrude enjoyed trips to visit her grandparents' farm. Along the way, she and Frances would stop to pick the wildflowers they both loved. Gertrude's favorite flower was the violet.

Her family was a very musical one. They were able to have a family orchestra, and Gertrude enjoyed playing the cello. Her father had brought her one from New York ---a cello, a bow, a case and an instruction book. All together, he paid $14. Later, as an adult, she began playing the pipe organ and sometimes substituted for the church organist.

Due to ill health, Ms. Warner never finished high school. She left in the middle of her second year and studied with a tutor. Then, in 1918, when teachers were called to serve in World War I, the school board asked her to teach first grade. She had forty children in the morning and forty more in the afternoon. Ms. Warner wrote, "I was asked or begged to take this job because I taught Sunday School. But believe me, day school is nothing like Sunday School, and I sure learned by doing --- I taught in that same room for 32 years, retiring at 60 to have more time to write." Eventually, Ms. Warner attended Yale, where she took several teacher training courses.

Once when she was sick and had to stay home from teaching, she thought up the story about the Boxcar Children. It was inspired by her childhood dreams. As a child, she had spent hours watching the trains go by near her family's home. Sometimes she could look through the window of a caboose and see a small stove, a little table, cracked cups with no saucers, and a tin coffee pot boiling away on the stove. The sight had fascinated her and made her dream about how much fun it would be to live and keep house in a boxcar or caboose. She read the story to her classes and rewrote it many times so the words were easy to understand. Some of her pupils spoke other languages at home and were just learning English. THE BOXCAR CHILDREN gave them a fun story that was easy to read.

Ms. Warner once wrote for her fans, "Perhaps you know that the original BOXCAR CHILDREN. . . raised a storm of protest from librarians who thought the children were having too good a time without any parental control! That is exactly why children like it! Most of my own childhood exploits, such as living in a freight car, received very little cooperation from my parents."

Though the story of THE BOXCAR CHILDREN went through some changes after it was first written, the version that we are familiar with today was originally published in 1942 by Scott Foresman. Today, Albert Whitman & Company publishes this first classic story as well as the next eighteen Alden children adventures that were written by Ms. Warner.

Gertrude Chandler Warner died in 1979 at the age of 89 after a full life as a teacher, author, and volunteer for the American Red Cross and other charitable organizations. After her death, Albert Whitman & Company continued to receive mail from children across the country asking for more adventures about Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny Alden. In 1991, Albert Whitman added to THE BOXCAR CHILDREN MYSTERIES so that today's children can enjoy many more adventures about this independent and caring group of children.(less)

More about Gertrude Chandler Warner...

Books by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children, #1)

The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children, #1-4)

The Yellow House Mystery (The Boxcar Children, #3)

The Lighthouse Mystery (The Boxcar Children, #8)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Surprise Island

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Surprise Island
avg rating	preview: Surprise Island Goodreads rating: 3.84 (3661 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/156809.Surprise_Island?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1172264372l/156809.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/156809.Surprise_Island?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Surprise Island by Gertrude Chandler Warner[/url]

Surprise Island (The Boxcar Children #2)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website