The Creature in Ogopogo Lake

The Boxcar Children #108

by Gertrude Chandler Warner, Robert Papp

The Aldens are visiting Grandfather's friend, Amy, at the Ogopogo Retreat in Canada. Amy rents cabins to tourists who hope to see the mysterious underwater creature, the Ogopogo, swimming in the lake. Henry, Jesse, Violet, and Benny can't wait to try to spot the Ogopogo from their cabin. Amy tells the children about a riddle that an old friend left for her in one of the cabins that could lead to a small treasure. The children need to find the treasure, and fast―otherwise, Amy will have to sell the retreat. As the riddle starts to unfold, strange things start to happen around the lake. Something is moving around in the water late at night, and someone doesn't want the Aldens helping Amy. Will the Boxcar Children crack the riddle before it's too late?

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Fiction, Chapter Books, Mystery Thriller, Middle Grade

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

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.

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.

Books about Gertrude: https://www.goodreads.com/characters/...

Reviews

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 4 out of 5]

SYNOPSIS from Scribd.com: "The Aldens are visiting Grandfather's friend, Amy, at the Ogopogo Retreat in Canada. Amy rents cabins to tourists who hope to see the mysterious underwater creature, the Ogopogo, swimming in the lake. Henry, Jesse, Violet, and Benny can't wait to try to spot the Ogopogo from their cabin.

Amy tells the children about a riddle that an old friend left for her in one of the cabins that could lead to a small treasure. The children need to find the treasure, and fast — otherwise, Amy will have to sell the retreat.

As the riddle starts to unfold, strange things start to happen around the lake. Something is moving around in the water late at night, and someone doesn't want the Aldens helping Amy. Will the Boxcar Children crack the riddle before it's too late?"

[V. Arrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

FINALLY, the victim of the crime doesn't just magically forgive the baddie! "I draw the line at threatening children" indeed!

[claresgotbooksagain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the better Boxcar Children mysteries published in the early 2000s. It has a good mystery, adventure element, mysterious "lake monster" to add some excitement and intrigue (nothing too scary) and the motivations for every suspect feel realistic. It's not as good as the more recently published Boxcar Children books but it's worth considering. Just be aware that there is some unfortunate misinformation about the Native view of the lake monster. Please see this BBC article for more accurate information. I'll include an excerpt from the BBC article below:

“It’s not really a monster, it’s a spirit of the lake and it protects this valley from one end to the other,” said Pat Raphael of the Westbank First Nation, a member nation of the larger Okanagan/syilx Nation Alliance, who guided me through the syilx’s ancestral lands bordering Okanagan Lake. As our bus drove south along the water, she explained that while many in Canada know the creature as Ogopogo, to the syilx, it’s n ̓x̌ax̌aitkʷ (n-ha-ha-it-koo), which means “the sacred spirit of the lake.” Raphael pointed out the brown hump of Rattlesnake Island across the water, where the spirit is said to dwell. She also had us practice saying n ̓x̌ax̌aitkʷ in nsyilxcən, the syilx language.:" --
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20...

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 108 of the Boxcar Children. This book is a crime of ethics and betrayal. In a simple level I feel this book can help children understand that surrounding yourself with the right people is so important. As always the series continues to sure show the benefits of hard work. In the end, never judge a book by their cover. Overall a strong addition to the series. ​

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com

[Kasey Loftis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series was my favorite as a child and is actually the series that sparked my love of reading and mysteries. I hit a pretty bad reading slump where I'd start a book, not finish it, start another, not finish it. Finally I decided to just pick up one of these and read it and I fell in love all over again. These books are actually not super childesh and are even fun to read as an adult. They are short and quick, but fun and interesting.

[Cherish Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4☆ Would recommend)
I loved these books as a kid & I'm really enjoying reading through the series again. I liked the mystery & the suspense. I like how there is more than one possible suspect, who each have reasonable motive. Would recommend.

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute mystery highlighting teamwork snd family

[Charles Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

83%

Fun story, I didn't know this legend

[Sue Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every one loves a mystery
They always have a great trip where ever it leads them
Love the stories

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Pearlynn Pang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Creature In Ogopogo Lake
Author: Gertrude Chandler Warner
Illustrator: Robert Papp


The Aldens are visiting Grandfather's friend Abby in Peachland, Canada-home of the mysterious lake monster called Ogopogo. When the children learn that Abby must sell her resort unless she can attract more business, they decide to help. But someone or something is trying to get i their way. Can they save the resort?

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boxcar children are visiting their grandfathers friend when they sense another mystery. LK.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lake resort is about to close, but wait, the Boxcar children are here to save the day. Solve the riddle, find the treasure, and be the heroes.

[Grace DuBois · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute.