The Amusement Park Mystery

The Boxcar Children #25

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Alden's investigation involves antique wooden horses on a merry-go-round near Cousin Joe's.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Chapter Books, Audiobook, Juvenile

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

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

[Minha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminding me of my elementary years☺

[Jeremiah L Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow best boxcar children book ever!!!!!!!!

[Della Tingle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a school librarian. I’ve never cared for The Boxcar Children; they’re just not my thing. However, a sweet student gave me this book to read. So, I read it just for him! I will be able to give it back telling him I read every word. I do read a lot of children’s books, but this would not be one I would recommend. While reading, there were times I thought of Scooby-doo, though, and that’s never a bad thing, is it? 😁

[L.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story, interesting mystery with a history angle to it.

[Partridge Public]

Warner, Gertrude C. PB

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

great when ur little

[Emma Elsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good series for the young reader.

[Cherish Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3☆ Got something out of, but wouldn't read again)
I loved these books as a kid & I'm really enjoying reading through the series again. I understand that the original author only wrote the first 19 books & years later other authors picked up the series & wrote under the original author's name, but there are so many major flaws. First, the original author wrote all the books in chronological order; from Henry being a 14-year-old to a grad student. In this book Henry is a 14-year-old boy. However, this book has Joe & Alice in it & they are married & living on their own, but in book 3, which is the book that the children meet Alice for the first time, Henry is 16. It’s fine to do stories back in time, but they don't line up with the storyline of the original 19 books. Also, Benny asks Joe if Grandfather is his grandfather, which he already asked him in book 2. And the conversation feels forced & unnatural in this book. It would have been better for the narrator to have explained how they were related to Joe. Also, I feel like Karen's character development is lacking & makes no sense. Why is she so determined & money-driven throughout the book, then all the sudden changes her mind & is a great daughter at the end.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't bad, exactly, but it wasn't as good as the last few I've read. This is largely down to the fact that it's pretty repetitive - it feels as if the bulk of the story is the kids going back to the same amusement park and going on the same rides over and over. And as much as I appreciate the consistency of "you meddling kids!" in children's mystery series - no villain wants to be out-thought by a bunch of pre-teens - having the villain here try to target the kids in the middle of the amusement park, where everyone could see their villainous actions and come running to help... Let's just say it wasn't well thought out on their part.

I mean, Benny's not even a pre-teen. He's six. And I'm pretty sure even he's got more brains than that.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic and well acclaimed series, recommended as a great series for young readers. The Boxcar Children invoke the enjoyment for mystery-solving and having a close relationship with family.

The mysteries are certainly twinged with a bit more danger now, and you can tell that other authors are penning the stories. They still make for excellent adventures and problem solving. These books keep to the classic focus of the original 19 stories and have heart and family values and helping others as a forefront in every story.

The children are all oh-so-friendly to each other and those they meet. They seem to agree about mostly everything; their world seems to be made of butterflies and rainbows. The times of this book being written to present day are vastly different.

[Uni · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Car Children is a story written by Gertrude Chandler Warner about 4 orphans Henry Jessie Benny Violet.They knew they have a grandpa but they don't like him ,because their grandpa didn't visit them before, so this children make a home in shabby boxcar. Even they are very poor but they still are very happy everyday.They shelter stray dogs, race in the forest, look for treasure....Finally they find their grandpa, he is a kind and young man and also very love them, then they have happiness life with their grandpa.No matter how hard life is, positive face to the problems,your expectance are waiting for u not far away.

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amusement park mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Kids are going to visit their cousins on Surprise Island where they have spent time at the amusement center. The Carousel horses are a big hit.
Especially loved the part where the owners joined the cousins for a meal and we learn of the history of the horses and how they came to be at their park.
Scary parts and you wonder if they will be able to gather all the clues and solve the mysteries!
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[Alexis Lathrop · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this Boxcar Children book was pretty good. This book had a lot of action in it in the mystery was pretty eventful to. They introduced us to new characters, new scenery, and of course a new mystery. In this book Benny, Henry, Violet, in Jessie go to visit their cousins. Their cousins live by an amusement park so they go to the amusement park. At the amusement park there is a carousel which has fine horses on it. But one day they find scratches an unpainted spots on the horses. They have to figure out who took the real horses in time so they can get them back.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care for this particular installment. The mystery took a bit long to really kick off, and the mystery itself was rather humdrum. Also, one of the suspects in the mystery changed her tune so quickly at the end and without any real motive that it caused a bit of whiplash. The only real moment of suspense was when the siblings ended up getting terrorized on the Ferris wheel, and even that fell flat once the moment was over.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to this audio book for some of my students. I really did not like this audio book but remember I am rating it as an adult, not a child, who would probably think better of the story. The voices in the audio were horrible and so annoying to listen to. Not much suspense to this mystery at all, even for a kid.

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 25 of the Boxcar Children. I do have to say these books have turned a corner from cheesy Brady Bunch novels to actual mysteries with plenty of suspects and lots of twists. I enjoyed this one and it kept you guessing right to the end. Well done. ​

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This installment from the early '90s isn't one of the better mysteries, IMO, though I did enjoy learning about the Dentzel carousel horses and hope anyone who reads this will look them up online to see the beautiful artistry.

[Jishnu Thakkar · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite character was Benny cause he loves to eat like me

nothing surprised me

i would not change the ending

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audrey's pick for family book. Cute little book, quick to read.

[Phylicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was a lot more interesting, and the language wasn’t as hard to understand

[Janice Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Amusement Park Mystery

Awesome great cool funny fun interesting nice enjoyable neat long worth it very mysterious kind of scary but it is still fun

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer in Connecticut. The children spend some time with their cousin and his wife. They spend most days at the amusement park. The story focuses on the carousel and hall of mirrors.

[BefuddledPanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun! I love all the food they eat!

[Heidi Kuipers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite, 25 in a row, I might be getting tired of these...

[Charles Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

72%

Really slow and boring start, but ut had a good ending where there's the chase scene and the deranged carnie.

[Charlotte]

This was a fun one. Our kids didn't guess what was going on immediately, but it was straightforward enough that they were able to spin up a bunch of plausible theories as the story unfolded.

[Kim Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series, and this mystery was particularly interesting. I didn't figure it out in advance like I sometimes do.

[Angel Mouser · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the actual lines in the book remarks that a female character would be prettier if she "smiled more". . .

[Manda · Rating 4 out of 5]

super cute, as always. I love a cute kids book that takes place at an amusement park, carnival, or fair.