The Mystery On The Train

The Boxcar Children #51

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny use to live alone in a boxcar. Now they have a home with their grandfather and they're going on a train trip across the country with their Aunt Jane!

The Boxcar Children love exploring the train, watching the beautiful scenery from the observation car, and eating in the dining car. But the train ride gets really interesting when they meet a young woman who has had something very valuable stole from her. Can the Aldens solve the mystery before the train pulls into the last stop?

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Juvenile, Audiobook, Chapter Books

121 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

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

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to see the Aldens actually riding a train. Mystery was decent. Enjoyed the cross-country travel bits. Nice that Violet’s appreciation for art came into play. Some of the family dynamics with the supporting cast seemed a bit odd, though.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally made me want to take an overnight train ride when I was little.

Adult-me was screaming "Bad ghost writer!! Forgot canon!" because this is their first time on a moving train, even though they lived in a boxcar. Which totally ignores the Caboose Mystery, book number 11, where they sleep on a train for a week...even if it's not a passenger train. But then again, I shouldn't have been surprised because of all the continuity errors in other books.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Mystery on the Train," part of "The Boxcar Children" series by Gertrude Chandler Warner, is a delightful read for young mystery lovers. In this book, the Alden children find themselves on a new adventure, exploring a hidden beach and uncovering secrets.

The writing style is straightforward, making it easy for young readers to follow along. The Alden children's resourcefulness and teamwork shine as they solve the mystery, highlighting the importance of family and cooperation. The plot is engaging, with enough twists to keep readers interested without being too complex.

Overall, "The Mystery on the Train" is a charming addition to "The Boxcar Children" series, perfect for kids who enjoy a classic, gentle mystery.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The children's aunt gets them tickets for a train trip from Boston to San Francisco. They meet a girl, the contents of whose portfolio keep getting stolen -- or at least she says so. Of course the kids find the valuable posters she was carrying and discover the villain. Typical Boxcar book.

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 51 of the Boxcar Children. This book was full of twists. Wonderfully put together. Loved the guy in the disguise. Loved the intention. This book was a strong representation of the mystery genera. I liked it. ​

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com

[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.

[Kelli Trusedell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our family loves listening to the Boxcar Children books on audiobook, and my 9 year old has always REALLY loved trains, so this book was much enjoyed! We actually listened to it twice this past month! We give it four train cars. 🚃🚃🚃🚃

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank goodness all the other books in this series have been available on audio.

[Dakota Smith]

(Book that takes place on a train)

[Brynja · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to do that too!


"I can't belive this is hapening. maybe someone wanted to see them and borrowed them for a while." "i'm afraid the posters were really stolen this time," jessie said.

[Charles Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

50% bland

[Kim Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting mystery with a surprise ending!

[Violet M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

[Sue :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. A mystery. Some of the characters are obnoxious but good over all.

[Anne D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read to the kids, really enjoying boxcar children as a family read aloud.

[Rakel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh.. I might be too old for the book 💔

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son and I enjoyed the setting of this story much more than the plot. Since none of us have ever been on an overnight train, it was a good insight as to what the ride would be like, and how the trains are laid out, and how often they stop. The plot itself (movie posters being protected by a girl, and then having them stolen) was not very interesting, and Annie was very one-dimensional and unlikable. It was obvious she was only using the Boxcar Children most of the time. I hope the characters in the next book we choose are more identifiable. Other than that, it wasn't a bad read.

[haidyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like box car children 51.it is a mystery on a train.they made a friend named Annie. Annie's Uncle Bob is not nice. Annie's uncle stole Annie's posters .The Alden Children could not wait for their aunt jane to get to their house.

[Partridge Public]

Warner, Gertrude C. PB

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

great when ur little

[Ruthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a long time to read, but it was good.........

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read May 12, 2019

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book itself is just another stock "created by" Boxcar Children mystery, but it's the reason I've always wanted to go on a cross-country train trip.

[Rebecca]

One of my favorite childhood series. I read over a hundred of them. The first 50 or so were in order; after that I read whatever book I could get my hands on :)