Mystery in the Snow

The Boxcar Children #32

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny used to live alone in a boxcar. Now they have a home with their grandfather, and are spending their winter vacation at Snow Haven Lodge.

The lodge is having its annual winter carnival, and the Boxcar Children sign up to compete in events like skiing, skating, sledding, and building snow and ice sculptures. But no sooner has the competition begun, than the children have a mystery to solve!

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

121 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

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously, this takes place in winter. The story involves a winter festival at a ski resort. The mystery involves the games and events for the festival being sabotaged. The setting and the story were fun, and it reminded me of The Baby-Sitter's Winter Vacation.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The entire family (even the dog) go to a lodge in the snowy mountains. The children sign up on teams for various contests that are regularly held, such as snow sculpting, skiing, skating, etc. But something strange is going on - things keep disappearing, skis go missing, and the ice rink is damaged, as if someone is trying to stop the games. Of course the Aldens have to try to solve the mystery, but the perpetrator keeps leaving red herrings to cast the blame on others, so they have too many suspects. This was a fairly interesting one - my only dislike was that it ended too soon - I wanted to find out who won all the contests!

[Renee Masterson Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for an enchanting winter read for the kids? This is it! We read it in an afternoon together and better yet, got it at a Little Free Library! The notorious Alden kids go to a lodge for a week in the winter, fresh with idyllic snow and end up competing in winter games with the other kids at the lodge. Someone is sabotaging the games, but who could ruin such a fun and friendly competition?

Though we read this book straight through (only breaking for lunch) we paused often to speculate, hypothesize, and figure out just why someone would want to ruin the events and who it could be! This is one of the first mysteries we have read together, so it warmed my heart listening to the kids banter about who they suspected.

Though it’s not an original GCW book, it still has her magical touch in this story. A great read-aloud with your children. (Mine: ages 5, 5, 7, 8, 10)

[Simon · Rating 3 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.

[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.

[Kasey Loftis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another great book in the series. I enjoyed the winter lodge setting. The only problem I had with this one was that there were so many characters, it was hard to keep up with because they don't always go into much detail about each one to differentiate them.

[Kim Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great mystery!

[Isabel Sasine · Rating 4 out of 5]

audible

[Conley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I like this book because it talks about how you need to be honest and if you're honest you won't get that in trouble." -Conley, age 10

[Linda Klinedinst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dearly love the Boxcar Children's Mystery Series. I got this book from a Library that is only like 5 minutes away from me.

I have decided that I am going to read all of the books in this Entire Series - The Boxcar Children's Mystery Series. There are a total of 125 Books in this Series. I have read 3 of them so far as of today.

The Author Gertrude Chandler Warner passed away in 1979. She would have written more books for this Series if she was still alive. This is one of the best loved Children's Series that I have ever read besides the Nancy Drew Books and the Hardy Boys Books. These type of Mysteries are very clean fun enjoyable reads and the books are short. There are like 17 Chapters in them I think.

I have put on hold through my Library the first two books in The Boxcar Children's Mystery Series and they are:

The Boxcar Children
Surprise Island

I want to start with Book #1 and work my way through to Book #125 minus the ones that I have read already. I have been wanting to read this Series for a very long time. I do have some of the Books here at home but its more fun to go to the Library and get them and to put the books on Hold through my Library.

I give this book 5/5 Stars here on Goodreads. I would highly recommend this Series for your Children or even for Adults.

[Kaetlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like that the Alden's are going to be in some winter games. The Alden's are going to see a friend of their grandfather's, and play some winter games. I don't like that somebody is trying to delay the games. Somebody melted an ice castle, cracked the ice so nobody can skate, and hid someones skis. I like that everyone can play the winter games after everything is fixed.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little snow mystery for the winter and perfect for just after the Olympics. The kids go to a ski resort for a little relaxation and are caught up in a mystery when they compete with the other kids in a team contest of skiing, skating, and sculpture.

A fun, cute story that points the fingers at everyone but the actual culprit.

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 32 of the Boxcar Children. A lighthearted mystery with a plethora of suspects, even the Alden children. Mysterious things are a foot on the mountain. Someone is trying to ruin the fun and it is up to the Aldens to figure it out. With they do it before the winter games are ruined? You need to pick this one up to find out. ​

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's cute is that Jimmy's attitude used to be mine a little bit: parents should just know what I want. This is one of the books I read when I was younger that made me talk to my parents more about what I wanted, instead of assuming they could guess.

[Erin Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not up to the Boxcar Children's usual caliber. To me, it was blah blah snow blah blah Benny's hungry blah blah snow blah blah everyone laughed blah blah nefarious things blah blah fuzzy feel-goods and mystery solved. The end. Little to no character development for the Alden children.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

My two elder sons cut their teeth on this series. I don't appreciate that the only character trait, in this episode at least, is Benny's appetite. The story and the mystery are cute enough though. And it's an awfully fast read! I'll take it to my sons next time I visit them....

[Kimmie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in a thrift store and remembered my third grade teacher reading some of the series. I was hooked after that and had to read any I could get my hands on. It was good to stroll down memory lane and revisit Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny.

[Partridge Public]

Warner, Gertrude C. PB

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

great when ur little

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good series for the young reader.

[Nicole Shelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adam and I are in the midst of this together. I've never read any of the Boxcar children series before. I wasn't missing out. But, My son loves it - so, that's all that matters...

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 9277 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 3.3 - AR Pts: 2.0
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, VP

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book with a very surprising ending.

[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 :)

[LaShelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book because it is about kids that solve a mystery. I liked when they participate in the uvents the uvents are sledding,ski and ice skating.The main character is Benny.

[Jonna VanWienen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things keep going wrong at the snow competition.

[wanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this book was good. :) who would

This book was good but who won bro...... .. . . . . . . .... . .. . . .

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids contest is being sabotaged, it is up to the BCs to figure it out because adults decide not to do anything while they are around.

[Martha]

Nice book to read aloud with the kid. The mystery kept him guessing most of the way. We wanted a different ending though because the last line was unsatisfactory!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz rated this 4*
Abbie gave it 5*