The Finders Keepers Mystery

The Boxcar Children #99

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Aldens help their neighber Lina search for treasure which may be hidden in her attic.

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

121 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2004

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]

My book + Scribd audio. Synopys: "The Aldens' neighbor, Lina, thinks there's treasure hidden in her attic, and she wants the Aldens to help her find it. Of course, the children are eager to help search but it appears they aren't the only ones looking for the treasure. Can the Boxcar Children discover the treasure in the attic . . . before someone else finds it first?"

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part was when the quilts were finally safe from beiing stolen. The worst part was when the quilts were always almost getting stolen by someone. My favorite characters were the boxcar children. The worst character was the person that was trying to steal the quilts. Auryn 10 years old, 2014

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Awww, this one actually tugged at my heartstrings a little. Lost loves, old family quilts seen as a true treasure (why isn't there a quilt on the cover!?) it was sweet. I'm not sure how much kids today will be into this, though mine enjoyed it especially as their grandma makes beautiful quilts. Also, I know it's a children's book and I appreciate that we aren't looking at hard-core criminals here, but we do have an adult who attempts a burglary and is let off with basically just a "well, don't do it again" and seems to me the whole idea of someone creeping around sneaking into your home (especially when you're a single woman) ought not to just be shrugged off and left to some child sleuths to figure out but might necessitate a call to the police. As with most of these Boxcar Children books from years past, kids can enjoy it as a gentle mystery and not for guidance of how to handle matters in the real world.

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 99 of the Boxcar Children Mysteries. This fun little book will make you want to take up quilting. It is interesting that I believe this is the first book that mentions computers. The whole feel of this book feels less like it is happening in the distant past and is beginning to feel more modern. I recommend this one not just because it is a nice well written mystery, but also that I feel it would be a little more relatable to younger readers, albeit this is a far cry from the cellphone ridden world we live in.

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com

[Roger · Rating 1 out of 5]

I recently read the original The Boxcar Children for the first time. It didn’t seem to me to qualify as a “mystery.” This one is by a different author, in more modern times (but before cell phones), and does qualify as a mystery. But the solution is obvious, the kids have lost their personality, and there is no accountability for multiple burglars.

[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.

[Deevena Jemima · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Box car children series..every one of them.

[Charles Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

83%

Lots of great details!

[Adeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great book!! I had so much fun reading it. It was so exciting to find out who the villain and trying to figure it out myself before the boxcar children did.

[Adam Carman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok addition. Slightly formulaic, but interesting backdrop as the Aldens investigate a mystery hidden in vintage quilts.

[Kim Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great mystery in this series.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to on Youtube. Cute and fun stories.

[Charles Zhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about the Alden children trying to figure out who was trying to break in the house. They found a treasure in the attic but someone else is trying to steal it. I gave the book five stars because it was exciting to figure out who was trying to break into the house. This book reminded me of The Games Store Mystery because they are both a mystery and are both written by the same author and in the same series. I would recommend this book because it is a exciting mystery book.

[Eliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would rate this book 6 stars if I could! The Aldens' neighbor Linda thinks there is a treasure in her attic. When they find old quilts, people start breaking into her house trying to get her treasure. Who is breaking into the house? Can the Aldens find out, and save the quilts?

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

review to follow

[M-girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it because they found great-great aunt Hope's hidden treasure!