The Disappearing Friend Mystery

The Boxcar Children #30

by Gertrude Chandler Warner, Charles Tang (Illustrator)

At the same time that the Alden children's efforts to raise money for a new hospital wing are being sabotaged by nasty tricks, they find their attempts to befriend the new girl Beth frustrated by her strange behavior.

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

121 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1991

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

[Lacey Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this yesterday as well, and I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first when I read!! The mystery was a lot better!!!☺️

[Nikki Glassley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a b s u r d. None of the ghost written mysteries are works of great art but this one... hoo boy. It is Very Bad. VERY. BAD. It does, however, have all the elements books are traditionally composed of, like characters, a plot, and words, so it gets two stars.

I listen to these bad boys on audio and the reader is always atrocious, but this is the first time I’ve felt she made an offensive choice... white ladies should not try to mimic Hispanic accents especially when the character has a Hispanic last name but does not have an accent mentioned anywhere in the text. I can’t believe anyone above her heard that and still approved it. Gross.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not much to this one - it is not one of the original Warner books. The Alden children and their new friend Beth decide to start a 'helpers' organization to take on odd jobs and raise money for a local hospital extension. But their efforts continue to be sabotaged, and they have several suspects - including Beth, who tends to disappear just before something bad happens. Rather pat ending, though.
Why doesn't the date read save? I've entered it twice and it still doesn't show up, even though I've changed the shelf to Read.

[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.

[Brody A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a page turner because weird things kept happening. I think third through fifth graders should read this book because the words are smaller. IF you like other Box Car or mystery books I think you would like this book. This book focuses on raising money for a hospital and all of the mysteries that happen while the kids were trying to make money.

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 30 of the Boxcar Children. This was a fun little book and very light hearted. Also a strong recommend for those young or timid readers. Especially recommend for kids to see what hard work can do. For older readers this will hold less as it is very telegraphed. ​

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

A real mystery!

[Sara Moller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solved it very quickly

[Bethany Lukens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a fun twist at the end! Good natured and a fun read for the family!

[Charles Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

83%

We can all sympathize with what it's like to have an evil twin go and replace you and cause havok in your environment.

[Kim Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't figure out the mystery in this one at all before it was revealed!

[Isabel Sasine · Rating 5 out of 5]

audible

[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. Would recommend.

[Amy Leo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this to Anderson, and we were both underwhelmed. Contains spoilers: It's too bad that his first introduction to the concept of twins was about twins playing a trick on people!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool

I love this book but maybe you could help the readers out like by giving them more clues. Maybe you could make the list of people smaller. Cep making more books

[Navy Blaisdell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not want to finish it, lol

[Sierra Gonzales · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Disappearing Friend Mystery, one of the many additions to The Boxcar Children series written by Gertrude Chandler Warner is a mystery to the Alden’s newly made friend. Introducing Beth, a new kid in the neighborhood, decides to team up with our known friends Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny to help raise money to build a new wing on the county hospital. But Beth suddenly doesn’t act the same. Along with her sudden changes in attitude, the Alden family notices how she begins to run off all the time. With another doctor upset with the plans and a yard worker angry with their fundraisers, who could be upset enough to ruin all of their hard work for raising money?
This story is great for implementing in the classroom because:
~ The characters hold a great sense of relatability. The characters represent different age groups and make the reader feel a part of the big family. Also, their tragic origin creates a make-believe and exciting world for a good escape. This is a great read for a younger audience that introduces children to a realistic fiction.
~ The mystery genre is a great way to practice comprehension skills. The book lays out several possible suspects with different backstories that helps with understanding the different turning point in the story. In also encourages finding changes and gaps in plot and reinforces greater comprehension.
Overall, The Disappearing Friend Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner is a great mystery filled with friends, family and helping others. I recommend these titles to a grade 3 classroom for its emphasis on comprehension.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Boxcar children find a very good and very nice friend in the super market. she just mooved there. The hospital is trying to earn money for a new wing. AND THE BOXCAR CHILDREN WANT TO HELP! They are dog sitting, baby sitting, gardening, they held a car wash, they even helped by feeding somebodys cat whel they were away! But Beth is acting very wierd. People want to get the BOX CAR HELPERS out of buisnes. So sad huh? Theis our are suspects Beth, Charlie the fix it man, and Dr. Jackson a doctor who wants Silver City to have a new hospital. The box car children figure out that right before bad things happen Beth dissepars. In the end they figure out that Beth has a twin named Hether and that Hether is jealous of Beth because Beth always find friends when they move and Hether dosn't. Hether was trying to make things go wrong. Hther was evan trying to pretend to be Beth! When who they thought was Beth was nice that means thatit was Beth. When it was Hether she acted mean. THEY WERE TWINS! In the end Hether worked with them and they had lots of fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better ones we have read. Alex loved it and talked about it all day in between chapters speculating who was causing all the trouble. So cute to see her so excited and interested in it.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

great when ur little

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

great when ur little

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good series for the young reader.

[WSL Library]

X2

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good story, but it was a more difficult story to figure out who-dunnit.

[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 :)

[Partridge Public]

Warner, Hertrude C. PB