The Cupcake Caper

The Boxcar Children #125

by Gertrude Chandler Warner, Robert Papp

It's a delicious new mystery with the Boxcar Children as they help catch a cupcake thief! Mama Tova's shop in Greenfield is so famous that every day, people line up around the block to buy her cupcakes. But when someone breaks into her kitchen, it's clear that her secret recipe is in danger. The Aldens follow the suspects to a bake-off where they must find the culprit using their mystery-solving skills―and their taste buds, too!

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

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

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 3 out of 5]

Learning English by myself through children's books. Book + Scribd audio. This was just an OK book!

Synopsis: "It's a delicious new mystery with the Boxcar Children as they help catch a cupcake thief! Mama Tova's shop in Greenfield is so famous that every day, people line up around the block to buy her cupcakes. But when someone breaks into her kitchen, it's clear that her secret recipe is in danger. The Aldens follow the suspects to a bake-off where they must find the culprit using their mystery-solving skills—and their taste buds, too!"

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great. The mystery is really weak, so blatant and ridiculous. And no, sorry kids, but just because you've appointed yourselves super-sleuths doesn't give you the right to go around interfering in other people's business or meddling with the entries in a cupcake competition.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. I picked this up for a reading challenge because it was about baking. It wasn't bad, just kind of blah. The villain was pretty easy to spot.

[Laura Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I adore the Boxcar Children. They continue to show how teamwork and a strong work ethic can make a difference and often save the day. Clearly these books have been ghost written for ages, as the beloved Gertrude Warner passed away years ago. For the most part, the newer books stay true to her style. This one fell flat. The mystery was predictable, even for my 5-year old, from page one. The clues were so blatant they hit you in the head. Their were major holes and errors in the writing that were just plain odd. Why would a bakery only make one batch of cupcakes a day? The plot made the siblings look ignorant, and their usual core values were missing.

[fanboyriot · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of course, the kids are the only ones who can find the thief of the cupcake recipe. While the plot was a bit over the top it was entertaining and lighthearted. However the ending was disappointing, the thief got hardly any repercussions to their crime.

Read For
✓ Mystery
✓ Cupcakes
✓ Baking Contest
✓ Realistic Fiction
✓ Children’s Fiction

𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊

Sad Level: n/a

Plot: 8/10
Pace: 7/10
Ending: 2/10
Characters: 3/10
Enjoyability: 6/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Would I Recommend? Maybe
Favorite Character: Benny

Favorite Quote: ❝ “How can you tell the cupcakes are ready?” “My noise knows.” Benny said. ❞

POV: Third Person
Pages: 95
Format: Audiobook
Language: English
Release Date: 01, September 2010

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 125 of the Boxcar Children series. This mystery has us in hot pursuit of a would be thief. Lots of red herrings and strange goings on. Overall, a fun read with a good message. If you follow the series you with enjoy this one that speaks to the ends not justifying the means. All ends a happy note and the Aldens wrap up another case. ​

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com

[Christa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading these books as a child, so I wanted to share one with my child. We listened to it on a weekend car ride. The characters are the same, but there were some modern additions, like the internet.

[Violet M · Rating 5 out of 5]

the cupcake caper was a really amazing story. This book is good if you want to guess the guilty one. I really enjoyed this book. If you are looking for a good book this is a really good one, I highly recommend it.

[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.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids figure out a way to sabotage a thief, all while letting Benny eat a lot of cupcakes, lucky him. What do they taste like? What is the trick? Read and find out, you silly goose!

[Crissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seemed a little odd that we have the same characters, pretty much the same age but so many modern things being thrown in.

[Britt, Book Habitue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up with the Boxcar Children it's pretty trippy to have them using the internet without having aged....lol

[aem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still warm-hearted enjoyable. But really, if Benny us only supposed to be 6 years old, his actions and speech should be a 6 year old’s...

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was wondering when there would be a food centered mystery because of how much Benny loves food

[Charles Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

81%

Spicy cupcakes!

[Mickey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the original book as a child. However, this one proved to me that some memories should be left untouched. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't that good either. Of course, I'm also not the intended audience, so I may be a bit harsh.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The boxcar Children is a good series. and if you asked me witch book is my favorite I would tell you I like them all.

[Johannes Kristian · Rating 5 out of 5]

ha-ha!

[Zibby · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a summer of cupcake tasting ourselves. This book was sure fun to read with the boys!!

[Tyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex loved this one like she does with every box car children book. She was so exciting talking about it and trying to figure out who the cupcake caper was z

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my son's favorite Boxcar children.
Wonder why?
Maybe it is time to make some cupcakes.

[Y · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Abby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my favorite, but it wasn't bad.