The Boxcar Children!

Appetizer:

If we are to set aside the love of orphan books for a moment, a large influence on my childhood was the mystery story. Especially ones where the heroes and heroines were kids. Oh, sure, I enjoyed my fair share of Sherlock Holmes, but I liked it when kids my age were the ones solving the mysteries. Even Nancy Drew was too far removed from the type of sleuthing I was capable of, like the ability to drive (well, if we’re being honest, Nancy Drew has a great number of “convenient” talents that can be discussed at a different point). Give me a kid on a bike and we’re in business. Perhaps some of the earliest sleuths I fell in love with were The Boxcar Children! They had it all: orphans, lived in a boxcar, a penchant for uncovering mysteries. Though they ultimately find a home, they begin the series by making their way in the world with only their wits and each other as resources.

Main Course:

Though this is a series, I contend that the best Boxcar Children books are the first five. If you’re familiar with the Nancy Drew series and their authorship, this series suffers from the same problem. The original few books are well written and thought out, but as time goes on either the author shifts or the quality of the story suffers due to the desire to pump out volume after volume in the series (I think there are upwards of a hundred, all told). The first book is my favorite, though the only mystery is the identity of the children themselves. The book centers the four orphaned Alden’s who are trying to their way in the world. They make a home for themselves out of an abandoned boxcar and find work to keep them afloat. Though the children meet with some trials, they generally encounter kind people willing to help them and their story ends with them finding a comfortable permanent home. Even the villain of the story turns out to be generous and loving! Unlike some of the other books I’ve recommended, this book doesn’t grapple with the interplay between good and evil in individual humans. It has a sunny outlook on the world and the trials that the children encounter. As the series goes on, there are mysteries to solve, but none that branch into grislier or darker crimes that characterize books for adults. Rather, they serve as a way for the children to solve problems on their own. Especially in the first books in the series, this results in a pleasurable read and an inspiration for a child trying to gain confidence in their ability to face the trials of the world around them. After all, if a boxcar can be made into a hospitable dwelling place, anything is possible!

Pairs Well With: 

The Nostalgic: Take a dive into a couple of the series that you grew up with. You might be surprised that those first chapter books you read, like these, are so remarkably short! These books are definitely ones that will remind you that the depth you require in a storyline know is much greater than what you demanded in first grade. Still, this is a great inspiration to revisit the attitude you had as a child. Face a day or week with a carefree spirit. Remind yourself that ingenuity and a sunny disposition can resolve at least a portion of the every day problems you face. Who knows, you might discover after a week that the world is a more optimistic place than you once believed. Even if it’s not, perhaps this nostalgic attitude shift will help you give others the benefit of the doubt just a bit more.

The Benefactor: This is one of those book series that can turn a casual reader into an avid one. Though I think only the first few books are really good, the fact that the series boasts so many titles allows your young reader to devour them at a rapid pace. Though the later books start to get into more formulaic plots, it will be a good way for your reader to start to discover things they enjoy in a book beyond the characters. When I was young, I remember identifying a point in reading this series where the plots weren’t as satisfying as they had been earlier on. If you reader hits this same point, capitalize on it! Use it as a means to ask them critical questions about their reading. What changed in the series that made them lose interest? What elements of the books they like stand out as superior?

This book also pairs well with some good old fort making. Though you may not have a handy abandoned boxcar to refurbish, allowing your reader to build a fort of clubhouse or even start a club is a great way to get their creative juices flowing. Maybe they can even start a mystery club and you can plant clues around the house or neighborhood. If they’re anything like Katie and I, they’ll latch onto the idea and start creating mysteries for each other to solve. This mystery solving not only is a fun way to get them out of the house, its a great way to develop critical thinking skills without those boring logic puzzles.