Top 10 Boxcar Children Books of All Times

If there is such a thing as one children’s book that covers every aspect of mystery and adventure, I would say it’s The Boxcar Children books. Although these books have not received any rewarding awards, they still tend to give parents satisfaction that their children are in good hands.

Who Is The Original Illustrator?

Gertrude Chandler Warner was an American teacher to first-grade students, and she created the first stories. All of her novels specialize in children’s fascinations and adventures.

The stories are based on the situations four orphaned children; Benny, Violet, Jessie, and Henry, encounter and they are generally with their grandfather.

Every chapter of these books is different, as each story features the kids solving adventures and mysteries in their community and other locations their grandfather takes them to. Without a doubt, these books are children’s favorite, and we believe many future generations will read them.

How Many The Boxcar Children books did Gertrude Warner write?

Gertrude Warner wrote 19 Boxcar Children books between 1924 and 1976. The content she published was amazing and attractive that children wanted more, but she passed away. 

A couple of years after, a few writers picked up her writing techniques and narrating ways to continue making The Boxcar Children books in 1991. Now, there are more than 150 Boxcar Children books titles available in the market. 

Needless to say, the Gertrude Chandler Warner books are a blessing for the parents looking for eccentric books for their children. 

What Reading Level is The Boxcar Children series?

These books are generally fitting for 7 to 10-year-olds or kids in grades 1-5. Their length vary depending on the book, but they tend to be between 50 and 200 pages.

Recommended Books of The Series

In the remainder of the post, we will discuss in detail what we consider to be the top 10 best Boxcar Children books that satisfy children’s adventure tingling senses. 

1. The Boxcar Children [1st Edition]

As discussed in the introduction of this content, The Boxcar Children is the first book of the entire series. The story of this book tells the description of the characters and the whole plot and main idea. 

The four orphans discover a red boxcar that keeps them all together, warm and safe, as they have no place to go. They make the Boxcar their home and live in there until they find out about their grandfather. 

We can’t praise the author enough for writing such attractive children’s stories, as she describes every detail with joy and mystery to maintain the element of suspense in the children’s minds.

However, it can be overwhelming to watch such sweet and innocent kids go through a lot of pain, and not having the ability to fight back is another vulnerable point. But, everything works out once your kid understands the true meaning of the story and how everything works out with fiction in the end. 

The Boxcar is the main idea of this book and the struggles that come with it. 

2. The Box That Watch Found [#113]

It might sound a bit strange, but Watch is the name of Alden’s dog. Watch becomes attracted by a mysteriously sharp colored box. When the four kids open the box, they find a note saying, ‘Congratulations! You have found it” inside.

The main idea of this book revolves around an entertaining game called ‘Treasure Hunting.’ So, if your child loves treasure hunting and different treats that come with that activity, The Boxcar Children: The Box That Watch Found is the perfect one.

On the other hand, this book might not be the ideal choice for everyone, as not every child likes the activity levels associated with treasure hunting. For those kids, we have eight other alternatives.

3. The Mystery of The Stolen Snowboard [#134]

As the name suggests, this story occurs during winter. As the winter season comes, the kids are looking forward to the exciting snow activities they will be performing, especially snowboarding.

The snowboard is the main component of this story, as the kids end up solving a mystery of a stolen snowboard. In addition to the snowboard story, a professional athlete also featured. Without a doubt, this book is fascinating to read.

For those of you who love the winter and are a fan of snowboarding, The Mystery of The Stolen Snowboard is a fascinating story that describes the environment and how the children find the stolen snowboard.

However, if your kid is not a fan of snowboarding or doesn’t like the winter, then this book can be a significant turndown. 

4. The Bus Station Mystery [#18]

In this sequence, all four kids have to spend some time in a bus station because a terrible storm strikes their town. They are headed to the hobby and science fair but couldn’t make it due to stormy weather. 

While being disappointed by the weather, the kids end up diverting their attention to a polluted river and a pair of mysterious boys. 

This book is a great one to read as it spreads awareness among children about keeping their environment clean. In the end, the kids are more aware of how their actions affect the world.

David Cunningham illustrated this specific book.

5. The Cupcake Caper [#125]

Now don’t be confused by the word ‘cupcake’ because the story doesn’t end on the four kids making cupcakes. In fact, the story revolves around a cupcake thief who steals cupcakes with the sole purpose of getting the secret cupcake recipe of Mama Tova.

The plot in this book is exciting and tasty. On the other hand, the mystery is straightforward to solve, even for a ten-year-old reading.

However, the reason why this book stands out is that it teaches kids how to use their mystery skills, and not to mention, their taste buds to find out the cupcake thief. One thing is for sure; children will not get bored because the story gets tastier with every plot twist. But, your kids won’t be surprised to know the thief. 

Robert Papp illustrated this book.

6. Caboose Mystery [#11]

During the summer vacations, the Aldens go on a train trip in which they have to spend their entire summer. Caboose no. 777 is their vacation spot on the train, and the kids start to notice some unusual things about the caboose, which leads to a whole new chapter of mysteries.

The children begin to unravel the mysteries to find out what exactly happened there.

This is one of the longest books of the series. Also, if you have weak hunger controls, then you won’t like some of the pages that contain food descriptions. Overall, the Caboose Mystery is a fascinating read.

David Cunningham illustrated this book.

7. The Firehouse Mystery [#56]

In this story, the town council wants to demolish an old firehouse. Still, the boxcar children are too attached to its historical elements and decide to stop the town council from destroying it.

So, they put their mystery smelling senses in motion and search for ways to restore the firehouse. But, as their search begins, they find out that there are sudden barriers to their plans.

Kids that love firehouses and exciting objects will love this story. On the other hand, if your kid is not interested in firehouses, then this book might not be that appealing to them.

Furthermore, it is inspiring to see the love and appreciation the kids have for the historic firehouse.

Gertrude Chandler Warner is the author.

8. The Clue in the Recycling Bin [#126]

In this sequence, the four kids bring home plenty of stuff like unused decorated notebooks and a fun piñata from a nearby recycling center that Mrs. MacGregor introduced to them.

The story becomes interesting when intruders start to break into the Recycling Center, and the kids begin to investigate the scene with their detective skills.

The clue in the recycling bin teaches kids the value of recycling and keeping the environment clean and green at all costs. On the other hand, it is challenging to explain the difference between something that can be recycled and something that cannot be. So, this might be a turn down for some kids.

However, this book might get your kids to recycle things and learn the value of cleanliness. Also, this can benefit the parents as well because the kids will learn to be more responsible for their actions.

Robert Papp illustrated this book.

9. Surprise Island [#2]

In this story, the kids are having fun spending their summer vacations on their grandfather’s island. Where there is an island, mysteries are bound to happen. So, the four kids go through a lot of mysteries, difficulties, and adventures.

The main idea of this story is to teach kids how to tackle difficulties on their own. On the other hand, it is irresponsible of the grandfather to leave the kids stranded on the island alone. 

But, the thing that keeps us going is the unity and support the four kids have for one another. 

Mary Gehr illustrated this book.

10. The Yellow House Mystery [#3]

When the boxcar children hear about a man who vanished from the yellow house three years ago, they get triggered and decide to figure out the mystery behind all this.

The details in this book are very noticing and helpful, as they teach kids how to camp. On the other hand, if your kid has a very realistic personality, then they might not enjoy this book as much.

Moreover, this is the first-ever book in the entire series to feature an actual mystery.

Mary Gehr illustrated this book.

We hope you enjoyed our compilation of the top 10 The Boxcar Children books! If you are a new parent looking for exciting books to shape the imaginative side of your child, then The Boxcar Children’s books are a strong bet. 

For more reading recommendations, visit our other books articles.