The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler WarnerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was obsessed with The Boxcar Children as a child. I mean what's not to love about a smart group of orphans who learn to survive on their own and do their best to stick together and protect each other? There are 4 of them, and I have 3 siblings, so I was sure that should the need ever arise, I would be ready to live with my siblings in a boxcar. In fact, I wanted to (not that I wanted anything bad to happen to my mom, but boxcar in the wilderness would have made a kickass club house).
Also, the children adopt an inured dog, even though feeding it means less food for themselves. I mean, come on! Could these children be any more amazing?
As an adult, I was curious to reread this to see if it still held the charm and whimsy of my childhood. I confess, I enjoyed reliving this book, but a bit of my realistic adult has snuck in at this point and therefore questions some of the things I never questioned as a child. Go figure. Growing up does seem to ruin a lot of good things, but it comes with some amazing perks, like being able to drink coffee without being told it will stunt your growth (clearly that was a lie, as I'm 5'10").
Anyway, long story short, this is a charming and fun read for elementary students. While I confess that I could have survived in the wilderness (and practically did) as a child, I don't think my nieces and nephews would far this well, which makes it even more interesting to me and probably also to them.
Pages: 160
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