Reviews

The Boxcar Children Fully Illustrated Edition by Gertrude Chandler Warner

devin_magreyn's review against another edition

4.0

A classic book. I haven’t read this since the first grade and it was just as amazing as I remembered it to be. I loved the cute little story of the 4 children and how they made the boxcar into their home! I was originally going to give this a 5-Star, but there were some questionable lines in the book so I dropped my rating. But still overall this book still has the charm I remember from 13 years ago! I might even pick up the second book on this series.

wombat_88's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

alllis's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

nostalgic, shorter than i remember but still just as good

annaoneil's review against another edition

5.0

one of my mom's childhood favorites that she shared with me <3

sandraagee's review against another edition

3.0

I read this as a child and remember it fondly. My oldest got a box set with the first four volumes as an 8th birthday gift, and we read this one together. She was skeptical at first, because she generally doesn't like books that lack color, but in the end said that she really liked it.

That said, there were parts of this book that were just not written super well, all regarding

Spoiler

the mystery of will Dr. Moore tell Mr. Alden that he knows where his grandchildren are, and how all of that is subsequently handled. It was confusing to try to sort out what the reader knows vs. what the children know.

That said, my kids didn't notice or care, so no major harm done.

rachelb36's review against another edition

5.0

This was one of my favorite books as a child that I reread over and over. The sensory details were so great, from the boxcar that the children lived in to the food they bought and gathered, to the way they cleaned their spoons with sand and built their own swimming pool. I desperately wanted to live this kind of life when I was a kid, with so much freedom coupled with purpose in everyday tasks.

kristapeters's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

dixiet's review against another edition

5.0

So sweet, just as I remember it from childhood.

katpeterson06's review against another edition

5.0

My favorite book series growing up as a kid. Love that I can now read them to my daughter.

mariamwazeer's review against another edition

I always liked books about kids running away and I remember that the kids in my class who wouldn't normally touch a book with a stick used to borrow this series from the library once we outgrew the Magic School Bus.