Hi y’all!

This review pile just keeps getting bigger so I am trying to make a dent in it!

Today I am excited to share my review of The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. This is the first book in the Boxcar Children series. I remember loving these books as a kid and was surprised by how much I remembered from this original story.

According to Goodreads, “Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden take care of one another. They have no parents, no other family—except for a grandfather they don’t care to see—and no home . . . until the night they find the boxcar. Old, rusty, lonely, and abandoned in the woods, it’s the perfect home for four brave children on their own.”

A sweet, short story perfect for read aloud. What makes it a great read aloud?

• Likable characters in the children. I love how they take care of each other. They are so inventive in how they make their new home feel like home. And they are careful to be kind to each other and help the younger ones.
• Love the ways they set up house in the boxcar — dishes, beds, refrigerator, the pink cup, even a dog. Their trips to the dump I remember loving as a kid. And I remember wanting to live in a boxcar like these children.
• Short simple chapters with good morals. I liked the race and the cherry picking best. And loved how the kids learn to take care of each other and other good lessons in this book. I was surprised by how short the book is in its entirety. I read it easily in one afternoon.
• From a different time when kids had more freedom. I think that makes it a fun book to read with kids because of the lost time feel. Henry works for the doctor daily, none of them are in school, and they can run away fairly easy. But they are also so responsible and hard working as they make their little home.
• Very simple and straightforward story. Easy to read and understand. I bet my kids who are still quite little would enjoy this one. 

This was a nostalgic read from my childhood. It will be fun to read this one and others in the series to my kids.

What were some of your favorite books as a kid?
Any series you’d recommend to read with little ones?