The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children Graphic Novels Series #1)

by Shannon Eric Denton, Mike Dubisch (Illustrator), Gertrude Chandler Warner (Based on a book by)

Overview

One Warm Night four children stood in front of a bakery. No one knew them. No one knew where they had come from." So begins Gertrude Chandler Warner's beloved story about four orphans who run away and find shelter in an abandoned boxcar. There they manage to live all on their own, and at last, find love and security from an unexpected source. The Boxcar Children has been eagerly passed from child to child and generation to generation for more than half a century. This sixtieth anniversary edition includes a preface by Barbara Elleman, a biographical sketch of the author by Mary Ellen Ellsworth, and a collection of photographs and memorabilia. An evocative jacket painting by Linda Fennimore and original silhouettes by L. Kate Deal illustrate a family book to be treasured for years to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781602705869
Publisher:	Magic Wagon
Publication date:	01/01/2009
Series:	Boxcar Children Graphic Novels Series , #1
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	133,506
Product dimensions:	7.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Gertrude Chandler Warner, a teacher, wrote bookss that were both easy and fun to read. This story, like the other 18 in the now-classic Boxcar Children series, which has sold over 3 million copies in paperback, features children solving problems and acting responsibly without the supervision of adults. Gertrude Chandler Warner was a lifelong resident of Putman, Connecticut, until her death in 1979 at the age of 89.
READER BIO:
Phyllis Newman began her career as a child entertainer in vaudeville. She later gained recognition as a gifted entertainer in many Broadway productions, earning a Tony Award for her role in Subways Are For Sleeping. Phyllis also appears on television series wuch as One Life To Live and "thirtysomething".

Table of Contents

Editorial Reviews

Even today, Gertrude Chandler Warner's classic Depression-era story of Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden -- four hungry children who transform an abandoned boxcar into a home -- fascinates us because, regardless of age, we all long to be on our own. This 60th Anniversary Edition of Warner's classic sports a bright new cover and many new features but retains L. Kate Deal's original silhouettes.

Children's NOTES Boxcar Children Redux Two titles mark a landmark anniversary of a classic series. The first, The Boxcar Children 60th Anniversary Edition by Gertrude Chandler Warner, illus. by L. Kate Deal, contains the original text, with an introduction by Barbara Elleman, as well as a brief biography of the author, b&w photos and "An Open Letter to Children Who Ask How I Happened to Write The Boxcar Children," all contained in a handsomely designed volume. (Sept) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

In this graphic novelization of the first book in the beloved "Boxcar Children" series, the Alden children struggle to find food, shelter, and a way to stay together. Orphaned and homeless, the four siblings find an abandoned boxcar in the woods and decide to make it their home. Their eldest brother, Henry, finds work at a doctor's house to support his brother Benny and sisters, Jessie and Violet, all the while keeping their existence a secret from his employer. The family is happy together in their boxcar in the woods, until Violet becomes very ill. The doctor discovers the children are the missing grandchildren of the very rich Mr. Alden. The doctor introduces the children to their grandfather, and the family is whole once again. This adaptation of the full-length chapter book to graphic novel may appeal to reluctant readers, but the plot is cut to the bone, illustrations are poorly rendered, and the children are difficult to tell apart. The benefit this book might offer is to introduce young readers to the series and inspire them to read the full-length chapter books, but on its own is a poor substitute for the real thing. Reviewer: Lauri Berkenkamp

Children's Literature - Lauri Berkenkamp

Gr 3-5–While adult fans of the original series, which began in 1942, might be interested in seeing their favorite characters in a new format, these books fall short of expectations. In all three titles, the art feels stiff and awkward–the characters’ faces are undeveloped and indistinct, making them difficult to connect with. The text, rather than the images, moves the action along, flattening the excitement of the Alden kids’ discoveries and making even the dramatic moments when the mysteries are revealed seem clunky and anticlimactic.–Lauren Anduri, Brooklyn Public Library, NY

School Library Journal