According to senior editor Wendy McClure, who has overseen the series for the past 10 years, and marketing director Michelle Bayuk, this milestone “…seemed like a great opportunity to reaffirm the classic appeal of these books. We would hear many people say ‘I remember the Boxcar Children!’ even as each new generation of kids discovered the books on their own. But we also wanted to ensure that new generations would see that the books are appealing and meant for just for them. A new look does that.”

Standing the Test of Time

With more than 50 million copies sold, it’s clear that the mysteries remain popular with readers. In fact, Warner’s The Boxcar Children was recently included on SLJ’s “Top 100 Chapter Books” poll. McClure and Bayuk identify the novel as a trendsetter: “It was one of the first ‘high-lo’ books, combining adventure with a very accessible reading level. She wrote it for her students [Warner was a first-grade teacher in Putnam, CT]—with repetitive language, controlled vocabulary, and sentence length in mind.” Warner would go on to write 18 more installments, until her death in 1979 (though other writers have taken over, she is still acknowledged as the series’ creator).

McClure credits the series’ longevity to “a great set of core characters, Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny Alden, who are relatable to both boys and girls, along with the mystery element, which has a timeless appeal.” The fact that the children embark on adventures and solve mysteries mostly without adult intervention also has special appeal to 21^st-century readers: “Kids today live more structured, scheduled lives than in previous generations, so the Aldens’ unusual independence really speaks to them.” And, McClure adds, the characters “…have always kept up with the times in a way that allows them to stay the same smart, resourceful kids they’ve always been. Jessie has a laptop that she uses to keep track of clues; the kids have gone geocaching, made movies, and investigated zombies. What remains the same is their dedication to each other and their independence.”

The New Look

Illustrated by Tim Jessell, the jackets for the reissued volumes showcase realistic images of the young protagonists, set against atmospheric backdrops that depict each book’s setting. Deep hues, rich textures, and contrasts provided by splashes of light create a dramatic and tension-fraught ambiance.

According to art director Nick Tiemersma, “The new covers really put the action in the forefront, whereas the old covers were light and playful. We really wanted the Boxcar Children to look exciting, just like the stories.” The illustrator was asked to “re-imagine the Alden children (including [their dog] Watch), and add a fresh twist, yet keep the characters classic. The tone is definitely a bit darker. Each book has a sense of suspense, but without looking too scary.” Tiemersma states that the new masthead was chosen for its “vintage feel with a contemporary edge.” And indeed, the logo effectively blends old and new, incorporating the series’ familiar red lettering and boxcar image, but utilizing a more elegant, modern-looking font and eye-pleasing arrangement. Bright swaths of primary colors on the spine and back jackets also add to the books’ updated appearance.

All of the books feature the original interior artwork. The first four volumes in the series, as well as the most recent installment, are available in both hardcover and paperback. Numbers five and six have been published in paperback in the updated format. Bayuk adds, “We will keep working on new covers—definitely for the first 19 written by Gertrude herself—into 2014.All new titles in the series will also have the new treatment. Other backlist will be considered as they come up for reprint.”

Writing the Prequel

MacLachlan’s The Boxcar Children Beginning: The Aldens of Fair Meadow Farm (Gr 2-5), also featuring a cover painting by Jessell, will be released this month. According to McClure, “We have always gotten letters from readers wondering about the Aldens’ past. The more readers know the Aldens the more inquisitive they are. Patricia MacLachlan writes masterfully about families, especially families that come together under difficult circumstances, and we felt if anyone could find out the story of the Aldens, she could.”

Set in the year before the children became orphans, the book introduces the young characters and paints a portrait of the members of a loving and generous family who are willing to open their hearts to others despite the stresses caused by hard times. The novel conveys a charming sampling of homespun adventures, while also foreshadowing events to come, introducing each youngster’s unique interests and strengths, and eloquently establishing the special bond that will help the siblings weather the tragedy that marks the story’s climax. Written in straightforward yet lyrical language, the book sets the scene for the series, and will appeal to newcomers as well as veteran readers curious about what happened “before.”

What was MacLachlan’s reaction when she was asked to write the prequel? The author explains: “I always feel that when some doors open I should walk through them. I really liked the children in the Boxcar books, and I felt confident just what sort of parents they might have—parents who taught them kindness.” MacLachlan believes that young readers continue to love these stories “…because they are essentially about children on their own. They show great strengths in protecting each other, and in making a new family situation work. They are also inventive and resourceful—models for all children in any situation.”

She prepared for writing the book by reading many of the Boxcar stories and listening to her son read them to one of her granddaughters at bedtime: “This way I could listen to the story from both an adult and a young child’s ear and heart.” Commenting on re-creating these familiar protagonists, she says, “I felt protective of Gertrude Chandler Warner’s characters…I wrote them as I felt she might have written them. We were a sort of team, and though I have my own sense of family I thought she might have approved.”

In terms of themes, MacLachlan states, “…there was always the initial theme of the loss of the children’s parents and how they dealt with that. All children know of loss in many ways, but in this story the children had to move together quickly and each find a role. Henry moved into the ‘father’ role, Jesse the ‘mothering’ one. Violet was the ‘mender and fixer,’ and the one who saw possibilities. And they all cared for the sweet Benny.” In addition, the novel powerfully depicts the Depression-era setting, and the way in which the characters pull together to help each other out. The author explains, “My philosopher father used to say children had the same concerns no matter the decade or century. In my prequel I used much of my own grandparents’ lives during the Depression—how they helped others, gave them food and a place to stay. The sense of community was very strong, and I think children love hearing about this.”

The Aldens Go Multimedia

Young readers and educators can visit the “Boxcar Children” website for kid-friendly bios of Warner, the Alden children, and their dog Watch (including a list of what the characters are reading); a link to the Gertrude Chandler Warner Museum in Putnam, CT; and a downloadable activity guide. All 130 “Boxcar Children Mysteries” are available in eBook format from Open Road Integrated Media, and, according to Bayuk, Oasis Audio, which has already published numerous installments of the series as audio books, will publish the remaining titles in 2012 and 2013 (the first three titles are available from Random House Audio). And be on the lookout for a cartoon version. A direct-to-video animated series of The Boxcar Children is in the works and scheduled to release in spring of 2013. Maureen Gorman is the executive producer, and the series is being developed by Hammerhead Productions.

Publication Information

WARNER, Gertrude Chandler. The Boxcar Children. illus. by L. Kate Deal. ISBN 978-0-8075-0851-0; ISBN 978-0-8075-0852-7.

_____. Surprise Island: The Boxcar Children Mysteries. Bk. 2. illus. by Mary Gehr. ISBN 978-0-8075-7673-1; ISBN 978-0-8075-7674-8.

_____. The Yellow House Mystery: Boxcar Children Mysteries. Bk. 3. illus. by Mary Gehr. ISBN 978-0-8075-9365-3; ISBN 978-0-8075-9366-0.

_____. Mystery Ranch: Boxcar Children Mysteries Bk. 4. illus. by Dirk Gringhuis. ISBN 978-0-8075-5390-9; ISBN 978-0-8075-5391-6.

_____. Mike’s Mystery: Boxcar Children Mysteries. Bk. 5. illus. by Dirk Gringhuis. ISBN 978-0-8075-5141-7.

_____. Blue Bay Mystery: Boxcar Children Mysteries. Bk. 6. illus. by Dirk Gringhuis. ISBN 978-0-8075-0794-0.

The Garden Thief: Boxcar Children Mysteries. Bk. 130. ISBN 978-0-8075-2751-1; ISBN 978-0-8075-2752-8.

ea vol: Albert Whitman. 2012. Tr $15.99; pap. $5.99.

MACLACHLAN, Patricia. The Boxcar Children Beginning: The Aldens of Fair Meadow Farm. Whitman. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8075-6616-9.

Shhh…It’s Sleepy Time

Ideal for helping youngsters wind down from a busy day, The Family Bedtime Treasury: Tales for Sleepy Times and Sweet Dreams (Houghton Harcourt, 2012; PreS-Gr 3) presents a cozy collection of eight beautifully reproduced slumber-themed picture books and eight illustrated poems. The offerings represent an enticing variety of storytelling moods and artistic styles guaranteed to hold the attention of young listeners.

Tried-and-true favorites, such as Audrey and Don Wood’s buoyant The Napping House (1984) and Joyce Dunbar and Debi Gliori’s night-fears-assuaging Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Bed (1998), are joined by newer works, including Wendy Watson’s almost wordless (but bursting with sound effects) Bedtime Bunnies (2010), Karen Beaumont and Jackie Urbanovic’s farmyard treat, No Sleep for Sheep (2011); and Olivier Dunrea’s Gideon (2012), starring a childlike gosling who would rather play than nap (until he falls fast asleep atop a haystack). Presented on single and double-page spreads, the poems include a traditional Hawaiian lullaby illustrated in sunset hues by Kate Kiesler (Fishing for a Dream, 1999); Calef Brown’s night-flight ode to a “Young Moth” (Soup for Breakfast, 2008); and Dana Jensen’s wistful “When Stars Make Wishes,” illustrated by Tricia Tusa (A Meal of the Stars, 2012, all Houghton Harcourt).

An appended section introduces the featured authors and illustrators, highlights some of their publications, and lists pertinent websites, encouraging parents to seek out more wonderful selections. The book comes with an audio CD recording (which can also be downloaded) of 21 classical music pieces played on oboe, cello, and keyboard, just right for settling down wide-awake little ones and inspiring flights of fancy. Recommend this thoughtfully complied, pleasingly designed volume to patrons seeking out bedtime or naptime suggestions—they’ll appreciate the package deal.

An Inventive Tale…Back in Print

First published in 1965, Doris Burn’s Andrew Henry’s Meadow (Coward-McCann; K-Gr 4), winner of the Washington Governor’s Art Award, has been reissued by Philomel. A middle child, Andrew Henry Thatcher is often left on his own but has no trouble finding things to do. While his inventions—a helicopter crafted from barrel and broom in the kitchen, an eagle’s cage in the living room, a merry-go-round powered by his sisters’ sewing machine—utilize his imagination and ingenuity, they also annoy his family members, who insist that he cart his contraptions away. Fed up, Andrew Henry packs up his tools and treks to a meadow where he constructs a house of his own design, complete with a fir-bough roof and landing platform for dragonflies.

Soon joined by other young runaways whose passions and hobbies are also balked at by their loved ones, the resourceful boy builds each child a dwelling that is tailor-made to his or her needs. It takes the grownups four days to find their missing offspring. Fortunately, the youngsters are ready to go home; Andrew Henry’s family provides him with a basement workspace and plenty of newfound appreciation. This charmer of a tale is illustrated with crisp pen-and-ink artwork filled with cross-hatched textures and finely wrought details. The inviting new cover is adorned with a zoomed-in image of the protagonist in his built-by-hand abode. Consider reintroducing this timeless title to your collection and adding it to your list of recommendations for books about inventions and creativity, family relationships, and finding one’s place in the world. And try it out on fans of TV’s Phineas and Ferb.

Never Enough Lyle

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt celebrates the 50^th birthday of Bernard Waber’s charismatic crocodile with the release of the Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Storybook Treasury (Houghton Harcourt, 2012; PreS-Gr 4). Beginning with The House on 88^th Street (1962), the heartwarming tale that first introduced this lovable character to the Primm family and to readers, this handsome compilation showcases three other standbys: Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (1965); Lyle and the Birthday Party (1966)  and Lyle Walks the Dogs (2010), an enchanting counting book brightly illustrated by Waber’s daughter Paulis. In his introduction, the author provides background about his creative inspirations and shares his heartfelt feelings about the books’ generation-spanning appeal. The volume ends with brief bios and (then and now) photos of father and daughter. A bonus audio download of a tale read by the author is also available. The artwork looks fantastic, and the stories are as fresh and funny today as when they were first published. Purchase this four-in-one volume to win over new Lyle fans, replace battered or missing copies of these favorite titles, and spiff up picture book sections.

The Little House Celebrates 70 Years

First published in 1942, Virginia Lee Burton’s Caldecott-Medal-winning tale of a “pretty Little House” built in the countryside and the challenges and changes brought on by the passage of time and the demands of progress is a true picture book classic. Houghton Mifflin marks the title’s 70^th anniversary with a new edition (Houghton Harcourt, 2012; K-Gr 4).

In his introduction, the author’s son, sculptor Aristedes Burton Demetrios, describes growing up in a “house very much like the one pictured in this book…an idyllic and magical setting, replete with a roaring brook, rocks to climb, and winding paths.” Recalling time spent by he and his brother in “Jinee’s” studio (once a barn), serving as models for a work in progress (The Song of Robin Hood), or being corralled and read aloud to as guinea pigs for her latest tale, Demetrios provides delightful insights into Burton’s creative genius and role as both artist and mother. The book includes an audio CD of the story read aloud and a bonus track of the author’s Maybelle the Cable Car. The book cover features a foil background—as blue as the sun-warmed sky illustrated within—that adds a festive note to the well-known jacket. Replace worn or missing copies with this elegant multi-media version.

Publication Information

The Family Bedtime Treasury: Tales for Sleepy Times and Sweet Dreams. Houghton Harcourt. Sept. 2012. Tr $18.99. w/CD. ISBN 978-0-547-85786-2.

BURN, Doris. Andrew Henry’s Meadow. illus. by author. Philomel. 2012. PLB $14.99. ISBN 978-0-399-25608-0.

WABER, Bernard. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Storybook Treasury. illus. by author & Paulis Waber. Houghton Harcourt.  2012. Tr $10.99. ISBN 978-0-547-51618-9.

BURTON, Virginia Lee. The Little House. Anniversary Ed. illus. by author. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. PLB $16.99. w/CD. ISBN 978-0-547-79044-2.