Mike Dubisch

The four Alden orphans stick together by surviving in an abandoned boxcar, making a home for themselves in the woods. This first installment of the Boxcar Children Series introduces readers to the background and foundational information about the series in a compact manner. This condensed version of the story may appeal to slightly younger readers than the original, or present fewer challenges to struggling readers, but a lot of the story details are lost within the fast pacing. Thirty-two show more pages, six of them being beginning or end non-text matter, simply is not enough space to convey the narrative told within this graphic novel. Characters fall flat, as nearly all their dialogue or actions convey plot points, which are amazingly intact in such a short amount of space. The illustrations panels are very navigable, with easy to interpret speech balloons and narrative asides, without too much cluttering text. As such, most of the story relies on illustrations to show the reader what is being told, with an impressive amount of detail. The color palette is initially grim and dark, but gradually brightens alongside the storyline, up to the happy ending. Like the text, the panels switch focus sharply, not letting the action live in the panels, but rather contain the action within them. This graphic novel may draw in new readers to the series, or provide added enjoyment or an alternative narration method to a beloved children’s text. As such, it is marginally recommended to lending collections serving children ages seven to nine. show less

This is the graphic novel remake of Gertrude Chandler Warner's Boxcar Children, introducing a new generation to the story of the Aldens. This graphic novel format is only the bare bones of the story, with a lower reading level. On the positive side, it might interest another generation in the story, but at the cost of much of what makes the story so loved. Personally, I'd rather wait until a child is a better reader and introduce them to the original.

This story of four orphans who don't want to live with their grandpa so they run away and live in a train boxcar. This is based upon the classic series by Gertrude Chandler Warner. This is a great adaptation for students who don't enjoy normal chapter books. I would utilize this with my E.L.L. students because I believe it would help them build their literacy skills with the aid of the pictures. I also love that this series is revamped for a new generation of readers!

This is a wonderful graphic novel (first in the series) based on the original series written by Gertrude Chandler Warner. The story is about 4 young orphan kids who run away from home so that they don't have to live with their (thought to be) mean grandfather. On their adventure, these kids are forced to stick together and when they find an old boxcar they decide to move in to keep safe and warm. This lovely story is typically for grade 3 and up, however in a graphic novel format, children show more may be intrigued with the story and may even be more appealing to non-readers. This would be a great novel to have in the classroom and can even be made into a fun art project where the children create their own boxcar. If not used as a mentor text, this would still be a great addition to the classroom library. show less