Here again we have the usual delightful adventures of the Boxcar Children with healthy relationships modeled: both with each other and with their grandfather. I have just a few notable issues that are not concerns for me but may be for some families:

  • Name calling. The “bad guys” call the people that they mistreated poor names. I think the extent of it is pretty much saying these people are “stupid” or “dumb.” The villains are talking, so it’s not behavior the author condones, but still might not be ideal for some families.
  • Gender roles. The gender roles are pretty strong for this one: Jessie does the cooking & Violet does the clothes washing. Henry is the boat captain & Benny is the 1st mate. So if you want to raise boys who think cooking & clothes washing is always done by the women, this book will reinforce that for you. My boys have a fantastic dad who helps out in the kitchen & with the laundry, so this isn’t a major concern for me.
  • Break-ins. The bad guys break into the houseboat when the Alden family isn’t there, and although nobody gets hurt, I know break-ins can be eerie.  So if your family has had experience with a break-in, you might take a pass on this one, which won’t hinder your experience with the next one. 
  • Smoking. If smoking is a sensitive issue in your family, it might be helpful to be aware that the children smell cigarette smoke after the break-in, implying that the villains smoked a cigarette while in the houseboat.

Here are links to my reviews of other Boxcar Children books:

The Boxcar Children (Book 1)https://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2022/11/06/the-boxcar-children-books-12-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children (Book 2) Surprise Islandhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2022/11/06/the-boxcar-children-books-12-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/Needs Parent Supervision
The Boxcar Children (Book 3) Yellow House Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2022/11/12/the-boxcar-children-book-3-yellow-house-mystery-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children (Book 4) Mystery Ranchhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/01/09/the-boxcar-children-books-04-and-05-mystery-ranch-and-mikes-mystery-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children (Book 5) Mike’s Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/01/09/the-boxcar-children-books-04-and-05-mystery-ranch-and-mikes-mystery-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children (Book 6) Blue Bay Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/02/04/the-boxcar-children-book-6-blue-bay-mystery/Needs Parent Supervision (Other Religious Practices)
The Boxcar Children (Book 7) The Woodshed Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/04/12/the-boxcar-children-book-7-the-woodshed-mystery/Needs Parent Supervision
The Boxcar Children (Book 8) Lighthouse Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/04/17/the-boxcar-children-book-8-lighthouse-mystery/Not for me
The Boxcar Children (Book 9) Mountain Top Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/04/19/the-boxcar-children-book-9-mountain-top-mystery/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children (Book 10) Schoolhouse Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/04/23/the-boxcar-children-book-10-schoolhouse-mystery-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children (Book 11) Caboose Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/04/23/the-boxcar-children-book-11-caboose-mystery-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children (Book 12) Houseboat Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/05/10/the-boxcar-children-book-12-houseboat-mystery-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children (Book 13) Snowbound Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/05/10/the-boxcar-children-book-13-snowbound-mystery-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children (Book 14) Treehouse Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/05/14/the-boxcar-children-book-14-treehouse-mystery-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children (Book 15) Bicycle Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/06/05/the-boxcar-children-book-15-bicycle-mystery-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children (Book 16) Mystery in the Sandhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/06/05/the-boxcar-children-book-16-mystery-in-the-sand-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/Needs Parent Supervision (stranger danger)
The Boxcar Children Book 156: The Skeleton Key Mysteryhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/12/13/the-boxcar-children-book-156-the-skeleton-key-mystery-created-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/Not for me
The Boxcar Children Endangered Animals Book 1: The Big Spill Rescuehttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2023/11/01/the-boxcar-children-endangered-animals-series-book-1-the-big-spill-rescue-created-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children Special Series Book 1: Mystery on the Icehttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2024/01/03/the-boxcar-children-special-series-book-1-mystery-on-the-ice-created-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children Special Series Book 2: Mystery in Washington, D.C.https://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2024/01/29/the-boxcar-children-special-2-the-mystery-in-washington-d-c-created-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children Special Series Book 3: Mystery at the Snowflake Inn.https://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2024/02/23/the-boxcar-children-special-3-the-mystery-at-snowflake-inn-created-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/My Bookshelf
The Boxcar Children Special Series Book 4: Mystery at the Ballparkhttps://jesuslovesbookworms.com/2024/03/08/the-boxcar-children-special-series-book-4-mystery-at-the-ballpark-created-by-gertrude-chandler-warner/Needs Parent Supervision (Superstition, sexism)