Gertrude Chandler Warner (1890–1979)

{my thoughts} – This book is based mostly on two boys named Benny and Henry Alden. It starts our with them and their sisters sitting on the grass flipping through the newspaper trying to find a job for the summer. Benny finds a job he is interested and calls only to find out that the job has already been taken. A short while later he and Henry head into town to see if they can get a job at one of the local stores. They visit a few different places and are continually told no, finally they go to Furman’s Department Store and land themselves a job. Henry becomes a salesperson and Benny a delivery boy.

While they are working there they come into contact with an unusual character named Miss Douglas. She is always hassling the store personnel. She doesn’t do it in a bad way but because she is always trying to get help with her purchases. She orders many things that are the same but different brands and has many deliveries out to her house. One day a bunch of letters show up in the mail on blue paper and written in fancy handwriting. Benny is determined to figure out who had written them. Then there is also the case of a box of lockets that showed up out of no wheres and also a missing customer package. All of these mysteries take place within the short little book.

This book helps to show children that when you have a real job you won’t always get along with those you work with and those you have to serve. Isn’t that the truth. You always have one or two co-workers that like to make things rougher then they need to be and you always have a customer or more each day that can be trying on your nerves, the best thing to do is just be nice and stay calm, that way you still have a job to go back to. Believe me, I know how hard it is to stay nice to people sometimes, but the fact is that if you aren’t you only hurt yourself in the long run.

Eventually the boys, well Benny discovers who is behind all of the mysteries. If you’d like to find out for yourself, please read the book. I know I say that a lot, but I am not the kind of person that will blurt out anything important.

I have never read a boxcar children’s book before and I really enjoyed reading this one. I can understand why these books are so loved by children. I read this book over the course of two days with all three of my children. My youngest was bored out of his ever loving mind, the older two however enjoyed it and paid attention. They answered the questions I asked and seemed to have overall gotten into the book. I am pleased with the result. This was the first older aged book I have read to all three of them and I look forward to reading more to them in the future.… (altro)