Series. Orphaned children who live in a boxcar and their adventures in life. Classic.

The Mystery of Alligator Swamp is a mystery book by Gertrude Chandler Warner. This book is one of many in the Boxcar Children series. The series is about four young children who love to solve mystery. The children from oldest to youngest are Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny Alden’s. They are orphans who now live with their grandfather. In this story they travel to the swamps in Louisiana. To visit Billie who owns Bait N Bite, which is a fish camp and restaurant. Several mysterious things have been happening at the bayou. The biggest mystery is the ghost alligator that the tourists have been seeing. The children figure out that it’s not a ghost. The children trying to figure out, who is scaring off Billie’s costumers? There are five main suspects. In the end, no one was trying to scare off the costumes. Ross a girl about Jessie age had found a baby rare alligator and has been feeding it for the past four years. It had escape from the pen and wondering around the swamps. In the end it all works out for the good. Billie’s business starts to boom again with the white alligator caught and the fishermen enjoyed see the rare alligator.

When I was young, I loved reading the boxcar children series. The Mystery of Alligator Swamp by Gertrude Chandler Warner is a great mystery book for beginner readers of chapter books. I love how the children have the freedom to discover the mysteries on their own. I learned several new things from this book I didn’t know. I like how throughout the book there are pictures. This book is great for the transaction from pictures to chapter books.

I more in likely would not use this book for a classroom setting. However, I would suggest this book to any child on the grade level of third grade. If one of my students likes mysteries, I would suggest this book. If we are doing a lesson on the swamp lands or alligators, I would suggest this book for the students to read. ( )