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Note: This section may include reviews for related titles (e.g., same author, series, or related edition).

From Horn Book

July 1, 2018
This is a large-size storybook edition of the perennially popular, if old-fashioned, story about four orphaned siblings. With muted-color floral borders on every page, each chapter opens with a silhouette image and includes a full-page illustration. What's notable is an appended profile of Warner, her work, and her legacy, enhanced by archival photos and reproductions. Nostalgic adults and collectors are the target audience. Bib.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Horn Book

January 1, 2010
Created by Gertrude Chandler Warner. These two stories are shorter and less complex than Warner's originals on which they're based. The format is approachable, with large font and occasional sketchlike illustrations, but the plots are slight; not even the child-friendly topics--the possibility that there's a vampire in the neighborhood and the disappearance of local dogs--can save them from mediocrity.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From School Library Journal

September 1, 2009
Gr 3-5-While adult fans of the original series, which began in 1942, might be interested in seeing their favorite characters in a new format, these books fall short of expectations. In all three titles, the art feels stiff and awkwardthe characters faces are undeveloped and indistinct, making them difficult to connect with. The text, rather than the images, moves the action along, flattening the excitement of the Alden kids discoveries and making even the dramatic moments when the mysteries are revealed seem clunky and anticlimactic."Lauren Anduri, Brooklyn Public Library, NY"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Booklist

March 1, 2009
Grades 3-4 Warners Boxcar Children was published in 1942 to mixed reviews. Parents were alarmed that the novels child heroes, the Alden siblings, got on so well without adult intervention. Children, however, felt empowered and enthusiastically applauded the young survivalists and their numerous further adventures. Denton, whose credits include work for the Cartoon Network, and Dubisch, best known for his fantasy comic artwork, have put together graphic-novel versions of some of the stories. In this first book, the orphaned Aldens set up housekeeping in an old boxcar, making the most of their particular strengths, until their grandfather takes them in. The story, though easy to read and follow, is presented in a surprisingly lackluster manner. The artwork, however, is more energetic, and the format works in the series favor, lending a contemporary feel even though the cars and clothes are vintage. The question remains, though, whether these modest pluses are enough to entice readers to continue to read the whole series (or find the original books).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

From Publisher's Weekly

September 1, 2002
Children's NOTES Boxcar Children Redux Two titles mark a landmark anniversary of a classic series. The first, The Boxcar Children 60th Anniversary Edition by Gertrude Chandler Warner, illus. by L. Kate Deal, contains the original text, with an introduction by Barbara Elleman, as well as a brief biography of the author, b&w photos and "An Open Letter to Children Who Ask How I Happened to Write The Boxcar Children," all contained in a handsomely designed volume.

From School Library Journal

July 1, 1997
Gr 3-6-This lively and engaging biography is well organized, following Warner's life from her childhood to her death at age 89 in 1979. The children's author's lifelong love of reading, teaching, and writing is clearly visualized from the text. Details of her methods of teaching are given, such as how she "decorated fancy hand-blown Easter eggs for every girl and boy in her class." DeJohn's black-and-white pencil-and-ink drawings add charm and warmth to the story. Ellsworth has also included six pages of photographs, such as Warner at age 10 and the railroad yard at Putnam, CT, that was the model for the "Boxcar Children" mysteries. Sources include the publisher's pages of autobiographical material; personal interviews with colleagues, former students, and others who knew Warner; and newspaper articles. A must-purchase for any library that has an avid following of this popular author's books.-Olga Kuharets, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, NC

From Publisher's Weekly

December 30, 1996
For a more in-depth look at the author, fans will want to pick up the newly released paperback edition of Gertrude Chandler Warner and the Boxcar Children by Mary Ellen Ellsworth, illus. by Marie DeJohn, which chronicles Warner's early years as an elementary schoolteacher in her hometown of Putnam, Conn., her work in children's publishing and the writing of the much-loved adventures.

From AudioFile Magazine

This collection features Warner's likable siblings, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. Narrator Aimee Lilly has a pleasant voice and takes pains to distinguish the many characters in these stories. Though her adult voices are fine, she hits some odd notes with her children's voices. The one she creates for young Benny is particularly grating. Adult listeners may find themselves annoyed by this, though young fans of the series will probably overlook such matters and become absorbed in solving the various mysteries presented--from what's wrong with the Aldens' new computer game to what's happening with that cursed mummy in the local museum exhibit. J.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine