The Boxcar Children Graphic Novels by: Gertrude Chandler Warner (graphic novel)

This graphic novel begins the journey of Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny Alden who are a family of orphans.  After their parents pass away, they are forced to be on their own while trying to stay together. Although they had a grandfather, the children were afraid to trust him and didn't think he liked them. The four kids and their dog Watch find an old abandoned boxcar on a stormy night and choose to make it their home. However, Violet becomes sick and their grandfather comes to save them.  This starts their adventure as the Boxcar Children mystery solving team and is the beginning of their long journey. The book is a great start to the series (in comic book form!)

I really enjoyed this unique twist on such a classic mystery series.  I loved reading the Boxcar Children series as a child, and I like the idea of having it in a graphic version.  Although this book is on about a second grade reading level, it is a great choice for some of the reluctant readers in your classroom. It is a great way to get students interested in the series through the comic book style and neat illustrations! I would use this book in the classroom to have students make their own comic book strip of a Boxcar Children adventure they came up with. Students could use sentence strips and tell their own story of what happens next to the Boxcar Children.  This gives students a chance to be creative and use prediction strategies when coming up with their stories.