Gertrude Chandler Warner and the Boxcar Children

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.

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