The Boxcar Children



Last updated Monday, December 9, 2019

Author: Gertrude Chandler Warner
Illustrator: L. Kate Deal
Date of Publication: 1942
ISBN: 0807508519
Grade Level: 4th    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Dec. 2019

Synopsis: The Aldens begin their adventure by making a home in a boxcar. Their goal is to stay together, and in the process they find a grandfather.

Note to readers:
•  Please be aware that there are not many pictures throughout this book.
•  I would encourage reading pages 7 - 44.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Have you ever experienced an adventure during the storm?
•  If you were stranded in the woods, what would you explore in the woods?

Vocabulary

•  Bakery -- a place for baking or selling baked goods
•  Loaves -- a shaped or molded mass of bread
•  Haystack -- packed pile of hay, typically with a pointed or ridged top
•  Pine Needles -- one of the slender needle-shaped leaves of a pine tree.
•  Boxcar -- an enclosed railroad freight car, typically with sliding doors on the sides.

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  What kind of store did the four children find at night? What kind of food did the bakery sale?
•  In the woods, what did the children use to make their bed?
•  Where did the children go to get out of the rain in the woods?
•  What animal did they find in the woods?

Craft ideas:
•  Draw A Picture of Yourself in the Woods (trees, animals, houses, food) - use of construction paper and colored pencils/markers
•  Create adventurous Clouds (Imagine a Stormy, rainy night) - use of construction paper, cotton balls, colored pencils/markers and glue
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/december-2019/

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!