The Boxcar Children Series
by Gertrude Chandler Warner

What a great series! The first nineteen titles are writen by the original author, and we have read them all. Later, other authors continued the series, and I cannot speak for all of those titles. The basic premise of the story line is that Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden have been orphaned and in the first book spend some time trying to take care of each other and living in an old abandoned boxcar. Eventually they are reunited with their grandfather who brings them - and their boxcar - home and cares for them. Throughout the other stories, they travel and enjoy many adventures and always find a mystery that needs solving. Our children really enjoy trying to solve the mysteries along with the Alden children and often spend quite a bit of time discussing the possible solutions. We have enjoyed these as read alouds for younger children and independent reads for 2nd and 3rd grade. They are always wholesome good clean fun and model positive sibling relationships.