Mystery Ranch: The Boxcar Children Mysteries, Book 4

Written by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Narrated by Aimee Lilly

Grandpa Alden's sister, Jane, is not feeling very well, and it's the Alden girls who go to care for her. Soon a mystery begins to unfold and the clues are everywhere; from the stranger on the train, to the beautiful yellow rocks on Aunt Jane's ranch. When Henry and Benny come out to join the girls, the four children find themselves unravelling the intriguing mystery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Oasis Audio
• Release date: Oct 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9781621881384

Gertrude Chandler Warner

Gertrude Chandler Warner (1890–1979) was an American author who specialized in children's literature. The Boxcar Children is her most well-known work, as she went on to write eighteen more books in the series. The series became so popular, that it continues on today.

Reviews for Mystery Ranch

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reason for Reading: This is part of my Random Bookshelf Reading project. I'm also working on re-reading this series and collecting the first 19.This book takes a small turn from the formula of the first three. First the boxcar is not mentioned at all, not even in reminiscences of the past, and the children do not this time go off on their own and make do in the wilderness. First we see cousin Joe and Alice sent off to Europe for summer vacation on the first page. This allows the introduction of yet another new relative to the picture, this time it is Grandfather's sister, the children's "Aunt" Jane. First the girls go to visit this crotchety old lady and win over her heart and then the boys follow suit. Once again the mystery starts off with a mystery person, a stranger in town. Could he possibly be up to no good? Then three men try to buy off Aunt Jane's farm by telling her lies that the farm is worthless. Who are these suspicious men? The children set out to answer this mystery and end up finding another exciting mystery as well. Another fun, entertaining entry in the series.This one does show its age a little though with the discovery of Uranium on the farm. I know little of this mineral and after briefly reading about it find the story is quite naive in its treatment of the mining of such and that the ranch being on a Uranium deposit could possibly have been a health concern as would having a fireplace made out of Uranium. But I imagine in the 50's, Uranium was the "thing" what with it being the beging of the nuclear age and all. This is all irrelevant to the enjoyment of the story for children, though.

[cheriedooryard · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Yaaaawn. Form a parent perspective, this was the most boring of the Boxcar Children series yet. No suspenseful details, no mini-mystery, no tension. The kids seemed to like it, but what do they know?