Mike's Mystery (The Boxcar Children Mysteries) (original 1960; udgave 1990)

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The Aldens return to Aunt Jane's ranch/uranium mine, and Benny's friend Mike's house burns down - arson! The kids are on the case. ( )

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny are spending the summer out west on Mystery Ranch. The excitement begins when they meet their old friend, Mike.

This book is about Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny who go to visit their Aunt Jane’s house over the summer. The is the 5th book in the Boxcar Children series and builds on the 4th book in the series titled “Mystery Ranch”. The mystery in this story is a case of arson. The house by Aunt Jane’s burns down, leaving a few clues for the Boxcar Children to solve. Mike is Benny’s friend and the day after Benny met him, his house burned down. Mike is being blamed for the arson, but thankfully his friends are trying to prove his innocence.

It looks like the cover art has been updated to reflect 2012 fashion of t-shirts, jeans and shorts. However, the inside has the original illustrations and text. Some of the language might be a bit old-fashioned for young readers, but the author had created these books as early reader chapter books in the 60’s. I can’t really say anything bad about this book because I used to love them when I was little. The series, written by Gertrude Chandler Warner, was designed for elementary students. The series has won so many awards and been reprinted so many times, I would say it is a good addition to any school or public library. As an adult, the text seems very simplistic…but it is perfect for early readers who are ready to start chapter books. The adventure and mystery is exciting to them. The series will make young readers want to live in a boxcar and solve mysteries. ( )

The gang revisits the URANIUM mine and help figure out who burned a house down. Not surprising, they all live happily ever after. Until the radiation kills them. :-) ( )