“Good morning, children!” he called with a wave.
Grandfather and Henry packed the car. When they were ready to go, they all said good-bye to Ms. Birmingham.
“We can’t wait to read the manuscript,” Jessie said. “Thank you so much.”
“Thank you for taking the time to read it,” said Ms. Birmingham. “I can’t wait to hear what you think of it. Have a safe drive back home, and I’ll look forward to hearing from you soon!”
Just as they were getting into the car, Benny paused.
“Wait a minute,” he said. He thought of all the photographs in the study, and of Ms. Birmingham’s many disguises. “How do we know Ashley Birmingham is your real name? Maybe you’re in a disguise right now!”
Ms. Birmingham raised a finger to her lips and gave one of her secretive, little smiles.
“Maybe I am,” she said with a wink. “One of these days, I might slip up. My fingers aren’t as nimble as they used to be, after all!”
Benny tilted his head. “I think I’ve heard that before,” he said. For some reason, it made him think of the bookshop where they’d first gotten their invitation to the Great Spy Showdown.
Then Grandfather beeped the horn on the car, and they were off, driving down the sunny road where not a cloud was in sight.
THE END
TO FOLLOW A DIFFERENT PATH, PRESS HERE.
Add to Your Boxcar Children Collection!
The first twelve books are now available in three individual boxed sets!
The Boxcar Children Bookshelf includes the first twelve books, a bookmark with complete title checklist, and a poster with activities.
The Boxcar Children 20-Book Set includes Gertrude Chandler Warner’s original nineteen books, plus an all-new activity book, stickers, and a magnifying glass!
This fully illustrated edition celebrates Gertrude Chandler Warner’s timeless story. Featuring all-new full-color artwork as well as an afterword about the author, the history of the book, and the Boxcar Children legacy, this volume will be treasured by first-time readers and longtime fans alike.
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden are on a secret mission that takes them around the world!
When Violet finds a turtle statue that nobody’s seen before in an old trunk at home, the children are on the case! The clue turns out to be an invitation to the Reddimus Society, a secret guild dedicated to returning lost treasures to where they belong.
Now the Aldens must take the statue and six mysterious boxes across the country to deliver them safely—and keep them out of the hands of the Reddimus Society’s enemies. It’s just the beginning of the Boxcar Children’s most amazing adventure yet!
Don’t miss the next two books in the classic Boxcar Children series!
Introducing The Boxcar Children Early Readers!
Adapted from the beloved chapter books, these new early readers allow kids to begin reading with the stories that started it all.
Check out other Boxcar Children Interactive Mysteries!
Strange things are happening at the grand reopening of the Gardner Hotel. Some people are saying the old building is haunted. Can you help the Aldens figure out what’s really going on before the clock strikes midnight?
Look for the animated movie, Surprise Island!
NEW! The Boxcar Children DVD and Book Set!
This set includes Gertrude Chandler Warner’s classic chapter book in paperback as well as the animated movie adaptation featuring Martin Sheen, J.K. Simmons, Joey King, Jadon Sand, Mackenzie Foy, and Zachary Gordon.
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car—the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible—something else that delights young readers.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.
The Great Spy Showdown Page 7
