Relates the exploits of the four Alden children as they locate a missing man. The Boxcar children travel to Maine, take canoes into the wilderness and live in a house exactly like the one on Surprise Island, except the Maine house is brown, not yellow. They then untangle the mystery of the two houses.

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden are on another summer trip to visit Aunt Jane at Mystery Ranch. They're thrilled to find their friend Mike Wood lives in the bustling new town near the ranch. But one night, Mike's house burns down and he is blamed for starting the fire!

The Alden family embark on a trip to an uninhabited South Sea Island. Mike Wood joins them for a holiday full of adventures planned by grandfather. On the island someone seems to be with them. Besides solving the mystery, they have a fine time living so far from civilization.

"The Aldens spend the summer on their aunt's ranch! The ranch is a beautiful place, but it's also the source of trouble between Aunt Jane and Grandfather. As the Boxcar Children explore the land, they make an amazing discovery. Will it help mend Aunt Jane and Grandfather's relationship?"--Publisher's description.

"People say nothing interesting happens in the village of Port Elizabeth but, on a visit there, the Boxcar Children find a big mystery at the schoolhouse. Adapted from Gertrude Chandler Warner's story of the same name, this early reader allows children to start reading by themselves with a Boxcar Children classic."--Amazon

The Alden family rents a houseboat to drift down the river, and encounters a mystery in the little towns along the river, involving a fast black car.

Grade 2.0; bk 5311; pts 2.

Four orphaned and homeless siblings happen upon an abandoned boxcar, which, with a little creativity and hard work, they gradually furnish with all the comforts of home. Fearful that they will be sent to live with the reputedly cruel grandfather they have never met, the children keep their new home a secret--until a serious illness forces them to reveal themselves in order to save young Violet.