The boxcar children collection. Volume 16

Summary: The Chocolate Sundae Mystery: The Aldens are helping out at their favorite ice cream store in town, the Shoppe. When very strange things begin to happen, the Shoppe is in danger of losing its customers and going out of business. Can the Boxcar Children solve the mystery and save the Shoppe before it's too late? The Mystery of the Hot Air Balloon: The Aldens are so excited when they get to meet other balloonists, learn how hot air balloons work, and even help the crew launch a balloon. Then, things start to go wrong. Someone is trying to ruin the rally, and the Boxcar Children might not get the chance to ride in a hot air balloon after all - unless they solve the mystery in time. The Mystery Bookstore: The Boxcar Children and their grandfather are going to New Orleans. The Aldens like exploring the city. Most of all, they like helping Grandfather's friend clean up her old, dusty bookstore. They discover lots of interesting things in the store, especially a beautiful set of fairy tales. But then mysterious things start to happen. One of the books in the set is missing! Someone is after something the Boxcar Children have. Will they be able to solve this new, exciting mystery? Three complete stories in one collection! Includes The Chocolate Sundae Mystery, The Mystery of the Hot Air Balloon, and The Mystery Bookstore. The Boxcar Children Series was created by Gertrude Chandler Warner, a teacher, when she realized that there were few, if any, books for children that were both easy and fun to read. She drew on her own experiences in writing the mysteries. As a child, she had spent hours watching trains near her home, and often dreamed about what it would be like to live in a caboose or freight car. In each story, she chose a special setting and introduced unpredictable, unusual or eccentric characters, to help highlight the Aldens' independence and resourcefulness. Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Massachusetts until her death in 1979.