• The Boxcar Children Beginning

  • The Aldens of Fair Meadow Farm
  • By: Patricia MacLachlan
  • Narrated by: Tim Gregory
  • Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (189 ratings)

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The Boxcar Children Beginning  By  cover art

The Boxcar Children Beginning

By: Patricia MacLachlan
Narrated by: Tim Gregory
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Publisher's summary

Before they were the Boxcar Children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden lived with their parents on Fair Meadow Farm.

Although times are hard, the Aldens are happy - “the best family of all,” Mama likes to say. One day, a blizzard hits the countryside, and a traveling family needs shelter. The Aldens take them in, and the strangers soon become friends. But things never stay the same at the farm, and the spring and summer bring events that will forever change their lives.

Newbery Award-winning author Patricia MacLachlan pays loving tribute to the classic novels by Gertrude Chandler Warner in this story of the Alden children’s origins.

©2012 Patricia MacLachlan (P)2012 Oasis Audio

What listeners say about The Boxcar Children Beginning

Average customer ratings
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Unnecessary

I don't think this book was necessary. Too sad and scary to highlight this lovely family and their parents' sudden deaths and leaving their home and starting out by themselves. Later books explain their experience sufficiently.
I am a pastor and believe in sharing family grief with children. But this just left us worried (even though we know in future books they are ok.)

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A good background

Neat to hear the background story after reading the first 10 to my kids! My daughter and son were listening without me yesterday for a time and my daughter came in and said “well, the parents are finally dead!” It was handled very well.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Kept the kids quiet during a stormy road trip

I am so glad that I had this during my most recent road trip. The weather was horrendous and the kids were hyped up. The best part, my oldest is now reading the series.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great!

We loved the sounds effects and the narrator! The story was wonderful, realistic setting in the time that they were in. Loved it!

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I love it 🥰

I love it and I love the 🐶😍😍😍😍😍I love it I love it love it I love it I
Love it I love it it is the best

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I love hearing the Boxcar children’s story before their parents death

I love the boxcar children it’s so great that they have a beginning but it’s sad that their parents die.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Should Get! 👍

The story is very soothing to listen to. The narrator talks voice perfect. I deffenetily recomend reading the story especially if you are in to the Boxcar Children series!!😊😊

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2 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good Story

Loved everything except the "sound effects". Were really distracting and took a lot away from the story.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Such an awesome book!

I loved this book! It is such a heartwarming story. When I first started reading the boxcar children, I always wondered what happened to them before their parents died. Well, this book is very good at telling what happened. This book is definitely in my top ten favorite books.❤️

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

I think the story was amazing but the narrator went a little over board with the voices of the children 👧👦 otherwise I LOVED IT 🥰😍😘❤️

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1 person found this helpful