The Aldens head back to Mystery Ranch for another summer! They are thrilled to learn their friend Mike has moved to Yellow Sands--a new town nearby. But when a house fire breaks out and Mike is blamed for starting it, the Aldens must find the real culprit to help their friend.

So... the children own a town now? That's cool. And Mike's family ([b:Surprise Island|156809|Surprise Island (The Boxcar Children, #2)|Gertrude Chandler Warner|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1172264372l/156809._SX50_.jpg|151321]) lives there. Such mystery!

No, actually the mystery comes up when Mike's house burns down. Which ... actually ends up working out because instead of doing laundry (which she doesn't care for) now Mike's mother can make pies for a living. 60 pies a day! Sure.

It's a cute enough book, but the way money is treated by the various characters is just bizarre. The children think nothing of buying all sorts of equipment to help get Mrs. Wood set up and basically give her a building. Nothing is said about paying it back or paying rent. They sell pies (we assume?) but is that sustainable? Who even knows! The kids don't care, but I do!

It's fine. Probably the weakest of the first five, but still worth reading. ( )

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. ( )