The Legend of the Howling Werewolf (The Boxcar Children Mysteries, Band 148) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0807507415 ISBN 13: 9780807507414

Verlag: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2018

Inhaltsangabe

The Aldens are visiting a small town known for its harvest festival. The town is beautiful in the fall, but rumors of the harvest moon and a werewolf are keeping people away. Can the Aldens get to the bottom of who―or what―is causing such a stir?

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Gertrude Chandler Warner grew up in Putnam, Connecticut. She wrote The Boxcar Children because she had always dreamed about what it would be like to live in a caboose or a freight car―just as the Aldens do. When readers asked for more adventures, Warner wrote more books―a total of nineteen in all. After her death, other authors have continued to write stories about Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, and today The Boxcar Children® series has more than one hundred books.

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The Boxcar Children The Legend of the Howling Werewolf

By Gertrude Chandler Warner, Anthony VanArsdale

Albert Whitman & Company

Copyright © 2018 Albert Whitman & Company
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-8075-0741-4

Contents

1. A Strange Rumor, 
2. Sounds in the Night, 
3. Odd Shoes, 
4. Claw Marks, 
5. A Pile of Bones, 
6. Unanswered Questions, 
7. Not Normal Footprints, 
8. Close Encounter, 
9. Pumpkin Guts, 
10. A Big Announcement, 

CHAPTER 1

A Strange Rumor

Grandfather Alden pulled his rental car onto the interstate. He looked over his left shoulder, waiting for traffic to pass. Then he sped up. "Couple more hours until we get to Mrs. Riley's house," he told his four grandchildren.

Ten-year-old Violet was in the backseat. Her pigtails bounced as she turned to see the road signs. "'Welcome to Idaho,'" she read aloud. Another sign whizzed by. "Famous Potatoes.'"

"'Where are all the potatoes, Grandfather?" she asked.

He nodded toward the windows. "See all those bare fields out there? Desert, really. Miles and miles of crops have already been harvested. It's October, so potatoes are being sent to all parts of the country by train and truck."

"For French fries and hash browns, right, Grandfather?" six-year-old Benny, who was sitting next to Violet, said.

Grandfather smiled at Benny in his rearview mirror. "That's right," he said. "When we get to Townsend, you'll see that sugar beets are another important crop in Idaho. They're part of a fun event this weekend."

"That's exciting," said Benny. "When will we get there?"

"Soon," said Grandfather for the fifth time that hour. "Try to enjoy the view, Benny. Do you know those mountains in the distance?"

"Uh, no, not really," Benny said. He looked to his brother in the front seat for an answer.

"Those are the Rockies," said fourteen-year-old Henry. "They go all the way from Canada down to New Mexico. They'll be covered with snow all winter."

After a while, they passed some hills with steep sides and flat tops.

"They look like tables," said Jessie.

"Those are called buttes," Grandfather explained. "They are actually volcanic cones. See their black sides?"

"Lava!" said Henry. "We studied buttes in science class. Volcanoes used to bubble up here. And when the lava dried, it made the buttes. But I think these volcanoes have sleeping for a long time."

"That's right, Henry," said Grandfather.

"What if they wake up while we're here?" asked Violet.

"The last eruption was about two thousand years ago," Grandfather said. "No need to worry. And here we are." He slowed the car, clicked on his turn signal, and took the exit.

"Look, Benny, we're almost there," said Henry. He pointed to a sign out the window.

"'Welcome to Townsend. Home of the Sage Hen,'" Benny read slowly. "What's that mean, Grandfather?"

"It looks like a chicken," said Violet, who was looking at the bird shown on the sign.

"It does, I suppose," Grandfather said with a chuckle. "Sage hens are also called sage grouse. Strange creatures. The males do this funny dance to attract the females. It's quite the sight. That's one reason a lot of tourists come to up to places like Townsend."

"I hope we can get a close look," said Jessie. "And I want to see some lava." She was twelve, and she loved animals. She rolled down the window for her dog, Watch, so he could sniff the cool autumn air.

"I hope we see them too," said Henry. As the oldest, he liked to take charge. "Maybe I can lead us all on a hike. And hopefully we'll come across an old volcano."

"You'll have plenty of time to explore in the next few days," said Grandfather. "When I was a boy, I went to summer camp here. The area is rich in geology and Native American history."

As Grandfather drove down Main Street, he said, "I'm excited for you to meet my friend Mrs. Riley. She has a big project I think will interest you all."

"I can't wait to meet her," said Jessie.

Violet looked over at her grandfather. "We love projects!" "Yes, I know, dear." Grandfather gave her a friendly wink.

The Alden children were orphans. After their parents died, they had learned they must go live with a grandfather they had never met. They heard he was mean, so they ran away to the woods, where they found shelter in an old boxcar. That's where they found their wire fox terrier, Watch. Soon their grandfather found them. He wasn't mean at all! He brought them to his home in Greenfield, Connecticut, to live as a family. He even had the boxcar brought to his backyard. Now the Aldens used it as their clubhouse.

Grandfather traveled often. When possible, he brought his grandchildren with him so they would have new experiences. This trip had brought him to Boise, Idaho. And now he and the children were on their way across the state to visit his friend Mrs. Riley.

* * *

Trees along Townsend's Main Street were gold and crimson with fall leaves. Grandfather turned up a gravel driveway just outside of town. A single-story ranch house sat in a field of sagebrush. Wide windows faced the foothills of the mountains.

A woman in jeans and a plaid shirt came from the front porch to greet the Aldens. Her long dark hair hung in a braid over her shoulder. She wore turquoise earrings and a turquoise bracelet. She shook hands with Grandfather and smiled at the children. "I'm Susan Riley," she told them. "I'm very happy to meet you. And James, it's wonderful to see you again."

"Thank you for inviting us, Susan," said Grandfather.

She turned to the children. "This is a good weekend to be here, because it's our very first Harvest Festival. I'm on the City Council and am one of the festival organizers."

"That sounds like fun," said Jessie. "Do you need any help?"

"Actually, yes," the woman said. "There is much to do, and it would be nice to have some help. Would that interest you?"

"Yes!" Violet replied quickly.

"I love to help," Benny said.

"We all do," Jessie said. "The middle school Henry and I go to will give us extra credit for community service. But even if they didn't, we would still want to help you."

"That's right," Henry agreed.

"Well come on in," Mrs. Riley said. "I've set out some snacks in case anyone's hungry."

Benny's face lit up. His family laughed. "Benny's always hungry," Jessie explained.

"Then you're in the right place," their hostess said. She waved them inside, and they went to the kitchen. A table in the center of the room had plates of sliced apples, cheese, and crackers. "Sit, please," she said, pouring each child a glass of milk. She brought Grandfather a steaming mug of tea. Watch curled up under the table, waiting for any dropped food.

"What is the Harvest Festival?" Benny asked. "Is it for the potatoes your town planted?"

"Good question, Benny," the woman replied. "Idaho certainly is famous for potatoes, but the big crop around Townsend is sugar beets."

"Sugar beets?" Jessie said. "Do people make a pie or cake with those?"

"In a way, yes," Mrs. Riley said. "But first the beets are sent to factories. They're processed into the type of sugar used for baking. Soda companies also use it to sweeten soft drinks."

"But can you eat a sugar beet like one of these apples?" Benny asked.

Mrs. Riley laughed. "I'll let you find out tomorrow, Benny. Meanwhile, I'll show you all to where you are staying so you can settle in."

When the children were done eating, they took their plates to the sink. Then they went and got...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2018
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0807507415
• ISBN 13: 9780807507414
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 128
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Purmerul LTD; https://strengholt.nl/en/; ; 22 Liuleburgaz Str., floor 4, app. 9; Plovdiv; Bulgarien