Midnight at the Haunted Hotel: Boxcar Children: You Solve the Mystery! (The Boxcar Children Interactive Mysteries) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0807528501 ISBN 13: 9780807528501

Verlag: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2018

Inhaltsangabe

The Boxcar Children are investigating strange events at a hotel that some people say is haunted, and it seems like every room holds a new surprise. In this interactive, choose-your-path mystery, readers will put their sleuthing skills to the test, making decisions that will either help the Aldens crack the case or lead them deeper into the haunted hotel.

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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 Midnight at the Haunted Hotel

By Gertrude Chandler Warner, Hollie Hibbert

Albert Whitman & Company

Copyright © 2018 Albert Whitman & Company
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-8075-2850-1

CHAPTER 1

ARRIVAL

"There it is, up on the hill," said Grandfather.

Violet looked out the window as the Aldens' car exited a grove of old oak trees. The mansion was still far off, but without trees in the way, she could already see it clearly.

"It's huge!" said Benny, Violet's six-year-old brother. He leaned past her and stuck his nose up to the window to get a better view.

Jessie scooted across the back seat to get a glimpse too. She was twelve — two years older than Violet. She held a bright yellow flier, which had the words GARDNER HOTEL GRAND REOPENING at the top. Tonight was the party to celebrate the grand reopening of the old hotel. And they were helping Grandfather's friend prepare.

Fourteen-year-old Henry, the oldest, sat in the passenger's seat. He had a map open in his lap.

"Turn left up ahead, Grandfather," he said.

Grandfather turned where Henry told him to. The car moved slowly down a gravel driveway, then it pulled into a loop in front of the hotel.

"It's so old and fancy," Violet said after they were all out of the car.

Jessie nodded. "Look at those bricks. They must be over a hundred years old!"

The hotel was three stories high, all built in deep red bricks. But it's steep, pointed gables made it look much bigger and fancier. Trimmed hedges and big pots of flowers surrounded the entrance.

"Juliette sure has done a good job fixing up this place," said Grandfather. "And here she comes now!"

A woman with straight black hair walked quickly out of the hotel. She wore a rose-colored suit that matched the building. In one hand she held a clipboard, and in the other she had a cell phone.

"She looks busy," Benny whispered.

"Grand openings are busy days," said Jessie.

"Hello, James! These must be your grandchildren!" The woman put her phone in her pocket and trotted down the front steps to greet them.

"Yes," said Grandfather. "Juliette, I'd like you to meet Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. Children, this is Juliette Baker, a dear old friend of mine. She bought the Gardner Hotel after it closed and has been fixing it up ever since."

Juliette shook their hands one at a time.

"Nice to meet you," Henry said. "We're looking forward to helping you get ready for the big night."

"Grandfather's told us all about the building," Jessie added, holding up the flier. "I can't believe it was closed. It's so exciting that it's reopening!"

"It's been a lot of work," said Juliette. "I'm happy for the help tonight."

"Well, you children have a lot of fun ahead of you," Grandfather said. "I'm going to go pick up supplies for the party. I'll be back in time to celebrate though."

"Thanks, Grandfather!" Henry said. "See you soon!"

They waved to Grandfather as he got in the car and drove off. Then Juliette led the children inside.

"I'll give you a tour!" she said. "The hotel was a mansion when it was first built in the 1880s. This was what's called a grand entryway. In 1955, the Gardner family changed the mansion into a hotel, so this became the lobby. Pretty fancy, isn't it?" She winked.

"It's beautiful," said Violet.

The floor was tiled black and white, and the room was furnished with a large clock, a fireplace, and red velvet chairs and couches. Even the front desk was fancy, made of dark shiny wood carved in complex swirls.

Employees were hurrying back and forth hanging streamers and balloons and a sign that said GRAND OPENING. Two curving stairways on either side of the room led to the second floor. And in the middle was the strangest and most impressive part of the room. Between the two stairways was a shiny pipe organ.

Violet had seen pipe organs like it in books. The instrument looked like an upright piano except it had rows of brass pipes that rose out of the top. Some of them almost reached the ceiling.

"Is that a real organ?" Violet asked.

"Yes," said Juliette. For the first time, the children saw her smile fade a little. "Let's go down to the main office. We can go over the list of things I need help with."

"Isn't the organ supposed to have a keyboard?" asked Jessie.

"Yes, but it's been missing for some time," Juliette replied quickly. It seemed like she didn't want to talk about it. "Come on. The office is this way."

As the children followed Juliette, they passed an empty hallway, and Violet thought she heard the creaking of a door. But when she looked, there was no movement. The old hallway was spooky. She reminded herself of the first day she and her siblings had come to live with Grandfather. After their parents had died, they had been living in an old boxcar in the woods. Moving from the boxcar into Grandfather's house had been a big change, and sometimes the parts of the house they hadn't explored seemed scary. But after living there and getting used to it, the kids weren't nervous about any part of the old house. Not even down in the basement where Grandfather kept his old fishing rods and garden equipment.

Juliette opened the office door and let them in. The room was like every other part of the hotel, with fancy red carpet and luxurious furniture. A man dressed in jeans and a suit coat was sitting on the couch along with a suitcase and duffel bag. He was wearing expensive, shiny shoes and had thick black eyebrows. Juliette was surprised to see him.

"Excuse me," she said. "Can I help you?" "I'd like to book a room," the man said. "It's opening night, isn't it? The name's Eddie. Eddie Gardner."

Juliette frowned. "Eddie ... Charles Gardner's son?"

The Aldens stared at Eddie. This was the son of the man who had once owned the hotel!

"Yes," said Eddie, looking serious. "But now I'm just a guest. I came to see you because the clerk said you don't allow pets. Is that true?" "Yes. That's always been the policy in the hotels I've managed," said Juliette.

Eddie stood up and gently lifted his duffel bag. He shook his head. "My father loved pets. He would have allowed them."

"Even so, my rule is that we don't," Juliette said. "You're welcome to stay the night if you would like. But please, it's very important that the opening goes smoothly — especially with the rumors that caused the hotel to close in the first place.

"As you may know, the historical committee is coming to see the building. If they approve the hotel as a historical landmark, it will be protected by the historical registry. Wouldn't you like to see that, for your father's sake?"

Eddie eased the duffel strap over his shoulder.

"Yes, of course I would," he said. "Even if the only reason you want it is because it would be good for business." He got up to leave the office without saying hello or good-bye to the Aldens. As he walked through the door, something caught Violet's eye. She tugged on Henry's sleeve and nodded with her chin.

"What is it?" Henry asked.

"His bag," Violet said. "I think I saw it move!"

CHAPTER 2

A MYSTERY AND A MISSION

The Aldens gathered around Juliette's desk. She shook her head.

"Having the last owner's son around is the last thing I need tonight ... but I guess it can't be helped. I just hope he doesn't cause a scene. I imagine he's upset that I took over the hotel that was in his family for generations."

Jessie remembered something Juliette had said. "You mentioned rumors to Mr. Gardner. Did something happen that...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2018
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0807528501
• ISBN 13: 9780807528501
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 160
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: gpsr@libri.de; gpsr@libri.de; ; Friedensallee 273; Hamburg; 22763; Deutschland