Gertrude Chandler Warner

Gertrude Chandler Warner was an American author, born in Putnam, Connecticut, in 1890. She is best known for her children's mystery novel series, The Boxcar Children, which she began writing as a grown-up, but which was inspired by her childhood dreams and experiences. Warner was born into a family of five, which included her parents, Edgar and Jane Warner, and her siblings, Frances and John. From the tender age of five, she nurtured a burning desire to become an author, a dream she pursued with unwavering determination.

As a child, Warner found great joy in writing stories, which she would gift to her grandfather every Christmas. She was particularly fascinated by trains, having spent many hours watching them pass by near her family's home. Her imagination would often take her to the world inside a caboose, with its small stove, cracked cups, and boiling coffee pot on the stove. This fascination would later become the inspiration for The Boxcar Children.

In addition to writing, Warner also worked as a teacher and volunteered for various non-profit organizations. She had a deep love for music, having grown up in a very musical family. She learned to play the cello at a young age and later became an accomplished pipe organ player. However, due to ill health, she was unable to complete high school, instead studying with a tutor. During World War I, she began teaching first grade, a job she continued for 32 years until her retirement at the age of 60. It was during a sick leave from teaching that she first conceived the story of The Boxcar Children, drawing from her childhood memories and dreams.

Warner's writing was characterized by her ability to create engaging stories that resonated with children. The Boxcar Children, first published in 1942, was no exception. Despite initial protests from librarians who felt the children in the story had too much freedom, the book was a huge success. Today, it remains a beloved classic, with Albert Whitman & Company publishing not only the original story but also the next eighteen Alden children adventures that Warner wrote. Warner passed away in 1979, leaving behind a rich legacy of storytelling that continues to inspire and entertain children to this day.