299. Blue Bay Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Blue Bay Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner. Illustrated by Dirk Gringhuis (US) - (Canada) - (Kindle)
The Alden Family Mysteries (aka The Boxcar Children), #6

Pages: 157
Ages: 7+
Finished: Nov. 2, 2012
First Published: 1961
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: children, MG, mystery, early chapter book
Rating: 4/5



First sentence: "One winter day Jessie Alden met her brother Henry in the hall."

Publisher's Summary:  "The Aldens find a castaway on a South Sea island. How did he get there and who is he?"


Acquired:  Can't remember but was from a thrift store or garage sale.
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Reason for Reading:  I am working my way through the original 19 books.  This is also from the Random Bookshelf I am reading from.

Returning to the typical theme of these books, the mystery involves finding out the identity of a mystery person.  This time it is a little different though as the children can't find the person but know he is there.  Grandfather takes the children plus Ben's friend Mike, again, to the South Seas to a desert island for a vacation.  Lars is their guide and completes the group.  While having fun living on a deserted island the group find clues that there is someone else on the island and eventually meet a castaway boy.  The tale he has to tell them is adventurous and exciting.

This is a fun book in the series.  It holds true to form and gives what is expected from the series by now.  Grandfather's inclusion stunts the children's style a bit but they do get some time to go off on their own.  Children will enjoy the excitement of the castaway boy and his experiences, but I think the story would have been better served if he had been introduced earlier as we don't get enough time with him.  Overall, a good entry in the series.