These graphic novel versions of Warner's mystery stories retell the original tales in just thirty-two pages. They include only the bare bones of the plots and little of the excitement of children solving problems without adult help. In the cartoon illustrations, the setting is generic and the Alden siblings are practically interchangeable.

WORLEY, Rob M. , adapt Surprise Island Bk. 2. ISBN 978-1-60270-587-6 ; ISBN 978-0-8075-2868-6 . LC 2008036100. WORLEY, Rob M. The Yellow House Mystery Bk. 3. ISBN 978-1-60270-588-3 ; ISBN 978-0-8075-2869-3 . LC 2008036114. ea vol: illus. by Mike Dubisch. 32p. (Boxcar Children Graphic Novels Series). CIP. ABDO/Magic Wagon/Graphic Planet 2009. PLB $19.95; pap. $6.99. Gr 3-5 While adult fans of the original series, which began in 1942, might be interested in seeing their favorite characters in a new format, these books fall short of expectations. In all three titles, the art feels stiff and awkwardthe characters faces are undeveloped and indistinct, making them difficult to connect with. The text, rather than the images, moves the action along, flattening the excitement of the Alden kids discoveries and making even the dramatic moments when the mysteries are revealed seem clunky and anticlimactic. Lauren Anduri, Brooklyn Public Library, NY