SCIENCE FAIR SABOTAGE
Jessie wants her science fair project to make a difference. So when she has the chance to test a local stream for pollution, she can’t wait to get started.
Henry, Violet, and Benny have fun using science to help Jessie with her project. But when someone tries to sabotage their experiment, and the stream starts to change in strange ways, the Boxcar Children have more than a science project to finish. They have a mystery to solve!
Albert Whitman & Co.
More than 100 Years of Good Books
www.albertwhitman.com • www.boxcarchildren.com
Cover art by Anthony VanArsdale
Copyright © 2020 by Albert Whitman & Company
Printed in the United States of America
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN MYSTERIES
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
SURPRISE ISLAND
THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY
MYSTERY RANCH
MIKE’S MYSTERY
BLUE BAY MYSTERY
THE WOODSHED MYSTERY
THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY
MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY
SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY
CABOOSE MYSTERY
HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY
SNOWBOUND MYSTERY
TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
BICYCLE MYSTERY
MYSTERY IN THE SAND
MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL
BUS STATION MYSTERY
BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY
THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY
THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY
THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING
THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO
THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY GIRL
THE MYSTERY CRUISE
THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST
THE MYSTERY IN THE SNOW
THE PIZZA MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY HORSE
THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW
THE CASTLE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE
THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE
THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL
THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC
THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT
THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN
THE MYSTERY ON STAGE
THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC
THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK
THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON
THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE
THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR
THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE
THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN
THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE
THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY
THE HURRICANE MYSTERY
THE PET SHOP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE
THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO
THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO
THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY
THE SOCCER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC
THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER
THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL
THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY
THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY
THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY
THE PANTHER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS
THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY
THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY
THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP
THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN
THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL
THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK
THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY
THE POISON FROG MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE
THE HOME RUN MYSTERY
THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES
THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME
THE HONEYBEE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE
THE HOCKEY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG
THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL
THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY
THE COPYCAT MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE
THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE
THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY
THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP
THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT
THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY
THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY
THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY
THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY
THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE
THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY
THE RADIO MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR
THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE
THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES
THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT
THE GAME STORE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN
THE VANISHING PASSENGER
THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY
THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE
THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY
THE SECRET OF THE MASK
THE SEATTLE PUZZLE
THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW
THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND
A HORSE NAMED DRAGON
THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE
THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES
THE SPY GAME
THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY
THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY
SUPERSTAR WATCH
THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS
THE AMAZING MYSTERY SHOW
THE PUMPKIN HEAD MYSTERY
THE CUPCAKE CAPER
THE CLUE IN THE RECYCLING BIN
MONKEY TROUBLE
THE ZOMBIE PROJECT
THE GREAT TURKEY HEIST
THE GARDEN THIEF
THE BOARDWALK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE FALLEN TREASURE
THE RETURN OF THE GRAVEYARD GHOST
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN SNOWBOARD
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD WEST BANDIT
THE MYSTERY OF THE SOCCER SNITCH
THE MYSTERY OF THE GRINNING GARGOYLE
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING POP IDOL
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN DINOSAUR BONES
THE MYSTERY AT THE CALGARY STAMPEDE
THE SLEEPY HOLLOW MYSTERY
THE LEGEND OF THE IRISH CASTLE
THE CELEBRITY CAT CAPER
HIDDEN IN THE HAUNTED SCHOOL
THE ELECTION DAY DILEMMA
THE DOUGHNUT WHODUNIT
THE ROBOT RANSOM
THE LEGEND OF THE HOWLING WEREWOLF
THE DAY OF THE DEAD MYSTERY
THE HUNDRED-YEAR MYSTERY
THE SEA TURTLE MYSTERY
SECRET ON THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR
T
HE POWER DOWN MYSTERY
MYSTERY AT CAMP SURVIVAL
THE MYSTERY OF THE FORGOTTEN FAMILY
NEW! THE SKELETON KEY MYSTERY
NEW! SCIENCE FAIR SABOTAGE
Copyright © 2020 by Albert Whitman & Company
First published in the United States of America in 2020 by Albert Whitman & Company
ISBN 978-0-8075-0792-6 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-8075-0798-8 (paperback)
ISBN 978-0-8075-0799-5 (ebook)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN® is a registered trademark of Albert Whitman & Company.
Printed in the United States of America
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Illustrations by Anthony VanArsdale
Visit The Boxcar Children® online at www.boxcarchildren.com. For more information about Albert Whitman & Company, visit our website at www.albertwhitman.com.
Contents
1. River Ride
2. Change of Plans
3. Stink and Murk
4. Weirder and Weirder
5. Two Problems
6. Rivers and Streams
7. Snooping and Shooing
8. Behind the Wall
9. The Big Day
10. The Man in the Blue Hat
CHAPTER
River Ride
“My arms are tired.” Six-year-old Benny Alden set his paddle across his legs. “I don’t want to row anymore.”
“Benny, we need your paddle in the water to keep the canoe straight,” said Henry from the back of the boat. At fourteen, he was the oldest of the four children. “You’re an important part of Team Alden.”
Still, Benny didn’t put his paddle in the water.
Jessie spoke up from her seat in the front of the canoe. She was twelve and always seemed to know just what to tell her little brother. “This is the roughest patch of the river, Benny. Remember, there’s a big meal waiting at the end.”
At the mention of food, Benny pushed his sweat-soaked hair from his forehead. He flexed his muscles and said, “I’ll do it for Team Alden!”
But before Benny could do a thing, the river’s current pulled the canoe sideways.
“Watch out!” Ten-year-old Violet called. She had been taking pictures of the scenery with her new digital camera. Now, she picked up her paddle.
Ahead, a glistening boulder stuck high out of the water. If the children didn’t steer around it, the canoe would flip and dump them all into the river.
“Smash alert!” Benny shrieked. “Crash position!” He ducked down and put his head between his legs.
“No need to panic. We just need to paddle together,” Henry said. He called, “Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!” The three oldest Aldens worked double time to turn the boat back on course. Before long, the rock was behind them.
“Whew,” said Violet, smoothing out her ponytail. “That was close.”
“I was so scared!” said Benny. Then he added, “I think we all deserve a snack. Is there a cooler hiding somewhere?”
“Sorry,” Henry said. “This is a short trip, remember? Grandfather is waiting for us.”
It was a late summer day, and the children were enjoying the last of the warm weather by canoeing down the Greenfield River. At the end of their route, they planned to meet Grandfather for lunch at Greenfield’s Lookout Café.
Jessie, Violet, Henry, and Benny had not always lived with their grandfather. After their parents died, the children had run away. They’d heard that Grandfather Alden was mean and were afraid to live with him. They had found shelter in an old boxcar in the woods, and, for a short time, made it their home. The children had all kinds of adventures in the boxcar. When Grandfather had found them, they discovered he wasn’t mean at all and came to live with him. The children still had all kinds of adventures.
“How much longer, Henry?” Benny asked. He added, “Do you have a sandwich in your life jacket pocket?”
“Life jackets don’t have pockets, silly,” Henry chuckled.
Violet pulled the straps to tighten the orange vest around her middle. “It’s good we were wearing life jackets,” she said. “We almost tipped over.”
“It’s important to be prepared,” said Henry. “Sometimes things happen that no one can control.”
“It’s important to be prepared,” Benny repeated. He thought for a long moment then said, “I think I’ll make a life jacket with a special pocket for a sandwich.” He added, “I’m going to invent a machine that rows the boat for me too.” He went on, “Then, we need an air conditioning umbrella to cool us down. A waterproof boat pillow to rest my sleepy head.” Benny’s eyes got big as he added another idea to the list. “And a special doggy seat for Watch!”
Watch was the name of the Aldens’ wirehaired terrier. The man who rented the canoe to them had said no dogs were allowed. So Watch was waiting with Grandfather at the end of the route.
Benny had been upset not to bring Watch along. Now, he was excited about his idea. “I could make a doggy life vest too!” He clapped his hands. “With a pocket for dog treats!”
“You are full of good ideas,” said Jessie. “Maybe I should use one for my science fair project.”
All summer, Jessie had been looking forward to joining her school’s Science Fair Club. In the club’s first meeting, she had partnered with Claudia Tobin, who had won the competition the year before. Jessie was excited to have such a smart partner. Now, they just needed to find the perfect project.
“You’re going to invent a dog life vest, Jessie?” Violet asked, brown eyes wide with surprise.
“With a treat pocket,” Benny added. “That’s the most important part.”
Jessie giggled. “I don’t think Claudia would want to make a dog vest.”
“You’ve only had one meeting,” Henry said. “The perfect idea will come to you.”
For a few minutes, the children were quiet as they paddled around a bend. Henry convinced Benny to help by promising him two sandwiches at the end of the trip.
“And ice cream?” Benny asked before putting his oar into the water.
“I’d never forget dessert,” said Henry.
Before long, the children came to a calm area where they could float along. Violet took a picture of a mallard duck that Benny spotted. And two turtles Henry pointed out.
But Jessie was still thinking about her science fair project. “Claudia and I want to do something that will make a difference,” she said. “We have to decide soon so we can get busy doing the research.”
“You’ll find your project,” said Benny. “I’m a hundred and two percent positive.”
“I’ve got my fingers crossed one hundred and two times,” Jessie joked.
“It’s nice we have this river and so much nature this close to Greenfield,” said Violet, peering through her camera lens. “Maybe there’s a river project you could do, Jessie?”
“I wonder…” Jessie began to think about it.
Violet aimed her camera toward the shore and squinted through the lens. “Hey, what’s going on over there?”
“What do you see?” asked Henry.
“It looks like construction,” Violet said.
As the boat got closer, the children saw a tall metal fence blocking off the work site from the river. Loud clanging noises came from the other side.
“That’s strange,” said Jessie. “I didn’t think anyone could build by the river—not after the Big Cleanup.”
“Big Cleanup?” Benny asked.
“That’s right,” said Henry. “A while back, there was a big effort to clean up the Greenfield River. At the time, there were no birds. The water smelled weird. Everyone used to joke there was so much pollution in the river that the fish had three eyes.”
“Mutant fish!” said Benny. He peeked over the side of the canoe to see if he could find any strange creatures. “I thought falling in the water would be bad. Swimming with mutant fishes would be…” He thought about the right word, then said, “Really bad!”
“Those are just rumors, Benny.” Jessie pointed to a fishing dock on the side of the river, where a man and his daughter were holding fishing rods. The girl had a fish hanging from a hook. “See? Nothing to worry about.”
“Don’t eat that!” Benny shouted. “It might have extra eyeballs!”
“We need to paddle,” said Henry, changing the subject. The end of the river ride was coming up, and the children needed to get to the right side of the riverbank. “All together, Team Alden! Stroke. Stroke. Stroke.”
Still, as Jessie paddled along, she couldn’t help but look at the water and wonder: Had things really changed for the Greenfield River?
CHAPTER
Change of Plans
“Sandwich time!” Benny said as the canoe pulled onto the sandy shore.
“We need to return the boat first,” said Henry.
“Oh bother,” Benny groaned. He looked down the path leading to the Lookout Café. “They’re so close I can smell them.”
“We’ll be there soon,” said Jessie, hopping out and pulling the canoe onto the sandy shore.
Once all the children were out, Benny sniffed the air. “The whole menu is attacking my nose. There are sandwiches and cookies and apples.” Benny sneezed. “And chocolate ice cream for dessert!”
“You have a super-sniffer,” Violet said with a laugh. She snapped a photo of Benny licking his lips.
The children pulled the canoe all the way onto the shore. At the landing, a red pickup truck with a trailer full of kayaks and canoes was parked.
Benny sounded out the words on the side of the truck. “‘Cho’s the Best Choice.’” Benny tilted his head. “We got our canoe from Mr. Cho, but the sign at his shack had another name.”
Jessie nodded. “You’re right, Benny. Mr. Cho’s business is called Lazy River Rentals. ‘Cho’s the Best Choice’ is his motto.”
“What does that mean?” Benny asked.
“A motto is a phrase that helps people remember your business,” said Henry. “Mr. Cho wants people to know his shop is the best choice.”
“But it’s the only choice,” said Violet.
Henry shrugged. “I guess that makes it the best.”
“Well,” said Benny, “if I were him, my motto would be Lazy River Rentals: There’s Food at the End.”
Science Fair Sabotage Page 1