One of the better of the Boxcar series so far, this has a really strong environmental focus, as the kids come up against the owner of a polluting factory. Notably - and the most interesting thing about the book - is that the kids of the factory owner, who are about the same age as the Alden kids, are solidly against what their dad is doing. They're performing science experiments to prove the ill effects of pollution on the local environment, they're picketing their dad's demonstrations, and if he's terrible for the planet he's at least raised kids with a sense of right and wrong, which is more than can be said for many of the polluting industrialists of today.

There's still something very innocent about the conclusion, though. These are children's books, so unbridled capitalism hasn't quite crushed all hope, but the conclusion that Grandfather Alden will use his experience running factories to help lessen the pollution coming out of this one, making everyone happy, isn't as great as it appears on the surface. What would have happened had there not been an eco-friendly millionaire come to show the polluter the error of his ways? Nothing, that's what, because the little people's objections were from little people, and thus insignificant. Then there's the irony of a plastics factory leading the way in non-pollution, and Warner admittedly gets a pass on that one because back in the day I'm not sure they knew about the damaging effect of microplastics, for instance, but that's an aspect that hasn't aged well. I mean, it's a nice ending. Idealised. The environment is saved and workers get to keep their jobs, and wouldn't it be great if it happened that way in real life as well?