The Boxcar Children - Surprise Island — Chapter 2

About This Passage

Warner uses the housekeeper's brief speech to make a moral observation that the rest of the chapter will quietly demonstrate — that cleverness and kindness can live together in the same person. The word 'yet' is the load-bearing word in the sentence; it gently corrects the assumption that smart children are usually too busy or too proud to notice ordinary people. Mrs. McGregor is also doing something specific: she is praising Benny by name even though Benny is the youngest, signaling that Warner wants the reader to see the smallest member of the family as part of this kindness, not an exception to it. Satisfies criteria B (the pivot of the word 'yet'), C (an outside character speaking the chapter's moral thesis), and D (the theme of how virtue is recognized by other people).

Narration Prompt

In your own words, tell the story of this chapter. What were the most important moments? What made them important — and how do you know?

Discussion Questions

1. Joe gives Dr. Moore his real name in a whisper, then asks the doctor to call him 'Joe' in front of the children. Is Joe deceiving the children, or is he protecting them from something they are not ready for? What does the chapter offer as evidence either way?
2. Dr. Moore agrees to keep Joe's identity secret from the Alden family — but Mr. Alden has just made him responsible for checking on Joe. Was the doctor right to make a promise that means hiding the truth from the man who trusted him? Where exactly does the doctor's first loyalty belong?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide