American author Gertrude Chandler Warner (1890–1979) wrote several stories for children, and her 1924 book, The Box-Car Children, was so successful that she published 18 sequels.

The series' popularity has continued to grow: there are currently 150 other books, written by many authors, as well as two animated films. Warner was also a school teacher who read the original story to her classes and rewrote it many times to make sure that it would be both engaging and easy to read.

She noted that the book "raised a storm of protest from librarians who thought the children were having too good a time without any parental control! That is exactly why children like it!"