The Boxcar Children novels always make me feel *so* nostalgic for the times when I would stow away in my secret ship (aka my bed) with a great new adventure that was always loads of fun. The series, as a whole, is just so adorably sweet and innocent that it just can't help but make you smile.

That said, I didn't love this graphic novel adaptation of the second book as much as I loved the first one. The illustrations were definitely cute and fun, but the storyline of dear old grandpa leaving the boxcar kids to sleep on hay in a barn on their very own private island was just never my favorite.

Overall, I think SURPRISE ISLAND was a tad bit more enjoyable in the original format -- although I'm sure that anyone who loved this series in their childhood would still enjoy the graphic novels-- if for no other reason than that they provide a heartwarming little stroll down memory lane...