A family, snowbound in a vacation cabin, discovers adventure in surrounding wild life, three children they find in the snow, and a search for a lost recipe.
The Alden children return to Surprise Island for a visit, and Benny's curiosity is aroused by a small yellow house that Grandfather doesn't want to talk about.
One night, during a storm, the children find an old red boxcar that keeps them warm and safe. The children decide to make it their home-and become "The Boxcar Children".
