The Alden children travel on a Mississippi paddle-wheel steamer to visit an old family friend in his cabin near Hannibal, Missouri, and try to discover who is responsible for the mysterious activities near the house.
The Boxcar children travel to Maine, take canoes into the wilderness and live in a house exactly like the one on Surprise Island, except the Maine house is brown, not yellow. They untangle the mystery of the two houses.
While exploring the caves around Dragon's Mouth Cavern, a series of unusual and somewhat frightening events convinces the Alden children that someone does not want them around.
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny, visiting their friend Fran in Wisconsin, become suspicious when it appears that Fran's family ghost, which has not been seen in years, is staging a comeback.
The Alden kids investigate a series of break-ins and vandalization at the local recycling center, where Mrs. MacGregor has recently shown them they can find a lot of great things.