Even now,Warner is still teaching
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — The long-standing traditional field trip by third graders from Putnam found its way to the Gertrude Chandler Warner Children Boxcar Museum this week. The past and the present and the future intertwined through projects at the museum, tours of the museum plus the Aspinock Historical Society’s museum, the Putnam Public Library and through the pages of a special Warner Boxcar series book, “Snowbound Mystery.”
Boxcar museum director Pat Hedenberg said about 95 third graders visited this week. Each year third-graders learn about Warner and Putnam in their visits to the museum and the Municipal Complex and received their very own Boxcar book. 
While at the boxcar museum, they participate in crafts (bookmarkers) and games and go inside the museum to learn more about the Boxcar children and its author. There’s more learning with tours of the Aspinock Historical Society’s museum and the Putnam Public Library in the Municipal Complex. 
This year each student received their very own copy of “Snowbound Mystery” courtesy of Jewett City Savings Bank. This year’s book is a special one, according to Hedenberg. Roger Franklin, who was one of Warner’s students, is in the book. In fact, he autographed each book. He also helped lead the tours of the museum.
When Franklin welcomed the students, he pointed to the original brick school on School Street (now an apartment building) where he was one of Warner’s students. “I had her for first grade and my father had her for first grade.”
Then he pointed in the opposite direction, toward the intersection of School and South Main, to where Warner lived. 
And next year the tradition will continue, with third-graders learning about Putnam’s favorite daughter, moving her into the future.

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Inside the boxcar with Roger Franklin. More photos Wed. on our FB page. Linda Lemmon photos.

Above and below: Third-graders received Warner's "Snowbound Mystery" from Jewett City Savings Bank.