One warm night four children stood in front of a bakery.No one knew them. No one knew where they had come from.Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny used to live alone in a boxcar. Now they have a home with their grandfather, and they're vacationing in North Carolina!When the Aldens first arrive in Elbow Bend, they meet Kate Frances, who tells them all sorts of ghost stories about the town! The scariest tale is about a ghost dog who howls at midnight and appears to warn people of danger! The Aldens think it is just a story until they hear dogs all over Elbow Bend howling at midnight. Does the ghost dog really exist or is someone playing a trick on them? The Boxcar Children are determined to find out.