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Read Board: Nancy Drew Detectives

Welcome to the Nancy Drew Detectives Board!
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Oct 31, 2004 9:13pm
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If you guessed that Amanda from Seattle or Princess Lea had something to do with the creation of this board, you'd be right. ;o) They're lonely and need some more Nancy Drew aficionados to keep them company!
Looks like it's you and me Lea!
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Nov 1, 2004 9:33am
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Ryan put this one up just for us! I guess we can tell Susan about it if she really gets into letterboxing in RI :-)

-Amanda
Re: Looks like it's you and me Lea!
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #332 by Amanda from Seattle
Nov 3, 2004 11:39am
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Yeah no Hardy Boys allowed (Doug!). Ryan's a real Ned for making this cozy little spot for us.

-- Princess Lea
Re: Looks like it's you and me Lea!
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #332 by Amanda from Seattle
Dec 15, 2004 6:24pm
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Somehow I knew you two would be the ones to post here! I laughed when I saw the category.

I actually thought of both of you when I was in an antique store the other day. I was looking at the books and found some earlier copies of Nancy Drew books. I have been toying with going in and reading them. For some reason, I really didn't read them when I was younger. My mom got me into Trixie Belden instead when I was quite young. It wasn't as complex. It might be fun to discover the Drew series now, if not unusual for a 30 year-old to dive in for the first time!

-Cadenza
new to Nancy Drew
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #1362 by Cadenza
Dec 16, 2004 2:38pm
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I'm trying to think of a good one to point you to for enjoyment as an adult. I like the original text editions for their nostalgia value. Nancy is running around in her convertible roadster with her chums. Of course, The Secret of the Old Clock is the first, and introduces you to Nancy. Red Gate Farm is a hoot, and Password to Larkspur Lane is one of my all time favorites. Nancy meets Ned Nickerson (her "love interest") in the Clue in the Diary. The books were revised in the 70's to update them and take out some racial stereotyping. Sometimes the stories are completely changed. (Moss-Covered Mansion is one example where the original and the revised editions have very little in common).

For really entertaining reading, I suggest some British girls series books. Shirley Flight Air Hostess, Sally Baxter Girl Reporter and Sara Gay Model Girl are all hilarious reading. Their situations are often "over the top" .

Other Girls series books that are worth reading as an adult: Ruth Fielding by Alice Emerson, especially On the War Front and Homeward Bound --very exciting as Ruth helps out in WWI. The Anne of Green Gables books are terrific, and are all set in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

If you enjoyed Trixie Belden, You would probably like the Judy Bolton books by margaret sutton. The Judy books are famous for being based on real life adventures. The first Judy Book is the Vanishing Shadow. Two of my favorites are the Ghost Parade and the Discovery at Dragon's Mouth. Another favorite that is more Trixie-like are the Robin Kane mysteries By Eileen Hill. They are set in California and remind me of what it would be like if the Brady Bunch girls solved mysteries.

-Amanda

--Amanda

-Amanda
Re: new to Nancy Drew
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #1377 by Amanda from Seattle
Dec 16, 2004 4:10pm
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I read The Secret of the Old Clock just to see what the fuss about Nancy Drew was about. I still don't get it, truth be told, but whatever. *shrug* =)

-- Ryan
Re: new to Nancy Drew
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #1381 by Green Tortuga
Jan 1, 2005 11:13am
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Did you read the original Mildred Wirt text or the revision from the 1960s? The older version is much more gripping, but I have to admit that you sort of need to be a 9-year-old girl to get the excitement of it all. I really ought to make more Nancy Drew themed letterboxes....

-- Princess Lea
Re: new to Nancy Drew
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #1538 by Princess Lea
Jan 8, 2005 12:37pm
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Oh, I adored Nancy Drew as a child! My first Nancy Drew book was The Secret of Shadow Ranch. I can still see the cover, with the ghost horse glowing. SO cool. I was sucked in. I haven't read her in a while, though. but I did pick up one of those mini books called "Nancy Drew's Guide to Life." Very cute!

Chrissy
Re: new to Nancy Drew
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #1685 by Brandy
Jan 9, 2005 12:10am
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"but I did pick up one of those mini books called "Nancy Drew's Guide to Life." Very cute!"

There is a neat website with cool Nancy Drew clothes. Jams Pajama Pants and T-shirts it is:

http://www.nancydrewgirldetective.com/

Be sure to check it out!

-Amanda
revisiting Nancy Drew
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #1694 by Amanda from Seattle
Feb 6, 2005 11:19am
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I loved the Nacy Drew books when I was a young girl. I'd completely forgotten about them though and it's only in the last couple of months that I started hearing about them again.

Picked up book 1 last week and devoured it! I think I'm a born-again-fan!
Re: new to Nancy Drew
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #1694 by Amanda from Seattle
Feb 6, 2005 2:36pm
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Oh, what a fabulous website! I must order something from it.... I must. :)
A New Book about Nancy Drew
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Feb 23, 2005 3:35pm
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Hey there, Check out this article from yesterday's Tampa Tribune:

http://tampatrib.com/baylifenews/MGB6WZICH5E.html

Renee Walker has written a book about the "Dark Side of River Heights"

There is also a Web site,

www.thedarksideofriverheights.com

with information about her book.
It sounds pretty interesting and being the rabid Nancy Drew fan that I am, I have already ordered a copy.

-Amanda from Seattle
Nancy Drew graphic novel
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #2378 by Amanda from Seattle
Apr 5, 2005 2:07pm
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Nancy Drew has become a comic book character! A company called Papercutz is publishing new Nancy Drew books in comic book style! Check out this website for more info:

http://www.papercutz.com/nd/nd.html

-Amanda from Seattle
I love this board
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Nov 17, 2005 12:36pm
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I just discovered this board! Even though there hasn't been any action on it for months, I discovered some other Nancy fans and a couple Trixie fans too. Thanks for the Nancy clothing site. Oh my gosh, what a riot. I just may have to put one of those items on my holiday gift list. Did any of you ever read the Dark Side of River Heights and what did you think?
Cheers,
The Aroostook Sleuth
An excerpt
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Nov 17, 2005 1:08pm
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I was at the library the other day and ended up picking up a Nancy Drew simply to revisit. When I was a kid, I had all of them, all the Hardy Boys, and Trixie Beldens. Probably due to one of those book by mail, but it seems like there were two novels in each book.

Mom taught reading, bringing the kids up their grade level of reading. Being the always sick kid and thus, hanging out in her office a lot after doctors appts, I got to know many of her students. The ND, TB, HB sets were divided up among some of the kids I got to know well that truly were interested in reading, but had a hard time with it.

Yes, this trip down memory lane, brought to you by MoWizLiz.

Last night however, straight out of the book from the library:

Nancy crossed over to the ancient tree, gazing with renewed interest at its bigness.

"Mr. Ranny, please tell me where the hollow 'letter box' is, " she eagerly said to her companion.

Ranny showed her a cleverly concealed cavity far up the truck at a point where two of the boughs came together. It was nearly out of reach for one of Nancy's height, so she stood up on tiptoe to peer into it.

"It seems to extend far back into the tree."

"Yes," the prospector agreed. "At one time, a swarm of bees decided to adopt that hollow, and until we could get rid of them, Annette and I thought we'd lose our letter box."

Nancy thrust her hand into the opening, but brought it out empty.

"It looks as if my hunch weren't such a good one, Mr. Ranny."

"What did you expect to find?"

"I don't know," Nancy admitted. "Something just seemed to tell me to come to this old oak. I had a feeling that I might find a communication of some kind by Mr. Chap."





/waggling eyebrows.
Re: I love this board
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11186 by The Aroostook Sleuth
Nov 17, 2005 1:23pm
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I did read the Dark Side of River Heights but cannot say that I was particularly impressed. Although Renee made some good points, I found the tone of the book whiny. On the other hand, I met the author last month and she is a very interesting and well spoken person! She is writing an article about (real) women named Nancy Drew and how their name has affected their lives.

-- Princess Lea
Re: An excerpt
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11188 by mowizliz
Nov 17, 2005 1:25pm
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Wow, I never realized how perfectly that excerpt from Hollow Oak fits! Someone ought to make a Message in the Hollow Oak LB and use the quote...... As memory serves, isn't there an illustration in the book that depicts Nancy reaching in to the "hollow?" Amanda and I were out letterboxing once and found the box inquestion hidding in a burned out oak tree. We got all excited about it being a Hollow Oak, so we took pictures - I believe one of those yellow chicks was involved.

-- Princess Lea
Re: An excerpt from Hollow Oak
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11192 by Princess Lea
Nov 17, 2005 3:05pm
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I was just looking at those chick pictures from the "Hollow Oak" letterbox the other day. Unfortunately, I am not on my home computer or else I would up load one for you guys to see! We even included the piece of paper with the clue from the book. It was cute.

I enjoyed the Dark Side of River Heights many of the ideas were ones that I had had in the past!

I also enjoyed Not a Girl Detective by Susan Kandel, A modern mystery with alot of Nancy references!

Also worth checking out is Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak. Especially if you are coming back to the series and would like to know more about how the series started and who wrote the books from the 30's-70's.

-Amanda
Re: I love this board
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11190 by Princess Lea
Nov 17, 2005 3:50pm
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Quote Although Renee made some good points, I found the tone of the book whiny.


*hehe* I haven't read the book in question, but I did once read a Nancy Drew book to see what all the fuss was about and thought Nancy seemed kind of whiny to me. =)

I couldn't bear to read a second book. That's one hobby Amanda will have to enjoy by herself. =) (Well, with you guys too, but you know what I mean!)

-- Ryan
Trixie
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11186 by The Aroostook Sleuth
Nov 18, 2005 12:46am
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I owned every Trixie Belden book growing up! My mom had read them when she was younger and she got me into them. I haven't heard many people talk about them at all though. Certain other sleuths always got the attention.

Cadenza
Re: Trixie
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11211 by Cadenza
Nov 18, 2005 6:38am
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I'm with you completely! Trixie Belden was my absolute favorite, and I wish now that I had held on to my books (the evils of garage sales!). I have a feeling it will be difficult to find them now, when my daughter gets to the age to read them.

Trailfeathers
Re: Trixie
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11214 by Trailfeathers
Nov 18, 2005 7:02am
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I have actually seen them in some bookstores. I did save most of mine, but I had the paperbacks, so who knows what horrible shape they are in. I think they are in a box in my garage. I will have to go see. It would be fun to delve in again one of these days.

Cadenza
Re: Trixie
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11216 by Esmerelda
Nov 18, 2005 7:58am
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The Trixies began to be reprinted last year - they went for a high quality approach and the new books are glossy hardback with excellent new artwork. I think they are up to #13 right now, and it will be intersting to see if the publishers reprint all 39 books - previously #s 17-39 were only available in paperback, and some of those high numbers are currently v. expensive on the used market. I've never understood why companies who do reprints like this start with #1, since the demand is for the rarer, high numbered books that didn't have a chance to sell much the first time around.

-- Princess Lea

P.S. Have you Trixie fans discovered Jenni Johns's web page? It's www.trixie-belden.com and it is one of the best series book related sites I've ever seen
Re: Trixie Fans
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11217 by Princess Lea
Nov 18, 2005 8:35am
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Yes, Trixie Belden was the absolute best!! I found out last year that there are a lot of Trixie fans. In fact, a bunch of them have a Trixie convention once a year and they all meet in a town/state where one of the book's mystery took place. Last year it was held in Vermont. They take tours in the area and all stay at the same hotel or B&B and have a T-shirt made to commemorate the event. I'd love to go some year just for the heck of it and to meet up with other Trixie fans. I'm not talking about kids, but adults who loved Trixie as kids. There are more of us out there than you think.
CHeers,
The Aroostook Sleuth
Re: An excerpt
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11188 by mowizliz
Nov 18, 2005 10:17am
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Great excerpt! We used to hid letterboxes when we were kids, of course, not knowing anything about letterboxing and way before it became popular in the US. Now I'm wondering if we got the idea from Nancy Drew!
The Aroostook Sleuth
Re: Trixie Fans
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11219 by The Aroostook Sleuth
Nov 18, 2005 12:49pm
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Amanda and I originally met at a convention such as you describe - the group is called The Phantom Friends and they are fans of all girls series books. Now naturally Amanda and I are Nancy Drew fans, and there were always factions of fans of other sleuths such as Trixie and a big contingent of Judy Bolton people. The Betsy Tacy people are the largest I know of, and they get hundreds of people at their conventions up in MN! Last month Amanda and I were in Arizona for the offshoot group the Nancy Drew Sleuths and we visited sites where Nancy has gone in The Secret of Shadow Ranch and The Kachina Doll Mystery (I did a letterbox for that one, and I soon as we can locate the piece of paper with the steps & compass direction on it, the clues will be uploaded!)

-- Princess Lea
Cherry Ames
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11232 by Princess Lea
Nov 18, 2005 2:09pm
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I have been following this thread and loving it, as I was one of those avid ND & Trixie fans (I think I should re-read some as an adult for grins).

I had all my mothers' books from when she was a girl, as well as her friend's, who had had only sons. I also had old Hardy Boys from my dad, but I never got into that. Mixed into those were some Cherry Ames, student nurse mysteries. Cherry always got in trouble with the supervisors because her lips were naturally red and they always thought she was wearing lipstick. Did anyone else read those?

And, my mom had some from another 1950s mystery series about a girl who moves to NY to stay with her aunt and works as an assistant buyer at a Bloomingdales-type department store. I wish I could remember the name of that series because it was my favorite--the fashion and glamour of New York seemed so cool to my 10 year old self. If anyone knows the name, I'd love to stroll down that memory lane!

Dewberry
Re: Trixie Fans
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11232 by Princess Lea
Nov 20, 2005 2:07pm
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Wow, I just had no idea there were so many people out there like this. Of course, I love Nancy Drew too. I read more Nancy Drew books as a kid than Trixie, but I guess there's a lot more of them.
I planted a Trixie Belden LB in western PA, if anyone is ever in that neck of the woods. It is one LB of six in the "Childhood Adventure Club" series that my sister and I planted honoring all the mystery clubs we had as kids. What fun. Hope to meet up with some of you letterboxers and Nancy/Trixie fans someday.
Cheers,
The Aroostook Sleuth
Re: Cherry Ames
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11239 by dewberry
Nov 20, 2005 2:11pm
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Yes, I read some Cherry Ames and Judy Bolton books too. I found those mostly in the local library. It is sad to think that the library probably threw them out. The NYC series doesn't ring a bell though.
Sleuth
Re: An excerpt from Hollow Oak
Board: Nancy Drew Detectives
Reply to: #11193 by Amanda from Seattle
Nov 20, 2005 7:17pm
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The chick always cracks me up. I think my favorite published picture is the carving disaster one. Makes me laugh every time.

All y'alls talk about the influences triggered some old memories that I thought were long ago forgotten. One was that there was a loose tile in the area outside the girls bathroom at our elementary school, off the main walking traffic pattern. Some of my friends and I would leave notes for each other underneath the tile. That went on for a year!

Good call Princess Lea on identifying the book RIGHT AWAY!!!