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Debra still enjoys a good Nancy Drew mystery.
There are a few authors I credit with my love of reading and Carolyn Keene is one of them. Keene is actually the pseudonym for a variety of authors who wrote the Nancy Drew series. Growing up while reading the mysteries, I had no idea there was more than one author contributing to the series. I was in awe that one person could write so many stories. Mildred Wirt is credited with starting the series and writing quite a few of the original stories. Those stories have been updated and rewritten over the years.
The series premiered in the 1930s and was updated in the 50s and 60s. Some of the stories stayed somewhat the same, with changes made to bring them up to date. Some of the stories were completely changed, even though they kept the same titles. New titles were added as well.
It was the updated books that I read when I was younger, and will even pick up now and again to this day. I was a library reader, heading to the corner shelves to those rows of yellow books every time I went. Only as an adult did I start collecting the books for my personal collection. Of the yellow hardcovers, I have probably 2/3 of them.
After the yellow books went out of 'fashion', the series continued in the 80s with paperback books, which (at the time) were much more modern. Those I collected first-hand and have about two dozen. Eventually, as the series continued to grow, I stopped buying and once again returned to my local library if I wanted to read a new story.
Now the series has expanded even further and gotten more and more updates. There are The Nancy Drew Notebooks and even a series for younger readers in which Nancy and her friends are in Third Grade. As far as I know, stories about my favorite teenaged sleuth are still being written. Which is fabulous. It makes me happy to know new generations of readers will still get to know Nancy for years to come. For me, it's still those classic yellow books that speak to my heart and make me smile. They bring back wonderful memories.
Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com
I loved Nancy Drew (and Hardy Boys) stories in the '60s. I have not read one since my pre-teens, and I had no idea they were still being written. Wow!
ReplyDeleteI read a few Hardy Boys but could never really get into them as much as Nancy Drew. She was my girl!
DeleteI don't think these were available in the UK when I was pre-teen. Many of my generation grew up with the Enid Blyton stories here.
ReplyDeleteIt must definitely be a cultural thing because I've never heard of Enid Blyton. :)
DeleteYes, Enid Blyton. I read all of her stories.
DeleteI used to love those books. Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins too!
ReplyDeleteOooh yes! I loved The Bobbsey Twins, too!
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