Here are all 56 original nancy drew books, ranked worst to best. Nancy drew is the protagonist of several series of childrens mystery novels, written under the house name of carolyn keene. Now, for the first time, you can purchase all sixtyfour classic nancy drew titles in. Nancy drew has been solving mysteries, and delighting fans, for over 75 years. Initially published in 1930, this was to be the follow up to the first in the ever popular longrunning series of nancy drew novels, as it carried on from where the. The first hardy boys book was published three years before the first nancy drew. With interactive elements on each spread, and a behindthescenes look at the world of nancy drew, this. The book contained seven short stories in which nancy drew crosses over to solve mysteries with the hardy boys. First published on april 28, 1930, it was written by ghostwriter mildred. First published in 1930, the nancy drew mystery stories have sold over 70 million copies and become a cherished part of our cultural landscape. Inside youll learn all about nancys favorite mysteries, meet the creators of nancy drew, and see the art from the 77year history of the series. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. The original nancy drew mystery stories series lasted from then until 2003, concluding with werewolf in a winter wonderland. Initially published in 1930, this was to be the follow up to the first in the ever popular longrunning series of nancy drew novels, as it carried on from where the last left off.
There have been multiple spinoff and relaunch series, including the nancy drew files, teamup series with the hardy boys, nancy drew notebooks chapter books for younger children, nancy drew on campus a college romancetype series, nancy drew. Nancy drew made her debut in the novel the secret of the old clock, published in 1930. The first nancy drew book was written in about 19291930. In the first nancy drew mystery, the secret of the old clock, on page one we read nancy drew, an attractive girl of eighteen, was driving home along. Mildred wirt benson, who wrote the text of 23 of the first 25 nancy drew books under the direction of edward stratemeyer, was still an active newspaper columnist when she died in may of 2002 at the age of 96. When was the first nancy drew book published answers. The character of nancy drew, as well as the appearance of the books, has changed over the years in many ways. The books are ghostwritten by a number of authors and published under the collective pseudonym carolyn keene. This edition is the revised one, changing the age of nancy drew from 16 to 18 years old. Nancy drew is a fictional character, a sleuth in an american mystery series created by publisher edward stratemeyer as the female counterpart to his hardy boys series. Nancy drew is that kind of series, each book ostensibly written by carolyn keene but really the work of a team of ghostwriters and editors churning out novel after novel about the exploits of a smart, brave and attractive adolescent girl named nancy drew who solves mysteries as an amateur sleuth. Written under the pseudonym carolyn keene, readers met the plucky young heroine nancy drew for the first time.
This is the very first book, introducing the popular character of nancy drew. The first edition of the novel was published in, and was written by carolyn keene. The first book i read was the message in the hollow oak. Im twentyeight now and its just as great now as it was then.
To date, more than 70 million copies of the nancy drew books have been sold. Vintage book hardcover 1937 nancy drew mystery stories the whispering statue. Here are all 56 original nancy drew books, ranked from worst to best. The first nancy drew is ranked 53rd on the alltime bestselling childrens book list for the united states. Pdf the hidden staircase book nancy drew free download. Series book values collapsed in late 2008 and have never recovered. I think i read all of the books that were published at this time. The first edition of the novel was published in 1930, and was written by carolyn keene. The evolution of nancy drew nancy drew and friends. The secret of the old clock nancy drew, book 1 by carolyn keene may 1, 1930.
Women of many generations could claim a similar love of the girl detective. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of and is available in hardcover format. The secret in the stars nancy drew, book 156 by carolyn keene aug 29, 2000. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Continuing with the same characters before, it sets up a new adventure for the eponymous teenagegirl detective, as she looks to using her investigative skills to assist her. I named my first car, a mint green toyota prius, after my first role model, nancy drew.
Original nancy drew books in order summary of nancy drew. Producing films in the late 1930s and recently as well in 2007, its eponymous character has an enduring appeal, which is also reflected in its videogame titles as well. The main characters of this mystery, young adult story are nancy drew. The books are ghostwritten by a number of authors and published under the collective pseudonym. The books have orange silhouette endpapers and four glossy internal illustrations. I decided to list some of the rarest nancy drew books and collectibles.
Nancy drew 19 first printing the quest of the missing map with dust jacket 1942. Over the years the books have had new cover art and, from 1959. The character was created by edward stratemeyer, head of the stratemeyer syndicate, which produced not only nancy drew, but also the hardy boys, tom swift, the bobbsey twins, the rover boys and more series. Mildred wirt benson, who wrote 23 of the first 30 nancy drew novels those spinechilling tales of the fearless teenage sleuth who motored about in a blue roadster solving crimes died on.
The main characters of this mystery, classics story are. Nancy drew, 18yearold amateur detective, is on a mission to save the destitute family of a dead man. Tori reads the first four chapters of the book that the first nancy drew pc game is based on. First edition, first printing, of the first hardy boys title, long considered one of the holy grails of american childrens book collecting. Readers see nancy in her element for the first timeconducting interviews, deciphering clues, and upturning societys unjust standards. The secret of red gate farm is described as a second printing with dust jacket.
For people who are not very familiar with collecting nancy drew, be aware that the book or collectible has to be exactly like what i mention. The early classic nancy of the 1930s1940s is bold, independent, fearless, and capable. The nancy drew mysteries were the brainchild of publisher edward stratemeyer who developed a pseudonym so that several authors could contribute to nancys stories at once. The best way to see if a nancy drew book might have value is to run a search on ebay, select sold, then view the results. The first nancy drew book, 1930s the secret of the old clock, was ghostwritten by mildred wirt, who penned 23 nancy drew titles as carolyn keenethe same pseudonym used today. Free download or read online the hidden staircase pdf epub nancy drew series book. The nancy drew mystery stories was the longrunning main nancy drew series, published between 1930 and 2003. Make offer vintage book hardcover 1937 nancy drew mystery stories the whispering statue. When he died, just two weeks after the first book launched, his daughters took over the business, and nancy drew hasnt stopped sleuthing since. One glossy illustration occurs before the title page, and the remaining three are scattered throughout the text of the book. More information about this seller contact this seller 1. The real mystery nancy drew has solved is the mystery of aging and she never even takes credit for it.
Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 nancy drew mystery stories. I first began reading nancy drew books in 3rd or 4th grade. Everything you need to know or want to know is here. On april 28, 1930, the first book in the nancy drew mystery stories, the secret of the old clock, was published. Early readers of the nancy drew series may be surprised to find the modern version of this spirited sleuths adventures to be quite different. I found the phrase ten rarest nancy drew books as a search term that led someone to this blog. Confessions of a nancy drew collector antique trader.
The notsohidden racism of nancy drew electric literature. Nancy drew clue book last lemonade standing written by carolyn keene illustrated by peter francis follow and listen to the story read of the great nancy drew and her clue crew uncover the. A second method is to find the online listings of actual nancy drew collectors. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 182 pages and is available in hardcover format. Nancy drew books, in one form or another, have been popular for more than 70 years. It was first published in 1930 by the stratemeyer syndicate. Here are all 56 original nancy drew books, ranked worst to. New nancy drew books were published after 1979, including multiple spinoff series, but they had different publishers, creating a dividing line between the first 56 and all the rest. Nancy drew has starred in movies, tv shows, computer games, and comicsbut it all started with nancy drew books.
Heralded by many feminists as a strong female rolemodel, nancy drew has had an extremely positive influence on her young readers over the years. The hardy boys, nancy drew, and the secret ghostwriters of. I became an avid reader and collector for the next few years. The first nancy drew book was the secret of the old clock. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Over the decades, the character evolved in response to changes in us culture and tastes. Developed by the american publisher edward stratemeyer, the hardy boys books were part of a range of juvenile detective fiction released by the stratemeyer syndicate, and was so successful that they launched nancy drew as a female counterpart.
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