Nancy Drew is such an iconic book character and one of my favorites!  Of all the nostalgic books I own, they’re my most beloved. I own 13 old copies. They are proudly displayed with their iconic yellow binding in my library. 

She had the mystery movement cornered way before the current obsession with Dateline, John Grisham novels, and the Crime Junkies podcast.  Ninety-five years ago in 1930, the first Nancy Drew title, The Secret Of The Old Clock, was published. Dear Nancy was an adored staple among bookshelves from Baby Boomers and Gen X.

There are many reasons I swoon over these books. Look at the covers! They are works of art, and I remember studying them to get a clue (pun intended!) about the mystery written between the pages. My favorite is the original #2 book in the series, The Hidden Staircase. You can look at it here. If this picture doesn’t scream ‘open the book and start reading,’ I’m not sure what does.

Along the same lines, I always appreciated the occasional picture wrapped in the text. I never thumbed through Nancy Drew books before I read them because I didn’t want to ruin the reading experience as I read the words for the first time and examined the illustrations.

Of course, the context of the mystery itself was the best part of these books! I was always in awe of Nancy and how she happened to be at the right place at the right time to get herself involved in such conundrums. She had a curious mind and was so brave. My life growing up in Canfield, Ohio, was happy and content, but wow, her life was so exciting! Lucky her! 

The part of every Nancy Drew book I looked forward to the most was the title reveal for the next mystery in the series. I felt excited to see which one was next! It was genius to put in a tease so fans like me would immediately want to grab the next book. 

I will always have a soft spot for Nancy Drew books. When I go to an antique store, I always peruse the book section for an old copy I might need to take home. Oh, the memories of reading on hot summer days, and eating popsicles on beach towels in the grass! Sigh…

Fun ND facts! 

Carolyn Keene is the named author of all the books. It is a pseudonym. There were several writers, but not one named Keene.

Nancy’s friends in the books, George (Georgia Fayne) and Bess Martin, are cousins.

 Edward Stratemeyer created the character. Nancy Drew. He had several names before he chose Nancy’s name. Some included Diana Dare, Stella Strong, Nan Nelson, and Helen Hale. Who knew?!