What a nice way to celebrate all the books that made us into the readers we are today. Some of my favorite books were Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and lots and lots of mysteries. I collected all of the Nancy Drew books over countless birthdays and Christmases, and my scholastic book fair money was solely devoted to The Box Car Children series, which I kept in a long cardboard (?) promotional box car.
I re-read the first book in the series a few years ago and was shocked to remember how sad the beginning of that series was. The four children are literally starving orphans living in a freezing cold abandoned train car and trying to survive…
Anyway!
To celebrate today, I suggest everyone re-read a nostalgic childhood favorite. (Possibly with caution.)
Here is a collection of five girl detective stories, some I read in childhood and some I did not, that may delight your inner child.
Goodreads synopsis:
Nancy, unaided, seeks to find a missing will. To the surprise of many, the Topham family will inherit wealthy Josiah Crowley’s fortune, instead of deserving relatives and friends who were promised inheritances. Nancy determines that a clue to a second will might be found in an old clock Mr. Crowley had owned and she seeks to find the timepiece. Her search not only tests her keen mind, but also leads her into a thrilling adventure.
My review here.
Goodreads synopsis:
After receiving a call from her friend Helen Corning, Nancy agrees to help solve a baffling mystery. Helen’s Aunt Rosemary has been living with her mother at the old family mansion, and they have noticed many strange things. They have heard music, thumps, and creaking noises at night, and seen eerie shadows on the walls. Could the house be haunted?
My review here.
Goodreads synopsis:
Teenage detective Nancy Drew finds herself in danger when she sets out to track a jewel thief.
My review here.
Goodreads synopsis:
Mary Louise Gay and her friend, Jane Patterson, befriend Elsie Grant, who is an orphan living with her aunt, Miss Mattie Grant. Miss Grant is a miser, whose only love is her cache of money, which she keeps in her safe. Poor Elsie has no suitable clothing and does not go to school. When Miss Grant’s money is stolen, Elsie is blamed for the theft. Mary Louise turns detective, determined to find the real thief and exonerate Elsie.
My review here.
Goodreads synopsis:
Penny visits a ski resort and stumbles upon several mysteries. Unknown enemies are trying to force the resort to close, and during her investigations, Penny discovers a mysterious green door in the resort that leads to a room that can only be entered by invitation. Meanwhile, a new acquaintance offers to sell Penny a fur coat inexpensively. Penny investigates, solving all of the mysteries, scoops a rival reporter, and is rewarded with a new car.
My review here.
Golden Age of Detective Fiction 
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