READ HARDER: A MIDDLE GRADE MYSTERY (Nancy Drew fan of days gone by?)

[SheltieLover]

https://bookriot.com/read-harder-2021-a-middle-grade-mystery/

What is it about middle grade mysteries that is so enduring? Whether you were a devoted Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys fan, snuck around New York City with Harriet the Spy, or are exploring the genre for the first time with authors like Varian Johnson and Chris Grabenstein, there’s something for everyone in this genre. The great thing about middle grade mysteries is that they allow readers of all ages to put their puzzle solving skills to work, while also dialing back the gore and scares that are often hallmarks of mysteries for older readers. Populated with fun characters, unique settings, and fast placed plots, the book below are all great choices for this Read Harder Challenge. To start, I’ve listed a couple enduring classics of the genre before moving on to more current works.

Great list at link. Perhaps some easy reading for the battle over House control that is almost a certainty. Or maybe some great gift ideas for the YA readers on your gift lists?

Enjoy!

[yellowdogintexas]

1. great suggestions for gifts for our 11 year old

book loving niece!

[SheltieLover]

2. Excellent! 👏👏👏👏

Glad you found it useful! Is she a Nancy Drew fan? I was, big time!

[yellowdogintexas]

9. I took her a couple of mine when we went for Thanksgiving. I hope she likes them

What really strikes me is the sheer amount of youth reading we have now. Back in the day there was not a lot of fiction for kids. Now there are whole departments in bookstores of youth fiction.

I read Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and a few others. I read Tom Sawyer, Hans Brinker, Heidi, The Secret Garden, Little Princess and others from times past. Now I can go to Half Price Books and rack up a bunch of things for her. I usually try to grab the first couple of books of a series.

Very proud of the fact that I gave her the first three Lemony Snicket books and she loves them!

[SheltieLover]

11. Awwww, what a great idea!

I just checked out a couple of Nancy Drew e-books. I bope I'm not disappointed.

But I've been reading "The Lineup, by Otto Penzler. Otto owns The Mysterious Bookshop in NY & got famous authors to write about how they created their characters as a way to keep his treasured brick & mortar store open. He is also a mystery editor.

Outstanding read!

I've read about Reacher & Harry Bosch so far. Fascinating & helpful to an aspiring novelist such as myself.

I'm enjoying reading how they used their own life experiences in consciously creating & naming their characters.

I'd love to visit Otto's bookstore!

Let me know how she likes hour selections! I agree, it's great the choices kids have now!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. The original Nancy Drews were the best.

They got re-written, some time later, made simpler, less interesting. If you can get your hands on one of the originals, which is probably not very easy these days, you might be surprised at how sophisticated those books were.

[SheltieLover]

4. They were delicious mind candy! Mom used go buy me 1 per week.

Sorry to hear they were dumbed down. Why would they do that?

I used to have quite a collection of them. Shitbag brother probably sold them when he sold my folks' home. 😏

They sure were enjoyable reads!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

5. I was reading them in the 1950s.

My best friend had a lot of them, and cheerfully lent them to me.

They actually started re-writing them in 1959, so depending on how old you are, you might possibly only know the re-written versions.

According to the internet, the were "edited to remove racial stereotypes. In the process, the character of Nancy Drew was also rewritten to be less impulsive and stubborn."

It was exactly her impulsiveness and stubbornness that were the best things about her.

[SheltieLover]

6. I was born mid-50's so not sure.

But it sucks they changed her character!

I was just a young kid, so I might not have picked up on racism, but I don't recall anything racist, do you?

Thx for explaining!

Imo, they should leave books alone. Nobody was forced to rrad them. Jmo.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

7. I did not notice any racism in them,

but keep in mind I was very young.

Not only did I grow up in a world that was far more racist than I realized, but I pretty much internalized those norms. Example: I had read Gone With The Wind several times, and it was only in my most recent re-reading, about 10 years ago, that I was struck and horrified by the racism in it. And I'd NEVER noticed it before.

Another example: Several years ago my science fiction book club in Kansas did two books one month, Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, and Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. The first was published in 1977, the second in 1959. They both have a fair amount or racism, especially to us now, all these years later. But the difference is, in my opinion, that the racism of Lucifer's Hammer is vicious, clearly says Black people are terrible, not worth anything, and can be destroyed. The racism in Alas, Babylon feels more benign. It's patronising, but never suggests Black people are less than human.

I had originally read both of them when they first came out, and I recall liking both of them a lot. It was the reading of the two of them together that made me see the racism.

[yellowdogintexas]

8. I have a few of my old ones

My aunt found them in her stuff - I had lent them to my cousin way back when. I loved those books - I devoured them!

All the rest of mine were destroyed in a house fire.


When I was in first grade one of my presents was the first 3 Bobbsey Twins books, which was my introduction to series reading. I have been a big lover of series ever since.

Bobbsey Twins have also undergone a metamorphosis and been "modernized" . Not an improvement.

[yellowdogintexas]

10. agree! I'm not a fan of the newer version. Best place to find them:probably yard sales, resale shops

used bookstores and library sales. If your library has a Friends of the Library store it can be a treasure trove.