Joe’s girlfriend was Iola in the books; she was Chet’s sister.
Just dropped in for bragging rights – one of my prized possessions is my copy of “The Tower Treasure,” personally signed by Tom Kirk (Joe, in the “Mickey Mouse Club” serials).
Sir Rhosis
I once came across a 1930s edition of The Secret of Shadow Ranch, having already read the sixties version as a kid. I was intrigued to find that in the earlier version Nancy rode the range carrying a six-shooter, and at one point shot a rattlesnake. Nothing like that in the later books!
Also, she was sixteen in the 1930s books; her age was later raised to eighteen so she could still qualify for a drivers’ license.
Same here. Well, I didn’t want to be Trixie per se, but I loved those books–the Bob-Whites seemed so much more “real” to me than Nancy and the Hardys ever did. Same with The Three Investigators–I so wanted a Headquarters of my very own in a trailer hidden under mounds of junk, but then again, I guess every kid who ever read those books did. 
Their mysteries were decidedly more involved and more intelligent. I’d argue that they were intended for an older audience instead.
Here is one of the books - which look like they are getting reprinted. Bess and George show up in them also, by the way, though Chet never does.
You know, in all this, no one has mentioned my absolute favorite: Tom Swift.
Despite the Tom Swifties (which were few in the actual books), the series was excellent YA science fiction. I had quite a few of the Tom Swift, Jr. books (my favorite was The Visitor from Planet X), and I managed to find one of the original Tom Swift series,* Tom Swift and his Electric Rifle (evidently, an inspiration for the name TASER).
*Tom Swift was the original series in the 30s. It was probably too dated to continue in the 50s, so they created Tom Swift, Jr. (with the original Tom Swift as his father).
^^^I have several of those as well, some with yellow spines, some with blue. Since we’re drifting here, I also own the six Tom Corbett books and a couple of ancient Bomba the Jungle Boy books I’ve picked up from garage sales, etc., over the years…
Sir Rhosis
I used to read those, too, until they rewrote them to remove Alfred Hitchcock. That pissed me off.
Agreed!
Which Tom Swift has a Tom Swiftie? I haven’t found a one.
The original series was long before 1930. My father-in-law was a fan, and he gave me his. I have the first, Tom Swift and his Motor Cycle, from 1910. There is a black character (in the basic role taken over by the Texas cook in the Jr. books) and though he spoke in dialect, he was a far more sympathetic character than any black characters in the original Nancy Drews.
I actually prefer the originals. One was about them constructing a cannon, (to guard the under-construction Panama Canal) and much of it involves Tom supervising the foundry casting the barrel, and test firing at a naval base. They were far more realistic than the later ones, though I thought the growth of Swift Enterprises was good - Tom was not a garage inventor. One fun original one, from the '30s, involved Tom building an artificial island to use as a landing strip mid-ocean, and involved him fomenting a revolution in a South American country to get the right material.
The original books were written by the guy who invented and wrote Uncle Wiggly! My wife read a memoir by his daughter, which was very interesting.
I’m enjoying this thread as I bite into a hot dog with relish.
Thanks for the ideas, E-Bay has some good deals on the older versions, I will look into those. I am glad the fanbase of HB/ND is still alive.
Those are the ones my mom gave me - the ones from the 30’s - they are in my third bedroom next to her original Cherry Ames books.
Ah, Cherry Ames, Student Nurse. Flight Nurse.
We need a Tom Swifty thread, she said dopily.
I was JUST going to mention Cherry Ames … loved those books (as well as the Trixie Belden and the Nancy Drew ones).
Anyone else read the Donna Parker stories or am I alone?
“Here are two older ones,” he said (re)animatedly.
?? sixties ??
My original hardcover Nancy Drew books were the original ones from the 30’s.
The Secret of the Old Clock and The Hidden Staircase are as good as it gets, but you have to find the original version. Copyright 1930.
EDIT: for The Hardy Boys I recommend A Figure in Hiding (again, original version)
Curses! Y’all have discovered my secret: I am a moron.
I did actually know better, too…that’s the worst part.
???
Enjoy,
Steven