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.
[QUOTE=StGermain]
Forget Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Trixie Belden is the best teen detective! I so wanted to be Trixie, with a great BFF (who was rich!), horses to ride, and great adventures.
[/QUOTE]
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. 
[QUOTE=DCTrekkie]
I also used to read The Three Investigators, both of which I think I’ve still got somewhere. The Three Investigators was for a slightly younger audience I think, but still pretty good.
[/QUOTE]
Their mysteries were decidedly more involved and more intelligent. I’d argue that they were intended for an older audience instead.
[QUOTE=Voyager]
No, those are different. I think there might be Nancy Drew casefiles also, though we don’t have any. The one’s I’m talking about (from the '80s and '90s) have both characters on the cover. You can’t miss Nancy in them. They do have a consistent background - Nancy Drew/Hardy Boy expanded universe, anyone?
[/QUOTE]
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
[QUOTE=DCTrekkie]
I also used to read The Three Investigators, both of which I think I’ve still got somewhere. The Three Investigators was for a slightly younger audience I think, but still pretty good. I used to like the way they had their secret HQ hidden away in the junkyard, with all the secret entrances. I think they had a more ‘adult’ spinoff too.
[/QUOTE]
I used to read those, too, until they rewrote them to remove Alfred Hitchcock. That pissed me off.
[QUOTE=Sigmagirl]
First, I recommend reading the earliest versions you can get. It is unfortunate that there are some racist and otherwise not politically correct references, but the lovely word pictures of Nancy in her roadster and Joe and Frank traveling by train are charming.
[/QUOTE]
Agreed!
[QUOTE=RealityChuck]
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).
[/QUOTE]
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.
[QUOTE=Voyager]
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.
[/QUOTE]
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.
[QUOTE=Labdad]
(Bolding Mine)
I had to smile when I read this. The first Nancy Drew book, The Secret of the Old Clock, was written in 1930, as was The Hidden Staircase and The Bungalow Mystery.
The Hardy Boys series is even older, of course, The Tower Treasure having been written in 1927, along with The House on the Cliff and The Secret of the Old Mill.
I, too, came to the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew in the 60’s. One day, while visiting my grandparents, imagine my surprise when my father showed me his Hardy Boys books dating from the 20’s and 30’s! My grandmother had actually saved them, although alas, we have no idea where those true original editions are today.
[/QUOTE]
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.
[QUOTE=Sigmagirl]
Ah, Cherry Ames, Student Nurse. Flight Nurse.
[/QUOTE]
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?
[QUOTE=Sigmagirl]
We need a Tom Swifty thread, she said dopily.
[/QUOTE]
“Here are two older ones,” he said (re)animatedly.
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle]
When I was a kid, I adored the hardcover Nancy Drew series. These were the original ones from the sixties.
[/QUOTE]
?? 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.
[QUOTE=JThunder]
Bah. The Hardys and Nancy can’t hold a candle to Jupe, Pete, and Bob.
[/QUOTE]
???
Enjoy,
Steven