# Nancy Drew (and Hardy Boys): Kids today.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326 "2009-06-19T19:37:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/21 "2009-06-20T01:36:18Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > Bah. None of those guys can hold a candle to Pete, Bob, and Jupe. Agreed! Loved those guys. Though being a tomboy with a girly streak, I loved the descriptions of Nancy’s seemingly limitless wardrobe… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/22 "2009-06-20T01:37:32Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#): > > Did any of you read the McGurk mysteries? No bells are ringing, though I also recall plowing through the Great Brain books by John Dennis Fitzgerald. ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/23 "2009-06-20T01:51:42Z")
I was born in '68 and I read every single one of the Nancy Drew books. I was/am a very fast reader, so I would check out the max number each library visit. I suppose that was somewhere around the 5th grade or so. The Hardy Boys did not do much for me, mostly fed my desire for more Nancy when I had finished the series. I hear they have updated some of the stories to bring Nancy forward. I also religiously watched the TV show. I loved Pamela Sue Martin. I’m curious if kids still read the Misty\* of Chincoteague books. God I loved those. \*Sweet baby jesus! They taxidermied her! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/24 "2009-06-20T02:24:49Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > I never read the Hardy Boys. I read Tom Swift, Jr. Same here. And also Rick Blaine. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/25 "2009-06-20T02:27:21Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > … the Nancy Drew movie wasn’t half bad, I hear. It was watchable. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/26 "2009-06-20T02:28:08Z")
My 8yo daughter loves Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, the Three Investigators, Encyclopedia Brown, Misty of Chincoteague, and even the Hardy Boys (which I never read, I don’t know why). However, some of these have come right from me–there are maybe 4 Three Investigators books left in the library, and no Trixie Belden. Encyclopedia Brown has just been reissued with snappy new covers, so they must still be pretty popular. What’s funny about Nancy Drew is how every time they try to come out with a ‘contemporary’ (modern, even slightly naughty) Nancy, the new series fails after a few years and goes away. But the classic 60’s books just keep chugging along, though they could certainly use new illustrations and a bit of freshening up. I should add that if you’re a normal kid and not the daughter of a librarian, you’ve never heard of Trixie or Jupiter Jones. But lots of girls still love Nancy Drew and some of the others. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/27 "2009-06-20T02:42:44Z")
I read Nancy in the early-mid eighties, right through the “Files” books that followed her to college. I don’t have daughters, only sons, but I’d love to see my oldest read a good mystery or two. As it is, he’s pretty enamoured of the Captain Underpants books and other silly-type stories. At least he reads. I’d forgotten about the Two Minute Mysteries–I loved those. I’ll have to check and see if there are any at the library and try to reel him in. ---
**Author:** ![Rin\_Twisted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/82dd89/32.png) [@Rin\_Twisted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rin_Twisted)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/28 "2009-06-20T03:11:20Z")
> [@Katriona](#): > > Agreed! Loved those guys. > > Though being a tomboy with a girly streak, I loved the descriptions of Nancy’s seemingly limitless wardrobe… Consider my mind blown. I came in here to sing the praises of ‘The Three Investigators’ and never dreamed I’m run into not one, but two people who were fans as well! This is approximately 2 more people to profess a love for this series than I’ve ever met in real life. That is just awesome. 🙂 I did try the Nancy Drew series in middle school (I’m 26 now), but for some reason I didn’t stick with it. I like some of the current computer games, though. ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/29 "2009-06-20T03:24:54Z")
I loved the Nancy Drew books as a child. I read them in the late 70s-early 80s. I had some that were handed down from my mom, and she bought me a bunch more so I probably had about 20 or so. I also liked Trixie Belden and The Bobbsey Twins. I only read one or two Hardy Boys. Not sure why, they seemed OK as I remember. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/30 "2009-06-20T03:47:50Z")
I grew up with Nancy Drew books that were older than my parents. Old, crumbling, blue fabric bindings, wartime publishing of 1930’s text. Nancy Drew on running boards with a revolver in her purse, Nancy Drew in houses not as of yet wired for electricity, etc. Damn those were good. ---
**Author:** ![AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/31 "2009-06-20T06:32:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Trixie Belden books better I ADORED Trixie!!! And I loved Pete, Bob and Jupe…I remember the one where they go to some European Kingdom and there’s some spider jewerly involved…and they also get introduced to the Iron Maiden. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/32 "2009-06-20T11:54:16Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I grew up with Nancy Drew books that were older than my parents. > > Old, crumbling, blue fabric bindings, wartime publishing of 1930’s text. **Nancy Drew on running boards with a revolver in her purse** , Nancy Drew in houses not as of yet wired for electricity, etc. > > Damn those were good. Nancy Drew is Pat Savage??? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/33 "2009-06-20T11:58:03Z")
Bonita Granville- I have a collection of the old movie series. ---
**Author:** ![tarragon918](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@tarragon918](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tarragon918)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/34 "2009-06-20T12:30:57Z")
I loved Nancy Drew, and I had my Mom’s old set of Judy Bolton books … her boyfriend later husband was a G-Man (worked for the FBI). Judy was a bit older than Nancy so her books were a bit scarier. Thanks for stirring my Judy memories, **twickster** ; now I’ll go online and look her and the author up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/35 "2009-06-20T13:11:38Z")
> [@Rin\_Twisted](#): > > Consider my mind blown. I came in here to sing the praises of ‘The Three Investigators’ and never dreamed I’m run into not one, but two people who were fans as well! This is approximately 2 more people to profess a love for this series than I’ve ever met in real life. That is just awesome. 🙂 I also had a lot of the Three Investigator books - for a long time I thought they were actually written by Hitchcock. I didn’t read the other series though I knew about them. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/36 "2009-06-20T14:18:38Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Old, crumbling, blue fabric bindings, wartime publishing of 1930’s text. Nancy Drew on running boards with a revolver in her purse, Nancy Drew in houses not as of yet wired for electricity, etc. I think come the '50s or '60s they bowdlerized the gunplay out of the old editions of all the Stratemeyer syndicate books (I have some memory of vintage copies where Joe Hardy packed heat as well). They also cleaned up some of the discussion of ancient Negro retainers and Red Injuns and the like. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/37 "2009-06-20T17:04:18Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > I should add that if you’re a normal kid and not the daughter of a librarian, you’ve never heard of Trixie or Jupiter Jones. But lots of girls still love Nancy Drew and some of the others. Hahahahahaha - I was trying to remember where I got hold of the Three Investigators, but I think you’ve nailed it. Not-quite-normal, daughter of a librarian, check! ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/38 "2009-06-20T18:04:47Z")
Three boys in our family, and when we would get our weekly allowances, my brothers would buy candy or some toys or whatever - I would always buy a Hardy Boys book. I can remember being afraid that one day Mr. Dixon would die and there would be (gasp!) no more Hardy Boy books to read when I got older! (Little did I know the books were already being farmed out and written by multiple authors using the same formula.) Those books inspired me to ask for, and get, an old typewriter for my birthday and I sat down and wrote my first (small) novel when I was about 11. I wish I still had that copy - it was an adventure story of a boy who couldn’t find an adventure. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/39 "2009-06-20T20:06:00Z")
I read a bazillion of them when I was a kid. Born in 1980. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326/40 "2009-06-20T20:19:12Z")
[Website devoted to The Three Investigators](http://3investigators.homestead.com/files/t3ihome.htm) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nancy-drew-and-hardy-boys-kids-today/500326.md?page=3)