No matter the year you were born, we’re guessing there’s a pretty good chance you grew up reading at least one (but probably several or even dozens) of the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew book series. Are we correct?
The books were so wonderful. They had it all: mystery, mystery… and more mystery! What’s a young kid not to love?
If you read either series (or both) tell us about it in the comments below the poll. Do you remember having a favorite book?
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During the early years of my life, 1940’s, books were a luxury which we could not afford. Dad was gone, in the army, and money was scarce. Grandpa had passed away in 1937 from appendicitis, mom worked at the glass factory to help support grandma and her 7 younger siblings. The Bible was the only book in the house and was well worn.
When the 1950’s came, dad was home and working, I was old enough to cut grass and do other chores to make money and buy some things. Books were still a luxury but I would get hand me down books which I would read. I read some of the Hardy Boys but was more interested in Popular Mechanics and any other publication that I could get my hands on about how things worked and flying.
My grandfather had bought many of the books for my mom, she passed them along to me, and I passed them along to my daughter who has read them. She’s going to pass them along to her girls. We’ve read both.
as i recall i had a complete set
of Hardy Boys and also some Tom Swift.
All of them, as I remember. Library was well stocked.
Also, the entire Tom Swift Jr. series.
Learned a lot about the possible future. Many of the items in Tom Swift are no longer imagination but in common use today.
I read many of the Hardy Boys books. I think somewhere I still have the Hardy Boys Detective Handbook (I’m guessing that’s what it was called). It was my favorite and never got rid of it – I hope.
My older brothers read Tom Swift, and I wanted to do everything they did, so Tom Swift it was for me, starting a lifelong love of science fiction. I also read everybody Bobsey Twins and Trixie Beldon ever published.
Catherine, I was hoping someone would mention the Bobbsey Twins. I still have the books my grandparents gave me for my birthdays and Christmases.
Nancy Drew was my 1st choice, read at least 50…which, I hear, is only about 10% of how many were published! Bobbsey Twins we’re my 2nd choice. But I probably read a couple dozen. So glad this came up on RV Travel today. Brings back some great memories!
Read every Hardy Boys book published. Saturday morning was “read-in” morning for me. I’d wake up, grab a book and read it through before getting out of bed!
Half of a Hardy Boys that was enough. Read Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, Field&Stream it was what my Grandfather read. And the odd western.
I mostly read Dr. Doolittle. Those books seemed to have a more scientific approach.
I don’t remember reading any books when I was in grade school except school books. I was always outside as much as possible playing and exploring.
I was totally into anything with animals, particularly horses. Walter Farley’s Black stallion series, and Marguerite Henry’s Misty series were favorites that I still have, 50+ years later.
Don’t forget My Friend Flicka, Black Beauty, and Fury (the book and the tv shows). Pony penning day at Chincoteague Island is still on my bucket list!
When I was a kid I read every Nancy Drew and every Hardy Boys book that my school library had. I loved them.
Read ’em all. Bought 99% of them at my local Woolworth’s for $1.57 each. Saved them all and gave them to my niece when she was old enough to enjoy them and her mother got rid of them all afterwards and never mentionned returning them. 🙁
Would have loved to have had them to pass on to my grandkids now.
I answered “no” because I only read non-fiction as a kid and still do as a very senior adult.
Tom Swift for me.
They weren’t around when I was a child.
The first Nancy Drew book was published April 28, 1930. 92 years ago. You were a child for at least 10 years so congratulations on being at least 102.
The Hardy Boys were first published in 1927.
I didn’t not read Nancy Drew as a child. But when my children were reading them I read one just to find out what they were reading. Same as when the Harry Potter came out and the grandchildren were reading them. I read all the Harry Potter books. Not bragging, just saying.
In grade school the only books I read were “How to Build a Birdhouse” and Popular Mechanics. Mom really got mad when she found out that I had not read any of the assigned books – mad at the 1st and 2nd grade teacher for not letting her know that I had not done my homework for a whole year. I still have no interest in Fiction literature. Wife reads two books a week.
Read both Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. Also watched the Hardy Boys on the Mickey Mouse Club. Started my love affair with mysteries that I still enjoy at 73!! This week binge watching the old Murder She Wrote series in honor of Angela Lansbury.
dune, the illiad, the odyssey (and other classics), the hobbit
No love for Encyclopedia Brown??
Late in life I discovered Franklin W. Dixon was not one, but many writers with assignments. The formula worked, so why change it. As an adult I throughly enjoy Clive Cussler novels. It dawned on me that they’re just a grown up version of the same. Except now these writers get a bit of credit.
Also read Trixie Belden books.
My favorite was Jack London and his wild Alaska wilderness stories — hence my nickname, Mountain Mama, and my two license plates, MTNMAMA and MTNMOMA. Not to mention my 18+ acres of semi-remote, absolutely gorgeous mountain property on the west side of the Cascade Mountains, with Index Creek running through it. And it’s less than an hour from my home. A lifelong dream-come-true after growing up on Jack London’s stories. (Thanks, Jack!) –Diane
I know I read at least a few that I probably borrowed from my cousins (last name Hardy) who had a large selection.
I read every Hardy boys book and loved them to death. I also read many Tom Swift books which were a close second. It’s funny that now I prefer sci fi books to mystery books .