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DianaC
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My daughter's favorite genre is the mystery novels particularly with a strong female character.
She has read all of the Nancy Drew mysteries and all of the Hardy Boys.
Are there any great ones that you would recommend?
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Erin
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What about the Trixie Belden books? Not great literature, but popular.
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Erin
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MaryM
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Yes, I enjoyed the Trixie Belden books as well when I was young. Then there is the Dana Girls series which was also created and produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate (same company that did Nancy Drew). The same pseudonym, Carolyn Keene, was used for both series. As Erin mentioned, not exactly great literature for any of these, but enjoyable if you like girl heroine mysteries.
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Mary M. in Denver
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CrunchyMom
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I liked Trixie Belden, too. I remember one summer my brother's physical therapist let me borrow a big box full that she had collected as a child. They were fun.
You might also consider the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter. They are nice, light reads. The characters are adults, and there is a baby out of wedlock as part of the mystery in one, so, you might want to pre-read. I don't recall anything inappropriate in them (certainly more appropriate than some of the newer Nancy Drew books I recall reading as a teenager--BLECH!), but I wasn't reading them with that eye.
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Lindsay
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Mackfam
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There is another mystery series we've enjoyed - the Cherry Ames series.
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Jen Mackintosh
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JennGM
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I read Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. There was an old series my mother's family had that we reread, Beverly Gray. They are enjoyable, but my siblings and I agree now looking back that there is a big stress on a woman's "career". But Nancy Drew is the same way.
This is a great list of different girls' series. In the past some ladies have raved about the Chalet School series, which aren't mysteries. Since we don't live in the UK, I haven't tried to track them down, but I would love to read them.
My aunt had one of the original Nancy Drew, Mystery of the Old Clock. It is so much longer than the newer editions, with Nancy referring to her father as "Father" and more proper address and respect. The housekeeper has a more formal, servant role than the later books, too. It's very interesting how informal we've become.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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DianaC
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Ladies,
Thank you so much for these recommendations. So far, I've been able to find and request the Trixie Belden and the Cottage Tales from our library.
My dd reads a book per day (sometimes a day and a half), so I've been on my toes to keep stacks of good/decent books available. I wish I could read half as quickly as she does - and comprehend as well as she does. 
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DominaCaeli
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A recent one: Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce mysteries ( The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first).
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Celeste
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Erin
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JennGM wrote:
| In the past some ladies have raved about the Chalet School series, which aren't mysteries. Since we don't live in the UK, I haven't tried to track them down, but I would love to read them. |
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I could give you lots of English girl suggestions if you want more in that area too.
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Erin
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Erin
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Just checked this link out!! Wow ones Chiara and I haven't hear of  
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Lori
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I enjoyed the "Meg Mysteries" by Holly Beth Walker. Also, is she old enough for the Wrinkle in Time series?
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Natalia
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DominaCaeli wrote:
| A recent one: Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce mysteries ( The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first). |
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I read the first one The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and loved it. My 16 yo dd also read and liked as much as I did.
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Natalia
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How old is your daughter?
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JennGM
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Natalia wrote:
DominaCaeli wrote:
| A recent one: Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce mysteries ( The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is the first). |
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I read the first one The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and loved it. My 16 yo dd also read and liked as much as I did. |
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I enjoyed it, but was a little disappointed about some underlying things. I did love the mystery, and loved being immersed into the world of chemistry and stamp collecting and Philately.
But, I didn't like how the family members were so selfish and isolated in their own interests. I especially didn't like how the sisters are so mean to each other. My MIL was first to read it in our family, and she was put off by the same thing.
The ending was sour to me because with a near death situation, the family is brought together in the crisis. Instead of it being a life-changing event, they all go back to their selfishness. The father still is remote, stays in his study, the girls doing their own thing and mean and revengeful to each other.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Natalia
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Jenn,
I do remember thinking about how awful the sisters were to each other. This is the first in a projected series so I wonder if some of those things will get solved as the series progresses. I couldn't make up my mind if the sisters were really mean or if it was just Lucia's perception. After all the book is told from the perspective of a somewhat unusual 11 yo!
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CrunchyMom
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Natalia wrote:
Jenn,
I do remember thinking about how awful the sisters were to each other. This is the first in a projected series so I wonder if some of those things will get solved as the series progresses. I couldn't make up my mind if the sisters were really mean or if it was just Lucia's perception. After all the book is told from the perspective of a somewhat unusual 11 yo! |
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Yes, though, tying her up and putting her in a closet isn't really a matter of perspective. It's just plain mean, as is intentionally giving someone poison ivy. I also think that it is pretty clear that the family is dysfunctional and that is at least in part due to the fact that the mother died. It doesn't really glorify this behavior as ideal.
I also think that the nature of the mystery might be a bit heavy for a younger teen. I wouldn't hand it to an 11 year old even though the protagonist is that age.
I wonder if some of the relational things aren't just because Flavia's perspective is skewed but because the author is a 60 something (or close to it) year old man. I wonder if he had siblings and whether his experience with woman makes him think this behavior is normal? I can imagine that girls might act this way with no mom and a very emotionally distant dad.
For me, I think she is an *interesting* character but not really admirable. I do have the second book requested from the library, though. Flavia is entertaining if frustrating. It isn't quite like Poirot where his keen sense of justice is so central to his character as to make his idiosyncrasies less "annoying." Flavia is pretty self-centered, and her motives, too, are more selfish in nature. I hope, though, that her character will develop some.
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Lindsay
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Natalia
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I agree, Lindsay, Flavia doesn't seem to have a good sense of right and wrong. I haven't read the second book but I will be curious to see how she develops.
Diana, I still don't know how old your dd is but have you read the books by Ally Carter. The First in the Series. They are not mysteries but spy books. They are fun and clean with some romance in them. I think they are appropriate for 13 yo and up. I have not read the last one that is out now so I can't vouch for that one.
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DianaC
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Thanks for all of these ideas! A couple of the Trixie Belden books I was able to request and one of the Cottage tales and they have come in. I'm a little unsure if the Cottage tales are appropriate for my daughter's age - I'll pre-read that one.
Natalia, my daughter just turned 10 in April.
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Natalia
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DianaC wrote:
| Natalia, my daughter just turned 10 in April. |
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Sorry, somehow I missed that. Scratch all my suggestions then 
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CrunchyMom
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DianaC wrote:
Thanks for all of these ideas! A couple of the Trixie Belden books I was able to request and one of the Cottage tales and they have come in. I'm a little unsure if the Cottage tales are appropriate for my daughter's age - I'll pre-read that one.
Natalia, my daughter just turned 10 in April. |
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Yes, pre-read! I was thinking closer to 12 or 13. Still, you might ask MaryG. I seem to recall her having read them as a read aloud when they were doing Beatrix Potter.
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Lindsay
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4Real Forums : Living Literature
Topic: Mystery novels - female heroine
