What do you think?
Rate this book
Trixie Belden #1
The Secret of the Mansion
Trixie's summer is going to be sooo boring with her two older brothers away at camp. But then a millionaire's daughter moves into the next-door mansion, an old miser hides a fortune in his decrepit house, and a runaway kid starts hiding out in Sleepyside!"
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1948
266 people are currently reading
4228 people want to read
About the author
Julie Campbell
56 books178 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Julie Campbell Tatham
aka
Julie Campbell, Julie Tatham and Julie C. Tatham
Julie Campbell was born on the 1st of June 1908 in Flushing, New York and shares the same birthday as her character, Mart Belden. As the daughter of an Army Officer, she travelled widely during her childhood and, at the age of eight, won her first short story contest while living in Hawaii.
Campbell married Charles Tatham Jr. on the 30th March 1933 and they worked together on many magazine stories and articles. Campbell lived in a remodelled farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley with her husband and two sons when she began writing the Trixie Belden series.
She had her own literary agency in the 1940s when Western Publishing invited literary agents to find authors who could produce mystery and adventure books that would be marketed to children at an affordable price. Campbell proposed four series, two that would be written by herself and the others by two of her authors Hal Burton and John Henry Cutler.
Both series were published under her maiden name, Julie Campbell. The Ginny Gordon series consisted of five books published between 1948 and 1956, while her contribution to the Trixie Belden series consisted of six books between 1948 and 1958. At the same time, Campbell stepped in to take over the Cherry Ames and Vicki Barr series and wrote twelve books in total for these series over the same time period. It is believed that Campbell wrote Cherry Ames, Cruise Nurse in three weeks during the same period she was also writing the first Trixie Belden and Ginny Gordon books.
Campbell wrote the series under her married name of Julie Tatham. There are several similarities to the Trixie Belden series. Cherry Ames: Dude Ranch Nurse is set in Tucson, Arizona which is the setting of Campbell's last Trixie Belden Mystery. The last Cherry Ames book Campbell wrote in 1955, Cherry Ames: Country Doctor's Nurse, is set in Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson, the setting of the Trixie Belden mysteries. So is a wonderful book called To Nick from Jan, which has many similarities to Trixie Belden except the main character is almost 17 years old.
She is also credited for writing "Rin Tin Tin's Rinty" for Whitman in 1954, but in an article Campbell denied having written that book and wonders why Whitman credited her with the title.
The Trixie Belden series was set in "Sleepyside" but was based on the town Campbell was living in at the time in the Hudson River Valley near Ossining. Her home, "Wolf Hollow", was the model for Crabapple Farm and Campbell actually lived on Glendale Road.
After completing Trixie Belden and the Mystery in Arizona, Campbell decided to stop. Her experience as a literary agent assisted her in negotiating a royalty on the next six books of the series as she owned the characters, but it meant her giving up the originator rights to this series. Western Publishing decided to continue the books under the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny.
Campbell also relinquished the Cherry Ames and Vicki Barr series when Helen Wells decided to return to writing them. The Ginny Gordon series was not continued.
There is evidence that Campbell sought a writing position with the Stratemeyer Syndicate in 1957. Timothy P. O'Herin spent an afternoon going through the Stratemeyer archives and found correspondence between Campbell and Harriet Adams, the daughter of Edward Stratemeyer.
"The letters occurred around 1957 and they consisted of Ms. Tatham seeking a writing position with the syndicate. Mrs. Adams responded with glowing praise for her work, but questioning whether Julie would want to relocate for the job. Julie indicated she would be willing to commute. There were only a few letters in this brief correspondence..."
Julie Campbell Tatham
aka
Julie Campbell, Julie Tatham and Julie C. Tatham
Julie Campbell was born on the 1st of June 1908 in Flushing, New York and shares the same birthday as her character, Mart Belden. As the daughter of an Army Officer, she travelled widely during her childhood and, at the age of eight, won her first short story contest while living in Hawaii.
Campbell married Charles Tatham Jr. on the 30th March 1933 and they worked together on many magazine stories and articles. Campbell lived in a remodelled farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley with her husband and two sons when she began writing the Trixie Belden series.
She had her own literary agency in the 1940s when Western Publishing invited literary agents to find authors who could produce mystery and adventure books that would be marketed to children at an affordable price. Campbell proposed four series, two that would be written by herself and the others by two of her authors Hal Burton and John Henry Cutler.
Both series were published under her maiden name, Julie Campbell. The Ginny Gordon series consisted of five books published between 1948 and 1956, while her contribution to the Trixie Belden series consisted of six books between 1948 and 1958. At the same time, Campbell stepped in to take over the Cherry Ames and Vicki Barr series and wrote twelve books in total for these series over the same time period. It is believed that Campbell wrote Cherry Ames, Cruise Nurse in three weeks during the same period she was also writing the first Trixie Belden and Ginny Gordon books.
Campbell wrote the series under her married name of Julie Tatham. There are several similarities to the Trixie Belden series. Cherry Ames: Dude Ranch Nurse is set in Tucson, Arizona which is the setting of Campbell's last Trixie Belden Mystery. The last Cherry Ames book Campbell wrote in 1955, Cherry Ames: Country Doctor's Nurse, is set in Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson, the setting of the Trixie Belden mysteries. So is a wonderful book called To Nick from Jan, which has many similarities to Trixie Belden except the main character is almost 17 years old.
She is also credited for writing "Rin Tin Tin's Rinty" for Whitman in 1954, but in an article Campbell denied having written that book and wonders why Whitman credited her with the title.
The Trixie Belden series was set in "Sleepyside" but was based on the town Campbell was living in at the time in the Hudson River Valley near Ossining. Her home, "Wolf Hollow", was the model for Crabapple Farm and Campbell actually lived on Glendale Road.
After completing Trixie Belden and the Mystery in Arizona, Campbell decided to stop. Her experience as a literary agent assisted her in negotiating a royalty on the next six books of the series as she owned the characters, but it meant her giving up the originator rights to this series. Western Publishing decided to continue the books under the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny.
Campbell also relinquished the Cherry Ames and Vicki Barr series when Helen Wells decided to return to writing them. The Ginny Gordon series was not continued.
There is evidence that Campbell sought a writing position with the Stratemeyer Syndicate in 1957. Timothy P. O'Herin spent an afternoon going through the Stratemeyer archives and found correspondence between Campbell and Harriet Adams, the daughter of Edward Stratemeyer.
"The letters occurred around 1957 and they consisted of Ms. Tatham seeking a writing position with the syndicate. Mrs. Adams responded with glowing praise for her work, but questioning whether Julie would want to relocate for the job. Julie indicated she would be willing to commute. There were only a few letters in this brief correspondence..."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 729 reviews
July 24, 2008
Trixie Belden was not perfect. She got into trouble, she got dirty, she argued and lost, and she got kidnapped! Truly, if you cut her, did she not bleed?! yes!
My Mom bought me two Trixie Belden books to take on a family vacation to Florida the summer after 2nd grade. I think I had finished them before we hit the Florida state line much to my mom's dismay. I immediately re-read them. I spent the next two years buying them as fast as my allowance would allow. Until 1986 when they went out of print. Aigh! Then I spent the next few years buying the remaining new ones off of bookshelves, scouring garage sales and flea markets, and crawling through the stacks of used book shelves. Can you guess how much I loved the advent of internet shopping?
I now have multiple copies of most of the books in the different editions and covers. I do actually have a complete set, but I have never read #39. I refuse to read #39, because if I read it then it will be over. If I read the last Trixie Belden book, there will never be another Bob-White adventure. I prefer to go on knowing that there is one more out there waiting to be read.
Read Trixie Belden. She rocks.
My Mom bought me two Trixie Belden books to take on a family vacation to Florida the summer after 2nd grade. I think I had finished them before we hit the Florida state line much to my mom's dismay. I immediately re-read them. I spent the next two years buying them as fast as my allowance would allow. Until 1986 when they went out of print. Aigh! Then I spent the next few years buying the remaining new ones off of bookshelves, scouring garage sales and flea markets, and crawling through the stacks of used book shelves. Can you guess how much I loved the advent of internet shopping?
I now have multiple copies of most of the books in the different editions and covers. I do actually have a complete set, but I have never read #39. I refuse to read #39, because if I read it then it will be over. If I read the last Trixie Belden book, there will never be another Bob-White adventure. I prefer to go on knowing that there is one more out there waiting to be read.
Read Trixie Belden. She rocks.
September 17, 2020
Trixie Belden enjoys a glorious summer exploring and hanging out with her friends. I can see why children enjoy this series. Trixie and friends experience lots of fun activities and their adventures bring back fond memories of fearless summer escapades in my own youth.
I didn’t read these as a child, but the characters are certainly very relatable and realistic; they are definitely in line with the type of childhood I had. Each one has a different personality and upbringing and their differences show one another that people are different yet still the same. The only aspect that didn’t match my own childhood was that these kids knew everything -- from how to handle a snake bite to rigging up an outdoor shower. Neither I, nor my friends, had that kind of practical knowledge. Trixie and her friends were all resourceful, level-headed, and brave in distressing situations and helpful, caring young people in calm everyday matters.
This first book in the series was more adventure story than mystery and I am interested to see how the series develops.
I didn’t read these as a child, but the characters are certainly very relatable and realistic; they are definitely in line with the type of childhood I had. Each one has a different personality and upbringing and their differences show one another that people are different yet still the same. The only aspect that didn’t match my own childhood was that these kids knew everything -- from how to handle a snake bite to rigging up an outdoor shower. Neither I, nor my friends, had that kind of practical knowledge. Trixie and her friends were all resourceful, level-headed, and brave in distressing situations and helpful, caring young people in calm everyday matters.
This first book in the series was more adventure story than mystery and I am interested to see how the series develops.
December 29, 2022
Noch ein Buch aus meiner Kindheit. An Trixie Belden habe ich tatsächlich gar nicht mehr so viele Erinnerungen; Hanni und Nanni zum Beispiel sind mir mehr im Gedächtnis geblieben.
Mit dem nochmaligen Lesen kamen aber ein paar Erinnerungen zurück, und es hat mir viel Spaß gemacht. Ich habe noch ein paar Bücher aus dieser Reihe von früher und werde sie nach und nach noch einmal lesen. 💙
Mit dem nochmaligen Lesen kamen aber ein paar Erinnerungen zurück, und es hat mir viel Spaß gemacht. Ich habe noch ein paar Bücher aus dieser Reihe von früher und werde sie nach und nach noch einmal lesen. 💙
Read
June 3, 20204. Trixie Belden
I was first introduced to Trixie Belden in the 1970's. While I was a fan of Nancy Drew - and I'm sure I'll shelve her here down the road a bit - it was for Trixie and the Bob-Whites of the Glen that I reserved my most committed and unconditional adoration.
Trixie reminded me of me. Also a tom-boy, I skied and sledded and was involved in winter sports. My family mirrored hers, with a garden-crazy stay-at-home mom and a dad who worked outside the home (mine was a doctor, not a banker, but still . . . ). But Trixie had older brothers, something I lacked, but that I longed for, and her best friend, Honey, the poor-little-rich girl had a stable full of horses.
I spent years reading Trixie. I belonged to some kind of a mail-order book club, and one of them would arrive at my house every month. They were poorly made book club editions, with hideous covers, a school library edition of some kind, not a hard-back, but not a soft-cover either.
I read them into tatters. When I left home for college, I left them in a box and at some point they were water-damaged. When I returned home for the summer after my first year of law school, my personal life had completely self-destructed. I had performed well academically, but my marriage had fallen apart. I dug these out and read them, covers falling off, pages disintegrating in my hands, smelling of mildew. I credit Trixie, in a small way, with the survival of my sense of self after the failure that was my first marriage.
When the books were re-released for a new generation of readers, I bought them, ostensibly for my daughter. She has shown no interest, and is off to college, so that ship has likely sailed. I, on the other hand, will still reread them from time to time. I put them in a stack on the end table, and can read from the top of the stack to the bottom in a matter of hours. Reuniting with Trixie and Honey and Di, and Jim Frayne, my original book boyfriend, and Brian and the irritating Mart, is like becoming myself all over again.
Sometimes I think that people are the most themselves when they are around ten years old, before peer pressure weighs them down, and they start to question what they love, to edit themselves for an audience. When I was ten, I loved Trixie Belden. When I read Trixie Belden, I am ten. Again.
Read more about this review project on my review of The Real Mother Goose. If you're interested in more of this project, you will be able to find the full project collected at my blog Books Do Furnish A Mind
Book 3: The Anna Papers
Book 5: The Shell Seekers
"Oh, Moms," Trixie moaned, running her hands through her short, sandy curls. "I'll just die if I don't have a horse."
I was first introduced to Trixie Belden in the 1970's. While I was a fan of Nancy Drew - and I'm sure I'll shelve her here down the road a bit - it was for Trixie and the Bob-Whites of the Glen that I reserved my most committed and unconditional adoration.
Trixie reminded me of me. Also a tom-boy, I skied and sledded and was involved in winter sports. My family mirrored hers, with a garden-crazy stay-at-home mom and a dad who worked outside the home (mine was a doctor, not a banker, but still . . . ). But Trixie had older brothers, something I lacked, but that I longed for, and her best friend, Honey, the poor-little-rich girl had a stable full of horses.
I spent years reading Trixie. I belonged to some kind of a mail-order book club, and one of them would arrive at my house every month. They were poorly made book club editions, with hideous covers, a school library edition of some kind, not a hard-back, but not a soft-cover either.
I read them into tatters. When I left home for college, I left them in a box and at some point they were water-damaged. When I returned home for the summer after my first year of law school, my personal life had completely self-destructed. I had performed well academically, but my marriage had fallen apart. I dug these out and read them, covers falling off, pages disintegrating in my hands, smelling of mildew. I credit Trixie, in a small way, with the survival of my sense of self after the failure that was my first marriage.
When the books were re-released for a new generation of readers, I bought them, ostensibly for my daughter. She has shown no interest, and is off to college, so that ship has likely sailed. I, on the other hand, will still reread them from time to time. I put them in a stack on the end table, and can read from the top of the stack to the bottom in a matter of hours. Reuniting with Trixie and Honey and Di, and Jim Frayne, my original book boyfriend, and Brian and the irritating Mart, is like becoming myself all over again.
Sometimes I think that people are the most themselves when they are around ten years old, before peer pressure weighs them down, and they start to question what they love, to edit themselves for an audience. When I was ten, I loved Trixie Belden. When I read Trixie Belden, I am ten. Again.
Read more about this review project on my review of The Real Mother Goose. If you're interested in more of this project, you will be able to find the full project collected at my blog Books Do Furnish A Mind
Book 3: The Anna Papers
Book 5: The Shell Seekers
March 10, 2022
Revisiting this series from my childhood was such a great decision. So many GR friends from around the globe have chimed in and shared their love for Trixie Belden. Is it dated? Sure -- time keeps marching on and the world is constantly changing. What does not change are the elements of a good mystery and of an enduring friendship. The secret of the mansion is not revealed until the very end. Meanwhile there is a runaway boy, a runaway horse, a poisonous snake, a nosy druggist, a plane crash, a dog escape, a fire, and more. . . Is there a treasure hidden in the old mansion? You will have to read the book and find out. I can tell you one thing: Trixie will make two new friends this summer.
April 5, 2012
A formulaic series, but what a formula!!! I read probably 95% of the Trixie Belden series growing up and can't wait for Amanda to get into them.
Trixie is a girl detective, much like Nancy Drew, only (I think) much better (and I did like Nancy).
To avoid diluting my goodreads list, I'll spare rating them individually, but know that I recommend them all whole-heartedly.
Trixie is a girl detective, much like Nancy Drew, only (I think) much better (and I did like Nancy).
To avoid diluting my goodreads list, I'll spare rating them individually, but know that I recommend them all whole-heartedly.
October 14, 2025
5 stars (5/10 hearts). Now THIS is fun. I fell in love with the Trixie Belden series the first time I read them two years ago, and I love them just as much now.
The setting is just delightful—just a little country town, with nice, hardworking people, small farms and a little town, a mystery house, and a rich man’s mansion. The writing style is simple but clear and well done. And the characters are the best—all very alive and carefully crafted with personalities, backgrounds, and story arcs.
Jim is such a nice, admirable boy with a heartbreaking past; Honey is just a pure sweetheart; and I can’t help liking Trixie. She gets on my nerves, but she has grit, character, and a very warm heart. I love how she admits + apologizes for her mistakes and works actively on fixing her flaws. She’s so real! Her parents are both fantastic—some of the best parent figures I’ve ever met in a book—and little Bobby is the cutest thing and very accurate. And finally, Miss Trask and Regan are just awesome.
The plot was super fun. It was realistic and fascinating, and it ends on a terrible cliffhanger. I loved how the kids are normal and no brilliant, beautiful, privileged Nancy Drews—just children living their lives and trying to help each other out. I’m not a fan of Trixie’s sometimes doing what she’s not really supposed to do, but as a rule when she does the wrong it's out of pure forgetfulness or because she has a good intention (going into someone's house to lock it up for them because they're at the hospital, for instance) and again, she admits to her shortcomings and tries to make up for them.
Overall, it’s a super cute, sweet, wholesome, exciting mystery and I am sooo excited to continue the series!
Content: quite a few euphemisms; a character runs away from a very abusive stepfather (nongraphical mentions of his abuse are mentioned).
A Favourite Humorous Quote: Bobby squealed with delight. “I’ll take a norange one AND a labbender one,” he said happily. “Labbender is sometimes almost always my very favrit color.”
The setting is just delightful—just a little country town, with nice, hardworking people, small farms and a little town, a mystery house, and a rich man’s mansion. The writing style is simple but clear and well done. And the characters are the best—all very alive and carefully crafted with personalities, backgrounds, and story arcs.
Jim is such a nice, admirable boy with a heartbreaking past; Honey is just a pure sweetheart; and I can’t help liking Trixie. She gets on my nerves, but she has grit, character, and a very warm heart. I love how she admits + apologizes for her mistakes and works actively on fixing her flaws. She’s so real! Her parents are both fantastic—some of the best parent figures I’ve ever met in a book—and little Bobby is the cutest thing and very accurate. And finally, Miss Trask and Regan are just awesome.
The plot was super fun. It was realistic and fascinating, and it ends on a terrible cliffhanger. I loved how the kids are normal and no brilliant, beautiful, privileged Nancy Drews—just children living their lives and trying to help each other out. I’m not a fan of Trixie’s sometimes doing what she’s not really supposed to do, but as a rule when she does the wrong it's out of pure forgetfulness or because she has a good intention (going into someone's house to lock it up for them because they're at the hospital, for instance) and again, she admits to her shortcomings and tries to make up for them.
Overall, it’s a super cute, sweet, wholesome, exciting mystery and I am sooo excited to continue the series!
Content: quite a few euphemisms; a character runs away from a very abusive stepfather (nongraphical mentions of his abuse are mentioned).
A Favourite Humorous Quote: Bobby squealed with delight. “I’ll take a norange one AND a labbender one,” he said happily. “Labbender is sometimes almost always my very favrit color.”
November 24, 2023
Re-Read 2023
This is the book that started it all when 13 year old Trixie Belden meets her new neighbor, Honey Wheeler and they meet runaway Jim Frayne. Something about the villians in this series that always made me terrified and unable to put the books down. No matter your age; these fast paced mysteries will keep you riveted.
Original review
When I was in upper elementary (grades 4-6) , my local library was liquidating their old books. My mom knew I loved Nancy Drew and picked these books up for me. First published in 1948, Trixie Belden was one of those precocious characters that everyone was always getting angry at but I couldn't help loving. Thank goodness Trixie had a nose for getting in trouble or this series wouldn't have been half as interesting.
So Trixie is the only girl with three brothers( Brian, Bobby and Mart) she befriends the new neighbor in town, Honey Wheeler. The girls quickly become friends and catch some activity at an abandoned house. They meet a teen who's hiding out there named Jim and he's got a fairly scary story involving an evil stepfather. Just as the girls might be able to help Jim, he runs away and we're left with a cliffhanger.
These books as I said are just pure fun and really easy to read. It's hard to believe how much of the storyline I actually recall off the top of my head.
Originally read in 1993
Goodreads review published 25/08/19
This is the book that started it all when 13 year old Trixie Belden meets her new neighbor, Honey Wheeler and they meet runaway Jim Frayne. Something about the villians in this series that always made me terrified and unable to put the books down. No matter your age; these fast paced mysteries will keep you riveted.
Original review
When I was in upper elementary (grades 4-6) , my local library was liquidating their old books. My mom knew I loved Nancy Drew and picked these books up for me. First published in 1948, Trixie Belden was one of those precocious characters that everyone was always getting angry at but I couldn't help loving. Thank goodness Trixie had a nose for getting in trouble or this series wouldn't have been half as interesting.
So Trixie is the only girl with three brothers( Brian, Bobby and Mart) she befriends the new neighbor in town, Honey Wheeler. The girls quickly become friends and catch some activity at an abandoned house. They meet a teen who's hiding out there named Jim and he's got a fairly scary story involving an evil stepfather. Just as the girls might be able to help Jim, he runs away and we're left with a cliffhanger.
These books as I said are just pure fun and really easy to read. It's hard to believe how much of the storyline I actually recall off the top of my head.
Originally read in 1993
Goodreads review published 25/08/19
May 19, 2020
Meet Trixie, Honey, and Jim as the trio form a friendship and hunt for the treasure that is supposed to be in Jim's great uncle's old house.
This is a very favorite series from childhood on, and I just love meeting the characters again for the first time. They aren't quite themselves yet, and can be annoying as a result. Just know they grow stronger from their friendships by the next in the series.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
This is a very favorite series from childhood on, and I just love meeting the characters again for the first time. They aren't quite themselves yet, and can be annoying as a result. Just know they grow stronger from their friendships by the next in the series.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
April 21, 2008
I adored the Trixie Belden series and read all of them for years. I truly credit this series, along with a few others, with fostering my voracious love of reading, and also with sowing the seeds of love of the Adventure/Quest novel. Trixie is a spunky, smart heroine, and I really wanted to be her when I was a girl. Can't wait to share with my daughter one day.
May 17, 2018
I picked this up because Beth is re-reading the series and I needed something light. It's been years since I read the Trixie Belden books and I was surprised they held up at all. But I found this first one charming and way better written than Nancy Drew. (I read the Nancy Drew books when I was eight or nine and Trixie Belden at twelve, and I feel those are good ages for each even though Nancy is a few years older than Trixie.)
So, impressions:
1. My parents bought me the Whitman reprints, the first 16, that were published starting in 1970. I had no idea this book was written in 1948. Trixie is way older than I thought, and that explains a lot about some of the details. Like, in one of the later books, Moms (what is up with that name?) takes Trixie clothes shopping and insists on buying her a girdle even though Trixie is maybe 13. Anyway, the point is, despite the age of the book (happy 70th birthday, Trixie Belden!) it comes across as fairly timeless because...
2. The characters are really well fleshed-out. Though the series went the way of Nancy Drew after book 6, when the writing was taken over by a series of writers under the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny, the first six were written by one woman, and she didn't just toss these off. They aren't perfect; in some ways they're still very old-fashioned to modern readers. But Trixie comes off as a realistic, slightly tomboyish adolescent, her friend Honey is realistically timid based on her background, Jim is a great mix of tough and tender, and the adults are all a lot of fun. My favorite of the side characters was always Regan, the Wheelers' groom, but they really all do come across as interesting, if not the kind of realistic we expect in contemporary YA fiction.
3. The story is a fun mix of serious, lighthearted, and ridiculous. Serious, because Jim's story is fairly tragic; lighthearted, because Trixie and Honey get into some funny troubles; ridiculous, because there are aspects of the plot that simply couldn't happen even in 1948. My memory is that I did not read this one first, I read the sequel first, so I already knew the details of how the mystery worked out. But I was still caught up in...
4. The friendship between Trixie and Honey and their friendship with Jim. I always identified more with Honey than with Trixie, mostly because Trixie is too bold for me, but I love seeing these very different girls develop a friendship that's based on their strengths making up for each other's weaknesses. Honey isn't as timid as she seems, and Trixie can be thoughtful. Jim is a lot less dismissive of them than I thought a boy of their era ought to be, which is refreshing, and I like how unflaggingly honest he is, even though the rogue in me thinks he could stand to learn how to tell a white lie or two.
5. Campbell strikes a great balance between the wish-fulfillment of Honey being a gazillionaire's daughter and Trixie being poor by comparison. Trixie doesn't instantly get to take advantage of her new friend's wealth, and Honey isn't a poor little rich girl--they both have things about their own lives they prefer and even envy the other for.
I read the first two back to back because the second springboards off the first. It was a fun trip down Memory Lane, and even now I'm remembering the ones that stood out and look forward to revisiting them.
So, impressions:
1. My parents bought me the Whitman reprints, the first 16, that were published starting in 1970. I had no idea this book was written in 1948. Trixie is way older than I thought, and that explains a lot about some of the details. Like, in one of the later books, Moms (what is up with that name?) takes Trixie clothes shopping and insists on buying her a girdle even though Trixie is maybe 13. Anyway, the point is, despite the age of the book (happy 70th birthday, Trixie Belden!) it comes across as fairly timeless because...
2. The characters are really well fleshed-out. Though the series went the way of Nancy Drew after book 6, when the writing was taken over by a series of writers under the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny, the first six were written by one woman, and she didn't just toss these off. They aren't perfect; in some ways they're still very old-fashioned to modern readers. But Trixie comes off as a realistic, slightly tomboyish adolescent, her friend Honey is realistically timid based on her background, Jim is a great mix of tough and tender, and the adults are all a lot of fun. My favorite of the side characters was always Regan, the Wheelers' groom, but they really all do come across as interesting, if not the kind of realistic we expect in contemporary YA fiction.
3. The story is a fun mix of serious, lighthearted, and ridiculous. Serious, because Jim's story is fairly tragic; lighthearted, because Trixie and Honey get into some funny troubles; ridiculous, because there are aspects of the plot that simply couldn't happen even in 1948. My memory is that I did not read this one first, I read the sequel first, so I already knew the details of how the mystery worked out. But I was still caught up in...
4. The friendship between Trixie and Honey and their friendship with Jim. I always identified more with Honey than with Trixie, mostly because Trixie is too bold for me, but I love seeing these very different girls develop a friendship that's based on their strengths making up for each other's weaknesses. Honey isn't as timid as she seems, and Trixie can be thoughtful. Jim is a lot less dismissive of them than I thought a boy of their era ought to be, which is refreshing, and I like how unflaggingly honest he is, even though the rogue in me thinks he could stand to learn how to tell a white lie or two.
5. Campbell strikes a great balance between the wish-fulfillment of Honey being a gazillionaire's daughter and Trixie being poor by comparison. Trixie doesn't instantly get to take advantage of her new friend's wealth, and Honey isn't a poor little rich girl--they both have things about their own lives they prefer and even envy the other for.
I read the first two back to back because the second springboards off the first. It was a fun trip down Memory Lane, and even now I'm remembering the ones that stood out and look forward to revisiting them.
January 27, 2013
When I was in elementary school, there were several girls' book series that I avoided because I thought they sounded so . . . insipid. For example, the Betsy-Tacy books. What kind of a dumb name was Betsy-Tacy? Another series that I gave the stink-eye to when I saw it on the shelves was Trixie Belden. What kind of a name was Trixie?! Trixie sounded like the sugar cereal with the rabbit mascot that I knew from TV commercials, not like the name of a girl who solved mysteries.
Two years ago I finally read a Betsy-Tacy book and felt like a big dope when I discovered how sweet and adorable it was and realized how much I would have loved it as a kid. Last week, while impatiently waiting for the next Sammy Keyes book to come out, I decided maybe I should give Trixie Belden a chance too.
When I opened the first Trixie Belden book, The Secret of the Mansion, to the first page and read the first sentence, I felt very smug. All my suspicions were confirmed.
Oh, Moms," Trixie moaned, running her hands through her short, sandy curls. “I 'll just die if I don't have a horse.”
Ha ha! I knew it! Trixie Belden was an idiot! All my revulsion had been legitimate! But then I kept reading, and I discovered that Trixie Belden was a little more complicated than she first appeared. For example, Trixie's dad comes home a few pages later and informs Trixie and her mother that he found their elderly neighbor collapsed in his driveway and drove him to the hospital, where the doctors predicted that he would have little chance of survival. Trixie's response?
"Serves him right," Trixie said, wiping her grimy hands on her rolled-up blue jeans. "The mean old miser. You should have left him lying in the driveway, Dad."
HA HA HA!!! I never expected a girl's mystery hero from the late 1940s to say something like that. "Should have left him lying in the driveway." Hee hee hee! Also, did you notice that her hands were grimy? And that she's wearing blue jeans? As it turns out, Trixie's a pretty badass tomboy. She's impulsive, determined, a little selfish, and not afraid to get dirty or explore creepy places. I HAD NO IDEA!
That said, the book's tone is reflective of what was considered acceptable fare for minors in its time: The plot works out in the same magical, unrealistic way a Nancy Drew plot works out. The good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. Trixie and her friend Honey appear to be unaware of sex--for example, they continually daydream about their parents adopting the hot teenage boy down the road so he can be their brother because they like him so much--what?! And it's hard not to hear Haley Mills's voice from The Parent Trap film coming out of Trixie and Honey's mouths when they speak ("Gosh," Honey breathed. "Golly! Golly! Golly!").
It's interesting how 1950s-and-60s-children's-book wholesomeness meshes and jars with Trixie being an intensely strong-willed character. Trixie is a little too complicated, a little too independent for the world she lives in, but at the same time she doesn't have the experience necessary to always make good decisions. And isn't that the same tension that lies at the very heart of the complexity of being a teen?
Long story short: the first Trixie Belden book is a fun read featuring a reasonably strong female character. And since the first book ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger, I guess I'll just have to read the next one.
Two years ago I finally read a Betsy-Tacy book and felt like a big dope when I discovered how sweet and adorable it was and realized how much I would have loved it as a kid. Last week, while impatiently waiting for the next Sammy Keyes book to come out, I decided maybe I should give Trixie Belden a chance too.
When I opened the first Trixie Belden book, The Secret of the Mansion, to the first page and read the first sentence, I felt very smug. All my suspicions were confirmed.
Oh, Moms," Trixie moaned, running her hands through her short, sandy curls. “I 'll just die if I don't have a horse.”
Ha ha! I knew it! Trixie Belden was an idiot! All my revulsion had been legitimate! But then I kept reading, and I discovered that Trixie Belden was a little more complicated than she first appeared. For example, Trixie's dad comes home a few pages later and informs Trixie and her mother that he found their elderly neighbor collapsed in his driveway and drove him to the hospital, where the doctors predicted that he would have little chance of survival. Trixie's response?
"Serves him right," Trixie said, wiping her grimy hands on her rolled-up blue jeans. "The mean old miser. You should have left him lying in the driveway, Dad."
HA HA HA!!! I never expected a girl's mystery hero from the late 1940s to say something like that. "Should have left him lying in the driveway." Hee hee hee! Also, did you notice that her hands were grimy? And that she's wearing blue jeans? As it turns out, Trixie's a pretty badass tomboy. She's impulsive, determined, a little selfish, and not afraid to get dirty or explore creepy places. I HAD NO IDEA!
That said, the book's tone is reflective of what was considered acceptable fare for minors in its time: The plot works out in the same magical, unrealistic way a Nancy Drew plot works out. The good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. Trixie and her friend Honey appear to be unaware of sex--for example, they continually daydream about their parents adopting the hot teenage boy down the road so he can be their brother because they like him so much--what?! And it's hard not to hear Haley Mills's voice from The Parent Trap film coming out of Trixie and Honey's mouths when they speak ("Gosh," Honey breathed. "Golly! Golly! Golly!").
It's interesting how 1950s-and-60s-children's-book wholesomeness meshes and jars with Trixie being an intensely strong-willed character. Trixie is a little too complicated, a little too independent for the world she lives in, but at the same time she doesn't have the experience necessary to always make good decisions. And isn't that the same tension that lies at the very heart of the complexity of being a teen?
Long story short: the first Trixie Belden book is a fun read featuring a reasonably strong female character. And since the first book ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger, I guess I'll just have to read the next one.
April 7, 2025
Re-read April 2025.
ARC for review. To be published June 3, 2025.
4 stars
A reissue of book number one in this popular series; it was originally published in 1948. I’ve probably read this particular book at least six times and I’m glad to see the Bob Whites being introduced to new audiences. This features only Trixie and her meeting Honey, who has moved into the Manor House, and Jim who has run away from home and is hiding out at Old Man Frayne’s house. This is a nice introduction to the series and is really a “to be continued” story with book two. Plus no good parties or trips in this one but there are lots of characters to meet.
I loved the Trixie Belden books!
ARC for review. To be published June 3, 2025.
4 stars
A reissue of book number one in this popular series; it was originally published in 1948. I’ve probably read this particular book at least six times and I’m glad to see the Bob Whites being introduced to new audiences. This features only Trixie and her meeting Honey, who has moved into the Manor House, and Jim who has run away from home and is hiding out at Old Man Frayne’s house. This is a nice introduction to the series and is really a “to be continued” story with book two. Plus no good parties or trips in this one but there are lots of characters to meet.
I loved the Trixie Belden books!
November 10, 2009
The book that started my lifetime obsession with serialized Girl detective books. I had already read Nancy Drew when I discovered Trixie. Trix was far more appealing to me as she was younger and more accessible than Nancy who was elusively glamorous, poised, wore smart suits and drove a car. Trixie was a farm girl in "dungarees" who ride a bike or her horse as her mode of transport.
Trixie, 13, exits in that fleeting period between childhood and teenagerdom, when girls and boys still co exist as friends and are not ready to be adults. Trixie is 100% a kid and a completely average in every way except for in her ability to solves mysteries. She's short and sturdy, clumsy, bright but a bad student, quick tempered, fiercely loyal, resourceful and happy. Trixie and her family which includes 3 brothers, live in a farmhouse called "Crabapple Farm", in a fictional town delightfully called "Sleepyside on the Hudson in upstate New York. She and her friends and brothers form a detective club called the "Bob Whites of the Glen". (One of her friends whom I particularly obsessed with is Di, the newly rich, Elizabeth Taylor-esque beauty with black hair and "flashing violet eyes").
I discovered Secret of the Mansion in an antique store when I was 11. The story is simple and perfectly formulated for pre teen readers. After unsuccessfully begging for a horse her own from "Moms", Trix spies a horse trailer outside a nearby empty mansion. The new tenants, the Wheeler are a rich and glamorous family from NYC with a pretty daughter Trixie's age. Trixie quickly labels Honey a priss for riding in fancy breeches but soon learns she has been sickly and sheltered, having been raised by her loyal governess Miss Trask. Honey and Trixie soon become best friends. Upon "exploring" (breaking into) an old miser's spooky mansion, the girls discover a teenage boy name Jim Frayne asleep on a mattress on the floor. It turns out Jim is the old man's grandnephew who had run away from his abusive stepfather. Local legend is Jim's miserly uncle hid a fortune in the mansion but it has never been found. The half a million dollars is eventually discovered to be stuffed in the old mattress that jim had been sleeping. Trite but satisfying.
I would recommend the Trixie Belden series to any young girl. Put down that Twilight book, read Trixie instead.
Trixie, 13, exits in that fleeting period between childhood and teenagerdom, when girls and boys still co exist as friends and are not ready to be adults. Trixie is 100% a kid and a completely average in every way except for in her ability to solves mysteries. She's short and sturdy, clumsy, bright but a bad student, quick tempered, fiercely loyal, resourceful and happy. Trixie and her family which includes 3 brothers, live in a farmhouse called "Crabapple Farm", in a fictional town delightfully called "Sleepyside on the Hudson in upstate New York. She and her friends and brothers form a detective club called the "Bob Whites of the Glen". (One of her friends whom I particularly obsessed with is Di, the newly rich, Elizabeth Taylor-esque beauty with black hair and "flashing violet eyes").
I discovered Secret of the Mansion in an antique store when I was 11. The story is simple and perfectly formulated for pre teen readers. After unsuccessfully begging for a horse her own from "Moms", Trix spies a horse trailer outside a nearby empty mansion. The new tenants, the Wheeler are a rich and glamorous family from NYC with a pretty daughter Trixie's age. Trixie quickly labels Honey a priss for riding in fancy breeches but soon learns she has been sickly and sheltered, having been raised by her loyal governess Miss Trask. Honey and Trixie soon become best friends. Upon "exploring" (breaking into) an old miser's spooky mansion, the girls discover a teenage boy name Jim Frayne asleep on a mattress on the floor. It turns out Jim is the old man's grandnephew who had run away from his abusive stepfather. Local legend is Jim's miserly uncle hid a fortune in the mansion but it has never been found. The half a million dollars is eventually discovered to be stuffed in the old mattress that jim had been sleeping. Trite but satisfying.
I would recommend the Trixie Belden series to any young girl. Put down that Twilight book, read Trixie instead.
January 27, 2016
Forget Daphne and Velma, Trixie Belden is the real deal for any young amateur sleuth. Around about the late 80’s after I had read through everything the library had to offer on The Boxcar Children, I found myself needing more. Nancy Drew was too old fashioned for my taste and the Hardy Boys could have went and sucked an egg for all I cared. What I finally did stumble upon was this read and it had so much to offer a little girl looking for some mystery mixed with a whole lot of relatable main character. I mean seriously, with a name like Trixie who couldn’t resist?
With my beginner’s love of mysteries just getting its start with the previous series, I would say this was perfect for cementing it in. I can also credit these books for my devotion to following and sticking with a book series as well. It’s funny, the more I think on certain books from the past the more I remember little flashes of how they could have affected the rest of my reading history. Like for example, this series would have led straight into my budding interest of the next phase of my life, being a teenager. The odds were good I crushed a little on one of Trixie’s older brothers or another one of the boys that was represented in the series. I can also almost guarantee that after I completed this series that the next series of books I pulled off the shelf was The Baby-Sitters Club. (Stay tuned for that exciting review sometime in the near future…)
With my beginner’s love of mysteries just getting its start with the previous series, I would say this was perfect for cementing it in. I can also credit these books for my devotion to following and sticking with a book series as well. It’s funny, the more I think on certain books from the past the more I remember little flashes of how they could have affected the rest of my reading history. Like for example, this series would have led straight into my budding interest of the next phase of my life, being a teenager. The odds were good I crushed a little on one of Trixie’s older brothers or another one of the boys that was represented in the series. I can also almost guarantee that after I completed this series that the next series of books I pulled off the shelf was The Baby-Sitters Club. (Stay tuned for that exciting review sometime in the near future…)
July 10, 2019
I first read this book when I was about 9, same as my son. My first Trixie Belden was No. 4, a gift from my aunt. I became a huge fan and read more than 30 of them over the course of about 6 years.
I’ve been keen to read one to my son, hoping he would like it despite the female main character. He did! He was captivated and never wanted me to stop reading. Cliff hanger-y chapters didn’t help!
They read really well out loud, despite the 40s/50s language. A bit old-fashioned, lots of goshes and gollies and swells. But the vocabulary is quite advanced and the themes challenging. The story is gripping and action packed. I’m very pleased that it held up to my recollection of these books. My son definitely wants to continue the series.
I’ve been keen to read one to my son, hoping he would like it despite the female main character. He did! He was captivated and never wanted me to stop reading. Cliff hanger-y chapters didn’t help!
They read really well out loud, despite the 40s/50s language. A bit old-fashioned, lots of goshes and gollies and swells. But the vocabulary is quite advanced and the themes challenging. The story is gripping and action packed. I’m very pleased that it held up to my recollection of these books. My son definitely wants to continue the series.
September 3, 2022
A perfect summer book! Didn't know about these series and discovered from a YouTube video. Strangely enough, I see a few of my friends here read those, would have thought they were more popular.
August 22, 2017
I first discovered this series when I was about 12 years old or so. If I remember correctly, my sister gave me the first two books for my birthday, and from there my Trixie Belden collection grew to fill my small bookcase. I absolutely loved this series! I think I identified with Trixie a bit....but the sometimes pesky, cute kid I had to deal with was my nephew and not my little brother. :) I remember wishing I could have picnics in the woods, ride horses and have adventures like Trixie, her brothers and friends.
Flash forward about 3 decades (lol) and I hadn't thought of Trixie and Sleepyside, NY for a very long time. I found an old copy of a Nancy Drew book at the thriftstore...and that got me thinking about all those Trixie adventures I read as a kid. I did a little searching and found the first 3 books in digital format on the NC Digital Library (big thanks to my small local library for expanding their offerings with this awesome site!). At first I was a bit afraid to start re-reading them. Would the books be too dated or too simple for me to enjoy them again as an adult? I didn't want to ruin my fond memories of Trixie, Honey, Brian, & the rest of the gang.
Finally, I worked up the courage to load book 1 on my kindle and start reading.
Immediately, I was in heaven.
Yes, the story is simple. And, yes, the verbage is a bit dated (who says dungarees anymore?), but I didn't care! My old friends were right there on the pages.....for 30+ years they had been waiting for me to return and enjoy their stories again!
Book one is actually the start of a 2-part story (The tale starts in book 1, and finishes in book 2, The Red Trailer Mystery.) It's a great introduction to Trixie, her family and friends. The basics: Trixie discovers that a new family has bought the large manor house located near their farm. She meets the girl who lives there, Honey Wheeler. It's summer and the girls quickly become great friends. The Beldens other neighbor, Mr. Frayne, is a grumpy old man, who lives in a crumbling mansion overgrown with weeds. The kids learn Mr. Frayne is ill and in the hospital. He isn't expected to survive. As kids will, they go poking around Frayne's house, wanting to get a look inside just once when the unfriendly old man isn't around to chase them off. They discover a boy hiding there. Jim, Mr. Frayne's nephew, is hiding at the house, having ran away from his stepfather. The kids start searching for the stash of money Mr. Frayne is rumored to have hidden on his estate somewhere. Jim is Frayne's heir, but he's hiding from his mean stepfather. He hopes to find the money and use it to attend college and be free of his stepfather for good. The kids have many adventures together while searching for the money and exploring the woods.
I had just as much fun reading the first book again as I did all those years ago! I'm definitely going to re-read the series, or at least the first 3 books (which is all the local library has available right now). As they add more of the series in digital format, I will read more of their adventures. It's nice to see the updated covers!
I like the updated art better. It's more colorful and shows both girls. Very nice! But I still have my memories of an entire bookcase filled with matching beige books....all the 80's style covers. When I was leaving for college, I sold my entire set of books at a garage sale to a girl who was so excited to get to read them! I hope she enjoyed them and then passed them on to another girl! I got many, many hours of joyful reading from them!
The first six Trixie Belden books were written by Julie Campbell (Tatham). She then passed the series off to a series of authors, although they were all published under the penname Kathryn Kenny. The series was published from 1948 - 1986. It remained out of print until 2003, when the early books in the series were reprinted by Random House Publishers. It looks like they reprinted up to book 15, so quite a few books in the 39 book set remain out of print. Looks like I'm going to be hunting up a lot of used books to read the whole series! It will be worth it -- these are great books! The stories are simple (similar to Nancy Drew) but enjoyable. Sometimes it's nice to just relax and read an interesting, but uncomplicated, story. :)
On to book 2!! :)
Flash forward about 3 decades (lol) and I hadn't thought of Trixie and Sleepyside, NY for a very long time. I found an old copy of a Nancy Drew book at the thriftstore...and that got me thinking about all those Trixie adventures I read as a kid. I did a little searching and found the first 3 books in digital format on the NC Digital Library (big thanks to my small local library for expanding their offerings with this awesome site!). At first I was a bit afraid to start re-reading them. Would the books be too dated or too simple for me to enjoy them again as an adult? I didn't want to ruin my fond memories of Trixie, Honey, Brian, & the rest of the gang.
Finally, I worked up the courage to load book 1 on my kindle and start reading.
Immediately, I was in heaven.
Yes, the story is simple. And, yes, the verbage is a bit dated (who says dungarees anymore?), but I didn't care! My old friends were right there on the pages.....for 30+ years they had been waiting for me to return and enjoy their stories again!
Book one is actually the start of a 2-part story (The tale starts in book 1, and finishes in book 2, The Red Trailer Mystery.) It's a great introduction to Trixie, her family and friends. The basics: Trixie discovers that a new family has bought the large manor house located near their farm. She meets the girl who lives there, Honey Wheeler. It's summer and the girls quickly become great friends. The Beldens other neighbor, Mr. Frayne, is a grumpy old man, who lives in a crumbling mansion overgrown with weeds. The kids learn Mr. Frayne is ill and in the hospital. He isn't expected to survive. As kids will, they go poking around Frayne's house, wanting to get a look inside just once when the unfriendly old man isn't around to chase them off. They discover a boy hiding there. Jim, Mr. Frayne's nephew, is hiding at the house, having ran away from his stepfather. The kids start searching for the stash of money Mr. Frayne is rumored to have hidden on his estate somewhere. Jim is Frayne's heir, but he's hiding from his mean stepfather. He hopes to find the money and use it to attend college and be free of his stepfather for good. The kids have many adventures together while searching for the money and exploring the woods.
I had just as much fun reading the first book again as I did all those years ago! I'm definitely going to re-read the series, or at least the first 3 books (which is all the local library has available right now). As they add more of the series in digital format, I will read more of their adventures. It's nice to see the updated covers!
I like the updated art better. It's more colorful and shows both girls. Very nice! But I still have my memories of an entire bookcase filled with matching beige books....all the 80's style covers. When I was leaving for college, I sold my entire set of books at a garage sale to a girl who was so excited to get to read them! I hope she enjoyed them and then passed them on to another girl! I got many, many hours of joyful reading from them!
The first six Trixie Belden books were written by Julie Campbell (Tatham). She then passed the series off to a series of authors, although they were all published under the penname Kathryn Kenny. The series was published from 1948 - 1986. It remained out of print until 2003, when the early books in the series were reprinted by Random House Publishers. It looks like they reprinted up to book 15, so quite a few books in the 39 book set remain out of print. Looks like I'm going to be hunting up a lot of used books to read the whole series! It will be worth it -- these are great books! The stories are simple (similar to Nancy Drew) but enjoyable. Sometimes it's nice to just relax and read an interesting, but uncomplicated, story. :)
On to book 2!! :)
Read
September 15, 2016When I was a kid, before my dad died, he used to take me to the bookstore when my mom was shopping. He bought me any book I wanted and of course it was a Trixie Beldon book every time! This popped into my head driving home from work tonight. It was no Harry Potter but it was what we loved as kids.
July 13, 2021
Trixie expects to have a dull summer while her two older brothers are off at camp and she’s stuck at home with her baby brother and all the chores. But she gets a wonderful surprise when Honey Wheeler, a girl her own age, moves into the estate next door. And together they get an even bigger surprise when they discover Jim Frayne, the nicest boy either of them has ever met, living in his dying great-uncle’s neglected mansion. Trixie thinks there must be a fortune in cash hidden in the old house — enough to free Jim from his abusive stepfather, if they can keep the stepfather from stealing it. But first they have to find it.This is the first time I’ve ever read this first volume in the Trixie Belden series. And my adult self enjoyed it all right, but found the pacing a bit leisurely and the mystery not very gripping. It took forever for me to get through it because most nights a page or two would knock me right off to sleep (I’ve been making this series my bedtime reading for the past year and a half now). So Adult Self says, “I would never have read any more of these books if I’d read this one first! Three stars and a big spoonful of speed it up already!” (It didn’t help that I knew all this backstory from the later books I’ve read.)
BUT. I’m positive that my age-appropriate 9- to 13-year-old self would have loved this book, and would have adored hanging out with these characters for however long it would have taken me to read it at that age. It’s perfect Kid Summer Reading, filled with beautiful weather, fulfilling friendships and resourceful kids, horseback riding, poisonous snakes and heroic action, a huge house to explore, a mix of helpful adults and one terrifying adult, and some sadness in the story of why the mansion is so delapidated … I doubt I would have wanted to put this down. It’s a little old-fashioned but didn’t feel especially dated in any way (except maybe for constant use of the word “dungarees.” Who says that anymore?)
So I’m giving this 3-1/2 stars, rounded up.
August 1, 2015
This was such a fun sweet book! And it reminded me of one of my fave series as a child, The Happy Hollisters! Oh, how I devoured their adventures!
A perfect summer read and even if it'll be a bit of a different read for younger kids these days, given how old timey it can read at times, it was full of charm and reminded me a lot of both very loved books I read when I was Trixie's age and also of the summers of my childhood, that I also spent under very little supervision, safely roaming and playing around in a small village, far from the rest-of-the-year-life-in-the-city!
Trixie was both an endearing and irritating character at the same time, because she was sweet and enthusiastic but could also be a bit too quick to judge and rather prone to act first and think later! Often rash and always determined she was also a very honest and open girl that was the best kind of influence for the very city girl and sheltered Honey (also, that name?).
They both form a team that keeps each other on balance and once they find a very unexpected friend that they want to help and a mysterious inheritance to find. I was expecting a lil bit more of the house mystery but I wasn't really disappointed because the book was full of summer goodness and the mystery was just another part of it!
3.5 stars to this one and I'm curious to give a try to more books in the series, if I can get my hands on them!
A perfect summer read and even if it'll be a bit of a different read for younger kids these days, given how old timey it can read at times, it was full of charm and reminded me a lot of both very loved books I read when I was Trixie's age and also of the summers of my childhood, that I also spent under very little supervision, safely roaming and playing around in a small village, far from the rest-of-the-year-life-in-the-city!
Trixie was both an endearing and irritating character at the same time, because she was sweet and enthusiastic but could also be a bit too quick to judge and rather prone to act first and think later! Often rash and always determined she was also a very honest and open girl that was the best kind of influence for the very city girl and sheltered Honey (also, that name?).
They both form a team that keeps each other on balance and once they find a very unexpected friend that they want to help and a mysterious inheritance to find. I was expecting a lil bit more of the house mystery but I wasn't really disappointed because the book was full of summer goodness and the mystery was just another part of it!
3.5 stars to this one and I'm curious to give a try to more books in the series, if I can get my hands on them!
December 17, 2011
I know many wonderful people who love, love, love Trixie. My earliest memories of this series center around a supermarket in Coldwater Michigan which sold cheap Whitman hardcovers for 69 cents. Every so often, if I'd completely run out of REAL books (which is to say, books about HORSES), my mom would buy me a Whitman book. It's where I first learned about abridged books, to my everlasting shock and chagrin. I remember the odd Trixie Belden, but didn't retain anything more concrete than a dismissive sort of feeling.
At the urging of some people whose taste in kidlit I respect, I revisited the first of the series. My recall was accurate. I'm not a Trixie fan. From the smarminess of calling one's maternal parent "Moms" to the inaccuracy about snakebite (garter snakes don't leave puncture wounds!) and the loathsome whiny Honey, I was left unmoved. And if Trixie said "yummy-yum" one more time, I was going to dive into the pages of the book and box her ears.
It got better toward the end, and I confess to a certain degree of curiosity about where they will find Jim. Tell me, Bob-Whites, do they improve as one continues?
At the urging of some people whose taste in kidlit I respect, I revisited the first of the series. My recall was accurate. I'm not a Trixie fan. From the smarminess of calling one's maternal parent "Moms" to the inaccuracy about snakebite (garter snakes don't leave puncture wounds!) and the loathsome whiny Honey, I was left unmoved. And if Trixie said "yummy-yum" one more time, I was going to dive into the pages of the book and box her ears.
It got better toward the end, and I confess to a certain degree of curiosity about where they will find Jim. Tell me, Bob-Whites, do they improve as one continues?
June 14, 2013
June 13, 2013: Re-reading the first three in the series again. A summer tradition! :)
August 9, 2012: Just another summer re-read. Partly because I'm trying to get back on pace with my reading goal (I have three YA books on hold at the library to pick up this weekend) and partly because I just love this series and the first three are awesome books to read in the summer! :)
A great start to a wonderful series that is still making an impact in my life. Even the bad books are good because they're there (and I enjoy mocking them *g*). But this book gets everything off to a great start. How could I not have fallen in love with a series whose opening line is, "Oh, Moms, I'll just die if I don't have a horse!" Although I read and enjoyed Nancy Drew, it was so much easier to relate to Trixie, who loved horses, had annoying brothers, hated dusting, and didn't do well in math. But more than anything, the friendships in this series is what drew me to it, and has held me to it, 30-some years later.
August 9, 2012: Just another summer re-read. Partly because I'm trying to get back on pace with my reading goal (I have three YA books on hold at the library to pick up this weekend) and partly because I just love this series and the first three are awesome books to read in the summer! :)
A great start to a wonderful series that is still making an impact in my life. Even the bad books are good because they're there (and I enjoy mocking them *g*). But this book gets everything off to a great start. How could I not have fallen in love with a series whose opening line is, "Oh, Moms, I'll just die if I don't have a horse!" Although I read and enjoyed Nancy Drew, it was so much easier to relate to Trixie, who loved horses, had annoying brothers, hated dusting, and didn't do well in math. But more than anything, the friendships in this series is what drew me to it, and has held me to it, 30-some years later.
June 25, 2017
3.5 stars
October 30, 2019
Trixie is that 13 year old teenager who finds every single thing suspicious or it's just written in a way that even the compliments sounded like "there's something crazy going on with the other person".
And because of that reason alone, each chapter had some ridiculous twist. This book literally went from buying a horse and learning how to ride it To
1) Suspecting there's ghost next door
2) Finding out there's not a ghost
3) getting attacked by a mad dog who has rabies
4) Her little brother getting Bitten by a poisonous snake
5) rescuing her brother
6) boat crash
7) Bike crash
8) there might be secret treasure somewhere
9) My new rich friend doesn't have a perfect family like me. So i am gonna mention it every single time...
10) We need to hide Jim from everyone
11) Jim is so nice, but why is he not talking to me
12) We need to find jim
13) we also need to find treasure
So basically the old man living in the nearby mansion is dying because of pneumonia and they want to find out the hidden treasure before he dies. There's a kid living in his house who happens to be this old man's nephew. After his uncle dies all the money and the mansion will automatically transfer to the kid. But his Step- dad is after the money.
Now, there will be a question like; Why did you even read a children's book? There's no way you are gonna find a great mystery! You aren't in the targeted demographic for this.
Well thats true! But for a book that has characters/plot centred around getting money without even working for it shouldn't even be for kids.
And because of that reason alone, each chapter had some ridiculous twist. This book literally went from buying a horse and learning how to ride it To
1) Suspecting there's ghost next door
2) Finding out there's not a ghost
3) getting attacked by a mad dog who has rabies
4) Her little brother getting Bitten by a poisonous snake
5) rescuing her brother
6) boat crash
7) Bike crash
8) there might be secret treasure somewhere
9) My new rich friend doesn't have a perfect family like me. So i am gonna mention it every single time...
10) We need to hide Jim from everyone
11) Jim is so nice, but why is he not talking to me
12) We need to find jim
13) we also need to find treasure
So basically the old man living in the nearby mansion is dying because of pneumonia and they want to find out the hidden treasure before he dies. There's a kid living in his house who happens to be this old man's nephew. After his uncle dies all the money and the mansion will automatically transfer to the kid. But his Step- dad is after the money.
Now, there will be a question like; Why did you even read a children's book? There's no way you are gonna find a great mystery! You aren't in the targeted demographic for this.
Well thats true! But for a book that has characters/plot centred around getting money without even working for it shouldn't even be for kids.
May 19, 2020
I used to love the Trixie Belden books back when I was young. That's why it was extra special to share this book as a read-aloud with my daughter! I couldn't remember much of the story line, but I remembered that when I was young, my favorite character was Honey, because she wasn't too bold and had hazel eyes and brown hair, like me. The story was really good and full of interesting details, like what Honey's fancy house looked like inside or how Trixie began to learn to ride a horse through Regan's good teaching. It was nice to see each character - Trixie, Honey and Jim - grow a bit as the story progressed. My daughter and I got so into the story that that eventually we ended up reading 'just one more chapter' till we finished the whole book! The ending was good but definitely left me wanting to read the next book, as I can't remember enough of what happened next from my childhood reading of these books. I really do want to revisit my childhood a bit by reading more Trixie Belden books!
February 20, 2009
Even though the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew TV show was a big hit at the time, like much of my generation, I was hooked on Trixie Belden. These were the first books that I bought on my own -- waiting until the newest were published, scrambling to find the older copies that were slightly cheaper, taking them to the counter all by myself. I'd get so excited when I figured out how it was going to end, that tears would stream from my eyes as I tried to finish the last chapters (not crying, just an odd leaking of salty water). Though upon reading again a few years ago, I discovered that the original author was far better and more authentic with the 50's mentality--since she was actually writing then, the whole series had me enthralled well into my tweens. My favorites will always be the first ones given to me, #1 and #3. Even after re-reading many times, I still think they are the best.
September 14, 2016
I am reviewing the first fifteen books. I am 60 years old and I can still remember how much I loved these books. Trixie and Honey were my best friends. I would buy them at k-mart for 89 cents. The only problem was finding all of them. (I later completed my set through e-bay. I had the hardbacks with the portraits of Trixie and Honey on the inside cover. They had the full color illustrations that I just loved. I trace my penchant for twin sweater sets from #8 in which Trixie, Honey and Di wore them in different colors. On the back cover it asked "Would you like to ride horses, belong to a secret club, have great friends and solve mysteries?" You bet I did. When I see what kids read today it seems so sad and depressing. The joy seems to be missing. I still have my set of books that I read many many times.
July 2, 2023
Rated on behalf of 9 year old me. These books were my jam.
July 20, 2020
This book has been on my currently reading shelf for a long time, not because it was such a difficult read but because I only read it when I was at Grandma's house spending the night. We would read either on the couch or outside. A few times, we read right before bed, but we almost never do that because Gwen and Poppy, my sisters, aren't as interested as Grandma and I are.
Sometimes, when we read, I would be a little distracted because of a dog or GWEN and Poppy. I really enjoyed reading.
I'm going to ask Grandma some questions about the book now. She doesn't have Goodreads, and it's fun to ask the questions. By the way, there will be spoilers in this review.
Me: Grandma, are you ready?
Grandma: (making food for dinner) Yeah, I might not be real with it, but sure.
Me: What was the book about?
Grandma: Trixie meets a new neighbor who becomes her best friend. The two girls then meet Jim. You'll find more about him if you read the book.
Me: Also, it would be hard to do with out explaining his whole situation.
Grandma: I know.
Me: What was your favorite part?
Grandma: (thinking) Um... It's been so long since we've read it... Um... ... I'll say my favorite part was when Miss Trask said that Honey was good for Trixie, and Trixie was good for Honey. And when she said Honey was getting healthier.
(It's true that when we first started reading this book, it was fall. We read some in the winter. Then, Corona hit, and we didn't get to read it for three more months.)
Me: I think my favorite part was when they found the money. I know what your least favorite part was.
Grandma: What?
Me: (smiling) The ending.
Grandma: Oh, well. I just don't like books that don't totally end. I'm surprised I didn't get mad at that when I was a kid. It seems like I would have.
Me: What do you mean it didn't totally end?
Grandma: I just wanted to know what happened. I don't like it when I have to read the next book to find out what happened.
Me: I used to get mad at that more, but for some reason, I don't anymore. Yet, it didn't quite land on a cliff hanger because we already kind of know what's going to happen.
Grandma: Yes, that is true that we do.
Me: I don't really know what my least favorite part was.
Grandma: I have another least favorite part.
Me: What is it?
Grandma: When Reddy kept getting loose, and they kept having to go back.
Me: For some reason, I didn't expect you to say that.
Grandma: Why's that?
Me: I don't know. I think I can come up with a least favorite part now, though.
Grandma: What?
Me: When Trixie kept asking for a horse.
Grandma: (laughing) Oh, If I would have remembered that, I would have said that, too.
Me: I also liked the part when Trixie met Honey.
Would you recommend this book to anyone?
Grandma: Yes.
Me: How many stars do you give it?
Grandma: I read it when I was about twelve years old, and I gave it five stars. Now, I have trouble figuring it out.
Me: That happens to me with books sometimes, too.
Sometimes, when we read, I would be a little distracted because of a dog or GWEN and Poppy. I really enjoyed reading.
I'm going to ask Grandma some questions about the book now. She doesn't have Goodreads, and it's fun to ask the questions. By the way, there will be spoilers in this review.
Me: Grandma, are you ready?
Grandma: (making food for dinner) Yeah, I might not be real with it, but sure.
Me: What was the book about?
Grandma: Trixie meets a new neighbor who becomes her best friend. The two girls then meet Jim. You'll find more about him if you read the book.
Me: Also, it would be hard to do with out explaining his whole situation.
Grandma: I know.
Me: What was your favorite part?
Grandma: (thinking) Um... It's been so long since we've read it... Um... ... I'll say my favorite part was when Miss Trask said that Honey was good for Trixie, and Trixie was good for Honey. And when she said Honey was getting healthier.
(It's true that when we first started reading this book, it was fall. We read some in the winter. Then, Corona hit, and we didn't get to read it for three more months.)
Me: I think my favorite part was when they found the money. I know what your least favorite part was.
Grandma: What?
Me: (smiling) The ending.
Grandma: Oh, well. I just don't like books that don't totally end. I'm surprised I didn't get mad at that when I was a kid. It seems like I would have.
Me: What do you mean it didn't totally end?
Grandma: I just wanted to know what happened. I don't like it when I have to read the next book to find out what happened.
Me: I used to get mad at that more, but for some reason, I don't anymore. Yet, it didn't quite land on a cliff hanger because we already kind of know what's going to happen.
Grandma: Yes, that is true that we do.
Me: I don't really know what my least favorite part was.
Grandma: I have another least favorite part.
Me: What is it?
Grandma: When Reddy kept getting loose, and they kept having to go back.
Me: For some reason, I didn't expect you to say that.
Grandma: Why's that?
Me: I don't know. I think I can come up with a least favorite part now, though.
Grandma: What?
Me: When Trixie kept asking for a horse.
Grandma: (laughing) Oh, If I would have remembered that, I would have said that, too.
Me: I also liked the part when Trixie met Honey.
Would you recommend this book to anyone?
Grandma: Yes.
Me: How many stars do you give it?
Grandma: I read it when I was about twelve years old, and I gave it five stars. Now, I have trouble figuring it out.
Me: That happens to me with books sometimes, too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 729 reviews