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Trixie Belden #18
Trixie Belden and the Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper
The heavy front door closed solidly behind Trixie. . . . The long corridor that ran past the stairway was dark and gloomy-looking, and the stillness of the old building made Trixie feel she should walk softly. . . . She had almost reached the stairs when she saw a door directly across from the stairway open slowly. A tall man backed out into the hall and soundlessly closed the door. Turning, he saw Trixie....
210 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1977
5 people are currently reading
416 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Kenny
50 books98 followersThe Kathryn Kenny pseudonym was created by Western Publishing House in 1961, three years after Julie Campbell wrote her last book (#6) of the Trixie Belden series. There were several ghost writers who wrote Trixie Belden stories under this pseudonym. Some have been identified and later credited but some are still unknown.
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http://www.trixie-belden.com/books/Ka...
The Kathryn Kenny pseudonym was born in 1961, three years after Campbell wrote her last book of the Trixie Belden series. Did it take Western Publishing several years to find a suitable author? The answer is unknown and the identity of the authors of the 33 Kathryn Kenny books are not known for sure but there is some information about the ghost writers.
Nicolete Meredith Stack
Nicolete Meredith StackStack is thought to be the first author to tackle the Trixie Belden series, although there is much debate about which books were actually written by her. She was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1896 but lived in Webster Groves in St. Louis, Missouri for most of her adult life. Stack wrote other children's books under her own name and various pen names, including the Robin Kane series by Eileen Hill for Whitman between 1966 and 1971.
Stack is said to have written five books in the Trixie Belden series between 1961 and 1971, but Who's Who in the Midwest claims that she wrote eight titles between 1961 and 1966. There were eight Trixie Belden titles published between 1961 and 1966, but it is doubtful that she wrote them all.
James Keeline in his article, Trixie Belden "Schoolgirl Shamus", believes that books 7, 9 and 16 can be attributed to Stack but there are others that may have been written by her.
Virginia McDonnell
Virginia Bleecher McDonnell was born in 1917 and was a registered nurse who trained at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. McDonnell wrote the Nurses Three series from 1963 to 1965 using the pen name Jean Kirby, and the Kim Aldrich series as Jinny McDonnell, both for Whitman. She is also wrote volume six of The Waltons.
McDonnell and her husband were avid skiiers and many of her books featured details of nursing or skiing. It seems likely that she wrote three Trixie Belden books, The Mystery of Cobbett's Island (1964), The Mystery of the Emeralds (1965) and The Mystery of Mead's Mountain (1978). Skiing is mentioned early in The Mystery of Cobbett's Island, although this is not the theme of the book.
McDonnell also wrote another book called Country Agent that has a number of similarities with The Mystery at Happy Valley, although her book was published in 1968. Read a review of this book, and see what you think.
There is little biographical information available on McDonnell, but the three books attributed to her are three of the most widely loved books in the Trixie Belden series.
Gladys Baker Bond
Gladys Baker BondGladys Baker Bond was born in Berryville, Arkansas on the 7th of May, 1912. On September 2, 1934, she married Floyd James Bond and had one son, Nicholas Peter. Bond's childhood years were spent in the Ozarks of Arkansas. She lived in Idaho and Washington all her adult life and was an officer of the Idaho Writers League between 1952-54.
Bond's books for children cover a wide range of subjects and are often autobiographical. Mrs. Bond wrote under the pseudonymns, Jo Mendel (The Tucker series) and Holly Beth Walker (the Meg series), as well as her own name. She also wrote volume five of The Waltons.
She is credited with writing The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest (1977), The Mystery of the Castaway Children (1978), and The Sasquatch Mystery (1979). However, with her childhood spent in the Ozarks, she could be the author of The Mystery at Bob-White Cave (1963).
Carl Henry Rathjen
Carl Henry RathjenRathjen was born on the 28th of August 1909 in Jersey City, New Jersey and died in 1984. His ambition was to become a mechanical engineer, but when things didn't go
***
http://www.trixie-belden.com/books/Ka...
The Kathryn Kenny pseudonym was born in 1961, three years after Campbell wrote her last book of the Trixie Belden series. Did it take Western Publishing several years to find a suitable author? The answer is unknown and the identity of the authors of the 33 Kathryn Kenny books are not known for sure but there is some information about the ghost writers.
Nicolete Meredith Stack
Nicolete Meredith StackStack is thought to be the first author to tackle the Trixie Belden series, although there is much debate about which books were actually written by her. She was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1896 but lived in Webster Groves in St. Louis, Missouri for most of her adult life. Stack wrote other children's books under her own name and various pen names, including the Robin Kane series by Eileen Hill for Whitman between 1966 and 1971.
Stack is said to have written five books in the Trixie Belden series between 1961 and 1971, but Who's Who in the Midwest claims that she wrote eight titles between 1961 and 1966. There were eight Trixie Belden titles published between 1961 and 1966, but it is doubtful that she wrote them all.
James Keeline in his article, Trixie Belden "Schoolgirl Shamus", believes that books 7, 9 and 16 can be attributed to Stack but there are others that may have been written by her.
Virginia McDonnell
Virginia Bleecher McDonnell was born in 1917 and was a registered nurse who trained at Russell Sage College in Troy, New York. McDonnell wrote the Nurses Three series from 1963 to 1965 using the pen name Jean Kirby, and the Kim Aldrich series as Jinny McDonnell, both for Whitman. She is also wrote volume six of The Waltons.
McDonnell and her husband were avid skiiers and many of her books featured details of nursing or skiing. It seems likely that she wrote three Trixie Belden books, The Mystery of Cobbett's Island (1964), The Mystery of the Emeralds (1965) and The Mystery of Mead's Mountain (1978). Skiing is mentioned early in The Mystery of Cobbett's Island, although this is not the theme of the book.
McDonnell also wrote another book called Country Agent that has a number of similarities with The Mystery at Happy Valley, although her book was published in 1968. Read a review of this book, and see what you think.
There is little biographical information available on McDonnell, but the three books attributed to her are three of the most widely loved books in the Trixie Belden series.
Gladys Baker Bond
Gladys Baker BondGladys Baker Bond was born in Berryville, Arkansas on the 7th of May, 1912. On September 2, 1934, she married Floyd James Bond and had one son, Nicholas Peter. Bond's childhood years were spent in the Ozarks of Arkansas. She lived in Idaho and Washington all her adult life and was an officer of the Idaho Writers League between 1952-54.
Bond's books for children cover a wide range of subjects and are often autobiographical. Mrs. Bond wrote under the pseudonymns, Jo Mendel (The Tucker series) and Holly Beth Walker (the Meg series), as well as her own name. She also wrote volume five of The Waltons.
She is credited with writing The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest (1977), The Mystery of the Castaway Children (1978), and The Sasquatch Mystery (1979). However, with her childhood spent in the Ozarks, she could be the author of The Mystery at Bob-White Cave (1963).
Carl Henry Rathjen
Carl Henry RathjenRathjen was born on the 28th of August 1909 in Jersey City, New Jersey and died in 1984. His ambition was to become a mechanical engineer, but when things didn't go
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 15, 2023
3.5 stars (4/10 hearts). I was really disappointed in this book. True to my uncritical self, I tried hard to just love it, but I couldn’t help noting glaring issues. First off, the writing is SUPER poor. It jumps around a lot, it’s very wooden, and it’s sometimes downright confusing.
Secondly, Mart. I love Mart. I love his character and his vocabulary. But he was not Mart here. He was a dictionary. Literally, it felt like the author had grabbed a dictionary and made a list of words for Mart to say, and then forced it into his mouth. He never talked sense, and he even called himself “positively bulimic” when he meant that he was starving.
And the Bob-Whites were so stiff with each others! Jokes fell flat, dialogue was stilted, everything was so unnatural and wooden. No one was themselves. And then Bobby suddenly grew up HUGELY. Like, he’s 8 all of a sudden. He’s in school, talks like a preteen, and rides a horse. It was so sudden I was positively reeling. And it was so bittersweet. I legit was almost getting emotional thinking of little Bobby growing up… Cool experience, but in the next book he’s himself again and the pony disappears, so it ended up just feeling REALLY weird.
I did actually really like the mystery part. It was cool, and unexpected, with several twists I didn’t anticipate, and had lots of different parts that melded into one good whole. Hoppy’s part was cool, and I loved the walkathon idea.
So yeah. It could have been great, but it fell really short of the bar. But I’m giving it 3.5 stars because there were a few places I was just “aww” over grownup Bobby and his sibs… they were pretty amazing as a family here. ;)
Secondly, Mart. I love Mart. I love his character and his vocabulary. But he was not Mart here. He was a dictionary. Literally, it felt like the author had grabbed a dictionary and made a list of words for Mart to say, and then forced it into his mouth. He never talked sense, and he even called himself “positively bulimic” when he meant that he was starving.
And the Bob-Whites were so stiff with each others! Jokes fell flat, dialogue was stilted, everything was so unnatural and wooden. No one was themselves. And then Bobby suddenly grew up HUGELY. Like, he’s 8 all of a sudden. He’s in school, talks like a preteen, and rides a horse. It was so sudden I was positively reeling. And it was so bittersweet. I legit was almost getting emotional thinking of little Bobby growing up… Cool experience, but in the next book he’s himself again and the pony disappears, so it ended up just feeling REALLY weird.
I did actually really like the mystery part. It was cool, and unexpected, with several twists I didn’t anticipate, and had lots of different parts that melded into one good whole. Hoppy’s part was cool, and I loved the walkathon idea.
So yeah. It could have been great, but it fell really short of the bar. But I’m giving it 3.5 stars because there were a few places I was just “aww” over grownup Bobby and his sibs… they were pretty amazing as a family here. ;)
May 24, 2018
HI, HOPPY!
Everything about this book that isn’t the mystery is utterly charming. The radio station that will play a song umpteen times because it’s requested! The grasshopper-as-time-capsule stuff! The old coin exhibit in the middle of the high school! The fines for stained BWG jackets!
The villain might be the most obvious yet (and that’s saying something), but this manages to be delightful anyway. This is a really good run of Trixie books.
Everything about this book that isn’t the mystery is utterly charming. The radio station that will play a song umpteen times because it’s requested! The grasshopper-as-time-capsule stuff! The old coin exhibit in the middle of the high school! The fines for stained BWG jackets!
The villain might be the most obvious yet (and that’s saying something), but this manages to be delightful anyway. This is a really good run of Trixie books.
August 14, 2008
Growing up, I loved reading these books! I liked Trixie Belden much better than the Nancy Drew mysteries, probably because I could relate more easily to Trixie and her friends. The cases they worked on seemed more realistic, and they didn't have an endless supply of money and cars at their disposal to chase after the villains. :) This is a really fun series. The books were out of print for a long time, but I heard that they've released a new edition of most of the books. I'm excited to start collecting them.
September 5, 2013
If I am looking around for a fun, comfort read, there is none better than the Trixie Belden series. In this story the town hall weather vane, Hoppy the Grasshopper, is stolen and it is up to Trixie and her friends to solve the mystery. What I learned from reading this story is that weather vanes were popular in the northeastern part of the United States and to be on the lookout for them on programs such as Antiques Roadshow as examples of folk art. Trixie is back with her best friend Honey and her brother Jim and Trixie´s brothers Brian, Mart, and Bobby. The stories my be formulaic but that is what makes them special, like meeting up with old friends.
May 20, 2022
Trixie loves her mother's old tradition of calling a greeting to Hoppy, the grasshopper weather vane on top of Sleepyside town hall. It's said to bring good luck, so she gets Honey and Di on board too. But poor Hoppy disappears the night after an intense storm. If he was blown off the roof, he's nowhere to be found. When a $1000 reward is offered for the irreplaceable antique weather vane, it begins to look as if thievery might have taken place. Could Miss Lawler, the super-anxious teacher's aide, have anything to do with it? Or her erratic friend Sammy, who seems to have a split personality? How about the tall guy in the strange car who keeps hanging around?
*This book was published in 1977. I believe it can still be dated like earlier ones, but now back to the mid-seventies. The Bob Whites catch a movie at the Sleepyside cinema together, and when they emerge, the boys discuss the giant gorilla climbing a big building. I suspect this unidentified movie was none other than the 1976 blockbuster King Kong, which hit the cinemas around the time this book was published.
* Diana Lynch can be a bit of a quiet stirrer when she chooses. I'm convinced she draws attention to the missing button from Trixie's Bob White jacket just to set Mart off. And it works, of course. Sneaky retribution for all the times Trixie bosses her around, or leaves her out of plans with Honey perhaps. You got to watch the quiet ones.
* We meet kindly Mr Perkins, the owner of Sleepyside radio station WSTH which plays a wide variety of music pleasing listeners across generations. The moms and dads are said to love a whole heap of moldy oldies from the jazz and swing era which not even grandparents listen to anymore. (Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, the Dorsey brothers and George Gershwin.) Thankfully the story doesn't identify what the young people listen to. That would be too big an anchor to the era. We are just told it includes 'all the current rock and pop hits'. I suspect that if we were told what they were, they would sound like dinosaurs too.
* WSTH obviously didn't limit the number of times a request could be played on the radio. So listeners were bombarded with earworms such as 'Meet me in St Louis' and 'St Louis Blues' several times a day. That would be enough to make a former listener out of me. I'm relieved times have changed. I mean, gee whiz, how about time restraints? Wasn't anybody else requesting anything at all?
* Regan has been caring for a friend's Shetland pony and quietly teaches Bobby how to ride him, to surprise the Bob Whites. Regan is a legend, especially if he manages to conceal something as big as a Shetland pony while the kids have been coming and going. That's no mean feat.
* Mart gets the wrong word! The Bob Whites walk into Wimpy's and he says he's positively bulimic, when he really means he's starving. The weirdest thing is nobody picks him up on this.
* The Bob Whites walk in to the police station to discover Sergeant Molinson enjoying a coffee and doughnut. That's regarded as stereotypical storybook cop food now. I wonder if it was back then.
* Trixie proves herself to be great detective material once again, fearlessly doing things without a qualm that would daunt most people. She may be a bit full of herself at times but she sure does venture where nobody else dares to tread.
* Just like Trixie, Honey and Di, I grew quite fond of Hoppy the town hall weather vane by the time the story finished. What a cool local icon. Especially his glass eyes. You can bet I'd be calling hello to him too.
* Quote of the book is from Di. 'We're going to say hello to Hoppy until we're old, old ladies.'
*This book was published in 1977. I believe it can still be dated like earlier ones, but now back to the mid-seventies. The Bob Whites catch a movie at the Sleepyside cinema together, and when they emerge, the boys discuss the giant gorilla climbing a big building. I suspect this unidentified movie was none other than the 1976 blockbuster King Kong, which hit the cinemas around the time this book was published.
* Diana Lynch can be a bit of a quiet stirrer when she chooses. I'm convinced she draws attention to the missing button from Trixie's Bob White jacket just to set Mart off. And it works, of course. Sneaky retribution for all the times Trixie bosses her around, or leaves her out of plans with Honey perhaps. You got to watch the quiet ones.
* We meet kindly Mr Perkins, the owner of Sleepyside radio station WSTH which plays a wide variety of music pleasing listeners across generations. The moms and dads are said to love a whole heap of moldy oldies from the jazz and swing era which not even grandparents listen to anymore. (Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, the Dorsey brothers and George Gershwin.) Thankfully the story doesn't identify what the young people listen to. That would be too big an anchor to the era. We are just told it includes 'all the current rock and pop hits'. I suspect that if we were told what they were, they would sound like dinosaurs too.
* WSTH obviously didn't limit the number of times a request could be played on the radio. So listeners were bombarded with earworms such as 'Meet me in St Louis' and 'St Louis Blues' several times a day. That would be enough to make a former listener out of me. I'm relieved times have changed. I mean, gee whiz, how about time restraints? Wasn't anybody else requesting anything at all?
* Regan has been caring for a friend's Shetland pony and quietly teaches Bobby how to ride him, to surprise the Bob Whites. Regan is a legend, especially if he manages to conceal something as big as a Shetland pony while the kids have been coming and going. That's no mean feat.
* Mart gets the wrong word! The Bob Whites walk into Wimpy's and he says he's positively bulimic, when he really means he's starving. The weirdest thing is nobody picks him up on this.
* The Bob Whites walk in to the police station to discover Sergeant Molinson enjoying a coffee and doughnut. That's regarded as stereotypical storybook cop food now. I wonder if it was back then.
* Trixie proves herself to be great detective material once again, fearlessly doing things without a qualm that would daunt most people. She may be a bit full of herself at times but she sure does venture where nobody else dares to tread.
* Just like Trixie, Honey and Di, I grew quite fond of Hoppy the town hall weather vane by the time the story finished. What a cool local icon. Especially his glass eyes. You can bet I'd be calling hello to him too.
* Quote of the book is from Di. 'We're going to say hello to Hoppy until we're old, old ladies.'
January 2, 2022
The Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper is the 18th book in the "Trixie Belden" series of mysteries for young adults. This one was written by Kathyn Kenny.
Trixie and the rest of the Bob-Whites are planning a fundraiser to bring in the money needed to re-copper the town's old grasshopper weather vane atop Town Hall. Locals refer to the weather vane as Hoppy, and it's said that Hoppy will bring good luck if you greet him on your way by Town Hall. However, it seems Hoppy's luck has run out when he turns up missing after a storm. When a search doesn't locate the grasshopper nearby, it's presumed someone stole it. After all, Hoppy is an antique and rumored to have been created by a renowned coppersmith. Trixie is convinced that the stranger she's seen around town had something to do with Hoppy's disappearance and that one of her favorite teacher's aides, Miss Lawler, may be in cahoots.
This story wasn't as smooth-flowing as other Trixie Belden mysteries have been. It didn't help that there was no blurb on the back cover to summarize what the story was about. Instead, the back cover featured a teaser scene, like one expects to read inside the front cover. It was still interesting to see how Trixie got involved and put her mind to puzzling out what happened to Hoppy.
A lite, entertaining read, if not all that great. Average score.
Trixie and the rest of the Bob-Whites are planning a fundraiser to bring in the money needed to re-copper the town's old grasshopper weather vane atop Town Hall. Locals refer to the weather vane as Hoppy, and it's said that Hoppy will bring good luck if you greet him on your way by Town Hall. However, it seems Hoppy's luck has run out when he turns up missing after a storm. When a search doesn't locate the grasshopper nearby, it's presumed someone stole it. After all, Hoppy is an antique and rumored to have been created by a renowned coppersmith. Trixie is convinced that the stranger she's seen around town had something to do with Hoppy's disappearance and that one of her favorite teacher's aides, Miss Lawler, may be in cahoots.
This story wasn't as smooth-flowing as other Trixie Belden mysteries have been. It didn't help that there was no blurb on the back cover to summarize what the story was about. Instead, the back cover featured a teaser scene, like one expects to read inside the front cover. It was still interesting to see how Trixie got involved and put her mind to puzzling out what happened to Hoppy.
A lite, entertaining read, if not all that great. Average score.
March 26, 2018
I loved the Trixie Belden books as a kid (nice to see they got republished). I'm still unsure how they ended up in my corner of the world. I slowly amassed the whole series as first editions (it seemed so glamourous as a kid owning precious books that were older than me!) by saving all my pocket money to buy them from the local secondhand store. I can only guess that some adult (probably having moved to our sleepy town from overseas) had sold them off in bulk. They sat in a back corner of the store, thankfully ignored by everyone else, as I slowly acquired them through pocket money and then in a mass swoop for Christmas. It helped that back then secondhand books sold for anywhere from 10 cents to 50 cents rather than $7-10 as they do these days!
They were wonderful mystery books for children of a similar ilk to Famous Five, Secret Seven, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Three Investigators etc.; set in a time long before cellphones when sleuthing into mysterious mansions, smugglers, and strange sounds in the night wouldn't cause any real harm to befall our child investigators.
They were wonderful mystery books for children of a similar ilk to Famous Five, Secret Seven, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Three Investigators etc.; set in a time long before cellphones when sleuthing into mysterious mansions, smugglers, and strange sounds in the night wouldn't cause any real harm to befall our child investigators.
September 29, 2020
The 18th instalment in the Trixie Belden series and another really solid and fun mystery to be solved. I didn’t remember this story at all, so I think this one might have been new to me, which was great. I didn’t love some of the secondary part time players in this one, but the story was a good one.
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October 29, 2023I was luckily able to find this online to read since the library doesn't have most of the books in the series available.
I'm not sure why the word phantom is used in the title since it doesn't fit with the storyline.
I'm not sure why the word phantom is used in the title since it doesn't fit with the storyline.
November 22, 2025
Your average Trixie story. This one is a little more fun because she actually does some work in putting the pieces together.
Recommended 9+ for mentions of the legal system? This is one of the tamer stories.
Recommended 9+ for mentions of the legal system? This is one of the tamer stories.
January 24, 2018
A favorite series from my youth. Always fun to revisit old friends.
March 28, 2020
I'm on a roll today! I just don't know what made the grasshopper weather vane a 'phantom'...
June 24, 2021
One of my favorite Trixie Belden books from the later years.
July 2, 2022
Vejam a minha opinião em vídeo, AQUI.
March 19, 2017
Of the three Trixie Belden books I read over the past couple of days, this was by far my favorite and -- in my opinion -- the best written of the three.
May 3, 2015
a HUGE and most dedicated fan of Trixie and her crew. This is odd, of course, because they were MEANT for teen and pre-teen girls, but I was a young boy that read everything he could get his hands on and when I first stumbled on my first TRIXIE BELDON book I was instantly hooked!
I immediately sat about reading them all, as quickly as I could get my greedy little paws on them. Trixie is the star, or "lead" character, followed by Jim and Honey (who quickly became the love of my young life, I had a total crush on a fictional character that only existed in ink) and this brave trio was constantly getting into trouble, solving mysteries and murders; that sort of thing.
It falls along the line of the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and other similar series, but the Trixie series carries more of the teenage angst and a subtle love triangle of conflicted who likes whom mystery that battles back and forth throughout the series. All of the while though, the same cheerful, effervescent and energetic positive attitude and domineering never quit/never let them see you down philosophy is the major subtext all through the books.
It is simply impossible to read these and NOT feel good about yourself and about LIFE, to have a sense of "all is well" in the world and a cheerful demeanor just naturally permeate your soul. I know, it SOUNDS crazy, but it is true.
I lost all of my Trixie books years ago, lending them to friends and that sort of thing. Since then, I have been on a quest to rebuild my collection of hardbacks. I find most of them at "Friends of the Library Sales" and things like that, but I am ever watchful at garage sales and places, for I do not have even a third of them built back
I immediately sat about reading them all, as quickly as I could get my greedy little paws on them. Trixie is the star, or "lead" character, followed by Jim and Honey (who quickly became the love of my young life, I had a total crush on a fictional character that only existed in ink) and this brave trio was constantly getting into trouble, solving mysteries and murders; that sort of thing.
It falls along the line of the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and other similar series, but the Trixie series carries more of the teenage angst and a subtle love triangle of conflicted who likes whom mystery that battles back and forth throughout the series. All of the while though, the same cheerful, effervescent and energetic positive attitude and domineering never quit/never let them see you down philosophy is the major subtext all through the books.
It is simply impossible to read these and NOT feel good about yourself and about LIFE, to have a sense of "all is well" in the world and a cheerful demeanor just naturally permeate your soul. I know, it SOUNDS crazy, but it is true.
I lost all of my Trixie books years ago, lending them to friends and that sort of thing. Since then, I have been on a quest to rebuild my collection of hardbacks. I find most of them at "Friends of the Library Sales" and things like that, but I am ever watchful at garage sales and places, for I do not have even a third of them built back
January 26, 2013
A childhood favorite re-visited.
Is the story as good as I remember? – Yes
What ages would I recommend it too? – Ten and up.
Length? – Most of a day’s read.
Characters? – Memorable, several characters.
Setting? – Real world, pre - computer and pre - cell phone.
Written approximately? – 1977.
Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.
Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? Yes. A slight mention of the time frame of the story - as the teens are given far more freedom to come and go as they please than would be safe today. Also, the absence of computers, cell phones.
Short storyline: Trixie and Honey are stumped when their favorite grasshopper weathervane disappears. Bobby unexpectedly helps them find the clues, through the usual false leads and suspecting strangers they don't know as accomplishes.
Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No violence (only referred to from the past), no murder.
Is the story as good as I remember? – Yes
What ages would I recommend it too? – Ten and up.
Length? – Most of a day’s read.
Characters? – Memorable, several characters.
Setting? – Real world, pre - computer and pre - cell phone.
Written approximately? – 1977.
Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.
Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? Yes. A slight mention of the time frame of the story - as the teens are given far more freedom to come and go as they please than would be safe today. Also, the absence of computers, cell phones.
Short storyline: Trixie and Honey are stumped when their favorite grasshopper weathervane disappears. Bobby unexpectedly helps them find the clues, through the usual false leads and suspecting strangers they don't know as accomplishes.
Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No violence (only referred to from the past), no murder.
April 16, 2016
I really did enjoy this book, none of the Kathryn Kenney books have quite gotten five stars from me yet, though.
The mystery really was there, and that was the entire focus of the book. I'm glad the mystery was enjoyable for me, even if it was a bit of a strange plot. And Trixie has this sudden obsession with a metal grasshopper sitting on top of town hall - I found that a little weird, but whatever.
Four stars out of five. I would read this book again! (And I have actually this is my second time reading it XD)
*A note: This is the last Trixie Belden book I am re-reading, from now on I will not have read any of the Trixie books on the rest of my quest to finish the entire series, I stopped here because I was too lazy to order the next books last year and I remember being disappointed in this book when I last read it. :P
The mystery really was there, and that was the entire focus of the book. I'm glad the mystery was enjoyable for me, even if it was a bit of a strange plot. And Trixie has this sudden obsession with a metal grasshopper sitting on top of town hall - I found that a little weird, but whatever.
Four stars out of five. I would read this book again! (And I have actually this is my second time reading it XD)
*A note: This is the last Trixie Belden book I am re-reading, from now on I will not have read any of the Trixie books on the rest of my quest to finish the entire series, I stopped here because I was too lazy to order the next books last year and I remember being disappointed in this book when I last read it. :P
October 2, 2012
10/2/12: I needed a quick read before picking up a new book that comes out today and a Trixie always fits the bill for that. I picked this one due to its autumn setting. I enjoy the characterizations in this one. All the BWGs working together, Mart and Trixie not bickering but still getting in good-natured jibes at one another, and Trixie and Bobby's relationship is sweet, too. The mystery is pretty good, although the way the BWG's suddenly figured out the songs on the radio signal clue was a little far-fetched. I also liked the vague "Monk" connection when Trixie says, "Here's what happened." :) This book also gave me a saying I still use today, "funny ha-ha or funny peculiar?"
January 23, 2021
10/21/10-10/22/10: Oh, I can't say it enough. I love Trixie Belden!! As I'm reading these, Bobby seems to be taking on a bigger role, probably because he's getting older. He was very important to the mystery in this one and the one before it. Of course Trixie solved the case, but as to how, I'm going to let you figure that out.
March 2, 2014
When a violent storm blows through Sleepyside, the antique weather vane vanishes, and Trixie Belden sets out to find it and bring it home. Lots of fun with great characters, although the mystery is a bit straight forward.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
January 3, 2015
Although the description of this book makes it sound ridiculous, Trixie and the Bobwhites are actually looking for an antique grasshopper shaped weather vane. It's not a bad addition to the Trixie Belden Series at all.
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August 5, 2008A little boring for some reason, but it's still pretty good.
October 3, 2016
A solid trixie, though having something new in town (never mentioned before in any 17 previous books) was rather odd. But I guess they do what ideas they could.
February 5, 2009
"Hello, Hoppy!"
October 8, 2013
Another fun read ... nothing spectacular, but I enjoy the escapades of the friends I've come to enjoy.
September 22, 2012
Revisited an old favorite :)
December 26, 2012
book 18
August 6, 2013
Bobby Belden is paramount in this plot! woo hoo! baby Belden. He is an adorable character and it is nice to see him growing up.
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