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Nancy Drew: Notebooks #51
The Old-Fashioned Mystery
THE KEY MAY BE LOST, BUT THERE ARE STILL LOTS OF CLUES! It's time for the Holiday Streetwalk in River Heights. That's when the stores serve cider and cookies, carolers sing on street corners, and there's face painting, clowns, and costumes for everyone to enjoy. But the best part is when the mayor turns on the Christmas tree lights and Mr. and Mrs. Claus arrive in a horse-drawn sleigh. One lucky child will get to present Mr. and Mrs. Claus with the key to River Heights, and this year it's Bess Marvin! There will be reporters and TV cameras on the big day, but Bess's chance to be a star is ruined when the key to the city disappears. Can Nancy, Bess, and George unlock the secret of the missing key before Bess's special day is spoiled?
80 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2002
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,079 books3,956 followersCarolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.
Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 3, 2008
most nancy drews have a thief involved but this one was a mastake. this one involves a baby sister which was sort of interesting.
November 4, 2017
Growing up, I loved reading Nancy Drew books, so when I saw this one in the Lending Library, I had to give it a read.
The Nancy Drew Notebooks series is geared toward a younger audience than the original series. It is written in a much simpler way.
Overall, I enjoyed the mystery and trying to figure out what happened to the missing key.
This is the first book I have read in the Nancy Drew Notebooks series, but it can easily be read as a standalone.
Good book, fun mystery.
June 27, 2022
Eh, just okay.
May 11, 2024
Surprisingly more enjoyable and has better characterization than the Girl Detective series.
January 18, 2016
This is one of the Nancy Drew notebook series of books about Nancy and her friends while they are in elementary school. Bess has been chosen to give a key to Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus at a big thing downtown but the problem is the key goes missing. As usual, Nancy makes notes in her notebook about possible suspects and she methodically begins to check each one out. With only a few minutes left before the ceremony, though, the taker of the key has not been found. But what happens if the key wasn't really taken at all, but discovered?
March 17, 2011
I thought that it was a really good book. I don't think it was as good as the other Nancy Drew Notebooks that I've read.
October 28, 2013
Read in 2005-6.
December 23, 2014
Bess wins a contest to present the key to the city to Mr. and Mrs. Claus, but Bess loses the key to the city.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews