This boxed set of Books 6-10 of the Mandie Series includes these titles: Mandie and the Medicine Man, Mandie and the Charleston Phantom, Mandie and the Abandoned Mine, Mandie and the Hidden Treasure, and Mandie and the Mysterious Bells.
Lois Gladys Leppard was the author of the Mandie series of children's novels. Leppard wrote her first Mandie story when she was only eleven and a half years old, but did not become a professional author until she was an adult. Leppard has also worked as a professional singer, actress, and playwright. At one time, she and her two sisters, Sybil and Louise, formed a singing group called the Larke Sisters. There are forty Mandie books in the main series, an eight-book junior series and several other titles. Leppard said that she could write a Mandie book in two weeks, barring any interruptions. The eponymous heroine lives in North Carolina in the early 1900s, encountering adventure and solving mysteries with help from her friends, family, and pet cat, Snowball. These young reader novels are meant to teach morals as well as be fun and captivating stories to read. Leppard stated that her books contain "nothing occult or vulgar", and Mandie is depicted as a faithful Christian. The Mandie books often deal with issues of discrimination and prejudice relating to race (particularly with regard to the local Cherokee), class, and disability. Lois Gladys Leppard based some of the incidents in her Mandie books on her mother's experiences growing up in North Carolina. The dedication in the first book is: "For My Mother, Bessie A. Wilson Leppard, and In Memory of Her Sister, Lillie Margaret Ann Wilson Frady, Orphans of North Carolina Who Outgrew the Sufferings of Childhood".
Very good, interesting stories for children and adults as well. In this collection there are five books about Mandy and her friends, and adventures which she has almost all the time and everywhere where she goes. I enjoyed reading it, especially that Mandy and her friends are characters who give a good example.
The second book in this grouping, Mandie and the Charleston Phantom, is tied for my favorite in all the Mandie books I’ve read so far. I would say this grouping of books is high on the outdoor adventure list. All of the Mandie books have adventure and mystery, but the majority of these stories take place outside. While these are simplistic in nature, they do teach good morals and try to incorporate growth as Mandie ages and moves through life’s daily struggles. The Charleston Phantom has wonderful descriptions of South Carolina and the beach. I love to travel and so appreciate the uniqueness of this story taking place somewhere more foreign to Mandie. I will say, just as an aside, that Snowball has managed to remain a small kitten for many months at this point. I am wondering when he will grow? ;)
Mandie was the series I read when I was too young to read Nancy Drew. Love it! Has all the mystery of Nancy Drew without the scariness. Plus Mandie is younger and lives with her parents, as opposed to Nancy Drew.
I grew up reading these books and love them still. They are such great, heartwarming stories. They keep me just as entertained now as they did twenty years ago. Wonderful and timeless.
A New Five-in-One From Bestselling Author Lois Gladys Leppard Mandie fans young and old alike will love reading or re-reading the young adventurer's mysteries when they're all wrapped up in the second volume of the Mandie Collection. Follow Mandie's and Sallie's terrifying kidnapping in Mandie and the Medicine Man, or join the excitement as Mandie and her friends follow a treasure map to find the hidden treasure in Mandie and the Hidden Treasure. This second volume also includes Mandie and the Charleston Phantom, Mandie and the Mysterious Bells, and Mandie and the Abandoned Mine. For ages 8-14.