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Cherry Ames #1
Cherry Ames, Student Nurse
In Student Nurse, Cherry starts nursing school at Spencer with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation - would she have what it takes to be a nurse? She leaves her quiet town of Hilton, Illinois for the bustle of hospital life, to meet challenges she wouldn't have imagined. The U.S. is at war. Many nurses have gone to the front, and there is a shortage of RNs at Spencer-which Cherry and her classmates help to fill, as they learn the skills they need to graduate. And who is the mysterious patient in the secret room that no one seems to know anything about? Should Cherry risk expulsion to save his life?
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 1942
65 people are currently reading
1356 people want to read
About the author
Helen Wells
110 books74 followersOriginal name: Helen Weinstock. Social worker turned full-time young adult writer, born in Illinois but moved with family to New York City when she was seven. In 1934 Wells graduated from New York University [where she'd been the first female editor of the literary quarterly], with a major in philosophy and a minor in sociology and psychology.
During World War II, she served as a volunteer with the State Department's Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, escorting Latin American visitors in the United States.
Author of Cherry Ames, Nurse books, a series for young teens.
She was also the author of the Vicki Barr books, about a young mystery-solving flight attendant. And, as Francine Lewis, she penned the short-lived Polly French series (1950s), aimed at a younger readership.
After writing the first eight books of the Cherry Ames series and the first three Vicki Barr books, Wells decided to abandon both series to write for television and radio, and Julie Tatham took over (however, both the ninth Cherry Ames book and the fourth Vicki Barr book were published under Wells's name). Tatham later returned the Vicki Barr books to Wells in 1953 and the Cherry Ames books in 1955.
During World War II, she served as a volunteer with the State Department's Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, escorting Latin American visitors in the United States.
Author of Cherry Ames, Nurse books, a series for young teens.
She was also the author of the Vicki Barr books, about a young mystery-solving flight attendant. And, as Francine Lewis, she penned the short-lived Polly French series (1950s), aimed at a younger readership.
After writing the first eight books of the Cherry Ames series and the first three Vicki Barr books, Wells decided to abandon both series to write for television and radio, and Julie Tatham took over (however, both the ninth Cherry Ames book and the fourth Vicki Barr book were published under Wells's name). Tatham later returned the Vicki Barr books to Wells in 1953 and the Cherry Ames books in 1955.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 224 reviews
June 1, 2022
My Childhood Challenge Re-Read for the month of May
When I was about 11 or 12 while searching for Nancy Drew books at the school library I stumbled upon this series about a nurse. I read about 3 or 4 books and remember enjoying them. I can't remember if I actually read this one but when my daughter was younger I did buy her the first book in this series so I decided to read it.
Since this is the first book in the series it sets things in motion. It is set in the time of the Second World War and Cherry Ames is 18 years old and nurses are in great need in hospitals in the United States. She decides to enrol in Nursing School.
We meet Cherry's friends and the book is more about Cherry's character development and day-to-day happenings at the hospital where she trains but there is a tiny mystery.
Cherry is sweet and spunky. The nursing aspect seems a bit antiquated. Some of the ideologies and thoughts are also outdated. I'm not sure how many young adults could relate to this series today but I know my daughter also recently re-read it. She enjoyed it and called it light and wholesome. I think that sums it up.
We have been experiencing a heatwave the last couple of days where I live so this truly was a leisurely sunshine read by the poolside. It was a delight.
When I was about 11 or 12 while searching for Nancy Drew books at the school library I stumbled upon this series about a nurse. I read about 3 or 4 books and remember enjoying them. I can't remember if I actually read this one but when my daughter was younger I did buy her the first book in this series so I decided to read it.
Since this is the first book in the series it sets things in motion. It is set in the time of the Second World War and Cherry Ames is 18 years old and nurses are in great need in hospitals in the United States. She decides to enrol in Nursing School.
We meet Cherry's friends and the book is more about Cherry's character development and day-to-day happenings at the hospital where she trains but there is a tiny mystery.
Cherry is sweet and spunky. The nursing aspect seems a bit antiquated. Some of the ideologies and thoughts are also outdated. I'm not sure how many young adults could relate to this series today but I know my daughter also recently re-read it. She enjoyed it and called it light and wholesome. I think that sums it up.
We have been experiencing a heatwave the last couple of days where I live so this truly was a leisurely sunshine read by the poolside. It was a delight.
February 16, 2025
On the back cover of this book is a sketch of a perky young woman, with this speech bubble:
“Girls! How would you like a nursing career? I can tell you that the excitement, romance and adventure make my career thrilling, and make my books thrilling too.”
The “Cherry Ames” series of books begins here with Cherry Ames, Student Nurse, featuring a fresh-faced 18-year old girl called Cherry. “Cherry”, whose real name is “Charity”, is so-called because of her amazingly red cheeks and lips. (This is a running joke, as a fearsome much-respected older doctor continually tells her to “wipe that rouge off your face.” Cute, huh?) She is spunky, but also, as such books demand, feminine and pretty. Her twin brother Charlie is naturally masculine and handsome, destined to study engineering in college, and become a pilot in World War II. So far, so formulaeic.
The well-off Ames family live in Hilton, Illinois, a fictitious town which is based on the author Helen Wells’s own home town of Danville, Illinois. All her life she had been friends with a neighbour Midge, whose mother had died. She watched as Midge’s father, Dr. Joseph Fortune, an old family friend, worked obsessively on an anaesthetic he had invented and was developing. Cherry herself became interested in the thought of nursing, and Dr. Joe with whom she had become close, encouraged her. Her wealthy parents are anxious for her, but Cherry is adamant that this is what she wants to try. She leaves her quiet town of Hilton, Illinois feeling anxious but also excited. All through her life so far we are told, things have come easy to Cherry Ames, but throughout this first book set in Spencer Hospital School of Nursing, she is to wonder whether she has what it takes to earn her cap, and become a fully-fledged nurse.
Actually, when I first read Cherry Ames, Student Nurse in the 1960s, I was confused quite early on, because a child patient in the story talked about the bombings “back home in London”. Yet I could see that the first edition of the book had been published in 1953. Only now, years later, have I learned that although this series of twenty-seven books had been printed in the United Kingdom in the 1950s and 1960s, they were originally published in the USA between 1943 and 1968. (The UK also published the “Cherry Ames Girls Annual” each year, just before Christmas between 1957 and 1964, and there were lots of spin-offs.) So in 1943, talk of current bombings in London would have made far more sense.
The bustle of hospital life at Hilton is well described. We follow Cherry as she meets the classmates who are to become lifelong friends, and has challenges she could never have imagined. Although it does not enter the story much until the end, the United States is now at war. Many nurses have gone to the Front, and there is a shortage of staff. Cherry and her classmates are intended to help fill these posts, as they go through their training and eventually develop the skills they need. The story is chatty and moves well, although there is little about the actual procedures they undertake. This is about as technical as it gets:
“The suture has broken. There’s an internal haemorrhage. He needs an operation at once. If he does not bleed to death, the displacement of the adjoining organ may be fatal. I don’t like this!”
For a doctor to merely say “adjoining organ” to a nurse, without specifying which, seems laughable! But then the author had little experience of medical matters or nursing, and the focus of these novels is strongly on human relationships. Plus in each of the novels, Cherry Ames is to solve a mystery to do with her nursing responsibilities. This first one was no exception.
Towards the end of the book the tension mounts, regarding a mysterious patient about whom no one seems to know anything. The patient is in a secret hidden room labelled “Broom Closet”, and continually ringing a bell, which the other nurses regard as an electrical fault. But Cherry fears an emergency. If she were to attempt to save the life of this patient, whom she had been forbidden to talk about or see, she risked being expelled from Hilton.
Yes, we are asked to believe quite a few coincidences and leaps of faith! But this is par for the course with a typical romantic suspense novel, and this is in effect a juvenile prototype of that genre. It provides an excitingly predictable and satisfying conclusion for those who like to read these types of novels.
Helen Wells was perhaps an unusual choice to write stories about nursing for teenagers, as she was a member of the “Mystery Writers of America”. Nevertheless, she had been approached during World War II, with the remit to attract girls to nursing as a way to aid the war effort, and as a career. It certainly worked! Over time, more than a million girls read the series, and many attributed their initial interest in nursing to the books. A spunky job-hopping, mystery-solving young nurse, cast in the Nancy Drew mould, could hardly fail.
Helen Wells wrote the first seven stories and Julie Tatham wrote numbers 8-16, with Helen Wells returning to write numbers 17-27. Helen Wells also created the “Vicki Barr” series of mystery novels for girls.
The first four books in the “Cherry Ames” series are set during the Second World War and follow Cherry through her training, her senior years, graduation and Army life. The style is very different from today’s popular literature, and sometimes Cherry’s archly “humorous” comments with her friends set my teeth on edge. However, in story terms they are still enjoyable and easy to read.
The fly leaf starts:
“It is every girl’s ambition at one time or another to wear the crisp white uniform of a nurse. The many opportunities for service, for adventure, for romance, make a nurse’s career a glamorous one.”
This may make a modern reader want to throw the book across the room, but it appealed to the impressionable teenage ethos of the time. Just as in the “Sue Barton” Nursing Series, the nurses were all female in these books, and the doctors were all male. But one difference is that “Romance” with a capital “R” did not really happen in Cherry Ames, Student Nurse, nor any others. For a good bit of the book, it looked as if it might fall into the tired old doctor/nurse romantic relationship format, especially with cringe-inducing descriptions such as this one:
“A little timid sunshine deepened the rose of Cherry’s cheeks and picked out laughing golden lights in Jim Clayton’s brown eyes.”
Oh my! What am I reading?
Oddly Cherry seems equally admiring of the some of nurses in the hospital. Of Marjorie Baker, for instance:
“she stood for a moment watching the young golden-haired head nurse, moving gracefully from bed to bed. ‘If I were a man,’ Cherry thought, ‘I’d be in love with her,’”
Hmm. By the end she was “in love with the hospital”. I personally found this stretched credibility a little too far, and began wondering to myself whether she actually batted for the other team, but in 1943 a lesbian heroine would have been impossible to be portrayed as a role model for teenage girls.
Sure enough, charming, personable, capable and attractive though our heroine is, throughout 27 books, she never becomes romantically involved with the handsome doctors who feature in all the novels, and remains on a chummy basis. The publishers maintained that if Cherry Ames because engaged then that would be the end of her nursing career. Perhaps … but perhaps this is a convenient “reason” as not all the other nurses seem to be dedicated spinsters.
Interestingly, others have picked up on this possible subtext. In the 1990s, the author Mabel Maney wrote a series of gay parodies of the a young nurse-come-detective, featuring lesbian characters. The books are not very well known, but include “The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse” featuring “Cherry Aimless” partnered (in more than one sense) with “Nancy Clue”.
Helen Wells also found that she was not allowed to introduce other races into the story. Cherry Ames: Student Nurse does feature “Mai-Lee”, a Chinese-American girl training alongside Cherry, but you would be hard pressed to find any other evidence of diversity. The author apparently attempted to include black characters, and those from other races, but according to an interview with a professor of nursing she gave in 1977, she said it was “routine practice” for the editor to take them out.
In the same interview Helen Wells remarked that the old image of Cherry Ames was passe, and that it was not economically feasible to update her. In Cherry’s early adventures, set during World War II, Cherry solved problems and captured criminals when the men in authority had failed to do so, “demonstrating that women can succeed in the public, working world”. But this mild attempt at assertiveness all seems rather half-hearted now, and a little sad. The image we gather from the books is one of female subservience, with nurses rising respectfully when the physician enters the ward, and the nurse always doing what she is told. Even when praised, she is a kind of chattel, complimented as “his” good nurse.
The series finished in 1966, when the publisher said that girls were no longer interested in becoming nurses. The subsequent sales of the books however seemed to prove them wrong. As recently as 2005, the Cherry Ames series was licensed to a new publishing company and began to be reprinted. In addition, a special edition of Cherry Ames, Student Nurse has been published by the “Palm Healthcare Foundation”, for which the proceeds from book sales are used for nursing scholarships. Some are even available as ebooks on kindle.
It seems anomalous, that whereas the original stipulated suitable age was 12 to 18, it now says 8 to 16 on reissued books. Having just read the first book, I seriously doubt whether some of the career concerns, independence and romantic elements I have described would be of interest to 8 years olds. Equally though, a modern day 18 year old would find the characters here rather too naive. They might appeal to girls between 11 to 14 at a guess.
However, there are serious problems with recommending these to youngsters, and I would suggest that their target audience is now slightly older adults, who have fond memories of reading these books in their youth. I happen to have picked up one more, from later in the series, but doubt very much whether I shall look for others. They are entertaining enough, have a whiff of nostalgia, and at a dozen chapters, are solid short reads. But they are very much of their time.
“Girls! How would you like a nursing career? I can tell you that the excitement, romance and adventure make my career thrilling, and make my books thrilling too.”
The “Cherry Ames” series of books begins here with Cherry Ames, Student Nurse, featuring a fresh-faced 18-year old girl called Cherry. “Cherry”, whose real name is “Charity”, is so-called because of her amazingly red cheeks and lips. (This is a running joke, as a fearsome much-respected older doctor continually tells her to “wipe that rouge off your face.” Cute, huh?) She is spunky, but also, as such books demand, feminine and pretty. Her twin brother Charlie is naturally masculine and handsome, destined to study engineering in college, and become a pilot in World War II. So far, so formulaeic.
The well-off Ames family live in Hilton, Illinois, a fictitious town which is based on the author Helen Wells’s own home town of Danville, Illinois. All her life she had been friends with a neighbour Midge, whose mother had died. She watched as Midge’s father, Dr. Joseph Fortune, an old family friend, worked obsessively on an anaesthetic he had invented and was developing. Cherry herself became interested in the thought of nursing, and Dr. Joe with whom she had become close, encouraged her. Her wealthy parents are anxious for her, but Cherry is adamant that this is what she wants to try. She leaves her quiet town of Hilton, Illinois feeling anxious but also excited. All through her life so far we are told, things have come easy to Cherry Ames, but throughout this first book set in Spencer Hospital School of Nursing, she is to wonder whether she has what it takes to earn her cap, and become a fully-fledged nurse.
Actually, when I first read Cherry Ames, Student Nurse in the 1960s, I was confused quite early on, because a child patient in the story talked about the bombings “back home in London”. Yet I could see that the first edition of the book had been published in 1953. Only now, years later, have I learned that although this series of twenty-seven books had been printed in the United Kingdom in the 1950s and 1960s, they were originally published in the USA between 1943 and 1968. (The UK also published the “Cherry Ames Girls Annual” each year, just before Christmas between 1957 and 1964, and there were lots of spin-offs.) So in 1943, talk of current bombings in London would have made far more sense.
The bustle of hospital life at Hilton is well described. We follow Cherry as she meets the classmates who are to become lifelong friends, and has challenges she could never have imagined. Although it does not enter the story much until the end, the United States is now at war. Many nurses have gone to the Front, and there is a shortage of staff. Cherry and her classmates are intended to help fill these posts, as they go through their training and eventually develop the skills they need. The story is chatty and moves well, although there is little about the actual procedures they undertake. This is about as technical as it gets:
“The suture has broken. There’s an internal haemorrhage. He needs an operation at once. If he does not bleed to death, the displacement of the adjoining organ may be fatal. I don’t like this!”
For a doctor to merely say “adjoining organ” to a nurse, without specifying which, seems laughable! But then the author had little experience of medical matters or nursing, and the focus of these novels is strongly on human relationships. Plus in each of the novels, Cherry Ames is to solve a mystery to do with her nursing responsibilities. This first one was no exception.
Towards the end of the book the tension mounts, regarding a mysterious patient about whom no one seems to know anything. The patient is in a secret hidden room labelled “Broom Closet”, and continually ringing a bell, which the other nurses regard as an electrical fault. But Cherry fears an emergency. If she were to attempt to save the life of this patient, whom she had been forbidden to talk about or see, she risked being expelled from Hilton.
Yes, we are asked to believe quite a few coincidences and leaps of faith! But this is par for the course with a typical romantic suspense novel, and this is in effect a juvenile prototype of that genre. It provides an excitingly predictable and satisfying conclusion for those who like to read these types of novels.
Helen Wells was perhaps an unusual choice to write stories about nursing for teenagers, as she was a member of the “Mystery Writers of America”. Nevertheless, she had been approached during World War II, with the remit to attract girls to nursing as a way to aid the war effort, and as a career. It certainly worked! Over time, more than a million girls read the series, and many attributed their initial interest in nursing to the books. A spunky job-hopping, mystery-solving young nurse, cast in the Nancy Drew mould, could hardly fail.
Helen Wells wrote the first seven stories and Julie Tatham wrote numbers 8-16, with Helen Wells returning to write numbers 17-27. Helen Wells also created the “Vicki Barr” series of mystery novels for girls.
The first four books in the “Cherry Ames” series are set during the Second World War and follow Cherry through her training, her senior years, graduation and Army life. The style is very different from today’s popular literature, and sometimes Cherry’s archly “humorous” comments with her friends set my teeth on edge. However, in story terms they are still enjoyable and easy to read.
The fly leaf starts:
“It is every girl’s ambition at one time or another to wear the crisp white uniform of a nurse. The many opportunities for service, for adventure, for romance, make a nurse’s career a glamorous one.”
This may make a modern reader want to throw the book across the room, but it appealed to the impressionable teenage ethos of the time. Just as in the “Sue Barton” Nursing Series, the nurses were all female in these books, and the doctors were all male. But one difference is that “Romance” with a capital “R” did not really happen in Cherry Ames, Student Nurse, nor any others. For a good bit of the book, it looked as if it might fall into the tired old doctor/nurse romantic relationship format, especially with cringe-inducing descriptions such as this one:
“A little timid sunshine deepened the rose of Cherry’s cheeks and picked out laughing golden lights in Jim Clayton’s brown eyes.”
Oh my! What am I reading?
Oddly Cherry seems equally admiring of the some of nurses in the hospital. Of Marjorie Baker, for instance:
“she stood for a moment watching the young golden-haired head nurse, moving gracefully from bed to bed. ‘If I were a man,’ Cherry thought, ‘I’d be in love with her,’”
Hmm. By the end she was “in love with the hospital”. I personally found this stretched credibility a little too far, and began wondering to myself whether she actually batted for the other team, but in 1943 a lesbian heroine would have been impossible to be portrayed as a role model for teenage girls.
Sure enough, charming, personable, capable and attractive though our heroine is, throughout 27 books, she never becomes romantically involved with the handsome doctors who feature in all the novels, and remains on a chummy basis. The publishers maintained that if Cherry Ames because engaged then that would be the end of her nursing career. Perhaps … but perhaps this is a convenient “reason” as not all the other nurses seem to be dedicated spinsters.
Interestingly, others have picked up on this possible subtext. In the 1990s, the author Mabel Maney wrote a series of gay parodies of the a young nurse-come-detective, featuring lesbian characters. The books are not very well known, but include “The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse” featuring “Cherry Aimless” partnered (in more than one sense) with “Nancy Clue”.
Helen Wells also found that she was not allowed to introduce other races into the story. Cherry Ames: Student Nurse does feature “Mai-Lee”, a Chinese-American girl training alongside Cherry, but you would be hard pressed to find any other evidence of diversity. The author apparently attempted to include black characters, and those from other races, but according to an interview with a professor of nursing she gave in 1977, she said it was “routine practice” for the editor to take them out.
In the same interview Helen Wells remarked that the old image of Cherry Ames was passe, and that it was not economically feasible to update her. In Cherry’s early adventures, set during World War II, Cherry solved problems and captured criminals when the men in authority had failed to do so, “demonstrating that women can succeed in the public, working world”. But this mild attempt at assertiveness all seems rather half-hearted now, and a little sad. The image we gather from the books is one of female subservience, with nurses rising respectfully when the physician enters the ward, and the nurse always doing what she is told. Even when praised, she is a kind of chattel, complimented as “his” good nurse.
The series finished in 1966, when the publisher said that girls were no longer interested in becoming nurses. The subsequent sales of the books however seemed to prove them wrong. As recently as 2005, the Cherry Ames series was licensed to a new publishing company and began to be reprinted. In addition, a special edition of Cherry Ames, Student Nurse has been published by the “Palm Healthcare Foundation”, for which the proceeds from book sales are used for nursing scholarships. Some are even available as ebooks on kindle.
It seems anomalous, that whereas the original stipulated suitable age was 12 to 18, it now says 8 to 16 on reissued books. Having just read the first book, I seriously doubt whether some of the career concerns, independence and romantic elements I have described would be of interest to 8 years olds. Equally though, a modern day 18 year old would find the characters here rather too naive. They might appeal to girls between 11 to 14 at a guess.
However, there are serious problems with recommending these to youngsters, and I would suggest that their target audience is now slightly older adults, who have fond memories of reading these books in their youth. I happen to have picked up one more, from later in the series, but doubt very much whether I shall look for others. They are entertaining enough, have a whiff of nostalgia, and at a dozen chapters, are solid short reads. But they are very much of their time.
May 5, 2018
Not a fine form of literature, but an enjoyable and light-hearted tale of a young woman leaving a pampered life to become a nurse during WW2. She has a deep calling to be a nurse and to help others, and a natural outgoing nature that makes it easy for her to gain friends. I'll definitely be reading more in the series as I need something lighter to read.
April 14, 2019
I love this book. Partially because, simply enough, I am Gwen Jones. *shrugs* ;P
Reread 4/14/2019:
Aggghhh this book! It's so cute. A lot quicker and a lot simpler than I remembered when I was 12, but it's still sweet and precious and gives such a great peek into life of this era at this very important, very exhausting, very awesome job!
Reread 4/14/2019:
Aggghhh this book! It's so cute. A lot quicker and a lot simpler than I remembered when I was 12, but it's still sweet and precious and gives such a great peek into life of this era at this very important, very exhausting, very awesome job!
July 14, 2012
After reading some other Cherry Ames reviews, I thought it would be a good idea to suggest an approach to this series. If you are used to reading girls series like Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames is rather a switch. In Nancy Drew the mystery drives the plot it's the central focus. Not so, with Cherry Ames. In this series the mystery is more a sub-plot that you probably won't get a taste of until the latter 1/2 to 1/3 of the book. Cherry's plots are driven by her experiences in her new nursing job, the problems she encounters and the people she meets. If you read the books expecting that, I think it will be a much more pleasurable reading experience.
How I ended up reading Cherry Ames
When I was in Grad School studying nutrition, I discovered, after studying biochemistry, I needed something light to read before going to bed. I started re-reading my Three Investigators books from when I was a kid. When I finished those I re-read Hardy Boys, ran out of them and started collecting Nancy Drew. Now I read them when I'm sick and need something light. This year I found a gay parody of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. Nancy Clue's girlfriend in the book was Cherry Aimless. So, I got curious about the origins of this character, Cherry Ames.
I've been reading them out of order as I find them. I read Country Doctor's Nurse, which reminded me of an old 40's noir B&W movie. Then I read Chief Nurse. I was surprised for a kid's book how hard hitting the war stuff was handled. I found Cherry Ames to be much better written than any of the Nancy Drew books. I was hooked.
Student Nurse was an interesting read. Wells builds her story well, introducing us to all Cherry's fellow students and her teachers. The book is nearly finished before we even get a hint at the mystery Cherry solves. I like that aspect of the book. It was very character driven as a result. I also liked the fact that things don't come to Cherry easily. She has to work at learning to be a nurse and at her relationships with a classmate and a doctor who don't like her. Sometimes she makes mistakes. Since I'm just getting to know Cherry Ames, how she handles the mistakes and how they work out are a surprise, drive the plot forward and keep my interest. I find myself getting into the plot and not wanting to put it down at times, like when I hit the mystery in the story, I really should have been going back to bed, but I ended up finishing the book instead. There's a surprising lot to like about these books.
I'll be reading Senior Nurse next but I'm over the flu, so I'll likely be moving on to something a little more challenging soon.
How I ended up reading Cherry Ames
When I was in Grad School studying nutrition, I discovered, after studying biochemistry, I needed something light to read before going to bed. I started re-reading my Three Investigators books from when I was a kid. When I finished those I re-read Hardy Boys, ran out of them and started collecting Nancy Drew. Now I read them when I'm sick and need something light. This year I found a gay parody of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. Nancy Clue's girlfriend in the book was Cherry Aimless. So, I got curious about the origins of this character, Cherry Ames.
I've been reading them out of order as I find them. I read Country Doctor's Nurse, which reminded me of an old 40's noir B&W movie. Then I read Chief Nurse. I was surprised for a kid's book how hard hitting the war stuff was handled. I found Cherry Ames to be much better written than any of the Nancy Drew books. I was hooked.
Student Nurse was an interesting read. Wells builds her story well, introducing us to all Cherry's fellow students and her teachers. The book is nearly finished before we even get a hint at the mystery Cherry solves. I like that aspect of the book. It was very character driven as a result. I also liked the fact that things don't come to Cherry easily. She has to work at learning to be a nurse and at her relationships with a classmate and a doctor who don't like her. Sometimes she makes mistakes. Since I'm just getting to know Cherry Ames, how she handles the mistakes and how they work out are a surprise, drive the plot forward and keep my interest. I find myself getting into the plot and not wanting to put it down at times, like when I hit the mystery in the story, I really should have been going back to bed, but I ended up finishing the book instead. There's a surprising lot to like about these books.
I'll be reading Senior Nurse next but I'm over the flu, so I'll likely be moving on to something a little more challenging soon.
August 29, 2025
When I was growing up, there were primarily three fields for woman to work in if they didn't want to be wives and mothers. You could be a secretary, a teacher, or a nurse. I still remember reading my first Cherry Ames book, Cherry Ames, Student Nurse. I eventually read them all and joined her on her fabulous adventures as an Army nurse, a cruise ship nurse, boarding school nurse, etc. Cherry was a black-haired, red cheeked beauty who was smart, courageous, mischievous, quick-witted, and above all, devoted to nursing. Cherry had all sorts of adventures and was one of the first “modern” women who traveled on their own and didn't need anyone else to support her. She had loads of friends but she could take care of herself.
The first book in the Cherry Ames series follows Cherry as she leaves home and goes away to nursing school. The setting of this book is pre-WW2 and I still find it so charming. The friendships that Cherry forms in this book last throughout the entire series. Because of its age, the writing will feel dated to many readers but I expect most of them will be revisiting an old friend from a different era who inspired them to become the strong and inspiring women of the 21st Century.
The first book in the Cherry Ames series follows Cherry as she leaves home and goes away to nursing school. The setting of this book is pre-WW2 and I still find it so charming. The friendships that Cherry forms in this book last throughout the entire series. Because of its age, the writing will feel dated to many readers but I expect most of them will be revisiting an old friend from a different era who inspired them to become the strong and inspiring women of the 21st Century.
March 2, 2012
My grandmother was a World War 2 Navy Nurse and when my mother was old enough she bought these books for my mom. Cherry Ames is a bright, dark-haired, and cheery nurse as was my grandmother.
Everyday that my grandmother, now a mother herself in post-war America, set out to volunteer at the Red Cross she left in a cape, and a hat not unlike Cherry's own that you see on the cover. Also, of course she wore her official Red Cross pin. My mother, especially impressed with this dashing attire (I am too!) consequently loved the Cherry Ames books and admired my grandmother very much.
Lots of unexpected things happen in this series but the one I liked most of all is when Cherry Ames accidentally happens upon the secret project of a doctor on staff at the hospital she works at. He has discovered Penicillin! Cherry must now protect this wartime secret. I had never thought of it that way, but as the wise doctor points out this drug will save many lives of the men fighting the war. He wants it to stay on the side of the good.
These books made me contemplate a world without antibiotics which makes me so grateful for the times I live in now and also that Cherry Ames was able to keep the secret! Whew! That was a close call Cherry!
Also, these books make an interesting study of the emerging role of women in the workplace. As a 1940's character Cherry is *very* cheery, brisk, bright, but decidedly at the whim of the male doctors she works for. Somethings are slow to change, aren't they? Still, we progress! Cherry is known for her almost boundless enthusiasm a la bright, attentive homemaker model. Yet she is also a woman in the workplace pioneer like my grandmother was in her lovely cape, hat, and pin. I do wish nurses now could at least have the very lovely cape. I think they deserve a bit of dashing fashion if they would like it for special occasions of course!
How much we women owe to these ladies who took the first brave steps towards what we enjoy today. The freedom to choose the work that suits us best.
Everyday that my grandmother, now a mother herself in post-war America, set out to volunteer at the Red Cross she left in a cape, and a hat not unlike Cherry's own that you see on the cover. Also, of course she wore her official Red Cross pin. My mother, especially impressed with this dashing attire (I am too!) consequently loved the Cherry Ames books and admired my grandmother very much.
Lots of unexpected things happen in this series but the one I liked most of all is when Cherry Ames accidentally happens upon the secret project of a doctor on staff at the hospital she works at. He has discovered Penicillin! Cherry must now protect this wartime secret. I had never thought of it that way, but as the wise doctor points out this drug will save many lives of the men fighting the war. He wants it to stay on the side of the good.
These books made me contemplate a world without antibiotics which makes me so grateful for the times I live in now and also that Cherry Ames was able to keep the secret! Whew! That was a close call Cherry!
Also, these books make an interesting study of the emerging role of women in the workplace. As a 1940's character Cherry is *very* cheery, brisk, bright, but decidedly at the whim of the male doctors she works for. Somethings are slow to change, aren't they? Still, we progress! Cherry is known for her almost boundless enthusiasm a la bright, attentive homemaker model. Yet she is also a woman in the workplace pioneer like my grandmother was in her lovely cape, hat, and pin. I do wish nurses now could at least have the very lovely cape. I think they deserve a bit of dashing fashion if they would like it for special occasions of course!
How much we women owe to these ladies who took the first brave steps towards what we enjoy today. The freedom to choose the work that suits us best.
August 28, 2023
Such a delightful vintage YA read! Cherry Ames is so endearing. She is kind, spunky, committed to doing the right thing, fun, and feels deeply called to nursing. She has her ups and downs through her first year of training but it’s all so fun to read about. The cast of characters around her is equally delightful and vividly drawn. I love how she has her bosom friends and helps a lonely fellow student to feel a part of the kindly camaraderie of the other student nurses. I love Cherry’s kindness to two particular children. I like the way her relationship with Dr. Wylie evolves—he’s quite something! I like the mystery and excitement at the end. Helen Wells brings the hospital world to life. I’m not usually one for hospitals or medical anything really but Betty Neels and Helen Wells are slowly changing my mind! There is so much scope for plot and character in nursing!
March 31, 2008
I devoured these books when I was in grade school. I wanted to be Cherry Ames—headed off to nursing school on the train, all decked out in a red suit and ready to help people on a “grand and practical scale.” It still sounds pretty good to me.
But rereading this as an adult, I found it to be quite a bit less sophisticated and entertaining as the Sue Barton books, which I recently started reading for the first time. Cherry’s experience feels a little bit less believable and it was very interesting to see how this series shamelessly borrowed details from the earlier Sue Barton books ( I had been told to watch for this and it really is amazing!)
This was a 2-star book for me now, but since I loved it the first time I read it, I gave it a lifetime score of 3 stars.
But rereading this as an adult, I found it to be quite a bit less sophisticated and entertaining as the Sue Barton books, which I recently started reading for the first time. Cherry’s experience feels a little bit less believable and it was very interesting to see how this series shamelessly borrowed details from the earlier Sue Barton books ( I had been told to watch for this and it really is amazing!)
This was a 2-star book for me now, but since I loved it the first time I read it, I gave it a lifetime score of 3 stars.
Read
August 8, 2011I originally read this book kind of as a joke; I wanted to see how silly and antiquated it was. And while the book was obviously written in a time when nursing was very different from what it is now, I found the book to be surprisingly charming. Cherry is a very strong character, which I wasn't expecting. I found the "old school" aspect of nursing interesting, and was pleased to be entertained through the whole book. I often read YA fiction to find good books to share with my nieces and nephews, and while I loved this book, I worry that the charm may be lost on today's younger kids. Either way, I really liked this book and plan to read more of them.
March 3, 2020
This has to be one of the cutest books I've read!
First, the books are just plain adorable. The brightly colored, vintage looking spines are just beautiful, and match so well! I told Mom and my sisters that I would love a set for my shelf, just because they are so pretty!
Cherry is a darling, herself, and gets herself into scrapes and out of them in the most fascinating ways. She is quick to make friends, and she is quick to lend a hand -- but Ms. Cherry Ames is far from perfect.
I've enjoyed reading the medical details in the books, and I've enjoyed perusing what is now an historical account of nursing in America and during the war -- at the time these were written, they would have been rather modern. This vintage loving heart is soaking in all the details about dress and all the little day-to-day things that went on in the '40s.
My library only had the first four of these, but I am looking forward to finding the others and reading them . . . My only regret is that I wish I would have found these while I was a bit younger :D
First, the books are just plain adorable. The brightly colored, vintage looking spines are just beautiful, and match so well! I told Mom and my sisters that I would love a set for my shelf, just because they are so pretty!
Cherry is a darling, herself, and gets herself into scrapes and out of them in the most fascinating ways. She is quick to make friends, and she is quick to lend a hand -- but Ms. Cherry Ames is far from perfect.
I've enjoyed reading the medical details in the books, and I've enjoyed perusing what is now an historical account of nursing in America and during the war -- at the time these were written, they would have been rather modern. This vintage loving heart is soaking in all the details about dress and all the little day-to-day things that went on in the '40s.
My library only had the first four of these, but I am looking forward to finding the others and reading them . . . My only regret is that I wish I would have found these while I was a bit younger :D
November 21, 2017
Perfection. It has just enough of vintage times, effort during the war, descriptions of the life and work as a student nurse... Everything I wanted, presented with charm and intrigue. I can't wait to get started on book #2.
April 25, 2025
Our library was so lucky to have a set of Cherry Ames books donated to them. I remember when I was young and read one of my sisters books. I never was able to finish the series back then but I hope to now. These classics are so fun and exciting, and what a great way to learn about nursing back in the days of WWII.
May 6, 2015
I read these, and all nursing books, obsessively and idolised my aunt who was a nurse, until one day my teacher asked me if I would like to be emptying people's bed pans and wiping their.... That was that. I think I wanted to be an air hostess next.
June 13, 2019
I loved these books when I was growing up! It was fun to reread this first in the series.
March 10, 2023
A light and fun story! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this first Cherry Ames book - yay! I have to admit that I bought this book mainly because the cover was so cute and vintage. Plus, it was only $1 at a local flea market. But, the writing and the plot kept me interested from start to finish.
Cherry Ames is one of the most likeable young characters that I've ever read about. She's spunky, intelligent, caring, compassionate and friendly. Plus, she sounds adorable with her bright cheeks and dark hair. It was a joy to read about her introduction to nursing school and the types of lessons she learned along the way. I used to be a "candy striper" at at hospital when I was young and this book brought back many memories for me.
Although nursing is not in my future, I still really liked this book and I plan on continuing with the series. This is one of the few young adult series that I'd recommend to others. Definitely worth a try!
Cherry Ames is one of the most likeable young characters that I've ever read about. She's spunky, intelligent, caring, compassionate and friendly. Plus, she sounds adorable with her bright cheeks and dark hair. It was a joy to read about her introduction to nursing school and the types of lessons she learned along the way. I used to be a "candy striper" at at hospital when I was young and this book brought back many memories for me.
Although nursing is not in my future, I still really liked this book and I plan on continuing with the series. This is one of the few young adult series that I'd recommend to others. Definitely worth a try!
December 5, 2019
3.5 stars
January 13, 2024
While reading this book I decided it had the field of propaganda, so I wasn't surprised to learn from another readers review that The series was commissioned as a way to recruit young women to the nursing profession during World War II. There are a lot of outdated attitudes here, but if you keep in mind when the book was written that's understandable if still jarring. Still, Cherry is a likable character; she is kind and has grit in the face of adversity. The book focuses on her making friends and navigating the system rather than on medical detail. An interesting window into the past, but probably not compelling enough for me to continue the series.
September 10, 2025
I quite enjoyed this book, very reminiscent of Nancy Drew, but with more depth!
January 28, 2024
Total vintage read! I enjoyed following Cherry in her first year of nursing training. This was written in 1943 during WWII which was referenced several times by need for nurses and caring for the military. Working in the medical field, I thought it was interesting how different hospital culture was during this time. I liked just how wholesome this was. If I can find anymore in the series I’d definitely read them. 👩🏻⚕️🍒
October 8, 2020
I read this at about age 13 and I have always credited these books for inspiring my first interest in nursing. Whether I would have become a nurse without reading these I don't know but I'm sure they had a great influence on me. It certainly was nostalgic rereading this one. Not really as good as Nancy Drew, but for me it seemed on rereading a love letter to nursing.
June 6, 2022
A charming, wholesome read that put nursing in a warm, Christmassy light. My experience as a nursing student was far from Cherry’s, but it was an engaging and entertaining read nonetheless.
July 6, 2023
This was not nearly as Pollyannaish nor was the language as stilted as I feared it might be given that it was first published 81 years ago! Cherry faced rather unusual challenges from those in the current US, but while she appeared to be compassionate and mature in certain situations, she still demonstrated her relatively young age and immaturity in others. Just as in real life! :)
I did read this as a preteen and I remember my mother was angry at me for having read it. I have no recollection why she was angry... It could have been one of many different reasons. She spent much of her life angry...especially at me! ;)
I did read this as a preteen and I remember my mother was angry at me for having read it. I have no recollection why she was angry... It could have been one of many different reasons. She spent much of her life angry...especially at me! ;)
May 23, 2022
I know, it is a kids book. Well, late elementary to J-High. Anyway, I found this fun because this particular book was written during WWII, and it is interesting for me personally because nursing has changed so much between then and now.
Over all it is a fun book. The Cherry Ames books have the approval of this Mom.
Over all it is a fun book. The Cherry Ames books have the approval of this Mom.
April 10, 2024
Cherry studies nursing, investigates mysteries, and is a fierce advocate for her patients. I can understand why this series inspired so many people to become nurses. It's feminist for the time, although there's the institutional sexism that you would expect in 1944.
November 5, 2022
If you're looking for a fun series for your young adults, this is a nice choice!
It has similar vibes to the original Nancy Drew series; just replace the mystery with various events and story developments. And personally, I think the writing is better; more full and less matter-of-fact.
I look forward to reading more in the series!
Cleanliness: Uses of “good gracious” “goodness” “gee” and the like. There is a little romance. Mentions young ladies wearing making up and going to dances.
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It has similar vibes to the original Nancy Drew series; just replace the mystery with various events and story developments. And personally, I think the writing is better; more full and less matter-of-fact.
I look forward to reading more in the series!
Cleanliness: Uses of “good gracious” “goodness” “gee” and the like. There is a little romance. Mentions young ladies wearing making up and going to dances.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
March 30, 2017
Just re-read this- And I think Cherry and Nancy Drew would be good friends.
August 24, 2017
Read all of these as a young girl (12ish) and loved them. Similar to Nancy Drew but for a bit older girl. Very clean and written at a time when student nurses were boarded.
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February 6, 2020I read the entire Cherry Ames series when I was a little girl. I am glad to see that these stories are still being enjoyed today.
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