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Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #116
The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears
On the trail of a teddy bear thief, nancy unwraps double-dealing and double crosses!
Bess is working during the Christmas rush at Beary Wonderful, a toy and teddy bear shop, when the holiday season takes a sudden scary turn. The owner's prized collection of antique teddy bears -- cute, cuddly, and worth a bundle -- has been ripped off. But the break-in is only the beginning of a much bigger and more brazen teddy bear caper.
The attempted theft of Bess's own bear -- a replica of one of the antiques -- leads Nancy to believe that more is at stake than a couple of burgled bears. For Nancy knows that even something as innocent as a teddy bear can be stuffed with intrigue!
Bess is working during the Christmas rush at Beary Wonderful, a toy and teddy bear shop, when the holiday season takes a sudden scary turn. The owner's prized collection of antique teddy bears -- cute, cuddly, and worth a bundle -- has been ripped off. But the break-in is only the beginning of a much bigger and more brazen teddy bear caper.
The attempted theft of Bess's own bear -- a replica of one of the antiques -- leads Nancy to believe that more is at stake than a couple of burgled bears. For Nancy knows that even something as innocent as a teddy bear can be stuffed with intrigue!
160 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1993
11 people are currently reading
901 people want to read
About the author
Carolyn Keene
1,042 books3,879 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 - 30 of 36 reviews
June 6, 2024
'The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears' (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #116) by Carolyn Keene.
Rating: 4.0/5.
Review:
Nancy Drew decides to visit her best friend, Bess Marvin, who is working at a teddy bear shop during the Christmas rush. Things take a turn for the worse when the owner's prized collection of antique teddy bears gets stolen. Nancy finds herself involved in yet another case when multiple attempts are made to steal Bess' teddy bear – a replica of one of the antiques.
The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears is one of the later books in the original Nancy Drew canon, and as a result, there were bound to be changes in the writing style as compared to the initial works. I was expecting a decline in quality (as observed in some of the later Hardy Boys Digests), but this turned out to be an engaging read. The main mystery was predictable, for I had already guessed the identity of the main culprit just within the first few chapters. However, there were enough twists and turns that ensured the plot wasn't as predictable as I had expected it to be. I was completely taken unawares, with there being actually two different culprits behind the two burglaries. Although I had accurately guessed the culprit's identity, my initial guess about the motive behind the attempted theft of Bess' teddy bear turned out to be incorrect. All of these little things, once combined, just kept me hooked on the story until the end.
George Fayne doesn't make an appearance in this story. Although, at first, I thought that it would be a major deviation from the earlier works, I ended up appreciating her absence in this book – for this gives Bess Marvin some time to shine. It was great to see Bess not portrayed as the frivolous, silly, pretty friend as she is portrayed in the earlier Nancy Drew books. Bess has her moments; her quick thinking helps Nancy not get caught spying by one of her suspects, and she is generous enough to sacrifice her cherished teddy bear to catch the culprit. This book made me like Bess Marvin as a character, and I was greatly delighted to see her getting rewarded for her sacrifice at the end.
In conclusion, I went into The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears with little expectations but ended up loving it. The writing is juvenile, but since I'm reading these for the sake of nostalgia, I usually don't mind the writing quality if the book succeeds in keeping me entertained throughout. Had it not been for my work, I would have finished the book in a single sitting, but despite multiple breaks, I managed to finish it within a few hours.
Lowering the flashlight, Nancy ran the beam along the carpet, then up to the red velvet-covered shelves of the locked case. Behind her, Ingrid and Bess gasped. The ornaments glittered in the light, but the rest of the case was empty.
Dotty's valuable bears were gone!
Rating: 4.0/5.
Review:
Nancy Drew decides to visit her best friend, Bess Marvin, who is working at a teddy bear shop during the Christmas rush. Things take a turn for the worse when the owner's prized collection of antique teddy bears gets stolen. Nancy finds herself involved in yet another case when multiple attempts are made to steal Bess' teddy bear – a replica of one of the antiques.
The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears is one of the later books in the original Nancy Drew canon, and as a result, there were bound to be changes in the writing style as compared to the initial works. I was expecting a decline in quality (as observed in some of the later Hardy Boys Digests), but this turned out to be an engaging read. The main mystery was predictable, for I had already guessed the identity of the main culprit just within the first few chapters. However, there were enough twists and turns that ensured the plot wasn't as predictable as I had expected it to be. I was completely taken unawares, with there being actually two different culprits behind the two burglaries. Although I had accurately guessed the culprit's identity, my initial guess about the motive behind the attempted theft of Bess' teddy bear turned out to be incorrect. All of these little things, once combined, just kept me hooked on the story until the end.
George Fayne doesn't make an appearance in this story. Although, at first, I thought that it would be a major deviation from the earlier works, I ended up appreciating her absence in this book – for this gives Bess Marvin some time to shine. It was great to see Bess not portrayed as the frivolous, silly, pretty friend as she is portrayed in the earlier Nancy Drew books. Bess has her moments; her quick thinking helps Nancy not get caught spying by one of her suspects, and she is generous enough to sacrifice her cherished teddy bear to catch the culprit. This book made me like Bess Marvin as a character, and I was greatly delighted to see her getting rewarded for her sacrifice at the end.
In conclusion, I went into The Case of the Twin Teddy Bears with little expectations but ended up loving it. The writing is juvenile, but since I'm reading these for the sake of nostalgia, I usually don't mind the writing quality if the book succeeds in keeping me entertained throughout. Had it not been for my work, I would have finished the book in a single sitting, but despite multiple breaks, I managed to finish it within a few hours.
August 25, 2023
Lukupiirissä luettiin nostalgiaa! En muistanut, että Paula on kirjoissa näin vanha. Teos kärsi myös tyhjän huoneen syndroomasta, eikä uskottavuus enää toiminut näin aikuiselle lukijalle. Siitä huolimatta jännittävä matka lapsuuden lukumaisemaan.
December 5, 2023
4.5⭐️
I really enjoyed this Nancy Drew mystery! It definitely felt a little different than the yellow flashlight editions that I’m used to, but it still had the classic Nancy flare and intrigue.
Excited to have this as part of my collection!
I really enjoyed this Nancy Drew mystery! It definitely felt a little different than the yellow flashlight editions that I’m used to, but it still had the classic Nancy flare and intrigue.
Excited to have this as part of my collection!
December 11, 2023
This installment in the Nancy Drew series follows Nancy as she solves the case of the missing antique bears. The Case of The Twin Teddy Bears was a fishy, complicated mystery that kept me intrigued until the end. 👀
Despite the thief stealing the antique bears, why were they after Bess's bear too, which is not antique but only a replica of one of the antique bears? Did the bears happen to be switched up for some reason? It was so complicated!
Loved the cozy winter vibes this Nancy Drew book gave me, such as the ice-skating party; it made me want to join. 😌
Full review @ My Blog.
Despite the thief stealing the antique bears, why were they after Bess's bear too, which is not antique but only a replica of one of the antique bears? Did the bears happen to be switched up for some reason? It was so complicated!
Loved the cozy winter vibes this Nancy Drew book gave me, such as the ice-skating party; it made me want to join. 😌
Full review @ My Blog.
August 3, 2016
Cute, but predictable. Sadly not as much Christmas feeling as I was hoping for..
April 13, 2017
Super cool mystery and very shocking.
December 25, 2024
Reminded me of the Beanie Baby craze.
Didn’t really get exciting until the last 50 pages or so.
Smuggling ring.
Chloroform.
Ice skating party.
Ned helps out with the case.
Published in 1993.
Didn’t really get exciting until the last 50 pages or so.
Smuggling ring.
Chloroform.
Ice skating party.
Ned helps out with the case.
Published in 1993.
February 7, 2016
My love of reading started when i was young, and it gives me immense pleasure to provide books to Spread the Word Nevada, an organization that passes them on to children in the community. They are a terrific organization supporting an important cause. If your local I encourage you to check them out. For those living further a field, look in your own community, their may already be a similar program in place. And if not, you can always help start one.
http://spreadthewordnevada.org/
Myself, I go out on the weekends and
shop thrift store and bulk book lots to rescue books and donate them. Sometimes I'll find a book I remember reading when I was young and will read it again before passing it on.
I don't rate these books using my normal scale, instead I give most of them three stars. This isn't a Criticism of the book, simply my way of rating them as good for children.
November 23, 2011
This book was great! It wasn't based around just one mystery. Carolyn Keene included many smaller mysteries into the novel to keep your head wandering. This idea and technique is wonderful and fun.This is one of the reasons that i really loved this book. Other reasons is because she relates Nancy's relationships to those that take place in everyday teenage life. Also, the challenges we face. Carolyn Keene puts a very intriguing twist to the story as a conclusion to novel. Just purely wonderfully written. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery, and likes not being able to put the book down.
February 6, 2010
One of the best Nancy Drew novels i have read in a long time.
A really well crafted and exciting storyline set around the world of antique teddy bears.
A really well crafted and exciting storyline set around the world of antique teddy bears.
November 4, 2011
Another Nancy Drew mystery, involving poor little cute teddies!
January 12, 2018
Une enquête d'Alice plutôt sympathique!
On devine rapidement qui sont les coupables, car il y a peu de personnages et Alice dévoile ses doutes dès le milieu du roman... Doutes qui s'avèrent justes.
Bess a trouvé un emploi dans une boutique nommée "La tanière des ours", qui propose entre autres de vieux ours qui peuvent valoir jusqu'à 80 000 dollars. Et lorsque plusieurs ours disparaissent, Alice décide de mener l'enquête.
Le livreur, et le concurrent sont rapidement suspectés, et ont tous deux bien des choses à se reprocher, bien que seul le livreur ait été le voleur.
Mais en sous-main, la seconde employée, Ingrid, qu'Alice trouve un peu étrange dès le départ, s'avère en fait être la responsable des mésaventures de Bess et Alice tout au long du livre. Elle tentait de récupérer l'ours que Bess avait acquis dans la boutique, et qui renfermait une statuette volée. Ingrid était chargée de récupérer l'ours et la statuette en provenance d'Allemagne, avec ce magasin pour parfaite couverture sans que la patronne ne sache quoi que ce fût, afin de revendre la statuette à une collectionneur et voleur par conséquent. Grâce à Alice, le trafic sera démantelé.
On devine rapidement qui sont les coupables, car il y a peu de personnages et Alice dévoile ses doutes dès le milieu du roman... Doutes qui s'avèrent justes.
Bess a trouvé un emploi dans une boutique nommée "La tanière des ours", qui propose entre autres de vieux ours qui peuvent valoir jusqu'à 80 000 dollars. Et lorsque plusieurs ours disparaissent, Alice décide de mener l'enquête.
Le livreur, et le concurrent sont rapidement suspectés, et ont tous deux bien des choses à se reprocher, bien que seul le livreur ait été le voleur.
Mais en sous-main, la seconde employée, Ingrid, qu'Alice trouve un peu étrange dès le départ, s'avère en fait être la responsable des mésaventures de Bess et Alice tout au long du livre. Elle tentait de récupérer l'ours que Bess avait acquis dans la boutique, et qui renfermait une statuette volée. Ingrid était chargée de récupérer l'ours et la statuette en provenance d'Allemagne, avec ce magasin pour parfaite couverture sans que la patronne ne sache quoi que ce fût, afin de revendre la statuette à une collectionneur et voleur par conséquent. Grâce à Alice, le trafic sera démantelé.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2020
My absolute favorite Nancy Drew book of my childhood!
I remember the year Santa Claus and my Mom and Dad "teamed up" and got me a whole bunch of Nancy Drew books, haha. I woke up and found stacks of them in our living room. It felt like I just obtained a bookshop! It was more like 15 books (additionally to the ones I had prior to Christmas), but it felt like 100's on Christmas morning :-)
Sadly, I lost the original of the Twin Teddy Bears, but Mom surprised me when she found out I was looking around the house for it for several weeks to no avail. She told me to "open the box that can in the mail today", and lo and behold, a new copy of my favorite number.
I'm about to give it another read, as soon as I finish here.
If you are new to Nancy Drew, people say to read them in order... I say hookey-shoot on that! Pick one you think sounds like fun or interesting. Life's too short for formalities when reading Nancy Drew.
PS: but really, read this one first... :P
I remember the year Santa Claus and my Mom and Dad "teamed up" and got me a whole bunch of Nancy Drew books, haha. I woke up and found stacks of them in our living room. It felt like I just obtained a bookshop! It was more like 15 books (additionally to the ones I had prior to Christmas), but it felt like 100's on Christmas morning :-)
Sadly, I lost the original of the Twin Teddy Bears, but Mom surprised me when she found out I was looking around the house for it for several weeks to no avail. She told me to "open the box that can in the mail today", and lo and behold, a new copy of my favorite number.
I'm about to give it another read, as soon as I finish here.
If you are new to Nancy Drew, people say to read them in order... I say hookey-shoot on that! Pick one you think sounds like fun or interesting. Life's too short for formalities when reading Nancy Drew.
PS: but really, read this one first... :P
December 16, 2021
Now that I'm older and rereading this as an adult, I kept asking myself why Nancy and Bess weren't in college. I know that they don't attend college even though I am certain they've all graduated from high school already. Oh well. I guess it doesn't matter.
This one is still one of my favorite Nancy Drew mysteries of all time from the original cover to the case centered around teddy bears, which as a child is why I picked it up originally. It's also one of the stories that make it a little harder to guess who did it. This is my umpteenth time reading it and even though I know who did it, the writer of this particular book didn't set it up in a way that allows you to know who did it right away.
And of course, any story where Ned and Nancy are together, solving cases together for a majority of it is my favorite. I'll always love them together.
This one is still one of my favorite Nancy Drew mysteries of all time from the original cover to the case centered around teddy bears, which as a child is why I picked it up originally. It's also one of the stories that make it a little harder to guess who did it. This is my umpteenth time reading it and even though I know who did it, the writer of this particular book didn't set it up in a way that allows you to know who did it right away.
And of course, any story where Ned and Nancy are together, solving cases together for a majority of it is my favorite. I'll always love them together.
April 16, 2024
The best Nancy Drew book I've read so far. Endearing characters and hooking plot. Fast paced enough to finish it in a single sitting without a moment of boredom. Shot down a star because it's not exactly something I'd read again or something that changed the way I think. Tiny me would have absolutely loved it tho so the four stars are a tribute to her
December 30, 2022
I recently read a Boxcar Children mystery book that was also about the Otto Bears, so it was a fun surprise to have that be the subject of this one, too.
I thought the culprit was incredibly obvious from the beginning, but this was still a lot of fun to read.
I thought the culprit was incredibly obvious from the beginning, but this was still a lot of fun to read.
December 23, 2016
Very good book! Suspenseful and intriguing. Culprits were obvious though and most of the plot was predictable, but I still enjoyed it. 4 stars.
February 18, 2017
This book was really fantastic.
May 5, 2017
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
June 4, 2017
Another memorable case out of the many I read as a girl.
July 13, 2017
Loved it!
May 5, 2020
the twist with Ingrid in this one is phenomenal. all the teddy bears were so cute too!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2020
Just wow! I very much enjoyed this book! Just wow! I liked the plot, wished there was more action in it, but still, liked it!
February 24, 2021
Fantastic writing and an enjoyable plot
April 20, 2023
To me, the ending was quite predictable but it was a fast and enjoyable read, solid three stars :)
Read
July 16, 2024I'm going to be honest, my memory of this book had the relationship between Ned and Nancy being much swoonier than it really was. Lol
August 18, 2009
It’s Christmas time and Nancy Drew, teen detective, is on the lookout for some teddy bear thieves. Her best friend, Bess, is working at a toy shop called Beary Wonderful where the owner showcases their prized collection of teddy bears. The collection is stolen and soon an attempt is made on Bess’ own replica of one of the real antique bears. Nancy finds herself following her suspects around town and even checking out a competing toy store to find the culprit in this holiday mystery. The Nancy Drew novels are a mystery series that has appealed to generations of young girls and has seen multiple spin-offs, including collaborations with the Hardy Boys (two brothers who are also detectives), books for younger readers such as the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series and film adaptations. These are great books for females of all ages due to the central character’s female empowerment.
December 27, 2014
Bess has been working at an antique toy store and the owner has given her a copy of the valuable "Happy Birthday Bear." Not long afterwards the owner has her collection of bears stolen and then someone tries to steal Bess's bear! Nancy drew is on a case stuffed with intrigue!
January 2, 2021
This was my first time reading a mystery book. I have to say that I am impressed. The fact that Ingrid was a bad person never cam to my mind. The plot twists are amazing and fun. You get more excited every chapter to know who's behind the theivery. I definitely recommend this wonderful book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2021
Fun mystery for Nancy and her friends. I really liked this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews