Space Case

Nancy Drew: Notebooks #61

by Carolyn Keene

Nancy, George, and Bess can't believe the out-of-this-world contest McCormick's grocery store is having -- the kid who guess the number of jelly beans in the jar wins a trip to a space camp!Nancy is superexcited because she has been studying the stars and planets with her brand-new telescope, and space camp would be just the thing to test her new skills. But then the jelly-bean jar goes missing, and it looks like no one will get the chance to blast off to space camp. Who would steal a jelly-bean jar? Nancy must use her star-power detective skills to find out!

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Audiobook

68 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2004

About the author

Carolyn 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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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.

Reviews

[V. Arrow · Rating 2 out of 5]

I suppose they couldn't call this "the case of how many jelly beans are in the jar at the supermarket" because that would tell you exactly how boring this book is.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you audible stories for letting us stream for free during the pandemic.
I just didn't really feel it with this one.
It's a very young Nancy Drew, but yet in a more modern world. This one is a jar of jelly beans for kids to be able to go to space camp if they can select the right number of jelly beans. I don't understand why grocery store could send somebody to space camp if they pick the right jelly beans, I didn't really understand why the crafty lady with food promotes this grocery store. Really I just didn't flow with it at all

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Same as other review. It's innocent, extremely quick to read and fun.

[Frieda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual clues that you could miss so easily, were critical to find the culprit. A good story to deal with it all.

[Ann♥♪♪♪♪ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was just - weird and odd. Not at all what I expected. I just started reading the Nancy Drew Notebooks this summer and the first one I read, (The Soccer Shoe Clue), is sooo much better than this one. In Space Case, the girls go to the store to guess the number of jelly beans in the jar. The winner wins a trip to space camp for that person (and two friends). They meet Crafty Cathy at the store, who does a TV show about crafts. I sure wouldn't watch it. She tells the girls she's going to go get bread to make photo albums. I'm not making that up. Who would think of something like that? I appreciate unique and creative, but that just is not feasible, useful and it's wasteful. And as you can tell from the synopsis, the jelly bean jar is missing and the contest called off. Just get a different size jar and start over - don't punish everyone else who wants to enter. The mystery was boring. I read a bit of it, and the sib of mine also reading had gotten ahead of me (who read the whole book) and told me not to bother because it only, somehow, got worse - which included something dangerously stupid. Also, Crafty Cathy had another "fun" project - a banana peel bookmark. Yes, you read that right. So, this is one I'd say to skip for anyone wanting to read a good mystery with Nancy, George, and Bess. This book was on sale for $2 - free would have been overpriced.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a Nancy Drew fan as a child and I love being able to introduce a more modern version to my daughter. We listen to these together and she really enjoys them (Clue Crew books are her favorites) and I just remind myself that the intended audience is children 5-8 years old. The solutions are predictable but my children are always shocked ;-) The narrator does a great job.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adalyn recommended. "Mom, you should really read this book, it is sooooo good!!" :0)

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are cute mystery books for my kids to listen to...but Crafty Cathy? Really?? No one would watch a craft show about making photo albums out of bread...or anything else she did.