Nancy Drew Starter Set: Secret of Red Gate Farm, Secret of Shadow Ranch, Mystery at Lilac Inn, Bungalow Mystery, Hidden Staircase, Secret of the Old Clock

Rating:
Summary: Who dosen't love Nancy, George, and Bess?
Review: It's good to start out a Nancy Drew collection. The Nancy Drews' always have that innocent charm that there just isn't enough of these days. It is so much fun following Nancy, George, and Bess on there many adventures. If it's finding a hidden passage way, or catching counterfeiters in the act, it's always entertaining for girl of any ages. I would suggest Nancy Drews set to anyone, and having choices of what book to read next is always fun. You can get the old ones, but unless you're an old book collector, it easier to have the new ones, not having to worry about tearing the pages and stuff like that.

Rating:
Summary: Great light reading!
Review: Nancy Drew is great light reading for anyone looking to unwind. I am constantly amazed at how old these books are (the first one written in 1930), yet they really don't seem overly dated. I would remind the reviewers who complain about diversity and such stuff to remember when these books were origally written. Great stuff!

Rating:
Summary: biased propaganda for American youth
Review: NOTE TO ALL Reviewer-Reviewers: Please consider rating the reviews as helpful if they contain pertinent information on the item under discussion, not if you agree with what the reviewer has to say. I've noticed unhelpful one-liners get "helpful" votes (when the reviews were positive), and other, more full/explained (but more negative) reviews get NO helpful votes -- this IS NOT A VOTE on how much you agree with the other reader! Be FAIR :o)

The chronicles of Nancy are biased, unrealistic, stupid, and unimaginative. When I was in 2-4th grade, I read illustrated abridged versions of Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and C.S. Lewis. By 6th grade I was reading unabridged, unillustrated versions of Camus, Tolstoy, and Steinbeck in English and understanding every word (though maybe not every idea, of course) -- (I am not a natural English speaker - I learned in 4th grade) Nowhere is it written that we have to dumn our books down for kids, or even worse, young adults -- they are perfectly capable of comprehending books that are not "for idiots". I am so dissapointed that children's authors have such a low oppinion of youth -- the stupidity of their books (such as Nancy Drew) implies disrespect and lack of trust that youth can understand complex issues (they can, and should be well equipped to deal with reality! - what's better preparation than solid literature?)

It is a fact that most Americans do not read at a 'college' level; most High School graduates read material at a 6-7th grade level (studies as reported by CBS News, Nov. 2003). I wonder why? Nancy Drew is such a popular series for young girls (as are "Sweet Valley High" and other such nonsense book) - Nancy offers no new vocabulary, requires no critical thinking ability, and worse, is biased and judgemental.

What have I gathered from Nancy Drew (re-reading now, as an adult) - we must all be blonde, gorgeous, and fit; Bess is the only 'plump' one of the group and though she is adorable, there is a certain 'plumpness' about her that defines her character and prevents us from seeing her as a respectable human being (her plumpness makes Bess more cowardly than Nancy, and also less able to 'get' men, etc). Of course, everyone in Nancy Drew is white. Except for (maybe) the housekeeper Hannah, who has a homogenous-general-minority-unsaid status (and she is the Maid, of course, and of course again, highly devoted to Nancy and her prominent white male father who can make anything happen by snapping his fingers). Also, other countries are portrayed quite... unrealistically. In the ballet story, the characters come from Centrovia!!! WTF IS CENTROVIA??? It's ridiculous!

Nancy's idea of diversity is personified by George, an attractive, athletic, but BRUNETTE girl with a boy's name.


I have also learned, with the help of Nancy Drew, that I can do anything without even really trying. In one novel Nancy joins the circus with her horse-riding skills (never you mind that it takes YEARS OF EVERYDAY training to join a circus!); in another novel Nancy takes over a Ballet Academy and even gets the starring role that she only prepares for for about 2 weeks (I am a dancer; it takes YEARS to get ANY role... albeit a STARRING ONE!).

Nancy also gets a lot done because she has an unlimited amount of money; at a moment's notice she can hop on a plane with ALL her friends to 'solve a mystery' (yet she never seems to get paid?). I guess her white male father's good for something.

There are many other things wrong with Nancy but I have wasted all the energy I had been willing to give already. So in conclusion, if you're looking for repetitive, simplistic, biased propaganda, read Nancy Drew!


Rating:
Summary: Nancy Drew Best Buy!
Review: The Starter Set is a great way to hook new readers on the adventures of everyone's favorite girl sleuth, Nancy Drew.
Contained herein are the first six mysteries in the series which are among the best in the canon.
There is plenty of adventure and mystery in these stories as you follow along with Nancy and her best friends, Bess and George.
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Rating:
Summary: Nancy Drew-Garry Hixon Review, and Drew Barrymore
Review: When I hear Drew, I think Barrymore, This Nancy Drew series, is a very Drew like experience, even for the most skeptical Drew Fans, I really enjoyed reading these literary masterpieces, very beautifully bound in yellow, a must for any drew voracious reader, I think Drew Barrymore is related to Nancy Drew. Too bad the scummy networks won't bring back the Nancy Drew/Hardy boys, TV series, they are single handedly wiping out our past like the ancient morons. To see Nancy Drew in mirror vision would really be cool! Here's to being in 5th grade again!-good ole 1976!, love, garry hixon mirror vision hello drew barrymore my sweet smelling darling