The Hardy Boys and Not-Nancy-Drew
350233
The Hardy Boys episodes are by far the better in this series.  The characters conform pretty well to the Frank and Joe of the books - Frank a bit more responsible, Joe younger and more impulsive, and the interaction between the two of them is amusing and enjoyable.  (It's also fun - and sometimes downright scary - to revisit the late '70's and the fashions thereof.  As, for example, Rick Nelson's rock star duds).

However, Nancy is a disappointment.  While Bonita Granville's version, in the 1930's, was silly and hyperactive and immature, Pamela Sue Martin's version is truculent and sullen and strident.  The Nancy of the books, confronted by someone who underestimated or looked down on her her because of her youth or her sex, simply smiled, solved the case, and impressed the socks off of the doubter.  This Nancy argues, in a really whiny, annoying way.  That Ned Nickerson is a boring nerd and George Fayne seems to have switched personalities with the Bess Marvin of the books just make things worse.

I'm now watching the mid-1990's Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys produced in Canada, and plan at some point to see the movie that came out this summer (2007).  While hope springs eternal that some day someone will get Nancy right, things aren't looking good so far.
4368381
A Signal in the Dark is one of a series of seventeen Penny Parker detective adventure stories written by one of the Stratemeyer syndicate authors who also wrote a couple dozen of the Nancy Drew stories. Penny is the teenaged daughter of a newspaper publisher in an unnamed city during the late 1930s-early 1940s. She is bright, brave, and inquisitive and wants to be a reporter. Naturally she has adventures. I have read all seventeen of her published adventures and rather than describing this book I will simply recommend any or all of the books in the series. if you like and or think you would have liked reading the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew mysteries I can't see why you wouldn't like the Penny Parker mysteries (or any of Mildred Wirt's other creations) just as much. I was revisiting the Hardy Boys and other such series of books for boys that I read or could have read as a youngster and ran out of them and so I branched out into those written for girls. I found them to be as much fun as the boys' books.
1096049
As a general rule, I pooh-pooh "graphic" novels.  To me, that's a euphemism for comics (Archie, anyone?) and really, all kids should be reading LITERATURE!!!  Enter in one of my twin boys.  He's a "reluctant reader" who took to Nate.  He begged me to read Nate.  Months of procrastination later, I picked on up and was surprised to find that I thought the books were honestly funny and, so long as the parent discusses with the child the meaning of sarcasm, irony and sardonic wit (and how that's all great in a book but NOT GOOD in real life) then the books are not only harmless, but a solidly constructive step towards reading "real" books.  I know, readers of my review will be appalled at my literary snobbery.  What can I say.  I am a wanna-be erudite.

So, for "reluctant" readers, especially boys, this would be a relatively benign choice (v. Wimpy Kid which I don't like as much).  For any other child, this is a reasonable addition as a funny alternative to literature.  These would be good on a family vacation when everyone relaxes with a book in the afternoon.  I would say target age is from 7-10ish.  My boys are 8 and 10 and loved them.
243072
I bought these Hardy Boys books for a young friend of mine who claimed he did not like to read.  He read the first book in the series and told me all about it.  He has learned that reading for recreation can be enjoyable.

I read the Hardy Boys books when I was a teenager (in the late 50's and early 60's).  I am glad that the series has continued.  It is perfect for young boys.
3892300
This is an interesting TV series! Reminded me of. Nancy Drew, girl detective who was in a 90210 teeny bopper show. But on the other hand, it kept my interest and kept me wanting to watch the next show. Over all, I liked it.
2757848
The Hardy Boys - Lucky Fellows is a short, illustrated reminiscence of the Hardy Boys mystery series books.
There are pictures of 40 dust-jacket covers in full color, 2 to a page, accompanied by the aforementioned reminiscence.
The author got some of his facts wrong and some of the dust-jackets have seen better days.
If you are a die-hard fan of the Hardy Boys, you will probably enjoy this book.
However, more complete and accurate information is to be found online on various sites devoted to the Hardy Boys, including my own Hardy Boys Unofficial Home Page.
67930
I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Nancy Drew as a girl.  Being a very fast reader I zipped through the book, and in retrospect should have just checked it out from the library.  Like of all of Carolyn Keene's stories, enjoyed it.
4304991
The charm of the Hardy Boys books comes from the strong message to young people.  This is not to say that the stories in and of themselves have no value, far from it.  The young sleuths begin this, their first adventure, by helping one of their high school pals to recover his stolen jalopy.
The plot thickens when the father of another of their friends is accused of a serious robbery.  The boys zoom about on their motor cycles, gather clues and try to put to rest the mystery of The Tower Treasure.  The plot moves quickly and has more than enough twists and turns to satisfy us.
  We also meet a number of vivid characters, which makes reading more fun.  The boys themselves are earnest, honest, dutiful, hard working and reasonably clever.  Do not think of a teen genius on the model of Sherlock Holmes.  These are just good kids, ordinary enough that even you or I could see ourselves in their role.  Their parents are always supportive, kind, wise and obviously loving.
  This one seems fresh and crisp.  It is after all the first and Dixon clearly put a lot of effort into writing it.
  The Tower Treasure represents the best in young adult literature, even after these many years.
468434
I read the Nancy Drew books as a kid. This book was just as fun and intriguing. Penny Parker is definitely not Nancy Drew but it's a fun and quick read. Written in 1939, it may take a moment to get used to the slang of the time.
2072982
From the back of the book:

Nancy Clancy has everything she needs to be a super sleuth (that's a fancy word for detective): She has a glamorous magnifying glass complete with rhinestones, a totally professional pink trench coat, and a sleuthing partner with awesome code-breaking skills -- her best friend, Bree.

  Now all she needs is a good mystery to solve.  But when crime strikes right in the middle of her classroom, will Nancy have what it takes to crack the case?

Fancy Nancy is back! Only this time she's the star of a chapter book!  For ages 7-10 this is great step up for young readers who love Fancy Nancy but are looking for more challenging reads.

What I liked about the book:  It's Fancy Nancy. I LOVE Fancy Nancy.  It's a mystery.  I love mysteries.  It' a great pre-cursor to introducing younger readers to the classic Nancy Drew mysteries. Just like in the popular Fancy Nancy picture books, Nancy continues to introduce readers to new vocabulary words. This is not only a fun but an educational read as well.  Readers will have a chance at breaking a secret code and using their own detective skills to see if they can solve the mystery of the missing blue marble.

What I didn't like about the book:  I liked it all. However, if you are a fan of Robin Preiss Glasser's beautiful illustrations, you should be warned that the illustrations take a back seat in this book.  As a chapter book, the focus is more on the story, while in the picture books the story and the illustrations work together to create a wonderful book.

Recommended for 1st - 3rd Grade (or anyone who enjoys mysteries/kids books and would like a quick read.)

AR Level:  Not an Accelerated Reader Book as of April 27, 2012

Mrs. Archer's rating:  5 of 5!  I will be ordering it for our school library.
4532243
This was a fast read, and I enjoyed it. This book seems more along the style of the original Hardy Boys series, rather than the first two in this Adventures series. There is no mention of the Deal that hindered the Hardys investigations in the first two books, and it isn't so technology driven, even though technology plays a role. It's a pretty solid mystery- a range of suspects with different possible motives- and while this won't keep you guessing and completely in the dark until the end, it was an enjoyable read. I also liked that they added a little realism into the story- Joe's so busy trying to solve the mystery, that he realizes he's neglecting his girlfriend. It's something they never address in the originals, and I like that they've added it here. The ending lines are apparently going to lead you right into the next book. Once again, though, the cover, and title, don't really have anything to do with the story. I thought with the first two that maybe the story was changed after the cover art was complete, but it just seems odd to have the third one have the same thing. It's just very different than other mystery series (when you read "What Happened at Midnight", something happens at midnight!) so it's a little disconcerting.

All in all though, a pretty decent read. 3.5 stars.
926802
I read  a few of Ron Roy's "A to Z" mysteries and was so impressed that I grabbed the first two from the Calendar series for younger readers. I'm happy to report that those volumes were just as entertaining.

Roy has three sets of mysteries. The "A to Z" mysteries, (26 volumes for the 26 letters and then three bonus volumes), are for older chapter book readers. The "Calendar" mysteries, (surprise - 12 volumes), are for younger readers and, in a clever twist, feature the younger siblings of the protagonists from the "A to Z" set. The third series features mysteries that take place at various national landmarks in Washington, D.C.

Both the "A to Z" books and the "Calendar" books feature an appealing set of characters, fair mystery plots, a bit of action and decent secondary characters. The Calendar books are like junior junior junior versions of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries. They have younger heroes, they are shorter, there are fewer twists and turns, there's very little danger, and the mysteries are a lot tamer.

But that said, they have many of the same strengths. The four heroes, (first graders Bradley, Brian, Nate and Lucy), play equal roles, with no apparent bias between boys and girls. There is the same authentic and mutually supportive friendship among them. Adults are generally patient, resourceful and dependable, (when they aren't the villain in disguise). There is a good balance between clue hunting and figuring things out. Probably the biggest difference between these books and the sets for older kids is that there is very little adventure, in that the kids are rarely chased or trapped or threatened or menaced. These are much milder on that score.

The mysteries are conventional, but I mean that in a good way - clues are fair, red herrings are fair, and the resolutions are logical. There are some convenient coincidences, but that's par for the course, especially in a relatively short chapter book. But even then the emphasis is on logical thinking and deductive reasoning, which is something that is often wanting in more fanciful and less thoughtfully plotted books for this age group.

In the "January" volume the kids get an alien invasion scare. Is it real or a prank?  The kids are very clever in gathering clues and thinking things through, although there is a bit of a thrill behind the idea that the invasion might be real. This one is less about detecting and solving and more about pranking.

In the "February" book we have a full blown mystery. Who abandoned a pet rabbit in the classroom, for adoption by the class? The kids follow clues and do actual detective legwork, and while everything falls conveniently into place, the solid bones of a decent mystery for new readers are clearly in place.

So, these are kids' books, but they aren't silly, and there is no hint of fart/booger humor, which may have its place, but not necessarily here. The writer treats the young chapter book reader with a lot of respect and I would expect that these stories would be a satisfying read for a youngster. I doubt you can ask for much more than that at this level and I could see a kid just eating up these tales and this likable cast of characters.

Please note that I found this book while browsing the local library's Kindle books, and downloaded it for free. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
1190978
You can never go wrong with the Hardy boys. My
grandson loves to read and this was a hit.
3403500
"The Demon of River Heights" is the first installment in the lastest reincarnaton of Nancy Drew, girl detective.  This version takes the form of a graphic novel with rather dramatic comic book style artwork.  Nancy Drew, her best friends Bess and Georgina, boyfriend Ned, and father Carson Drew have been reimagined into the 21st century.  High tech gear plays its part in the story.

The new series advertises itself as based on the original series by Carolyn Keene.  The plot presented here is a new one, in which two art students are making a movie in River Heights based on an urban myth about a local demon.  There is of course a mystery behind the movie, that plays itself out in a series of scary encounters with unexpected creatures.  The story line is fast-paced and features Nancy's usual sleuthing skills and her talent for getting into trouble.  The content is entirely safe for grade-school readers.

"The Demon of River Heights" is meant to appeal to the latest generation of Nancy Drew's young fans, and is recommended to that audience.
3529712
My favourite Nancy Drew game so far. Maybe because it was set on a train, the Hardy Boys were there, the puzzles were fun...basically all the elements of a good ND game. The atmosphere is exciting and I really liked the story too.
389963
This is the first Nancy Drew book. Who doesn't love Nancy Drew!! What a wonderful idea for writting these stories. As we drove to an Aunt's for a holiday I read one on the way and one on the way back
4752552
Frank and Joe Hardy are the sons of famous detective Fenton Hardy.  They occasionally make deliveries for him, and that is just what they are doing when they are almost driven off the road - twice - by a car they later find crashed on the side of the road.  When they stop to visit their friend Chet, they learn that his jalopy has recently been stolen.  Anxious to prove themselves detectives, they begin to investigate, but as they go along, even more crime begins to hit their town of Bayport.  Is there a connection?  Can they solve the crime?

It's been years since I read any book in the Hardy Boys series, so I was curious to see what I would think of this book when I reread it.  While I was much more aware of the flaws of the book now, I still found myself enjoying it.  The characters are pretty flat, and the plot, while connected, was still a bit episodic here - something I don't remember thinking when I read these books as a kid.

Still, I can remember why I loved the series when I was younger.  Today's kids might have trouble with a few dated terms (chums, anyone?), and the money involved also dates things, but the adventure and mystery will still thrill middle school kids.