Donna Parker facts for kids

Donna Parker is the main character in a series of seven adventure books for girls. These books were written by Marcia Levin using the pen name Marcia Martin. The stories were popular from the 1950s to the 1960s.

The first books came out between 1957 and 1964. They had shiny covers with cool pictures. Later, in the late 1960s, the books got new covers. The series stopped being printed by the mid-1970s.

Even though the books are older, Donna Parker has become famous again recently! One of her books, Donna Parker, Special Agent, is part of an exhibit at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. The Newseum shows off all kinds of news items and historical objects. Their exhibit, called G-Men and Journalists, features famous spy stories and crime tales. Donna's happy face and waving hand are right there with other books in the display. A picture of this display was even in the Washington Post Sunday Magazine in April 2009.

Meet the Characters

Main Characters

Donna Parker is a 14-year-old girl. She lives with her family in Summerfield, a small town. It's about two hours away from New York City. Donna has dark hair and brown eyes. She is also very pretty.

Donna is a super smart student. She is especially good at English. She always gets top grades on her report card. Donna also helps out on school committees. In the book Special Agent, she even joins the school newspaper team. Teachers and other students really like Donna.

She is calm, loyal, and understanding. But Donna sometimes worries about things she can't control. She is always quick to help others. She is also very polite.

Donna is responsible. However, her mom often gives her advice. This can be about eating a healthy breakfast. Or it can be about being kinder to others.

Donna also often tells her younger brother how to speak, use good grammar, and behave.

Fredricka (Ricky) West is Donna's best friend. Ricky and Donna are quite different. But they have a very strong friendship. Ricky has red hair and freckles. She is often dreamy, romantic, and loves drama. She is also a good student. Ricky has a big passion for acting and plays.

Even though Ricky and Donna are close, they start to spend time apart as they get older. This happens especially when they disagree on how to spend their free time. You can see this in Special Agent and Takes a Giant Step.

Grace Parker is Donna's mother. She used to be a schoolteacher. Now she is a full-time homemaker. She is friendly, patient, and caring. She tends to give Donna advice. But she is also a great person for Donna to talk to when she's sad.

Grace is an amazing cook. She enjoys playing cards, reading, and spending time with friends. She is also a wonderful seamstress. She often sews beautiful clothes and dresses for Donna.

Sam Parker is Donna's father. He works as a salesman. He has a great sense of humor. He likes to tease Donna, especially about boys. He is always very proud of Donna and her achievements.

James (Jimmy) Parker is Donna's younger brother. He is outgoing, playful, and very active. He is good at sports like baseball, basketball, and football. He also plays noisy "war" games. These games often annoy Donna. He also makes fun of and teases his older sister. His best friend is Skipper Gray, who lives next door.

Other Important Characters

Paul Richard White is a friend and sometimes boyfriend of Donna. They go on some dates. This happens when he is a counselor at Camp Three Pines. Donna is a junior counselor at Camp Cherrydale nearby. They also date during A Spring to Remember. He was known as Richard. But in A Spring to Remember, he decides to go by his first name, Paul. He is handsome, smart, and popular. He is a year older than Donna.

Joyce Davenport is a classmate of Donna's. At first, she seems proud and distant. But after an accident, Donna gets to know the real Joyce. She finds her to be a sweet, shy, and caring girl. Joyce is very smart. She is also very interested in journalism. This is probably because her father is the editor of the Summerfield newspaper.

Anne Franklin is another friend of Donna's from school. She is tall and blonde. She has a good sense of humor. Anne loves animals and plays funny pranks.

Tommy Sheridan is a classmate of Donna's. He is smart and good at designing helicopters. His father owns a helicopter factory. Tommy became a target for spies because of his clever designs in Secret Agent.

Roger Norcross is Grace Parker's long-lost brother. He ran away when he was a teenager. The Norcross family heard very little from him after that. He appeared in Special Agent. Later, he married Donna's teacher. He then went back to his home in Hollywood. In A Spring to Remember, Roger promised Donna a trip to California. This was if she got straight A's on her report card. Donna later visited Roger and his wife, Adele, in the book In Hollywood.

Adele Norcross (née Fischer) was one of Donna's teachers in Secret Agent. She is young and friendly. She helps with the school newspaper. She also plans the trip to New York for the newspaper staff. Roger Norcross and Adele fall in love. They plan to get married in Secret Agent.

The Stackhouse Family are family friends of the Parkers. They are first seen in Takes a Giant Step. This is when the Parker family goes on vacation in Canada. The Stackhouses later move to Summerfield. Their son, Jeff, stays with the Parker family for a while. This is so he can start school while his parents get settled.

Amy Alexander is a friend of Donna's from Camp Arawak. Amy is very smart and shy. She doesn't make friends easily. She also gets very nervous around boys. She has red hair and freckles. At first, Donna mistakes her for Ricky.

Jennifer Bruestle lives next door to Mr. and Mrs. Norcross in California. She is the same age as Donna. The two become friends. Jennifer really wants to be an artist. She feels that her parents don't support her much. Jennifer has a younger brother who is Jimmy's age.

Linda Atkinson is a rich girl from Hollywood. She is the same age as Donna. Adele Norcross arranges for Linda and Donna to meet during Donna's vacation. Linda invites Donna to her big house and a fancy party. Donna and Linda are friendly. But they don't have a lot in common.

Bruce Maslin is a charming boy Donna meets on her way to visit her aunt and uncle in Hollywood. He is funny and good-looking. However, his lack of responsibility gets Donna into trouble a few times during In Hollywood.

Mike Langley is a studious friend of Linda Atkinson. He is introduced during Donna's visit to California in "In Hollywood". He is very intelligent and works hard. Donna enjoys his company. She finds him reliable and interesting, even if he isn't super fun.

Book Titles in the Series

Here are the exciting books in the Donna Parker series:

1. Donna Parker at Cherrydale (1957)

Donna and Ricky get jobs as junior counselors. They work at Camp Cherrydale, a summer camp for young kids. Dr. and Mrs. Duvall run the camp.

As junior counselors, Donna and Ricky dive into camp life. They enjoy meeting new people. They get to know the young campers they are in charge of. They also run activities and enjoy the beautiful camp surroundings.

But camp life isn't just fun and games. Donna's senior counselor, Bunny, acts very strangely. Dr. and Mrs. Duvall seem to be hiding something. Nancy, a young girl from Summerfield, causes problems at camp. A mysterious house in the nearby woods makes Donna and Ricky curious.

2. Donna Parker Special Agent (1957)

Summer is over. It's time for Donna and Ricky to go back to Summerfield Junior High.

Donna and Ricky start to spend more time doing their own things. Ricky works on her acting skills. Donna joins the school newspaper. She quickly becomes the assistant editor.

Things get mysterious when her long-lost uncle shows up in Summerfield. Her friend, Tommy Sheridan, thinks someone is spying on him. Donna's friends start to ignore her. A strange person, Mr. Brown, gets a job at Summerfield Junior High.

Donna doesn't realize that an exciting trip to New York City will bring her back with old friends. It will also solve all the mysteries.

3. Donna Parker On Her Own (1957)

Donna's parents get an amazing chance to travel. They can go to Europe and India! The only problem is that Donna and Jimmy can't go with them.

They look at a few ideas. Finally, they decide that a young teacher from Jimmy's school will stay at the Parker family home. She will look after Donna and Jimmy until their parents return.

With fewer rules, Donna enjoys her new freedom. However, she learns that being independent comes with big responsibilities and new worries.

4. Donna Parker: A Spring to Remember (1960)

It's springtime in Summerfield. Donna is enjoying her last term at Summerfield Junior High.

Donna has a busy schedule. She has dates with former class President, Richard White. She gets an invitation to be a bridesmaid in New York. A trip to Hollywood is also offered. Plus, she has final exams. Donna is very happy. But one sad event will change her whole outlook. It will also change Ricky's life forever.

5. Donna Parker In Hollywood (1961)

Donna Parker is off to Hollywood! Staying with her aunt and uncle in glamorous Hollywood is a dream trip for Donna.

An exciting plane ride, charming boys, movie studios, parties, and a mysterious neighbor are all waiting for Donna. She spends time with her relatives and explores California.

It doesn't take long for Donna to learn important lessons. Especially, she learns how important it is to look beyond what you see on the outside.

6. Donna Parker: Mystery at Arawak (1962)

After her exciting trip to California, Donna takes a job. She becomes a junior counselor at Camp Arawak for the rest of her summer.

At first, Donna finds camp life hard. Arawak is very different from Cherrydale. She doesn't know anyone. Her campers are all different and lively. Her senior counselor seems to be hiding something.

However, Donna soon gets used to camp life. She meets new friends. She takes on new tasks. She also helps run the Drama department at the camp.

While different from Cherrydale, Arawak has its own mysteries. It doesn't take long for Donna to get caught up in some strange events.

7. Donna Parker Takes a Giant Step (1964)

Donna's family enjoys the last week of their summer vacation. They head to Canada for a few days. They want to visit some old family friends, the Stackhouses.

Everyone celebrates when the Stackhouses announce they will move to Summerfield. Their son, Jeff, travels back with the Parkers. He will start school at the beginning of the term.

Living with her brother and Jeff makes Donna's life complicated. She tries to get used to her new school. She tries out for the cheerleading squad. She also deals with a friend moving away and meeting new people.

Life is tricky for many teens in Summerfield. Teenage parties get out of control. But it seems that Jeff might have the answer to some problems.

Images for kids

• Unfiltered Wheat

  A cover from the Donna Parker series.