List of Nancy Drew books facts for kids
The character of Nancy Drew is a super famous detective who solves mysteries! Even though she's known as being created by "Carolyn Keene", that's actually a fake name used by many different writers over the years.
Nancy Drew stories have been around for a long time, and there are over 600 books in different series! As of July 2021, there have been 13 different series published.
Contents
Nancy Drew Book Series
Nancy Drew has starred in many different book series. Each series offers a unique look at her adventures. Some are for younger readers, and some are for older teens.
Classic Mystery Stories
- Nancy Drew Mystery Stories (1930–2003): This is the original and longest-running series. It has 175 main books and some revised versions. Nancy solves all sorts of exciting puzzles in these classic tales.
- Seven special books were released between 1973 and 1985.
- Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys: Be A Detective Mystery Stories (1984–1985): In these books, you get to choose what happens next! They are like a "choose your own adventure" mystery.
Modern Adventures
- Nancy Drew: Girl Detective (2004–2012): This series gave Nancy Drew a modern makeover. The stories are told from Nancy's point of view. She has updated friends and new characters in her town of River Heights.
- Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys Super Mystery (2007) (2007–2012): Nancy teamed up with the Hardy Boys in these special crossover books. They solved big mysteries together!
- Nancy Drew Diaries (2013-present): This is the newest main series for Nancy Drew. It's a fresh start for her adventures. The books are longer and focus on individual mysteries.
For Older Teens
- The Nancy Drew Files (1986–1997): These books were written for older teenagers. They had more action and sometimes even a bit of romance.
- Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys Super Mystery (1989–1998): Nancy and the Hardy Boys worked together in these longer mysteries. They often had separate cases that ended up being connected.
- River Heights (1989–1992): This series was set in Nancy's hometown. It focused more on romance stories of other characters. Nancy only appeared in a few books.
- Nancy Drew on Campus (1995–1998): In this series, Nancy and her friends went to college! The stories focused on their college life and friendships, along with solving mysteries.
For Younger Readers
- Nancy Drew Notebooks (1994–2005): These books were for younger kids. They featured Nancy when she was still in grade school, solving smaller mysteries.
- Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew (2006–2015): This series replaced the Notebooks. It showed Nancy, Bess, and George as eight-year-olds. They solved smaller, kid-friendly mysteries.
- Nancy Drew Clue Book (2015-present): This is the latest series for younger readers. It's interactive, letting you write down clues and guesses as you read!
Graphic Novels and Comics
- Nancy Drew: Girl Detective (2005–2010): These are graphic novels, like comic books. They have a cool, modern art style.
- Nancy Drew Omnibus Vol. 1 (March 2021): A collection of graphic novels.
- Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie (2017): A comic book series where Nancy and the Hardy Boys solve a big mystery.
- Nancy Drew (2018): A comic book series focused on Nancy's adventures.
- Nancy Drew: The Palace of Wisdom (2019-2020): Another comic book story.
- Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Missing Adults! (2019): A fun comic where adults go missing!
- Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys: The Death of Nancy Drew (2020): A dramatic comic book series.
Nancy Drew Mystery Stories (1930–2003)
This is where it all began! The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories were the first books about Nancy. They were published by Grosset & Dunlap for many years. Later, other publishers like Wanderer, Minstrel, and Aladdin continued the series. These books introduced Nancy Drew as a clever, brave, and independent young detective.
Special Books
Besides the main series, there were some special Nancy Drew books:
- The Nancy Drew Cookbook: Clues to Good Cooking (1973): This book had recipes and short stories.
- Nancy Drew Picture Book: Mystery of the Lost Dogs (1977): A picture book for very young readers.
- Nancy Drew Picture Book: The Secret of the Twin Puppets (1977): Another picture book.
- The Nancy Drew Sleuth Book: Clues to Good Sleuthing (1979): This book taught readers how Nancy solves mysteries.
- Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: Super Sleuths (1981): This was the first time Nancy teamed up with the Hardy Boys in a book. It was so popular that it led to more team-up books!
- Nancy Drew Ghost Stories (1983): A collection of spooky short stories.
Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: Be a Detective Mystery Stories (1984–1985)
These books let you be the detective! They were like "choose your own adventure" books. You would read part of the story and then decide what Nancy and the Hardy Boys should do next.
| No. | Title | Pub. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Secret of the Knight’s Sword | 1984 |
| 2 | Danger on Ice | |
| 3 | The Feathered Serpent | |
| 4 | Secret Cargo | |
| 5 | The Alaskan Mystery | 1985 |
| 6 | The Missing Money Mystery |
Nancy Drew Notebooks (1994–2005)
The Nancy Drew Notebooks series was made for younger kids. It showed Nancy when she was still in elementary school, solving smaller mysteries.
The Nancy Drew Files (1986–1997)
The Nancy Drew Files was a spin-off series for older teens. It ran at the same time as the main Nancy Drew books. These stories were more action-packed and had a different feel. You can even find them as eBooks now!
Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Super Mystery (1988–1998)
In this series, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys worked together to solve big mysteries. They often had their own separate cases that would connect in the end. These books were based on the Nancy Drew Files and Hardy Boys Casefiles series.
Nancy Drew on Campus
The Nancy Drew on Campus series was also for older teens. Nancy, Bess Marvin, and George Fayne went to college in these books. The stories focused on their college life and friendships, along with solving mysteries.
Nancy Drew, Girl Detective (2004–2012)
The Nancy Drew, Girl Detective series replaced the classic mysteries. It was written from Nancy's point of view. The characters were updated for a new generation. This series also introduced new characters in River Heights.
Papercutz graphic novels (2005–2010)
Papercutz started publishing graphic novels about Nancy Drew in 2005. These books had a cool, manga-style art. They showed Nancy and her friends with modern technology like hybrid cars and tablet PCs. The series was later rebooted and then re-released as part of the Nancy Drew Diaries series.
Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew (2006–2015)
This series was for younger readers, replacing the Nancy Drew Notebooks. Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew featured Nancy, George Fayne, and Bess Marvin as eight-year-olds. They solved fun, kid-sized mysteries at River Heights Elementary School.
Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys Super Mystery (2007–2012)
This was another crossover series where Nancy Drew teamed up with The Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers. The stories were told from Nancy's, Frank's, and Joe's points of view. They introduced the characters to each other in their updated universes.
Nancy Drew Diaries (2013–current)
This series started in 2013 and is a fresh reboot of the Nancy Drew: Girl Detective series. Nancy still tells the stories from her point of view. The books are individual mysteries and are longer than the previous series. You can find these books in paperback, hardcover, and as eBooks.
Titles
| No. | Title | Released |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Curse of the Arctic Star | February 5, 2013 |
| 2 | Strangers on a Train | |
| 3 | Mystery of the Midnight Rider | May 7, 2013 |
| 4 | Once Upon a Thriller | September 24, 2013 |
| 5 | Sabotage at Willow Woods | January 5, 2014 |
| 6 | Secret at Mystic Lake | May 6, 2014 |
| 7 | The Phantom of Nantucket | September 23, 2014 |
| 8 | The Magician's Secret | January 20, 2015 |
| 9 | The Clue at Black Creek Farm | May 12, 2015 |
| 10 | A Script for Danger | September 22, 2015 |
| 11 | The Red Slippers | December 15, 2015 |
| 12 | The Sign in the Smoke | May 10, 2016 |
| 13 | The Ghost of Grey Fox Inn | October 11, 2016 |
| 14 | Riverboat Roulette | January 3, 2017 |
| 15 | The Professor and the Puzzle | August 8, 2017 |
| 16 | The Haunting on Heliotrope Lane | January 2, 2018 |
| A Nancy Drew Christmas | September 18, 2018 | |
| 17 | Famous Mistakes | January 15, 2019 |
| 18 | The Stolen Show | September 24, 2019 |
| 19 | Hidden Pictures | January 14, 2020 |
| 20 | The Vanishing Statue | June 16, 2020 |
| 21 | Danger at the Iron Dragon | January 12, 2021 |
| 22 | A Capitol Crime | May 25, 2021 |
| 23 | The Blue Lady of Coffin Hall | January 4, 2022 |
| 24 | Captain Stone's Revenge | January 10, 2023 |
| 25 | What Disappears in Vegas . . . | January 23, 2024 |
Nancy Drew Clue Book Series (2015–current)
This series is a fun reboot of the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew books. It's an interactive series where you can write down clues and make predictions as you read! There are even questions before the last chapter to help you solve the mystery.
| No. | Title | Released |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pool Party Puzzler | July 7, 2015 |
| 2 | Last Lemonade Standing | |
| 3 | A Star Witness | November 3, 2015 |
| 4 | Big Top Flop | March 1, 2016 |
| 5 | Movie Madness | July 12, 2016 |
| 6 | Pets on Parade | October 18, 2016 |
| 7 | Candy Kingdom Chaos | March 17, 2017 |
| 8 | World Record Mystery | October 17, 2017 |
| 9 | Springtime Crime | March 20, 2018 |
| 10 | Boo Crew | September 4, 2018 |
| 11 | The Tortoise and the Scare | March 19, 2019 |
| 12 | Turkey Trot Plot | September 3, 2019 |
| 13 | Puppy Love Prank | March 17, 2020 |
| 14 | The Big Island Burglary | July 28, 2020 |
| 15 | The Great Goat Gaffe | March 9, 2021 |
| 16 | Duck Derby Debacle | July 13, 2021 |
| 17 | Recipe Ruckus | March 8, 2022 |
| 18 | Bird Bonanza | June 6, 2023 |
| 19 | Chimpanzee Spree | June 11, 2024 |
Other Nancy Drew Books and Resources
There are also other fun books and resources about Nancy Drew, like:
- The Nancy Drew Scrapbook (1993)
- Nancy Drew's Guide to Life (2001)
- Nancy Drew Mad Libs (2005)
- Clues to Real Life: The Wit and Wisdom of Nancy Drew (2007)
- Nancy Drew: A Novelization of the Hit Movie (2007)
- The Lost Files Of Nancy Drew (2007)
- The Official Nancy Drew Handbook (2007)
- Nancy Drew Classic Paper Dolls (2011)
- Nancy Drew & Her Friends Paper Dolls (2012)
- Nancy Drew: The Curse (2020)
