Mandie facts for kids

The Mandie books are a popular series of children's historical mystery novels. They were written by Lois Gladys Leppard. There are 40 books in the main series. There are also eight books in a junior series and some special books.

The first story begins around the year 1900. Mandie finds many mysteries to solve with her friends. Her best friends are Joe Woodard and Celia Hamilton. Most of the stories happen in North Carolina. But Mandie and her friends also travel to places like Charleston, Washington D.C., Europe, and New York City.

The Mandie series was very successful. By 2001, over six million Mandie books had been sold! The author, Lois Gladys Leppard, said she could write a Mandie book in just two weeks. A movie based on the first book, Mandie and the Secret Tunnel, was made in 2009. It starred Lexi Johnson and Dean Jones.

Mandie's Story and Adventures

Mandie was born on June 6, 1888. She grew up in a log cabin in Swain County, North Carolina. She lived with her kind father, Jim Shaw, her stepmother Etta, and her stepsister Irene. Mandie didn't know much about her family until her father passed away.

After her father's death, Mandie was sent to live with the Brysons. They treated her badly. Luckily, her father's old friend, Ned Sweetwater, came to help her. Ned was a Cherokee man. He took Mandie to live with her uncle, John Shaw. Mandie had never met him before.

Discovering Her Family History

In the first book, Mandie and the Secret Tunnel, Mandie meets her birth mother, Elizabeth. This happens in Franklin, North Carolina. Mandie learns an amazing truth: her grandmother on her father's side was Cherokee. Mandie is very proud of her Cherokee heritage. She soon makes many new friends among the Cherokee people.

However, sometimes people tease Mandie because she is part Native American. She always handles these situations with courage.

Mysteries in Cherokee, North Carolina

Many of the books take place in Cherokee, North Carolina. Mandie stays with her uncle there. She always finds a new mystery to solve! In Mandie and the Cherokee Treasure, she finds a cave filled with gold. This gold belonged to a Cherokee warrior. Mandie gives the gold to the Cherokee people. It helps them build a new hospital.

In Mandie and the Forbidden Attic, Mandie goes to Miss Heathwood's Boarding School for Girls. This school is in Asheville, North Carolina. There, she learns how to act like a lady from high society.

College Days

The last book published was New Horizons (2006). In this book, Mandie and her friends go to college. They attend the College of Charleston Ladies' College in Charleston, South Carolina. Mandie studies business administration. She also takes classes in English literature and visual art. New Horizons was meant to be the first book in a new series called "Mandie: Her College Days." But it was the only one published before the author passed away.

About the Author

Lois Gladys Leppard was the author of the Mandie series. She worked for the United States federal civil service in many countries. She lived in South Carolina until she died on October 5, 2008. Many of the stories in the Mandie books are based on her own mother's childhood experiences.

The Mandie Book Series

Other Mandie Titles

Young Mandie Series

These books are set before the main Mandie series. They start in 1898, when Mandie is 9 years old.

• Who's Mandie? (1999)
• The New Girl (1999)
• The Mystery at Miss Abigail's (1999)
• Merry Christmas from Mandie (2000)
• The Talking Snowman (2001)
• The Secret in the Woods (2001)
• The Missing Book (2002)
• The Haunted Shop (2002)

Mandie: Her College Days

This series is set after the main Mandie series, around 1904. Mandie is now 16. She and Celia attend Charleston Ladies' College. These books are for older children or young adults.

• New Horizons (2006)

Special Mandie Books

• Mandie's Cookbook (1991)
• Mandie and Joe's Christmas Surprise (1995)
• Mandie: My Datebook (1997)
• Mandie: My Diary (1997)
• Mandie and Mollie & the Angel's Visit (1998)

Mandie Movies

• Mandie and the Secret Tunnel (2009) with Lexi Johnson as Mandie Shaw
• Mandie and the Cherokee Treasure (2010) with Lexi Johnson as Mandie Shaw
• Mandie and the Forgotten Christmas (2011) with Kelly Washington as Mandie Shaw

Main Characters

• Amanda Elizabeth Shaw - Everyone calls her Mandie. She loves solving mysteries, even if they are dangerous. Mandie has long blond hair, usually braided, and blue eyes. She is a Christian and stands up for what she believes in. Her favorite Bible verse is "What time I am afraid I will put my trust in Thee." Mandie can be emotional and gets frustrated when she can't solve a mystery. She always wants to grow up. Even when she goes to a school to learn how to be a proper lady, she stays her lively self. Her father's death affects her deeply. It leads her to her Uncle John, where she finds her real mother. She becomes very close to her mother, who marries Uncle John.
• Joe Woodard - Joe is Mandie's best friend. He was the only friend who knew her father, Jim Shaw, before he died. Joe has messy brown hair, brown eyes, and long legs. Since Joe stays in Swain County when Mandie moves, he promises to take care of her father's grave. Joe has a crush on Mandie. Towards the end of the series, he tells her he loves her. He plans to marry Mandie once he gets her father's property back from Mandie's stepmother, Etta. That's why he wants to become a lawyer. Joe also helps Mandie solve mysteries, but he says she does most of the work!
• Polly Cornwallis - Polly is Mandie's rich next-door neighbor. She is Mandie's first best friend after Mandie moves to Uncle John's house. Polly is about the same age as Mandie and helps her solve mysteries. Polly is very shy and doesn't like to break rules. Mandie and Joe try to get Polly to be more adventurous, but she can be very stubborn. Polly likes Joe Woodard a lot, which sometimes causes problems between her and Mandie. Later, she goes to the same school as Mandie. She tries to help Mandie fit in with the other girls at Miss Heathwood's boarding school.
• Celia Hamilton - Celia is another one of Mandie's best friends. Mandie meets Celia in the fourth book, Mandie and the Forbidden Attic. Celia goes to the same school as Mandie, Miss Heathwood's School. She helps Mandie solve mysteries. They met when Mandie heard Celia crying in her room one night. Celia had lost her father shortly before coming to school. They quickly became friends and decided to share a room. Celia has thick auburn hair, fair skin, and green eyes. She is much quieter than Mandie. She has a crush on a boy named Robert, whom she met at a school tea party.
• Etta Shaw - Etta married Mandie's father, Jim Shaw. But she is not Mandie's real mother. She has a daughter named Irene Shaw. Etta seems to love Irene much more than Mandie.
• Jim Shaw - Mandie's father. Jim dies before the first book begins, which starts with his funeral. He is described as having red hair and blue eyes. He was very fun-loving and always looked out for Mandie.
• Uncle John - John Shaw is Jim's older brother. He is Mandie's uncle and later her stepfather. He married Elizabeth, Mandie's real mother, after Jim died. Uncle John looks a lot like Mandie's father, Jim. He is very wealthy. He has a soft spot for blue eyes, like Mandie and her mother have.
• Uncle Ned - Ned Sweetwater was Jim's best friend. Ned is a Cherokee Native American. He promised Mandie's father that he would keep Mandie safe. Uncle Ned often follows Mandie and helps her get out of trouble during her many adventures. He is Mandie's honorary uncle. Uncle Ned lovingly calls Mandie his "Papoose."
• Mary Elizabeth Taft - Mandie's rich grandmother. She separated Mandie's parents a long time ago. She seems to change a lot from the first book to the rest of the series. She goes from being a fussy old lady to a kind and thoughtful grandmother.
• Tommy Patton - Mandie's friend who goes to Mr. Chadwick's School for boys in Asheville. He lives in Charleston. Tommy openly shows he likes Mandie. He always asks her to go to social events between their schools. Joe is very jealous of Tommy.
• Jonathan Lindall Guyer III - Jonathan is a friend of Mandie and Celia. They meet him when he runs away from home and hides on the boat taking them to Europe. He ends up traveling Europe with them. He loves adventures almost as much as Mandie does. He also seems to like Mandie and gets jealous of Joe Woodard. He also loves to tease Mandie.
• Snowball - Mandie's white cat. She loves him very much. Snowball follows Mandie everywhere and has helped her out of many tricky situations.
• Dimar Walkingstick - Mandie's Native American friend. She meets him when she finds the Cherokee Gold. He seems to have a crush on Mandie.
• Tsa'ni Pindar - Mandie's mischievous Cherokee cousin. He seems to like Sallie.
• Sallie Sweetwater - Another one of Mandie's Native American friends. Sallie is Uncle Ned's granddaughter. She seems to have a crush on Dimar.
• Elizabeth Taft Shaw - Mandie's biological mother. She married Mandie's uncle, John. She is very protective of Mandie because she doesn't want to lose her again. She has blond hair and blue eyes.
• Miss Heathwood - The strict but fair headmistress and teacher at Mandie and Celia's boarding school.
• Miss Hope - The headmistress's assistant. She is very sweet to Mandie and Celia. She marries Mr. Chadwick (in book 39), who is the headmaster at Mr. Chadwick's school for boys.