Nancy Drew facts for kids

Edward Stratemeyer came up with the idea for Nancy Drew. He wrote the main story ideas, but hired Mildred Wirt Benson to actually write the first books. She used the pen name Carolyn Keene.

Nancy often finds herself in exciting and sometimes dangerous situations, like on the cover of The Case of the Vanishing Veil (1988).

Nancy Drew is a famous made-up character. She is the main detective in a series of mystery books called Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. These books first came out in the 1930s. The idea for Nancy Drew came from Edward Stratemeyer, who started the Stratemeyer Syndicate. The first books were written by Mildred A. Wirt Benson. Later, Edward's daughter, Harriet Adams, made some changes to the stories. In the books, Nancy Drew is 18 years old.

Nancy Drew lives in a made-up town called River Heights with her father, Carson Drew, who is a lawyer. Their kind housekeeper, Hannah Gruen, has been like a mother to Nancy ever since Nancy's mother passed away when she was three. Nancy has several close friends who help her solve mysteries. In the very first books, her best friend is Helen Corning. Later, two new friends become her closest companions: Bess Marvin and George Fayne, who are cousins. Nancy's boyfriend, Ned Nickerson, first appears in the book The Clue in the Diary. Bess, George, and Ned also show up in the Nancy Drew computer games.

The Nancy Drew Book Series

The first Nancy Drew books were published in the 1930s. Over the years, some parts of the books have been updated. There are currently 54 books in the original series, where Nancy solves many exciting mysteries.

• Secret of the Old Clock (1930)
• Hidden Staircase (1930)
• Bungalow Mystery (1930)
• Mystery at Lilac Inn, the (1930)
• Secret of Shadow Ranch, the (1931)
• Secret of Red Gate Farm, the (1931)
• Nancy's Mysterious Letter (1932)
• Clue in the Diary, the (1932)
• Sign of the Twisted Candles, the (1933)
• Password to Larkspur Lane, the (1933)
• Clue of the Broken Locket, the (1934)
• Message in the Hollow Oak, the (1935)
• Mystery of the Ivory Charm, the (1936)
• Whispering Statue, the (1937)
• Haunted Bridge, the (1937)
• Clue of the Tapping Heels, the (1939)
• Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk (1940)
• Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion, the (1941)
• Quest of the Missing Map, the (1942)
• Clue in the Jewel Box, the (1943)
• Secret in the Old Attic, the (1944)
• Clue in the Crumbling Wall, the (1945)
• Mystery of the Tolling Bell, the (1946)
• Clue in the Old Album, the (1947)
• Ghost of Blackwood Hall, the (1948)
• Clue of the Leaning Chimney, the (1949)
• Secret of the Wooden Lady, the (1950)
• Clue of the Black Keys, the (1951)
• Mystery at the Ski Jump, the (1952)
• Clue of the Velvet Mask, the (1953)
• Ringmaster's Secret, the (1953)
• Scarlet Slipper Mystery, the (1954)
• Witch Tree Symbol, the (1955)
• Hidden Window Mystery, the (1956)
• Haunted Showboat, the (1957)
• Secret of the Golden Pavilion, the (1959)
• Clue in the Old Stagecoach, the (1960)
• Mystery of the Fire Dragon, the (1961)
• Clue of the Dancing Puppet, the (1962)
• Moonstone Castle Mystery, the (1963)
• Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes, the (1964)
• Phantom of Pine Hill, the (1965)
• Mystery of the 99 Steps, the (1966)
• Clue in the Crossword Cipher, the (1967)
• Spider Sapphire Mystery, the (1968)
• Invisible Intruder, the (1969)
• Mysterious Mannequin, the (1970)
• Crooked Bannister, the (1971)
• Secret of Mirror Bay, the (1972)
• Double Jinx Mystery, the (1973)
• Mystery of the Glowing Eye, the (1974)
• Secret of the Forgotten City, the (1975)
• Phantom of Venice, the (1975)
• Sky Phantom, the (1976)
• Strange Message in the Parchment, the (1977)
• Mystery of Crocodile Island (1978)
• Thirteenth Pearl, the (1979)

Nancy Drew Computer Games

Many Nancy Drew mystery games have been created by a company called Her Interactive. These games let you play as Nancy and solve mysteries yourself! The games are rated "E" for Everyone by the ESRB, which means they are suitable for all ages.

• Secrets Can Kill (1998)
• Stay Tuned for Danger (1999)
• Message in a Haunted Mansion (2000)
• Treasure in the Royal Tower (2001)
• The Final Scene (2001)
• Secret of the Scarlet Hand (2002)
• Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake (2002)
• The Haunted Carousel (2003)
• Danger on Deception Island (2003)
• The Secret of Shadow Ranch (2004)
• Curse of Blackmoor Manor (2004)
• Secret of the Old Clock (2005)
• Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon (2005)
• Danger By Design (2006)
• The Creature of Kapu Cave (2006)
• White Wolf of Icicle Creek (2007)
• Legend of the Crystal Skull (2007)
• The Phantom of Venice (2008)
• The Haunting of Castle Malloy (2008)
• Ransom of the Seven Ships (2009)
• Warnings at Waverly Academy (2009)
• Trail of the Twister (2010)
• Shadow at the Water's Edge (2010)
• Secrets Can Kill (Remastered) (2010)
• The Captive Curse (2011)
• Alibi In Ashes (2011)
• Tomb of the Lost Queen (2012)
• The Deadly Device (2012)
• The Ghost of Thornton Hall (2013)
• The Silent Spy (2013)
• The Shattered Medallion (2014)

Nancy Drew in Movies and TV Shows

Nancy Drew's adventures have also been turned into movies and television shows over the years.

• In June 2007, a movie called Nancy Drew was released in theaters. It starred Emma Roberts as Nancy and was rated PG.
• In 2002, a TV movie titled Nancy Drew was made. In this movie, Maggie Lawson played Nancy.
• A TV series called Nancy Drew came out in 1996. It was made in France and had 13 episodes.
• From 1977 to 1979, a TV show called The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries was on air. For the first season and part of the second, Pamela Sue Martin played Nancy Drew. Later in the second season, Janet Louise Johnson took over the role.

See also

In Spanish: Nancy Drew para niños