The Bungalow Mystery facts for kids
Original edition cover
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| Author | Carolyn Keene |
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| Original title | Nancy Drew Mystery Series #3 |
| Illustrator | Russell H. Tandy |
| Country | United States |
| Series | Nancy Drew Mystery Stories |
| Genre | Juvenile literature |
| Publisher | Grosset & Dunlap |
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Publication date
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| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 210 (1930-1959); 180 |
| ISBN | 0-448-09503-3 |
| OCLC | 19117010 |
| Preceded by | The Hidden Staircase |
| Followed by | The Mystery at Lilac Inn |
The Bungalow Mystery is the third book in the exciting Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was written by a person using the name Carolyn Keene, which is a pseudonym (a fake name). This book came out in 1930. It was one of the first three Nancy Drew books ever released!
This book was the last one that Edward Stratemeyer worked on before he passed away. Later, his daughter, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, changed and updated the story a lot in 1960.
Contents
What the Story is About
The Original 1930 Mystery
The story begins with Nancy Drew and her friend Helen. They are on Moon Lake in a rowboat when a sudden, big storm hits. Their boat flips over! Luckily, a girl named Laura Pendleton saves them. Nancy and Helen can't swim, so Laura is a true hero.
The girls from River Heights quickly become friends with Laura. Laura is an orphan, and she has come to the area to meet her new guardian, Jacob Aborn. Nancy and Helen think Mr. Aborn seems a bit rude.
After Nancy goes home, Laura calls her, sounding very scared. Laura wants to escape from her guardian. He expects her to do chores, which is normal, but then he demands her valuable furs and jewels! Laura manages to escape and calls Nancy for help.
Nancy goes back to the Aborn house to investigate. She sees a mysterious bungalow (a small house) in the woods that Mr. Aborn visits often. Nancy bravely goes into the bungalow, but someone hits her on the head, and she passes out. When Nancy wakes up, she figures out that the person pretending to be Mr. Aborn is an impostor. This fake guardian wanted to steal all of Laura's money and jewels. Nancy helps Laura get everything back!
The 1960 Updated Mystery
The updated story is similar but takes a bit longer to unfold. Nancy and Helen meet Laura after she saves them on the lake. The girls are on vacation, and Helen is planning her wedding. They meet Laura's guardians, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Aborn. Mrs. Aborn arrives looking messy after getting a flat tire in the same storm. Nancy thinks the Aborns are a bit rough around the edges but friendly.
Nancy has to go home to help Hannah Gruen, who is hurt. On the way, she sees a tree in the road. A brother and sister appear and help her. Back home, Nancy takes care of Hannah and helps with the house.
Nancy's father, Carson Drew, asks her to investigate people suspected of trying to steal money through tricky investments. Nancy decides to dress up to look more grown-up. She goes door-to-door for charity as a way to meet the suspects. This part adds more to the story.
Laura secretly contacts Nancy for help. She escapes from her locked room at the Aborn house and goes to Nancy's home. Mrs. Aborn had told Laura to hand over her valuable jewels, but Laura brought them to Nancy's house instead.
The rest of the mystery is much like the 1930 version. Nancy even sets Laura up on a date with her friend Don Cameron. Nancy goes back to the lake house, pretending to be on vacation, to investigate the Aborns. A cool detail is introduced here: Nancy carries a special suitcase in her car trunk. It has clothes for different occasions, like outdoor wear, a fancy evening dress, and swimwear.
The main difference in this version is that the Aborns are a couple working together as impostors. The real Jacob Aborn's wife was on vacation, and the fake Jacob Aborn looked a lot like him. They were the criminals Nancy's father was looking for. Laura finds out that the real Aborns are kind people who would be great guardians. To thank Nancy, Laura gives her mother's favorite ring, an aquamarine, to Nancy. It reminds them that their friendship started on the water.
Book Art
The first artwork for the book cover in 1930 showed Nancy peeking into the abandoned bungalow. This was drawn by Russell H. Tandy. He also drew the picture inside the front of the book and three other pictures inside. In 1937, the three inside pictures were removed. In 1943, Tandy drew a completely new picture for the front of the book.
In 1950, Bill Gillies created new cover art. It showed Nancy secretly watching a character named Stumpy Dowd. This artwork was used for the 1960 updated book. The 1960 version also added a new front picture and five new black-and-white drawings inside.
In 1965, Rudy Nappi updated the cover again. It showed Nancy in a more old-fashioned dress, looking into the bungalow in the woods. These pictures are still used in books today.
Video Game Adaptation
The 12th game in the Nancy Drew point-and-click adventure game series is called Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock. This game is partly based on The Bungalow Mystery. It also uses ideas from other Nancy Drew books like The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase, and The Mystery at Lilac Inn.
