The Mystery at Lilac Inn facts for kids
Original edition cover
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| Author | Carolyn Keene |
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| Illustrator | Russell H. Tandy |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| 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) |
| Preceded by | The Bungalow Mystery |
| Followed by | The Secret at Shadow Ranch |
The Mystery At Lilac Inn is the fourth book in the exciting Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was first published in 1930. The author's name on the book was Carolyn Keene, which is a pen name or pseudonym. This means it's not a real person's name. Mildred Wirt Benson was the actual writer, also known as a ghostwriter, for this first version.
In 1961, the story was changed a lot by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. She rewrote the book to make it a completely different adventure. Some parts of the original story were removed because they didn't fit anymore. Also, any old-fashioned or hurtful language was taken out to make the book better for new readers.
The Book's Artwork
The way the book looked changed over the years. Different artists created the covers and pictures inside.
Early Pictures
The first book in 1930 had a dark blue cover. It also had four shiny pictures inside. All these early drawings were made by an artist named Russell H. Tandy. He also updated the first picture in the book, called the frontispiece, in 1943.
How the Covers Changed
In 1950, the cover art was updated. A new artist named Bill Gillies created a fresh look for the book.
Then, in 1961, when the story was completely rewritten, the cover changed again. This time, artist Rudy Nappi drew the new cover. He also added new black-and-white pictures inside the book.
The first two printings of this book came with a special paper cover called a dust jacket. After 1962, the publisher started making books with pictures printed directly on the cover. The story and artwork stayed the same even with this change.
R.H. Tandy's original cover showed Nancy secretly watching some bad guys. He also drew the first picture inside the book and three other pictures showing parts of the story. In 1950, the dust jacket showed an updated Nancy with crooks behind her. This picture was not used for the 1961 revised story. Rudy Nappi's 1961 cover shows two girls glowing with light. One of the girls is Nancy, and the other is someone pretending to be her!
Other Adventures
Sometimes, books inspire other things like video games or TV shows!
- A video game called Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock is based a little on this book. It's a point-and-click adventure game where you solve mysteries. This game also uses ideas from other Nancy Drew books like The Secret of the Old Clock, The Hidden Staircase, and The Bungalow Mystery.
- In the Nancy Drew TV show, the Lilac Inn is a place that was fixed up by a character named Tiffany Hudson before something sad happened to her.
