The Mystery of the Ivory Charm 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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1936, 1974 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Preceded by | The Message in the Hollow Oak |
| Followed by | The Whispering Statue |
The Mystery of the Ivory Charm is an exciting book in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It is the thirteenth book in the collection. It was first published in 1936. The author used the name Carolyn Keene, which is a pen name. The real writer was Mildred Wirt Benson.
This book is special because it is one of the few Nancy Drew books that mentions Mildred Wirt Benson. The 1974 edition says that she wrote the original Nancy Drew books under the name Carolyn Keene.
Solving the Mystery: The 1936 Story
In this adventure, Nancy Drew, along with her friends Bess and George, investigates a mysterious boy from India. The boy, named Coya, works for a traveling circus. His guardian, Rai, who is also from India and runs the circus, treats Coya very poorly.
Coya runs away from his guardian and seeks help at the Drew family home in River Heights. Soon after Coya arrives, the girls start looking into a strange property. This property belongs to an unusual woman named Miss Anita Allison.
They discover a house that seems to have "no insides" and a secret tunnel. Later, the property mysteriously catches fire. This fire reveals a hidden collection of jewels! Nancy works to find out who Coya's parents are. She uncovers a secret plan involving both Miss Allison and Rai. The story ends by revealing a secret about the ivory charm and its mysterious powers.
Book Updates: The 1974 Version
In 1974, the book was updated. This newer version is quite similar to the original story. Some character names were changed. For example, Coya was renamed Rishi. Miss Allison became Mrs. Allison.
The plot is mostly the same, but it is a shorter and more modern version. Harriet Stratemeyer Adams and her team at the Stratemeyer Syndicate made these changes.
The Art of the Book
The 1936 edition of the book had cover art created by Russell H. Tandy. For some early printings, he also drew four shiny illustrations inside. After 1943, Tandy changed his front picture to a simple pen and ink drawing.
Rudy Nappi drew new cover art for the book's picture cover in 1962. He also created new art for the 1974 updated version. An artist who was not named drew the pictures inside the 1974 revision.
