The Ringmaster's Secret facts for kids
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| Author | Harriet Stratemeyer Adams |
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| 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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1953, 1959 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Preceded by | The Clue of the Velvet Mask |
| Followed by | The Scarlet Slipper Mystery |
The Ringmaster's Secret is the thirty-first book in the exciting Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was first published in 1953. The book was written under the pen name Carolyn Keene. The real author was Harriet Stratemeyer Adams.
Contents
Nancy Drew's Circus Mystery
This section explores the main story of The Ringmaster's Secret. It focuses on Nancy's adventure and how she solves the mystery.
The Original 1953 Story
Nancy Drew's Aunt Eloise sends her a special golden bracelet. This bracelet has charms of horses. One charm is missing. At the same time, the Sims Circus comes to town. Nancy's horseback riding teacher used to work there.
Nancy finds a link between the bracelet and a young circus performer. Her name is Lolita. She is an aerialist, which means she performs high in the air. Lolita is the adopted daughter of the Ringmaster, Mr. Kroon. A friendly clown named Pietro tells Nancy that Lolita has the missing charm.
Nancy visits the circus often to investigate. Ringmaster Kroon becomes suspicious of her. When a bareback rider gets hurt, Nancy is asked to join the show. Nancy and her friend Bess Marvin come up with a clever plan. Nancy pretends to be Bess to audition for the circus. She even changes her hair to look like Bess.
Nancy's time with the circus ends suddenly. She and her friend George are taken and left on a freight train. After they escape, Nancy keeps looking for clues. She finds out about a mysterious woman in England. This woman is connected to both the bracelet and Lolita.
The story reaches its exciting end when Nancy is in danger. Ringmaster Kroon tries to trap her. Luckily, Nancy's friend Ned saves her. All the secrets are then revealed. This book was the first one fully written by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams.
The 1974 Version
In 1974, a shorter version of the story was released. This edition had fewer details in the side stories. It also moved faster. In this version, Nancy uses a wig to look like Bess. This is because Nancy's hair color was different in the revised books. The 1974 story is a simpler version of the original.
Special Book Club Editions
In 1959, The Ringmaster's Secret was part of a special series. This series was for the Nancy Drew Reader's Club. Collectors called these books "Cameos." This name came from the design on the book jackets. Nancy was shown on a cameo pendant.
These books had a more grown-up look for Nancy. She wore tailored clothes. The illustrations inside were done by Polly Bolian. Each book had eight pictures inside. They also had a colored picture at the front. This picture was also used on the dust jacket. These special editions did not mention other Nancy Drew books. This made them stand alone.
