The Secret of the Old Clock facts for kids
Original cover by Russell H. Tandy
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| Author | Carolyn Keene |
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| Illustrator | Russell H. Tandy |
| Cover artist | 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) |
| Pages | 210 (1930–1959); 180 |
| ISBN | 0-448-45530-7 |
| Followed by | The Hidden Staircase |
The Secret of the Old Clock is the very first book in the exciting Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series. It was written by an author known as Carolyn Keene. The book first came out on April 28, 1930. Later, in 1959, it was rewritten by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams to update the story.
The main character, Nancy Drew, is a smart and brave young detective. In the first version of the book, she is 16 years old. In the rewritten version, she is 18. Her father, Carson Drew, is a famous lawyer. Nancy and her father live in a town called River Heights. They have a kind housekeeper named Hannah Gruen, who is like family to them.
This book has been very popular for a long time. In 2001, it was ranked among the best-selling children's books ever. It has sold about 2.7 million copies!
Contents
What Happens in the Story
The First Version (1930)
In the original story, Nancy Drew is 16. She wants to help the Turner family, who are distant relatives of a rich man named Josiah Crowley. Mr. Crowley recently passed away. Nancy learns that the Turners are struggling and need help.
Mr. Crowley's will is missing. Nancy believes it could give the Turners money from his estate. She doesn't like the snobby Topham family, who expect to get all of Crowley's money. Nancy decides to find the real will.
Nancy meets the Topham sisters at a store. She sees them break an expensive vase. This helps Nancy show that the Tophams are not as perfect as they seem. Nancy talks to Crowley's relatives and friends. She learns that Crowley hinted about his will being hidden in a family clock.
Nancy gets tickets to sell for charity. She sells them to the Tophams. This gives her a chance to visit their home and ask about the clock. Later, Nancy joins her friend Helen at summer camp. They investigate the Topham's summer home nearby.
At the summer home, Nancy finds burglars. They have stolen the Crowley Clock and other furniture. The burglars trap Nancy inside the empty house. She manages to get the special clock while the burglars are away. Nancy is happy to make sure the money goes to the deserving family members.
In this first version, Nancy is very determined. She wants to help the poor relatives. She also enjoys seeing the snobby Tophams lose their high social status.
The Rewritten Version (1959)
In the 1959 rewrite, Nancy is a bit different. She is less impulsive and more calm. She is also more charitable and has a big wardrobe of clothes. Her friend Helen appears older in this version. This change helped introduce Nancy's new friends, Bess and George, in later books.
The story still starts with Josiah Crowley's death. His relatives are worried because the selfish Topham family kept him from seeing other family members. When Crowley dies, the Tophams claim everything with a will they have. But Nancy Drew, now 18, wants to help Crowley's distant niece, little Judy. Judy is being raised by the kind Turner sisters.
Nancy looks for the Hoover sisters, who are also Crowley's relatives. She finds their farm during a rainstorm. Her car's top breaks, so she shelters with them. In this version, one of the Hoover sisters wants to take singing lessons.
Nancy's meeting with the Topham sisters is different too. Instead of a broken vase, it's about a torn fancy dress. Nancy catches the thieves when they stop to eat, not when they are doing anything illegal.
The end of the story focuses on the joy of the deserving Crowley relatives getting their inheritance. It highlights how Nancy helps them.
Artwork and Covers
The way The Secret of the Old Clock looked changed many times over the years.
Early Editions (1930s-1940s)
- The 1930 edition had a white dust jacket.
- The artwork was done by Russell H. Tandy.
- It included four black-and-white pictures inside the book.
- The very first printings didn't have a special silhouette picture on the front cover. They also had plain white pages inside the front and back covers.
In 1937, three of the inside pictures were removed. More information and a new picture were added to the dust jacket. By 1943, the main picture inside the book was updated to look more modern for the 1940s.
Later Editions (1950s-1960s)
- In 1950, the dust jacket changed again. It became a "wraparound" jacket, meaning the picture continued onto the spine of the book.
- The cover art was by Bill Gillies. His Nancy looked older than 16, which was her age in the story at the time. She wore a blue suit, which was her trademark color.
- When the story was rewritten in 1959, five new pictures were added inside the book. The new text even described the scene shown on the cover.
- In 1960, a special "Reader's Club" edition came out. It had all new artwork, including eight ink drawings and a color picture at the front. These were all done by Polly Bolian.
- By 1962, publishers stopped using dust jackets. The book's artwork was printed directly onto the cover. These books had yellow spines and backs, using Bill Gillies' art.
- In 1965, artist Rudy Nappi created new cover art for the book. This artwork is still used on some versions today. The inside pictures stayed the same.
Copyright and Public Domain
Books eventually enter the "public domain." This means their copyright expires, and anyone can use or share them freely.
- In Canada, the rewritten text of The Secret of the Old Clock will become public domain on January 1, 2033. This is because Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, who rewrote it, passed away in 1982.
- However, the original text from 1930, written by Mildred Wirt Benson, will not become public domain in Canada until January 1, 2053. This is because Canada's copyright rules are based on the author's life plus 50 years.
- In the United States, the original text will enter public domain in 2025. The rewritten text will not enter public domain until 2054 in the U.S.
Other Versions
This popular book has been turned into other forms of entertainment!
- A Nancy Drew point-and-click adventure game was made called Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock. It's the 12th game in the series by Her Interactive. The game takes ideas from this book and also from other Nancy Drew stories like The Hidden Staircase.
- An episode of the Nancy Drew TV show, called "The Curse of the Dark Storm," was inspired by the novel. In this episode, Nancy and her friend Ned find a hidden clock. The clock holds a secret that someone wanted Ned to have after they passed away.
