University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

I chose this book as representative of the Nancy Drew series as a whole, mostly because I remember its slightly creepy front cover with particular vividness. The Nancy Drew books were a constant companion of my preteen years. I would read them late into the night, and at one point the librarian at my elementary school urged me to think about “reading something besides Nancy Drew.” I am sure that my love of those books, and Nancy’s love of detective work and figuring out mysteries, influenced my path into literary criticism and especially my current work in children’s literature. I was especially drawn to the characters and their strong friendship. Inseparable chums Bess (who was pleasantly plump), George (who enjoyed her boyish name), and Nancy herself (observant, sharp-witted, and curious) set off together fearlessly on their adventures in each installment. They offered positive models of girlhood and alternatives to the images of damsels in distress and princesses.