Nancy Drew Celebrates Her 90th Birthday In 2020

Mar 15, 2020

The year 2020 marks the 90th anniversary of the Nancy Drew series which had debuted in 1930. Since then, there have been many books, TV shows, and even movies starring the famous detective.

Nancy Drew is the protagonist of the “Nancy Drew Mystery Series” and many other series, and she was originated by Edward Stratemeyer, a publisher who also came up with the Hardy Boys series. He published the first Hardy Boys book in 1927, and it proved to be a roaring success. It also had a large number of female fans, so he decided to publish a series aimed at girls featuring a young female sleuth. In 1930, he published the first four Nancy Drew books: "The Secret of the Old Clock", "The Hidden Staircase", "The Bungalow Mystery", and "The Mystery at Lilac Inn."

Carolyn Keene was credited as the writer – but the name was a pseudonym used by several different writers. Mildred Wirt Benson, the first person to use the Carolyn Keene penname, wrote many of the Nancy Drew books, including the first seven books. She also wrote the books 11 to 25. Other ghostwriters who wrote under the Carolyn Keene pseudonym include Walter Karig, Nancy Axelrad, Charles Strong, and Sharon Wagner. Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, who was Stratemeyer’s daughter, also played a large role in the series. She wrote story outlines and manuscripts for the books 33 to 56.

Nancy Drew has become popular with readers of all ages and is still known today. Thanks to her resourcefulness, meticulousness, and powers of observation, Nancy Drew can solve any mystery she runs across. Famous fans of Nancy Drew include Hilary Clinton and the Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Sandra Day O’Connor. The early books introduced a variety of other characters, including Carson Drew, Nancy’s father; Hannah Gruen, the family housekeeper; and Ned Nickerson, Nancy’s boyfriend. Nancy also has friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne, who sometimes assist her with her detective work.

The original “Nancy Drew Mystery Series” ran from 1930 to 2003 and included 175 books. It was then replaced by “Nancy Drew: Girl Detective,” which lasted until 2012 and produced 47 books, plus multiple spin-offs. The current series, “Nancy Drew Diaries,” began in 2013. It includes 19 books with a twentieth book coming out in May 2020. Nancy Drew has also appeared in graphic novels and video games.

What is the character like? Nancy is described as being at least 16 years old, so she is old enough to drive. The character has her own car, giving her freedom of movement. Her father is a successful lawyer, and she has graduated from high school. She thus has the time and resources to devote to her sleuthing. A spin-off series, “Nancy Drew on Campus”, finally sent the character to college in the 1990s. Nancy’s personality has tended to vary depending on who was writing her. The first author, Mildred Wirt Benson, gave her a “strong-minded,” feisty, and outspoken personality. Benson also gave her a multitude of talents that included an understanding of psychology, a knowledge of First Aid, and a gift for painting. Nancy was also a skilled driver, swimmer, marksman, and gourmet cook.

Later writers, however, toned down Nancy’s brashness and tomboyish ways. They made her more conventionally feminine and respectful of authority – especially male authority. They also tended to put more emphasis on romantic relationships between characters. The “Nancy Drew on Campus” books have been described as reading like a soap opera that used the mysteries as subplots. Even at her meekest, however, Nancy Drew retains an independence and freedom of movement that other girl detectives don’t have.

Nancy Drew has had a large impact on popular culture. She inspired the creation of other girl detective characters. Are you a fan of the Nancy Drew character? If so, which books do you like best?