Nancy Drew, 3 Investigators and Hardy Boys

[Emmy Castrol]

Did anyone else love reading Nancy Drew, 3 Investigators and Hardy Boys when they were younger?

I know it's not literature but I thought they were great fun to read.

Which was your favourite?

My favourite were the 3 Investigators, especially Jupiter Jones. I liked how he was always politely described as 'stocky' and I used to think he was really smart - I still do!

[kevinthediltz]

When I hear about the hardy boys, all I can think of is the south park episode.

[Emmy Castrol]

LOL Yeah I saw that episode too

[kevinthediltz]

I have such a raging clue right now.
:lol:

[The Comedian]

I *heart* the Three Investigators. Loved those stories.

[higley]

Never knew of the Three Investigators, but I was majorly into the Hardy Boys, mainly because they were my dad's favorite as a kid and he'd get me the books. I remember the short Encyclopedia Brown stories too, where the reader would have to figure out the mystery and check their guesses in the answer section at the back. I only cheated once or twice.

[kratsayra]

My favourite were the 3 Investigators, especially Jupiter Jones. I liked how he was always politely described as 'stocky' and I used to think he was really smart - I still do!

Oh, I just loved the Three Investigators and especially Jupiter Jones also. :) I read pretty much all of the books, and I used to try to write mystery stories set up exactly like the Three Investigators but with three girls as the main characters instead of three boys.

I read a handful of Nancy Drew books and one or two Hardy Boys books also. But the Three Investigators books were always my favorites.

[Scheherazade]

Haven't read any of these books nor had I heard of them till about 4 years ago. Are they worth a try?

I am still trying to catch up on children's books written in English. BBC's Big Read List has been great for that but none of these are listed there (probably because they are American).

Oh, I have also added a poll to the thread if anyone would like to take part.

[kelby_lake]

Love the Nancy Drew series! Especially nancy drew files, so much fun.

[BienvenuJDC]

I read just about all of the Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators books. The only one that comes to mind right now is The Mystery of the Moaning Cave. I recall the...was it an old trailer that didn't seem to have an entrance...that was easily accessible? I remember that one of them used to pinch his lip when he was thinking. Wow...I didn't think that anybody else actually knew that they even existed.

[Emmy Castrol]

Haven't read any of these books nor had I heard of them till about 4 years ago. Are they worth a try?

I am still trying to catch up on children's books written in English. BBC's Big Read List has been great for that but none of these are listed there (probably because they are American).

Oh, I have also added a poll to the thread if anyone would like to take part.

Thanks very much for the poll, Scheherazade! :)

They aren't classic children's literature like Frances Hodgeson Burnett or L.M. Montgomery but they are still great fun to read. I think they contributed somewhat for why I like to read so much now. And they didn't treat death lightly, like a lot of the contemporary children's books of today (e.g. Harry Potter, Twilight); in fact, I don't remember anyone dying at all! They are quite healthy and I'd say the only thing to be wary of is the influence of the American culture. I'd actually like to know if there are similar non-American series that are just as good...

[K.K.]

I never read any of the Three Investigators, but I never liked the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. Just about everyone else I know loved them when they were young. I just couldn't relate to them; they seemed so "happy-go-lucky" and not at all believable.

[PabloQ]

I read just about all of the Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators books. The only one that comes to mind right now is The Mystery of the Moaning Cave. I recall the...was it an old trailer that didn't seem to have an entrance...that was easily accessible? I remember that one of them used to pinch his lip when he was thinking. Wow...I didn't think that anybody else actually knew that they even existed.

I absolutely loved these books when I was young. The very first one was The Mystery of Terror Castle. Terror Castle!! How can you go wrong with that?? The clubhouse was an old trailer in one of the boy's father's junk yard and was disguised to just be part of the junk. They had also won a contest that gave them access to a limousine and driver. Plus they came with the Alfred Hitchcock mystique. I think he even made an appearance in one of the books. The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew were far more popular and are much easier to find in used book stores. The Three Investigators are hide to find, although I was able to find half a dozen of them for my son to read. They were great.