Nancy Drew Books

The best Nancy Drew books can be found using these great mystery book reviews. Josh enjoyed them as a kid and has graciously described why for you below. (Thanks, Josh!)

You'll find other great homeschool reading on our middle school book lists.

Why Read Nancy Drew Books?

by Josh Ingram

Growing up in the countryside of Wisconsin, far from the hustle and bustle of city life, I would often pass the time reading a variety of home school books. One of the first group of books I remember reading was the Nancy Drew series. The stories center on the adventures of teen detective Nancy Drew, and are set several decades in the past.

When I read the books, I was no older than ten years old, and some of the subtleties of the stories I did not catch. However, for the most part, I was able to understand the main point of the story, and found the books very interesting. If you are interested in having your child read them, I would advise that they be no younger than ten.

I began reading the books out of the order they were written in. I saw a family friend reading one of the books, and decided to read it after she had finished it. The book I began with in the middle of the series was entitled, The Secret of Shadow Ranch. The novel introduced the character, Nancy Drew and her friends, but because I had started in the middle of the series, some of the inside jokes and personality traits of the characters I did not always understand. However, the story was interesting enough to read the book following this one, The Secret of Red Gate Farm. After reading these two stories, I was hooked.

Thankfully, my grandma and grandpa have quite a large library in their home, and I found a large majority of the series there. I resumed my reading with the first of the Nancy Drew series, The Secret of the Old Clock. This explained many of the things I had not understood with the two stories I had read earlier. And it also made for a very good story.

The Nancy Drew books were a very good series for a younger child to read. The vocabulary was advanced enough to provide a challenge, but simple enough for a ten-year-old to understand what was going on. The books are written well, and will keep a child interested in the story. It adds mystery with a good role model, and allows children a chance to let their imagination wander. This is a very good series for those who wish to continue their children’s interest in reading.

Nancy Drew Book List Favorites:

The Secret of the Old Clock
The Secret of Shadow Ranch
The Secret of Red Gate Farm
The Mystery of the 99 Steps
The Clue in the Crossword Cipher
The Spider Sapphire Mystery
The Sign of the Twisting Candle

I hope this list has been helpful to you, and I hope your child gets as much out of reading the series as I did.

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