Can you believe that I had never read a single Nancy Drew book while I was growing up? The same goes for The Hardy Boys. I’m not sure why, as I saw them every time I was in the library. Which was a lot.
What I was reading included The Boxcar Children, Encyclopedia Brown, and Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators. Throw in some Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume, and you get an understanding of how I spent my younger years.
I picked up 4 Nancy Drew books at my library this weekend; books 1, 3, 5, and 6. Of course books 2 and 4 were nowhere to be found. I’ll get those later if I come across them. I enjoyed reading these books. They are quick, and easy to read. I love the old-school storytelling and the nostalgia of the stories. No cell phones, internet, social networking, etc etc. All the things we cram our lives with now to make ourselves busier than we should ever be, are nowhere to be found here. I find a sense of comfort in these stories as well as the others I read while I was growing up.
My very favorite book growing up? This one~
What was your favorite series growing up, and like me, do you go back on occasion and read them again?
booksandopinions.com 
I preferred the Hardy Boys to Nancy Drew, although I read both. My favorites were the Marguerite Henry books about famous horses through history, like “King of the Wind” (the Godolphin Arabian, one of three foundation sires for the modern-day Thoroughbreds) and “Born to Trot” (Rosalind and Hambletonian). I also loved the Beverly Cleary books, in no small part because I grew up in the Portland, Oregon, area and recognized the street names. Great post!
King of the Wind is my favorite Marguerite Henry book! Might be time for a reread.
I also liked Beverly Cleary but never read the Ramona books growing up, just her standalone books. And of course Encyclopedia Brown, Boxcar Children and Babysitter’s Club.
Thanks Sharon! I own several books by Richard Baldwin, who writes about mysteries in various parts of Michigan, using real restaurants I frequent, and streets just minutes from mine. And the stories are great to boot!
I’ve read a couple Nancy Drews, but I was never a big fan. I did love Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary though! I also loved Laura Ingalls Wilder, Roald Dahl, Barbara Park, Lois Lowry (particularly the Anastasia Krupnik books), and John Bellairs, and I definitely still own and re-read some of their books from time to time, but I also spent a lot of time as a kid reading those cheap Apple paperbacks about ghosts, vampires, and anything else vaguely supernatural, and somehow I doubt those will hold up as well as Blume or Dahl if I was to read them as an adult. I’ve never heard of The Adventures of the Black Hand Gang, but I’m definitely intrigued!
The Black Hand Gang book has drawings every couple of pages where you have to study the picture to find the answer to the mystery. I have been looking for this book to purchase, but am looking for the best copy for a good price. It was a fun book, and you could pick it up a couple years later and not remember what the answers in the pictures were!
Nancy Drew was my favorite series as a child. I couldn’t get into The Hardy Boys. Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume were mainstays I enjoyed.
I loved Encyclopedia Brown and the Boxcar Children! I also read those pick your own adventure books – they were always fun to read – I don’t know if that really counts as a series though.
I just remembered I was also an avid Babysitters Club and Sweet Valley High reader!
I read all of the Sweet Valley High stories! Still have some paperbacks in my library ❣️
I was an avid reader of both Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys series as a child. Oddly, I found both slightly disappointing rereading them as an adult.
I wonder if I would feel the same had I read them as a child??? Interesting!
I never cared too much for Nancy Drew. I read the Trixie Belden books. The stories always made me want a Palomino pony and a secret club!!
The Boxcar Children was another favorite, and my kids loved them, too. I also liked The Bobbsey Twins.
Thanks for the stroll down memory lane!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
You are welcome! Thanks for visiting my blog, too! I enjoyed reading several of your posts, interesting and insightful thoughts on reviews and self-publishing (oh, the horror stories I could tell you about some!)I’m looking forward to reading more as I have time!
Oh wow, taking me back a good 25 years. I enjoyed Judy Blume, Beverley Cleary, Babysitters Club. I didn’t read Nancy Drew (that I can remember). I got into Stephen King and John Saul at a really young age. (maybe too young) I think I should go back and read some books from my childhood. A novel idea :p
It will be The Famous Five
I loved so many different books growing up, including Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, and also another series I picked up from the school library was the Madie mystery series by Lois Leppard.
I have never heard of those! Thanks for sharing!
I loved both Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. I read every one of their book that were published up until the time I outgrew them. Glad you found them. Thanks for a walk down memory lane.
Thanks for sharing Maria! I will be reading the Hardy Boys next!
Winnie the Pooh of course!
Definitely!
I loved Nancy Drew, she’s started me on my love for crime and mystery books. I would definitely reread her. And Sweet Valley. Lol
I read all of the Sweet Valley High stories as well!
Bobbsey Twins.
Hardy Boys
Nancy Drew
Alfred Hitchcock’s Three Investigators.
And there was a British (?) series of which I vaguely remember a few details but have forgotten the name. I recall one character using a trick to gain access through a locked door. I used it a few times in my teens when I found I’d forgotten my house key.
I should have added Dr Dolittle (I’ve revisited some); and Laura Ingalls Wilder books.
I have not read the Dr. Dolittle stories, but have definitely read Laura Ingalls Wilder!
I would love to know what that British series was! The 3 Investigators were my favorites to read over and again! Thanks for sharing!
“I would love to know what that British series was! ”
So would I.
If I could only remember something significant enough to google – but sadly no.
I have a couple books I read as a teenager that I have tried to find by the plot with very little other information; no luck either….
I LOVED Freckle Juice! I had completely forgotten about that book until I saw your post. Now, I have to find it for my daughters. Thank you for the reminder. 🙂
I loved Freckle Juice too; now I get to to find it as well 🙂
I read all, in fact I had the entire series.
I am slowly getting through all of them!
Great.. Enjoy they are fun
I enjoyed your look back at childhood favorites. I had two cousins just older than I who had very different tastes in books. The older one loved Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, so I got her hand-me-downs of those books. Her sister loved horses, so I got books about horses from her. yes, going back and rereading some old favorites is always fun. I am working on a 2017 book challenge which includes rereading a childhood favorite for one of the categories.
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing!
OMG The Boxcar Children was my favorite!!!!
I couldn’t even guess how many times I have read that series! 😀
I remember reading Nancy Drew and enjoying them. Another favourite , which I think is now not in print were the Oz books. Not just the Wizard but there were about ten different books all of which involved Dorothy and visits to various part of Oz . These books had the wildest and wackiest characters. and my imagination just loved it. I still have three of them but the others have been lost.
I loved all the Oz stories as well! My all time favorite movie!
I’ve always loved Nancy Drew Books. They have very interesting plots, easy to read and for everyone irrespective of their age. Never really owned one but borrowed them from my friends.
Yes, I loved these and devoured the Trixie Belden books too. It took me a long time to figure out what a jaloppy is!
Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree, Roald Dahl with his fantastical stories,
Later I moved on to Sweet Valley High and Babysitter’s Club but the series that captivated me most in my ‘tweens’ was the Anne of Green Gables series. I was distressed when my brother’s friend wrote an essay at university about why Anne of GG was a very sexist novel. Did you read those books?
Growing up in Australia it was interesting to read about British, USA and Canadian culture, seasons and forests.
I read Anne of Green Gables a couple of times when I was younger, but have not picked it up in awhile. I also loved Sweet Valley High!
Did you read the other books in the series as well? I enjoyed all of them but I think that the first was the best.
I’m wondering when is the right age for my daughter to read Anne of Green Gables. She’s 10 now. What do you think?
I think now is the perfect time! I did read them, and loved them!