Carolyn Keene

Carolyn Keene is the pen name used by the series of authors who have produced the various Nancy Drew books. Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the Bobbsey Twins, and Tom Swift were all the creations of one Edward Stratemeyer, the founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. The two most famous “Carolyns” were Mildred Wirt Benson and Harriet Stratemeyer, Edward’s daughter. Benson (who was an active journalist and author well into her nineties) created much of what we recognize as Nancy’s world, and Harriet, in addition to writing several of the stories herself, was responsible for going back and re-editing the stories to make them acceptable to a modern audience.

Note: Carolyn Keene also “wrote” the Dana Girls series. Harriet Stratemeyer, Benson, and Leslie McFarlane (the best-known Franklin W. Dixon) all contributed to this series.


Aftertaste:
Before Harriet Stratemeyer went back and cleaned 'em up, the early incarnations of this series were sprinkled with with some staggeringly racist terminology.

Availability:
Everywhere.

Other Recommendations:
Anything by Franklin W. Dixon

Try the new line of Nancy Drew video games--not only are the mysteries fun to solve, the set designs are full of lovely Art Deco touches.

Website:
http://nancy-drew.mysterynet.com/nancydrew/kids/nancy/carolyn-keene-author.shtml -