Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum
comic strip overdue media

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Every girl should have a literary heroine to make a difference in her life

Thank You, Nancy Drew and Judy Blume by Carole Baron
But get this. When I was reading the Nancy Drew books, you couldn't get them in the libraries at all. Not in Detroit, Michigan. My beloved Nancy Drew books were given to me by my parents, my relatives, my parents' friends. Reading in the dark nights under the covers with a flashlight, I devoured these "unsuitable" books, having given up on reading books for my recommended level as too boring. I remember being fascinated by Nancy and her independent ways; her boyfriend, Ned Nickerson; her father, Carson Drew, a criminal lawyer, just like my father and that made this perfect for me. I didn't know anyone like Nancy Drew but I wanted to be Nancy Drew. . Other heroines I was supposed to read about were sweet and adorable, and liked to cook and help their mother, had dreams of faraway places. Nancy was always in the middle of the action and always got her way. She was curious, smart, feisty and independent, but always a good girl. She was all girl who lived in a Boy's World. And she solved crimes (and could fix her own car).
:) Nancy Drew was great. Trixie Belden I loved as well, but Nancy did it all and was a lady, not a tomboy. I remember how disappointed I was in the 70s TV show that Nancy was suddenly not titian-haired. :) It's like they thought girls couldn't tell the difference. Really?

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