Knowing Nancy

September 02, 2010

Alright, I’ll admit it (insert labored sigh). I’m not a Nancy Drew fan. Veronica Mars? Of course. Buffy the Vampire Slayer? YES PLEASE! But Nancy Drew and I have never been formally introduced.

I recently told a friend that I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out why preteen girls are still so attracted to Nancy Drew books. I mean, the covers are vintage and Nancy isn’t exactly Bella Swan. Just the same, we can’t keep our copies on the shelf.

She looked at me like I’d insulted her childhood friend and, without meaning to, I guess I had. For Molly, the books were an introduction into a genre that she still reads regularly. Nancy Drew is a part of her childhood that she can’t help but love. She's savvy, pretty, and most importantly, she’s smart. Her friends, family, and even her sophisticated college boyfriend, Ned, have all been part of American pop culture since the 1930s.

As Molly put it, "Nancy Drew has a permanent place in the mystery genre." She's more than just another teen series passing through our collective culture.

-Beth A.
Lee's Summit Branch