I bought this book, both in hardcover and paperback, solely as a Nancy Drew "collectible." I hadn't really had any intention of reading it. I have seen plenty of these "Who is ... ?" and "What is the Story of ... ?" books at the bookstore and in Wal-Mart, and I knew they were aimed at young readers to help educate them on people and things from the past. But I wanted something quick and easy to read, and I saw this sitting on my shelf, so I figured why not. I certainly didn't expect to read anything in the book that I didn't already know, and I admit, I was curious as to how accurate the information contained in this book actually is. After all, I had never heard of the author, Dana Meachen Rau, and I wasn't sure how much she actually knew about our favorite female sleuth.
What is the Story of Nancy Drew? is not bad at all. It provides a very broad overview and history of the character and creation of Nancy Drew. Rau opens the book with a fun two-page teaser of what might appear to be a Nancy Drew mystery - Nancy sneaking out to investigate a spooky old mansion and discovering a hidden staircase behind a trap door! But the author quickly informs her readers that Nancy Drew is not a real person at all; rather, she tells her readers that Nancy is a "curious and independent teenage detective [who] is a character in a series of books written by Carolyn Keene" (p. 2). With this brief introduction, Rau begins her narrative into the creation and history of Nancy Drew.
Rau then describes those first three books that were published in spring of 1930 and moves along to explain the importance of this independent girl detective who was far ahead of her time in terms of female empowerment. The fourth chapter ends with the death of Edward Stratemeyer and how his to daughters, Harriet and Edna, had no choice but to take over their father's business - in a time when it was unheard of for women to run a major business like the Stratemeyer Syndicate! From here, Rau provides her readers with an introduction to Bess, George, and Ned and explains (without detail) how Harriet and Mildred disagreed at times about how Nancy should be written. Readers also learn about the four Nancy Drew films starring Bonita Granville.
The book continues with chapters about the revision of the books in order to update them for the changing times; the various authors who wrote Nancy Drew mysteries before Harriet Stratemeyer Adams took over the complete writing of the series; the publication of Nancy Drew in foreign countries; the expanding world of Nancy Drew into board games, lunch boxes, dolls, and even television. One chapter is devoted to the 50th anniversary celebration of Nancy Drew in 1980, which also provides a bit of information about that infamous court case between publishers, at which Mildred Benson was called to testify regarding her authorship of the books.
Rau concludes the book with a look at how Nancy Drew has evolved over the years in the books. From the introduction of the Nancy Drew Files in the mid-1980s, to the Nancy Drew Notebooks, to the Nancy Drew, Girl Detective and Nancy Drew Diaries series, as well as the graphic novels, the new films, and the recent CW television show. Rau's final statements at the end of the book pretty much sums up the reality of Nancy Drew - "Nancy is a hero, not only in her own stories but for her countless readers. She has inspired kids to be adventurous, curious problem-solvers who get the job done" (p. 104).
Rau does what I believe is a wonderful job of providing young readers a full introduction into Nancy Drew. She provides the basic facts without getting into the unnecessary details of the controversies surrounding Harriet vs. Mildred, the Court battle regarding the publication rights, and the quality of the later series that many fans debate still today. Instead, Rau focuses on the character of Nancy Drew and the amazing longevity and all the elements that have helped make Nancy Drew an enduring icon. She rightfully acknowledges the part that everyone played (including the other ghostwriters outside of Harriet and Millie), which I think is the correct approach.
One thing that adds enjoyment to this book are the many illustrations throughout, reminiscent of the Nancy Drew books of days gone by, which features several internal illustrations to enhance the story. Artist Dede Putra provides quite a few line illustrations throughout the book (pretty much at least one on every page!) - from images of Nancy Drew to Edward Stratemeyer to Mildred Wirt Benson to book covers to scenes from the stories to Harriet and Edna to that last iconic image of Nancy Drew holding a flashlight on the final page (p. 105). The illustrations are nicely done, a far cry better than those "stick figure" drawings that were featured in the final Nancy Drew books published by Grosset & Dunlap back in the late 1970s.
Rau also includes in the book a number of "inserts" (for lack of a better term) that provides information relevant to the particular chapter. For example, chapter two features a two page insert about "History of Mystery!" that gives readers a bit of history about the detective story itself and some of the more popular detectives in literary history (pp. 22-23). Chapter four provides a two page insert about "Behind the Wheel," which looks at the evolution of the vehicles that Nancy Drew drove over the years; while chapter five gives readers the answer to "Who Drew Nancy Drew?," focusing on Russell H. Tandy, the original cover and interior artist for the books. These informational inserts definitely enhance the knowledge of the reader with respect to Nancy Drew's history!
Overall, I think this book is a fantastic way to introduce readers to the "behind-the-scenes" story of Nancy Drew, her creation, and her longevity.
RATING: 10 dark, dusty attics out of 10 for setting down the history of the world's greatest girl sleuth for future generations of young readers to learn!
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