My post about the Mysteries in Our National Parks series, in which I interviewed my own kid, led me to talk to a few other eleven-year-olds about their mystery-reading habits. Here are Coleman Horner's thoughts on Hits and Misses, a combination Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys "Super Mystery" first published in 1993.
What did you like about the book?
I liked the action and the plots. It's quite serious and has lots of danger. It isn't funny. The slight bit of romance in it ties in well with the mystery.
At what age did you first read it?8
Is it too scary for little kids? What age do you think it’s best for?
It's not too scary. I think 9 would be the best age.
I also talked to Coleman's classmate Hannah Svarverud, who, coincidentally, is a fan of the Nancy Drew books.
What do you like about the series?
I like that Nancy and her friends find so many clues and try to figure out the solution to the mystery. There is some danger in the books but they always get out of it. It takes a while to read each book because there are so many details.
At what age did you first read a Nancy Drew book?
10
Is it too scary for little kids? What age do you think it’s best for?
It's not too scary. 8 would be about the right age.
I did not tell Coleman and Hannah that the authors of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, "Carolyn Keene" and "Franklin W. Dixon," do not exist. (The books were authored by multiple employees of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, founded 1905, which was also responsible for several other series, including the Bobbsey Twins and Tom Swift.)
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