Sunday, April 23, 2006

Trixie Beldon

Remember her? I know Sandy does, and Cece too. Tanya didn't know who she was, so I thought I'd introduce her. When I started reading mysteries, I began with Meg. I know, no one probably know about her - I don't remember much except that she was a little girl around 9 I think. Her books are out of print. Anyway, after Meg I wasn't quite ready for Nancy Drew, but there was Trixie who was about 14 when the series began and then grew to be about 15 when they were finished. Just the right age. She was cool. Trixie and her brothers Brian and Mart, along with friends Jim, Honey, Diana and Dan, belonged to a club named the Bob-Whites. They did "good" deeds along with solving the occasional mystery. The books I read came out in the 60s and may seem somewhat dated to today's kids (but so did Nancy Drew when I began reading them), but they are wonderful stories and have been recently reprinted. I'd suggest checking them out. Here's another link about Trixie Beldon.

30 comments:

Brandy said...

OMG! Another Trixie Belden fan! I read her when I was younger (reprints people!) and now have introduced my Daughter to her. She is enjoying the series. (Of course like her Mom she inhales books!)

Anonymous said...

I read those! I also read all the Encyclopedia Brown books...hadn't thought about that in a loooong time :)

Joely Sue Burkhart said...

I read all of the Nancy Drew books, but I don't think I ever read Trixie! I've never heard of her. Darn, the books sound really cool. I'll have to see if my local library has them.

Anonymous said...

I read Nancy Drew and an occassional Bobsie Twins (from the bookmobile) but I don't remember ever reading Trixie Belden. I might have to look those up at the library.

Bailey Stewart said...

Mornin' Beldonites - well and Joely too.

You'd be surprised how many Trixie Beldon fans have been climbing out of the woodwork recently. And on writer's blog. Must have been something about her.

Bailey Stewart said...

We cross posted. I'm thinking about getting a couple. They come in to the bookstore every once in a while.

Toni Anderson said...

Never heard of her :) I never read Nacy Drew either--just the Famous Five and The Silver Brumby books LOL.

I must chase her down for future reference.

Bailey Stewart said...

Yes, you must!

Anonymous said...

I loved Trixie Beldon!!! I still have all the books. Except the ones that written in the late 80s. They sucked. *g* And I even remember Meg! I have two of her books.

I may have to replace my copies of Trixie & Co. because my hardcover copies are sadly falling apart.

Bailey Stewart said...

All right - someone who remembers Meg. I looked them up - they were the Meg Duncan Mysteries - and they are sadly out of print still. Good books for young readers though, so if you come across one in a used bookstore - get it.

Denise McDonald said...

that'll go into my TBR pile - and if I ever get to the pile - I bet I will enjoy that book!

Bailey Stewart said...

Trixie Beldon taught me what to do if anybody ever got bitten by a snake - and it was correct information as I found out later. So, if anyone out there gets bitten by a snake, just let me know, okay? =)

Christa said...

I didn't do much reading of mysteries when I was growing up. My dad remarried when I was 13 and I was too busy thinking of ways to be rebelious. I remember in grade 6 the teacher divided us into groups and each group was told to read a certain story(I don't like being told what to read.) Our group had A Call of the Wild but I wanted to read A Stitch in Time. Don't ask who the authors were cause I don't remeber.

Bailey Stewart said...

Oddly enough, I didn't do a lot of reading until about 10 or 11 years old. Then you couldn't stop me.

Anonymous said...

I read all the Nancy Drew books (mom was wonderful enough to enroll me in a club that sent them out as each new one was released), but I've never heard of Trixie Belden either. It sounds like I missed out on some great books. :(

Oh Eve, the picture I finally finished restoring late last night was of my great grandfather, his second wife and seven of his nine children. My grandad died in '93 at the age of 94 and in the picture he was only about 10. It was torn and in pretty bad shape but if I say so myself it came out very nice. :) Restoring pics that are torn, in bad shape or just need cleaning is one of my favorite things to do.

Bailey Stewart said...

Susan, I wish I had that ability - I have the scanner, photoprinter, etc., but just not the knowledge. I have a WWI photo of a gr-uncle I'd love to restore some day. Maybe I'll get it done. Good job!

Amie Stuart said...

I read more TB than Nancy Drew for some reason!!

Does anyone remember the Hardy Boys series with *sigh* Shaun Cassidy? And for those of you that do, did you know he created the TV series Invasion?

Meretta said...

I read Trixie and Nancy and the Hardy Boys. An early indicator of a love for romantic suspense, I guess. ;)

Bailey Stewart said...

Cece - one wall of my room was plastered with those 8x10 magazine glossies of both Shaun and Parker Stevenson. I was such a fan - in fact, I never liked Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew because everyone knows Nancy was a Strawberry Blond! Janet Louise Johnson (in later Hardy Boys episodes) was much closer in the looks department. And Shaun also created the series Roar (and discovered Heath Ledger), The Agency (which I liked, but evidently not too many other people did) and American Gothic (which the critics liked, but not too many other people did). And I just dicovered that he is one of the executive producers of another of my favorite shows Cold Case. I know, I'm full of just too much useless information.

Meretta - I think so ;-)

Amie Stuart said...

I knew about American Gothic (which I personally LOVED) but not COld Case! Also one of my faves!

Bailey Stewart said...

And Roar - I loved Roar too. Ancient Ireland, myths, warriors, swords ...

Lis said...

I'm sad to admit I've read neither. I do remember reading a Nancy Drew for school at one point, but that was the only time. Was more into Babysitter's Club & Sleepover Friends *g* then I graduated into Danielle Steel, Jackie Collins & Jude Deveraux and never looked back :)

Amie Stuart said...

Lis I don't remember when exactly I made the jump from kids books to adult fiction but I know it had to be around 12 or 13--I rememmber reading a 2 in thick book about Sacajawea as well as Flowers in the Attic!!

I must have gotten desperate though because we moved to a small town with no library to speak of and no school library to speak of and I was so painfully shy, I'd read before I'd talk to anyone. Apparently I went diving into my mom's book collection! No I remember now! I had a neighbor (like our ONLY neighbor) who had a ton of harlequin presents and barbara cartland books--those came before FITA! I read all her stuff then skipped on to mom's smuttier books (Jackie Collins anyone?) and like you never looked back.

Brandy said...

I read Gone With the Wind when I was 8 and steathily stole books off of my Mom's bookshelves. Of course I also read Sweet Valley High, Nancy Drew, and Trixie Belden. My defining moment to stick with adult fiction was when I was in 6th grade and read Catcher in the Rye. My Daughter seems to be following in my footsteps, but I have threatened her with punishment if she tries to read my MJD books. The 'Aunt Diminty' series of books reminds me of an adult Trixie Belden, have you read those?

Bailey Stewart said...

Lis - you can still read them - you should at least try one Trixie Beldon. While I'm looking for those Cavanaugh books, I'll have a look see for one of them too.

Cece - I read that Sacajawea book too - it was a big ol' book. (we just keep finging more and more in common, don't we?)

Brandy - I might have to look at those Aunt Diminty books.

I was 14 when mom handed me a Harlequin - the original ones, you know Betty Neels, Violet Winspear, etc. I don't know when I began the Presents, but I know I graduated on up based upon the sex scenes in the series - Presents to Superromances to Desire, etc. I started on Rosemary Rogers contemporary (like The Insiders) when I was 17 and kept on from there.

Anonymous said...

Yep, I also read her mysteries. She's been around for a long time. One series I'd really like to get one book of is Judy Bolton. I was a little older when I read those but Judy had a "real" boyfriend, though I can't remember his name. I don't know if these have ever been reprinted. On ABE they're too expensive for me.

I've never heard of Meg Duncan--I don't think. No, I just checked. The Meg I was thinking of was "Meg of Mystery Mountain"(1926) by Grace May North. The heroine of that was named "Eulalie 'Meg' Giguette" and was a lost heiress.

Anonymous said...

By the way, Judy Bolton is by Margaret Sutton. Maybe you could have a look around for those. I still have 6 Trixie Belden books. They're all pretty tattered because at least half a dozen kids read them after me. I still have Bobbsey Twins books too though most of those went to younger friends.

Toni, the only British series I can remember reading is by Enid Blyton with titles like "Island of Adventure", etc. Who exactly are the "Famous Five"? I'm sure I've never heard of the other series you mentioned.

Time to get to bed. Night-night.

Anonymous said...

Ruby, the Judy Bolton books are great!!! I have four of them. I wish I could have the whole series, but I've found them to be outrageously expensive, too.

And her boyfriend, later her husband, was Peter Dobbs. Lawyer turned FBI agent, if I recall correctly. :)

Sandy J said...

Eve: I enjoyed that writeup on TB! And I also went from ND,TB. HB to the harlequins, Barbara Cartlands, and Jackie Collins with that notorious book 'Forever Amber' thrown in somewhere. I remember thinking after reading that one -'Can they write about stuff like that?'

Also read Victoria Holt.

I remembered the Hardy Boys series and being disappointed because in the books, I had a crush on Frank, but in the series, thought Joe was cuter.

Bailey Stewart said...

Tori - Haven't read those books.

Sandy - yeah, Shaun was cuter than Parker.