Monday, March 31

Team Trixie



This week the at TFC the topic is all about books so I thought I'd take a trip back to the eighties. You see, when I was a kid there was nothing that divided a room quite like the Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew debate. Okay, so perhaps that is a lie since most of my friends were probably too worried about how to get Simon LeBon to marry them rather than worry about fictional girl detectives, but I can promise you I gave the matter a lot of thought and ended up coming out on the side of Trixie.


I mean sure Nancy might've looked all fancy and sophisticated with that smart car of hers, but I was pretty sure Trixie could take her out in a fight. Or at least get her older brother to Brian to fiddle with the engine so it would run out of gas in the middle of nowhere (and see, this is proof positive that I'm a Trixie girl because surely Nancy wouldn't have any such nasty thoughts about anyone). The truth is that I just related to Trixie more. I didn't want to do all those chores she had every morning, but I certainly wouldn't have minded going out with Jim, trying some homemade baked beans and even solving a few crimes while living at Crabapple Farm. Especially since I grew in suburbian Australia where no treasure maps or diamond necklaces ever seemed to come into my life.


So what about everyone else? Trixie? Nancy? Or someone else entirely.


11 comments:

Erica Orloff said...

I loved Trixie!

I also loved Nancy. And a few others--there was a boarding school series in England. I lived in Bermuda so I got into some British series that I don't think they sold in America. And though I didn't go to baording school . . . I used to imagine it as a fabulous place away from my PARENTS! no mind that I would have been homesick in an instant. ;-)
E

cat said...

I have to admit I was a huge Nancy Drew fan, though I loved the Trixie Belden AND Bobbsey Twins books that I was given from my mother as well. In the late 80's - early 90's they sort of revamped the Nancy series, with spiffy covers and more "present day" type plot lines and I devoured those books like they were candy.

I still go out a buy the Nancy Drew books which have been reprinted in the old library binding, bright yellow style so I can have them in my book collection. I have a little niece now whom I will be accosting with all sorts of chapter books when she's old enough to read on her own.

Alyson Noel said...

Wow, that cover photo brought back some memories. . .
Though I could never choose between them, I loved them both!

Melissa Walker said...

I have only faint memories of Trixie--though I adored Nancy's updated "Case Files."

Amanda Ashby said...

Erica - yes, I loved the idea of boarding school as well and of course Harry Potter taps right into that!!

Cat - your niece is going to love you! I've actually got a little trixie collection for my daughter though right now it's all about Pokemon with her!!

Alyson - I'll never forget when I realized that both books were series because it was like discovering an unlimited chocolate supply!!!!

Melissa - I must check out the newer Nancy Drews. I saw the DVD the other day in the store so I might have to check that out as well!!!!

bevrosenbaum said...

I devoured both series! Also read the Hardy Boys (hand-me-downs from a boy cousin...my parents couldn't keep up with my voracious reading habits!).

Gerb said...

I couldn't choose between Trixie and Nancy! Loved them both.

Other Girl Detectives worth reading are Lulu Dark and the psychic investigator, Gilda Joyce.

LOVE mysteries! : )

Linda

Amanda Ashby said...

Bev - yup, I was all over the Hardy Boys as well, not to mention The Three Investigators.

Linda - ooh, I'm off to Google Lulu and Gilda right now!!

ellie said...

Trixie..I'm not sure why. She seemed perhaps more into food that fashion, perhaps. I've wondered..if they wrote a mystery about her now..what would it be like..

Little Willow said...

I enjoyed Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Trixie (glad she's back in print!), Cherry Ames, Meg (and her SIAMESE CAT!), etc.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted said...

Even though I wrote a book called HOW NANCY DREW SAVED MY LIFE, I was always a Trixie girl to the core.