Book bucket list for children

Nancy Drew Series

Written by Caroline Keene 

There are 175 titles in the series in of Nancy Drew, therefore all of them will not be written here,  but I will give you a taste of the stories of maybe 15 . 

1. ¨the Secret of the clock 

Nancy, unaided, seeks to find a missing will. To the surprise of many, the Topham family will inherit wealthy Josiah Crowley's fortune, instead of deserving relatives and friends who were promised inheritances. Nancy determines that a clue to a second will might be found in an old clock Mr. Crowley had owned and she seeks to find the timepiece. Her search not only tests her keen mind, but also leads her into a thrilling adventure

2. The hidden Staircase 

After receiving a call from her friend Helen Corning, Nancy agrees to help solve a baffling mystery. Helen's Aunt Rosemary has been living with her mother at the old family mansion, and they have noticed many strange things. They have heard music, thumps, and creaking noises at night, and seen eerie shadows on the walls. Could the house be haunted?

Just as soon as she hangs up the phone, a strange man visits Nancy's house to warn her and her father that they are in danger because of a case he is working on buying property for a railroad company. This warning leads Nancy and her father Carson to search for the missing Willie Wharton, a landowner, who can prove he signed away his land to the railroad and save the railroad from a lawsuit. Will Nancy be able to find the missing landowner and discover how these mysteries are related

3.The Bungalow mystery

While trying to help a friend out of a difficulty, Nancy has a perilous experience in and around a deserted bungalow, from which only her bravery and quick thinking save her

4. The secret of the Lilac Inn 

Teenage detective Nancy Drew finds herself in danger when she sets out to track a jewel thief. 

5. The secret of the shadow Ranch 

Nancy drew arrives in Phoenix, Arizona, eagerly looking forward to a fun-filled vacation at Shadow Ranch, but abruptly finds herself involved in a baffling mystery. The ranch is being haunted by a phantom horse and maliciously damaged by an unknown enemy. Local people believe that the ghostly animal is carrying out the curse of Dirk Valentine, the romantic outlaw who was killed many years ago at Shadow Ranch, where he had gone to fulfill a promise to his sweetheart.

Suspecting that a treasure hidden by Valentine may be at the root of the Shadow Ranch mystery, Nancy undertakes a challenging search, aided by her friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne. The first vital clue is found in an antique watch and sparks a series of clever deductions and dangerous developments. While seeking further clues, the girls' investigation in a ghost town ends in a near disaster when Nancy is trapped inside a building that is toppled by a rockslide - a rockslide which is deliberately caused. But the pretty titian-haired detective remains undaunted in her determination to solve the mystery

6. The secret of the Red gate farm 

When Bess Marvin purchased an expensive bottle of Oriental perfume, she never expected to stumble into a mystery. Now Bess, Nancy, George, and their new friend Jo are out to unravel the secrets of a mysterious conspiracy, a secretive cult, and a ring of counterfeiters in The Secret of Red Gate Farm.

7. The clue in the diary 

Nancy and her friends witness an explosion and the burning of a beautiful country mansion. Fearing its occupants may be trapped in the blazing building, they rush to the rescue--and unexpectedly find themselves confronted with a mystery that seems insoluble. The first clue is an anonymous diary--its entries in a handwriting difficult to decipher. Who dropped the diary? Was it the stranger Nancy saw running away from the fire? What was he doing there? Finding out how Nancy discovers the answers to these questions makes for another exciting Nancy Drew mystery. 

8. Nancy's mysterious letter 

Nancy receives a letter informing her that she is heir to a fortune. This story tells of her search for another Nancy Drew.

9.  The sign of the twisted candles 

While solving the mystery of an old man's disappearing fortune, Nancy ends a family feud and reveals the identity of an orphan of unknown parentage.

10.Password to Larkspur Lane 

A carrier pigeon furnishes Nancy with a clue to a mysterious retreat.

11.the clue of  the broken locket 

Another vacation turns into a riddle for Nancy to solve while she visits a lakeside holiday area. Cecily Curtis seeks the girl sleuth's help in solving two mysteries. One concerns her fiancé, a popular singer who believes his record company is cheating him. The other involves a hidden family treasure; the only clue is half of a gold locket. Strange circumstances provide Nancy with many opportunities to test her sleuthing skills and discover the astounding secrets of Pudding Stone Lodge. This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1934) is different 

12. The message in the hollow oak 

Nancy Drew tackles a mystery professional detectives failed to solve--finding a valuable centuries-old message in a hollow oak tree in Illinois.

The story is based on the original title of the same name first published in 1935. The plot is vastly different in this extensively revised and shortened version.

13. The mystery of the ivory charm 

Nancy determines whether an exquisite ivory elephant charm really protects its wearer from harm during her investigation of a circus performer who may be involved in a mysterious illegal scheme. The girl detective's assignment becomes complicated when the elephant trainer's young assistant seeks refuge at the Drew home from his cruel foster father. While following clues to help the boy find his real father, Nancy discovers an eerie abandoned house. As she probes, Nancy's dangerous enemies thwart her efforts to discover a secret surrounding the unusual ivory charm. This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1936) is similar with minor revisions

14 . The whispering statue 

Nancy is asked to solve a puzzling mystery then encounters a second case. The first concerns a valuable collection of rare books. Wealthy Mrs. Merriam has commissioned a supposedly reputable art dealer to sell it, but soon believes the man is a swindler. The second mystery involves the theft of a beautiful marble statue, rumoured to whisper, has an uncanny resemblance to Nancy! As suddenly as it disappeared, the marble statue is returned and is discovered to be a reproduction! To solve both mysteries, Nancy adopts an alias and a disguise, becomes an employee of the suspicious dealer, gathering evidence against a clever ring of art thieves. This book is the revised text. The plot of the original story (©1937) is different.

15. The haunted bridge

Nancy Drew is visiting Deer Mountain Lodge to help her father with a case involving jewel thieves and while there, comes across another mystery involving a haunted bridge! How Nancy solves both mysteries and competes in a golf tournament despite her injurred arm is exciting and fun reading.