The Clue of the Broken Locket

The Clue of the Broken Locket by Carolyn Keene, 1965 Grosset & Dunlap

     Nancy, George, and Bess are vacationing at Misty Lake when they meet Cecily Curtis. Mr. Drew has sent the girls to give Cicely the key to her lodgings - the owner refuses to go near the lake because of a ghost ship. Cecily asks for Nancy Drew's help to solve two mysteries: one concerning her fiancee, the other involving a family secret. 

     Cecily's fiancee is Niko Van Dyke a musician who believes his record company is cheating him out of earned royalties. 

     The clue to her family secret is half of a golden locket that Cecily was told leads to a pre-civil war cache of buried treasure. 

     The investigation leads to Pudding Stone Lodge and the Driscoll family who may be involved in Niko's misfortunes. They also discover Cecily's look-alike -- an unknown cousin held in the thrall of the Driscolls.   

     When twin children go missing Nancy, Bess, and George are set on finding the answers to all of their questions. They call in the help of Ned Nickerson, Dave Evans, and Burt Eddleton - the girls' respective boyfriends. 

     Through quick thinking and perseverance, Nancy and her friends solve the mysteries in front of them. Middle grade and young readers will enjoy the mystery, with enough suspense to keep them wondering who is who and what will happen to Nancy on this next adventure? 

Password to Larkspur Lane

Password to Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene, 1966 Grosset & Dunlap

     Nancy Drew is outside tending the garden when a carrier pigeon arrives in the yard. Hannah Gruen, the Drews' housekeeper, falls and her doctor suggests to Nancy and her lawyer father of a woman who he treats under mysterious circumstances. The doctor believes the woman is being held prisoner and Nancy begins to investigate.
     A clue from the doctor leads to the prestigious Eldridge family. Nancy follows the clues and, with the added intrigue of the pigeon's registry, finds there truly is something criminal afoot.
     Mrs. Eldridge is missing, according to a young relative, and--when Nancy, Bess, George, and their friend Helen speak with her--Mrs. Eldridge has not chosen to be treated at the estate holding her prisoner. She is not the only elderly patient at the estate, and Mrs. Eldrige explains the people running the place have some shady practices.
     Some quick thinking and subterfuge from the girls bring justice to the plotters. Nancy and her friends face danger, but they come out better able to fight for what they believe right.
     Nancy Drew is an independent young woman who uses her quick mind to investigate and solve problems. She faces danger and uses her resources in a story meant for middle-grade readers, but enjoyable at any age. Password to Larkspur Lane was revised from its original 1933 novel to be more feminist, to consolidate the plot, and to bring the familiar characters back to the main screen.

The Outsiders

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, 1967 Viking Press

     Ponyboy Curtis lives with his two older brothers in the lower-class east side of town. The three boys are orphans and part of a street gang calling themselves the Greasers. Ponyboy's oldest brother Darry took responsibility for him and their middle brother called Sodapop when their parents were killed in a car accident. 

     Walking home, one day, Ponyboy is attacked by members of the Socs--Socials from the uptown, west-side of their Oklahoma town--who threaten his life. The Greasers come to the fourteen-year-old's rescue: Johnny, Dally, Steve, Two-bit, and Ponyboy's two brothers. After a scuffle the two groups separate. 

     The Socs and Greasers clash again when Ponyboy and Johnny run into a couple of the Soc girls and, later, their boyfriends. The clash ends with Ponyboy regaining consciousness next to a beaten Johnny and Soc corpse. Fearing for their lives Ponyboy and Johnny escape to a nearby town where they hide out in an abandoned church. 

     Johnny and Ponyboy have a change of heart, but before they can face the music at home they discover schoolchildren in the abandoned church which has caught fire. Again, Ponyboy passes out; when he wakes he, Johnny, and Dally are in the hospital. They check out to partake in a rumble between the Socs and Greasers which has lasting consequences. 

     The Outsiders is a classic tale about teenagers struggling to make their way in a world that doesn't care about their potential, only their choices. Teen readers can relate to the boys' struggles in a story aimed at readers the same age as the characters: mid- to late-teens with violence and moral challenges Ponyboy must face on his way through trial and tribulation.