When I read books featuring visual artists, I want to see their art. Similarly, when protagonists are filmmakers, I'd love to see their films. Here are a few examples:

Notes from the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell - This story of a teen filmmaker inspired a real-life filmmaking contest. For teens and adults.

The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine by April Lurie - Dylan becomes the unwilling subject of his friend's film. For teens.

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen - In a side plot, one of the main character's sisters makes a film. For teens.

Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz - Six teenagers break into an abandoned mental institution to make a film. For teens.

Play Me by Laura Ruby - Three best friends, all aspiring filmmakers, work together on a production which they post online and enter in a television contest. For teens.

Tru Confessions by Janet Tashjian - Tru was born minutes before her twin brother, who, due to an oxygen deficiency, is developmentally disabled. Now twelve years old, Tru sets out to make a documentary about her brother for a local cable station. This book was made into a TV movie starring and Shia LeBouf. It was fantastic to see Tru's documentary come to life. For ages 10 and up.

Special Case:

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson - Though Jenna does not make films herself, home movies are very important to her. For teens. Strongly recommended.

Related Booklists:
Portrait of the Artist as a Young Person
But I Don't Want to Be Famous!
But I DO Want to Be Famous!
I Am a Dancer
Sing Sing Sing

I like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland quite a bit. You might already know this, since I often bring it up in conversation, whether it be to reference it in relation to other novels or to discuss the book itself - or to sing the praises of my favorite film adaptation of the book, aka the 1972 British live-action musical Alice's Adventures in Wonderland starring Fiona Fullerton as Alice, adapted and directed by William Sterling, with music by John Barry and lyrics by Don Black based on those by Lewis Carroll.

...and yes, I can (and do) say all of that in one breath.

Someone uploaded the film in seventeen parts on YouTube. Thank you! I have arranged those seventeen parts in order (plus some other Alice-related videos) so you may now watch the movie simply by clicking below:



The movie is available on DVD. The DVD is, of course, better quality than YouTube. Get it. Watch it.

I myself own two copies of the DVD. The soundtrack is available on CD, yet I do not own it because it is packaged with the soundtrack for Petulia, also scored by John Barry, and I just want the Alice soundtrack.

Now I am cracking up, because a Peter Sellers movie is coming on television right as I type this, and I just quoted him as the March Hare in my previous post.

S'Wonderland

When Alice follows a white rabbit down a rabbit hole, little did she know she was in store for growing and shrinking, talking animals, a mad tea party, and a trial.

I love Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll for many reasons: the imaginative and lyrical writing, the delightful dialogue, the fantastic fantasy world, the colorful characters, the detailed illustrations by John Tenniel, and, most of all, the independent and thoughtful protagonist. I think the character of Alice is truly great. She's resourceful and spunky. The only big thing upon which Alice and I disagree: she, at the start, thinks books without pictures or conversations are useless. Nonsense, dear child!

A Booklist is Born

Thank you to Rebecca for prompting this booklist! May your class put it to good use.

Recommended Reading: Written by Charles Dodgson Himself
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll
The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll
The Selected Letters of Lewis Carroll
The Annotated Alice - the original text by Lewis Carroll and illustrations by John Tenniel with notes by Martin Gardner

If you have yet to read the original version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, please do. Project Gutenberg has posted the full text and illustrations online. You can visit Google Books.

Recommended Reading: Non-Fiction
Alice's Adventures: Lewis Carroll in Popular Culture by Will Brooker
The Other Alice by Christina Björk - This juvenile biography about Alice Liddell and Charles Dodgson offers humorous anecdotes (42!) and gorgeous illustrations. Sadly, I think it is out of print. Happily, I own a copy. Thank you, used bookstore! Highly recommended.

Recommended Reading: Fiction
Still She Haunts Me by Katie Roiphe - The story of an unlikely friendship between an intelligent man who fit nowhere and the spunky girl who inspired his best-known work. This is a fictional take on the friendship of Alice Liddell and Charles Dodgson, with Charles' real letters woven in throughout the book. Shelved in adult fiction/literature. Highly recommended.

Related Works of Fiction
The Problem of the Missing Miss by Roberta Rogow - Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dodgson team up to find a little girl who has been abducted. A fun, fast-moving historical mystery, shelved in adult fiction or mystery. No fantasy elements are involved. There are just enough references to each author's works to be cute, rather than overdone. To the best of my knowledge, the two men never met in real life. I liked how they worked together in this book. Thanks to Sarah for the recommendation.

Art and Gift Books
All Things Alice: The Wit, Wisdom, and Wonderland of Lewis Carroll compiled by Linda Sunshine
Dreaming in Pictures: The Photography of Lewis Carroll by Douglas R. Nickel
The Art of Alice in Wonderland by Stephanie Lovett Stoffel

Wasted Opportunity
The Baby-Sitters Club #121: Abby in Wonderland by Ann M. Martin - I love the BSC series and I love Alice in Wonderland, so I was plenty excited for this book. Sadly, it let me down. Abby attends an Alice-themed party thrown by her grandparents. The costumes*, the food, and the decorations were all appropriate for the theme, but Wonderland itself did not matter to the story. It could have just as easily have been a fifties-themed party or a Narnia-themed party. The plot of the book did not have any ties to nor parallels with Wonderland. I wasn't expecting it to become a fantasy, of course - BSC stories are dramatic and comedic, but firmly realistic - but I wanted Wonderland to matter, to have been chosen for a reason. In fact, the plot itself was not fully realized. When I read the final page, I felt as if the story was only half-over.
*The grandmother dressed like the White Queen, who is actually from Through the Looking-Glass. The illustrations on the cover did not quite match the descriptions in the book. But I digress.

Attempted Sequels - Related titles that left me lukewarm
Automated Alice by Jeff Noon
Alice Through the Needle's Eye by Gilbert Adair
The Roundhill by Dick King-Smith
Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams

. . . and those I have yet to read:
The Looking-Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
A New Alice in the Old Wonderland by Anna M. Richards
Fantastic Alice edited by Margaret Weiss

Musicalice

My favorite film version of this imaginative tale was made in 1972. As I mentioned in a much earlier post, I first saw this movie as a child and was absolutely delighted to see a brunette Alice (portrayed by Fiona Fullerton) rather than a blond girl.

I refer to this film as "the 1972 British live-action musical Alice's Adventures in Wonderland starring Fiona Fullerton as Alice, adapted and directed by William Sterling, with music by John Barry and lyrics by Don Black based on those by Lewis Carroll."

...and yes, I can (and do) say all of that in one breath.

I think Charles Dodgson would like this adaptation of his most famous story. It offers a beautiful score by John Barry (Somewhere in Time) and the lyrics by Don Black are nearly lifted directly from the page.

I found many scenes and musical numbers on YouTube, so I compiled a playlist. Then someone uploaded the film in seventeen parts on YouTube. THANK YOU! I have arranged those seventeen parts in order (plus some other Alice-related videos) so you may now watch the movie simply by clicking below:



The movie is available on DVD. The DVD is, of course, better quality than YouTube. Get it. Watch it.

I myself own two copies of the DVD. The soundtrack is available on CD, yet I do not own it because it is packaged with the soundtrack for Petulia, also scored by John Barry, and I just want the Alice soundtrack.

The icon I used for this post captures one of my favorite shots from the film. Look how well it matches Tenniel's illustration.

See all of the icons I made from the film. Thanks for the screenshots, Emily!

Alice, Meet Johnny Smith

The Dead Zone was a thought-provoking, creative television who. In Season 1, they closed an episode with a character reading aloud from the original book. Later on, for an unrelated episode, they released an image of Sarah and J.J. reading the book. (I made that into an icon.)

In Season 6, the episode Big Top revolved around an Alice in Wonderland-themed fair. The episode is airing right now as I'm typing this, and so far, so good. They are making multiple references to the show's pilot episode (they just showed The Wheel of Fortune, and I stifled a happy scream) AND staying true to Alice characters/depictions. They have gorgeous costumes and props. Though I wouldn't wear them together, I seriously want Alice's dress and knee-highs.

Disney's Wonderland

I'd much rather read the original book or watch the aforementioned musical than watch the Disney film. The inaccurate parts of Disney's adaptation annoy me too much. They changed things from the book, then brought in elements from Through the Looking Glass only to change those too. I didn't care for their depiction of Alice as I felt she was not as strong nor as intelligent as she was in the book.

(As a side note, my favorite Disney film is The Little Mermaid. I prefer that film to the original story, largely due to the story's tragic and religious ending.)

Charles in Charge

All of the research I've done about Charles Dodgson makes me feel as though he was an intelligent man who loved math, photography, and storytelling, but he didn't quite fit in society. I do not think he was the creepy guy that some assumptive persons would lead you to believe. I think Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was a smart, creative man who didn't fit into society or at least didn't have equal peers, and I think Alice Liddell was honored by the story she inspired.

Oh, if I could only have a little piece of each: I would love to inspire someone's story, and to share my own stories with the world. I am, at times, the White Rabbit for others, but then the results are for others, and I am peripheral yet again.

I am known to explain the difference between Dodgson and Lewis Carroll any time the opportunity presents itself. (Real name versus pen name. Real person, a really shy person, versus a famous name, a known author.)

The Book's Conclusion

I readily admit that I've never cared for the way the book ends. I have two main reasons for this: I felt as though her adventures hadn't quite reached a close, even with the trial and such. She makes a bold declaration, yes, but she was already bold and acted as such throughout the story. Then, when she wakes up, she has lovely thoughts and remarks, yet her sister's thoughts close the tale.

My Personal Conclusion

I love Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Time travel is one of my favorite topics. I'm fascinated by the concept, and I enjoy stories, movies, documentaries, and TV specials about it. Some rely heavily upon fantasy and imagination, while others discuss science and possibility.

The Boys are Back in Town by Christopher Golden is my favorite book which employs time travel. It is also one of my favorite books written by Golden, which is saying a lot, considering 1) how much I love his books and 2) how many books he's written.

What adult hasn't wondered what life would be like if things had been different in high school, and what teen hasn't wondered what they'd do when they grew up? Take those questions, those ideas, and darken them, then insert the twists of tragedy and forgotten (or altered) memories, and you've got The Boys are Back in Town.

When Will attends his ten-year reunion, he expects to catch up with old friends, not discover that one is dead. The victim is someone with whom he recently communicated, yet everyone else claims died in high school. In the blink of an eye, Will remembers the event, yet retains his 'regular' memories as well.

As the story continues, more memories are revealed. These aren't suppressed memories, but rather new-old memories. Altered memories. Someone or something is changing the minds of Will and his old friends. Finding the source - and the strength to stop it - will lead him on an imaginative journey readers will always remember.

If you know me - if you really know me - you might be able to figure out how this book connects to me. (Notice that I said "to," not "with.") Think you know? Leave a comment below!

Read the first three chapters of the book.

Additional Time Travel Picks

The Doll in the Garden by Mary Downing Hahn
This fantastic story has stayed with me for nearly twenty years. (Time travel! A cat! Consumption! Mary Downing Hahn! Of course I love it!) This book was written for children ages 8 and up. When a young girl follows a white cat under a hedge, she befriends another girl - one who is not from her time.

The Withern Rise Trilogy aka the Aldous Lexicon Trilogy by Michael Lawrence
This trilogy is shelved in teen fiction. It's great for adults as well. I really enjoyed what the author did with alternate realities and family lines. It is vital that you read the trilogy in order:
- A Crack in the Line
- Small Eternities
- The Underwood See

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Not necessarily one of my favorite books about this subject nor in general, but something that's worth reading. One of my close friends absolutely loves this story and took her online name from it. Since a bunch of my customers are currently reading this in class, I won't say anything more about it, as I want them to read the book with an open mind and draw their own conclusions.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
For his entire life, an "average" guy is afflicted with time travel. He doesn't get to choose when or where he goes, but instead of traveling back to a place and time like Ancient Egypt (where I'd like to go!), he ends up traveling to places and events which are always related to him or to his loved ones. Like The Boys are Back in Town, I can't tell you about a certain character without giving something important away, so go read the book, then leave a comment below. Like The Boys are Back in Town, this novel was written for adults, so it may be all right for older teens to read but has some language and scenes that may not be appropriate for younger readers.

Moving Pictures

My favorite time travel films include Somewhere in Time, Donnie Darko, and Frequency.

Somewhere in Time is based on the book Bid Time Return by Richard Matheson. I like the film much, much more than the book. I love the music John Barry created for the picture. He also provided the score for the 1972 live-action British musical film adaptation of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, another of my favorite films based on one of my favorite books.

Also, while Sliding Doors may not be precisely time travel, if you liked it and like that kind of alternate reality story, you should definitely read The Boys are Back in Town and the Withern Rise trilogy. Now.

I enjoy Doctor Who. I haven't seen the original series, but I've seen a good chunk of the new series with the Ninth and Tenth Doctors.

If you like stories about time travel, you may also like stories dealing with dystopia.

The dictionary says my identity should be all about being separate or distinct, and yet it feel like it is so wrapped up in others.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson is a stunning, fascinating novel. This eye-opening story which openly explores the concept of identity will stay on your mind for a long, long time.

Jenna was left comatose after a tragic accident. One year later, she awakens to a life she can't recall, a body she doesn't recognize, two parents and a grandmother doesn't really know, and a house she can't leave. Her parents want her to stay at home for a while in order to make full recovery and avoid a relapse. Their smiles are cautious, wary; her grandmother's smile is sad, almost bitter.

When Jenna watches old home movies, she can't help but think of herself as two people. (Since she narrates the story in first person, it's easy to follow this train of thought: there's "Jenna," dancing and smiling away on the recordings, and there's "I" or "me" watching them in the present day. Also, there are shaded pages, passages in which Jenna has mental confessions about the past, present, and future.) She knows she was a dancer, a daughter, a student, a friend, and that she was happy, but the most of this knowledge comes from outside sources rather than her own memories. She does not want to rely on what the videos show and what her family tells her - she wants to know herself, herself.

Bits and pieces of her past begin tug at the edges of her mind, but they are not always happy and rarely are they clear. If anything, these blurry scenes and feelings only make her more confused about what happened to her, with her, around her. With the help of others - some forthcoming and some reluctant - things begin to clear up. The edges of her mind are still jagged and raw. Tidbits scraping there only serve to open up old wounds and leave new scars.

Wanting to know who she was, why she is the way she is, and what happened the night of the accident, Jenna pushes her parents' buttons as well as her own physical and mental limits. Her arms, hands, legs and feet, which once were "perfect," don't look, feel, or move the way they used to, her physical changes being as obvious and frustrating to her as her mental blocks. Though she is at first scared and tentative, Jenna keeps trying to get to the bottom of things until she gets through to others and dares to walk on a new path.

Are the details of our lives who we are, or is it owning those details that makes the difference?

This book brings up many questions, not only physiological and psychological but also philosophical:

How much can you really trust your memories - and if you lose them, can you get them back? Can you get yourself back?

People often refer to the five senses, meaning mechanoreception (also called tactition, touch), gustation (taste), vision (sight), audition (sound), and olfaction (smell). But what about the sense of self? Doesn't that rely on other senses as well, like proprioception (body awareness), equilibrioception (balance), nociception (pain), and even thermoception (temperature)? How can and do you use sense memory to (re)construct your sense of self?

Maybe that is all any life is composed of, trivia that eventually adds up to a person, and maybe I just don't have enough of it yet to be a whole one.

I could easily reveal crucial elements of the story, but I'd rather conceal them, as I don't want to spoil or spill a drop for anyone. There's at least one story I want to compare to Adoration, but I am holding my tongue until Adoration is released in April 2008.

For now, I'll say:

This is one of the best stories I've read in months.

For now, I'll sing:

When the time we have now ends
When the big hand goes round again
Can you still feel the butterflies?
Can you still hear the last goodnight?
- from the song For Me This Is Heaven by Jimmy Eat World

Read my interview with Mary E. Pearson.

Read my review of Mary E. Pearson's novel A Room on Lorelei Street.

Visit www.theadorationofjennafox.com

( Watch the trailer )

Maureen Johnson tagged me for the Five Things Meme. This is very flattering, but because I don't have a camcorder and thus can't film my response like I'm supposed to, I think I'm going to disappoint her with this plain text list. I apologize . . . and I've structured this list accordingly.

So, without further ado, here are five things you probably don't know about me and my interest in films.

1) If I had a camcorder, I'd be more likely to make the screenplays that exist only in my head into actual movies. I'd also film booktalks for this blog and slices of life for my own record. Furthermore, I need to make some sort of acting reel.

2) If I could jump back in time and land on the MGM backlot during the heyday of musicals, I would. Oh, to have worked with Gene Kelly! I'd also want to work with Cary Grant and Barbara Stanwyck. There are others I could name, but those three would be at the top of my list.

3) If and when I create my own production company, I know what I'm going to call it. I'm not going to reveal that name here, because I'm paranoid that someone will steal it. That paranoia is also what stops me from posting any of my original fiction, scripts, or songs* here. (That, and the fact that I don't have a voice recorder of any kind.)

4) If I am watching a movie or television program and giving it my full attention, then I must think it's pretty good. Usually, I'm writing, reading, dancing, doing ten things at once. I'm constantly multi-tasking.

5) If my life were like the movies, then music would accent moods, entrances, and exits. I think that would be pretty snazzy. I constantly have music playing out loud or in my head, or I'm singing. I sometimes wake up with a song in my head, like my waking pressed the play button.

This would be far more interesting if it were a video, wouldn't it?

Christopher Golden tagged me for the same meme last year.

A list of my favorite films, in order of release:

Bringing Up Baby (1938) - comedy
My Favorite Wife (1940) - comedy
Ball of Fire (1941) - comedy
Laura (1944) - film noir
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) - film noir
Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) - comedy
Singin' in the Rain (1952) - best musical movie ever
North by Northwest (1959) - suspense
Charade (1963) - suspense
The Trouble with Angels (1966) - comedy
The Odd Couple (1970) - comedy
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972) - fantasy, musical, NOT the Disney version
The NeverEnding Story (1984) - fantasy
Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer (1985) - fantasy, animated
Anne of Green Gables (1986) - drama
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) - comedy
The Little Mermaid (1989) - animated, musical
Stargate (1994) - fantasy, action/adventure
Anastasia (1997) - animated, musical

As you can tell, my heart belongs to classic films and musicals.

I am a musical theatre girl. I sing, dance, and act. I write songs, scripts, screenplays, and stories. I love directing and choreographing.

I favor intelligent, thoughtful, witty, and clean pictures.

I will watch anything featuring Cary Grant, Gene Kelly, or Barbara Stanwyck.

Gene Kelly was a dancer, an actor, a singer, a director, a choreographer, and a visionary. I want to follow in his footsteps. I would have loved to have worked with him. I've read that he was a taskmaster, but that would be just fine with me.

Cary Grant was talented and classy. (Please join The English Muffin-Lovers Society if you are a Cary Grant fan!) He was able to do comedy and drama equally well.

The same can be said for Barbara Stanwyck. Look at her in Ball of Fire, then Double Indemnity. She was dynamic. Such a commanding presence.

Many of my favorite films are based on books.

If there's a film based on a book, I like reading the original book prior to seeing the film, but in some cases, I saw the movie when I was little and had to track down the book years later.

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers is based on a story entitled Love Lies Bleeding by John Patrick using the pseudonym Jack Patrick. I cannot find this story anywhere. I can't find any evidence of it ever having been published. If any of you know where I can find it, please tell me.

( Read more... )

Related Posts: I ramble about films, prompted by tlace; I posted before about my favorite films; and I think highly of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Some children wish they never had to grow up. They may be surprised to discover that plenty of adults feel the same way. Many people want to escape reality, to fly away. Rebels want to defy authority. Daredevils and wallflowers alike may yearn to go on magnificent adventures.

For all of these reasons and more, readers have been drawn to the tale of Peter Pan for over one hundred years. I myself have always liked the story - but not for any of the aforementioned reasons. For example, I have always liked Tinker Bell. ( Read more... )

Film and Stage Adaptations

While I like some of the songs from the stage musical, I cannot stand the fact that Peter Pan is played by an adult woman. I feel it defeats the purpose. It's supposed to be the story of a boy who never grows up. A boy. Not an adult woman who looks like a young boy. I really think that's kind of creepy. ( Read more... )

Book Adaptations

The author granted Great Osmond Street Hospital with the rights to the story. Now, in an effort to retain and extend those rights, the hospital has selected Geraldine McCaughrean to write a sequel. Her creation, Peter Pan in Scarlet, was released in October of 2006. Scarlet is not be the first book based on the story of the eternally youthful boy. Many authors and publishers have attempted prequels, sequels, and companions to Barrie's works. I love some and loathe others. ( Read more... )

If you have yet to read the original version of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, please do so. Thanks to Project Gutenberg, you may read it online.

The original version of article was featured in the September issue of The Edge of the Forest, a children's literature monthly.

For more about Tinker Bell and other fairies in fiction, please check out my Fairy Nice booklist.

If a book has a fairy on the cover, chances are I'll pick it up and read the plot summary. If it sounds good, I have to read the book. My two favorite fictional fairies - say that ten times fast - are Tinker Bell from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie and Tiki from The Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid Banks. I have been meaning to make a fairy booklist for quite some time, and now I will.

Classics
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
The Fairy Books by Andrew Lang

Artwork and Poetry
Flower Fairies books by Cicely Mary Barker (the originals, please)
In the Realm of the Never Fairies: The Secret World of Pixie Hollow, designed by Elizabeth Ryazantseva and Megan Krempels, with text by Monique Peterson and illustrations by The Disney Storybook Artists

Picture Books
The Tooth Fairy by Audrey Wood

Juvenile Fiction
The Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid Banks

Juvenile Series
Fairy Realm by Emily Rodda
Disney Fairies by various authors
The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

Teen Fiction
Tithe by Holly Black
Valiant by Holly Black
Ironside by Holly Black
Poison by Chris Wooding

Tink Tidbits

As mentioned earlier, I adore the character of Tinker Bell which J.M. Barrie created in the original version of Peter Pan. I also like Disney's depiction of her.

Now I'm her neighbor. Visit me in Pixie Hollow and leave me a message!

I cannot wait to see the Tinker Bell movie coming out this fall!

Related Posts: Peter Pan and Friends, Sassy Sidekicks of Children's Literature, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Looking for Clues

As a kid, I devoured every book I could get my hands on. (As an adult, I still do.) I loved mysteries. (As an adult, I still do.) I read the Cherry Ames books my mother had saved, the Meg mysteries we found, and anything and everything written by Mary Downing Hahn and John Bellairs.

I also read almost all of the original Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys books. I enjoyed the basic set-up and execution of the books. They had action, adventure, and espionage. Though they often dealt with risky business, the main characters always made it home safely, and there was a kind of comfort in knowing that, say, Bess wasn't going to be a murder victim.

While I worked my way through the originals, I also read the newer books (meaning the numbered paperbacks that each line continued to produce in the 1980s and 1990s) and spinoffs. I enjoyed the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Super Mysteries, which were crossovers, and The Nancy Drew Files, which were also known as The Nancy Drew Casefiles. They offered cruise ships and college trips, among many other things. The characters became more modern and relaxed, but the books were still written for young audiences.

The Nancy Drew Notebooks, created for a younger audience and re-launched last year as Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, started coming out when I was too old for them. I have not read any of the books in that series, nor have I read any from the short-lived Nancy Drew on Campus teen series or the contemporary Nancy Drew Girl Detective chapter book series. I read two of the Nancy Drew Girl Detective graphic novels and did not find them all that thrilling.

My favorite original Nancy Drew book is #16: The Clue of the Tapping Heels, which includes tap shoes, Morse code, and cats. I don't have a particular favorite Hardy Boys book.

Sleuths on Screen

The books, which started coming out in 1930, inspired various film and television adaptations. The movies came first. Nancy Drew ... Detective was filmed in 1938. The next year, they released Nancy Drew ... Reporter, Nancy Drew ... Trouble Shooter, and finally Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase.

The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries starting airing on television in 1977. Though I didn't see any of those episodes, I did watch the short-lived TV series that popped up in 1996. I also watched the made-for-TV movie simply titled Nancy Drew which aired in 2002. Maggie Lawson starred as the title character, who was in college rather than high school. The new Nancy Drew movie starring Emma Roberts as the teen detective opened in theatres on June 15th, 2007.

On the night that the new film opened, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) aired the four original Nancy Drew films back-to-back. I had never seen these films before. I found them entertaining, and I was pleasantly surprised by their campy nature. Nancy was not as straight-laced (and, dare I say, uptight) as the girl I had pictured her while reading the books. I liked kooky movie Nancy. I thought actress Bonita Granville was delightful.

Unlock the Mysteries

Want to learn more about the original books and their spinoffs? Wondering who really wrote the books? You simply have to visit Nancy Drew Sleuth, a comprehensive website created and maintained by Jenn Fisher, a writer, researcher, and consultant. Also check out the Wikipedia entries for Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys.

These series can also be found on my Sleuths and Spies Booklist.