Nancy Drew Creator Mildred Benson (aka Carolyn Keene) passed on....

She made $125 per book for the first 23 books which she had written. She received no royalties and signed an agreement not to reveal she was the author. Only in 1980 during a trial was her authorship revealed.

I love this part...

The new Nancy Drew books which feature a girl who hangs out at the mall, rollerblades and wears halter-tops - she always refused to sign her autograph to.

That's class. That's spunky.

The publishing company Simon & Schuster prostitutes her character into a no-class, mall-vegetable and she stands her ground - these are NOT Nancy Drew books - this girl is NOT Nancy Drew.

No sell out here.

While I confess I was more familiar with the Hardy Boys, Frank and Joe, and their porky friend Chet, while growing up - I did read a Nancy Drew book or two.

While her writing was not critically acclaimed - it provided a service to young girls and gave them a role model worth looking up to. Smart is cool. Don't cower when confronting villiany. Drive a roadster and have some fun!

She helped many a child pass the hours on a rainy night, helped girls learn to read during the depression and beyond, gave courage to the timid and an appreciation of having a sense of right and wrong.

A nice contribution by any standard.

Best wishes,

SDAI-Tech1