nancy draw, bold and bright, turns 90 in 2020! Although I grew up reading the original Nancy Drawn mystery stories (first published in 1930 and in subsequent volumes for decades), the series has undergone a number of major transformations. These spin-offs include the Modern Diaries of Nancy Drew, a series of graphic novels, as well as versions of simpler stories such as Nancy Drew and The Clue of the Crew which feature Nancy as only eight years old. Here’s a hint: even in elementary school and in illustration format, little Nancy is still a wonder at solving mysteries.
In each new series, Nancy Drew has remained a positive role model: a strong, independent and fearless teenage detective who keeps a cool head under pressure. Given the popularity of the mystery genre for independent readers in the K-12 grades, we’ve discovered similar reads that embody the Nancy Draw character we parents know and love—and grew up with!
You are reading: Books similar to nancy drew
Each of the mystery series revealed below features a resourceful heroine with a knack for seeking the truth, leading the reader to unravel puzzles and suspense alongside her.
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1. cam jansen is a detective girl you should meet. Blessed with a photographic memory, she is curious and assertive, qualities every young detective needs to solve crime. This is a great transitional series for kids ready to move on from easy-to-read titles. start with book one of the series by david a. adler: cam jansen #1: the mystery of the stolen diamonds.
2. Alice Jones is fearless, besides being smart, a math whiz. In The Impossible Clue, she is recruited to solve the disappearance of a local scientist who went missing while working to create a prized invisibility suit. Is this a case of science gone wrong or is something more sinister responsible for Dr. disappearance of the student?
3. In the plot of the mastermind, eleven-year-old ezanna snow is the resourceful young detective who stars in the edwardian-based mystery series suzanna snow, by angie frazier. She dreams of being like her uncle Bruce, a famous detective, and with a lot of determination, curiosity, and observation skills, she will surely succeed.
4. Secret Coders by gene luen yang is the first in a series of unique graphic novels about amazing kid coders who use their coding skills to uncover mysteries. Hopper is a 12-year-old Chinese-American girl who moves to a new school only to discover that she is creepy and mysterious. Fitting in is hard, but Hopper befriends Eni, and together they set out to discover the perplexing nature of her strange new school.
5. In Rick Riordan’s 39 Clues series, orphans Amy and Dan compete with their less-than-well-meaning relatives around the world to uncover the 39 clues their recently deceased grandmother has left behind for a valuable treasure. Amy and Dan, typical brawling siblings, must work together to find and decipher the clues while staying one step ahead of the competition. start the adventure with book one, the maze of bones.
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6. Michael Buckley’s Sisters Grimm Series is an exciting mystery adventure series set in a community of well-known fairy tale characters. Sent to live with their grandmother (whom they thought was dead) after her parents disappeared, sisters Daphne and Sabrina Grimm investigate what exactly happened to their parents.
7. The first in a trilogy by kate messner, capture the flag tells the story of anna, jose and henry when they get stuck at the washington dc airport during a snow storm, And find out that the original American flag has been stolen from the Smithsonian! Anna, an aspiring news reporter, is determined to solve the crime with the help of her friends.
not enough? delve into the mystery & suspenseful books for all ages at the scholastic online store.
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