This is a fictional, mystery book. There are very few pictures in this book but the few that are in it are black and white drawn with a black ink pen. The content is about a girl named Nancy Drew who loves to solve mysteries. She goes to Shadow Ranch in Phoenix, Arizona for a fun vacation, but it quickly turns into a mind-blowing mystery and disaster. The ranch is being haunted by a phantom horse that people suspect is the curse of Dirk Valentine. He was killed several years ago but comes back to protect his promise he made to his sweetheart and protect the treasure he left for her. With the help of her friends, Bess and George, Nancy is trying to solve the mystery of the phantom horse and find the treasure he left behind. I think the reading level for this book is fourth grade. The curricular connections in this book are; mystery, treasure, adventure, friendships, and suspense. ( )

This is easily in my top ten favorite Nancy Drew list. I have the version of the story from the 1950s, which I'm told is different from the 1930s version in plot points, though it is the full 25 chapters.

Since it's a Nancy Drew, it is of course subject to the laws of all Nancy Drew stories, so I don't suppose there's much purpose in commenting on them. In this book, she, Bess, and George go with a friend to a ranch in the mountains in the West where they do exciting things like ride horses on trails, get caught in thunderstorms, locked in shacks, and threatened by poisonous snakes.

What I like about The Secret at Shadow Ranch is the interaction between Nancy, Bess, and George. I love the two friends and I'm always so pleased when they get plenty of screen time (so to speak), and even happier when they're allowed to have personalities. I mean, they're still subject to the Nancy Drew Universe Laws, where George is boyish and adventurous and Bess is plump and a bit silly, but they felt a bit less two-dimensional than usual here.

Also, thinking back on it, I don't think the mystery was completely transparent the way it can be in the Stratemeyer Syndicate series. It wasn't crazy difficult to figure out before Nancy, but I also didn't know the end result as soon as the culprits were introduced, either. ( )

Great for 4th or 5th graders. Very interesting and educational. ( )

This shows a shift in the Nancy Drew series story line. George is introduced and the first mention of Ned. The transition is not smooth but the story is very good. Worth reading.

This one is one of my favorites, it's also a computer game. ( )