Kathryn Kenny

Another really fun one. A true milestone in the Trixie series: Dan actually got to go somewhere with the Bob-Whites!! Hey, I think it's the first and only time, poor guy. The Bob-Whites are in the Catskills, at Miss Trask's family home, which is a pirate themed inn! Miss Trask, girl, you have been holding out on us. Who knew she was so cool? And there's a real mystery to be solved. One of her ancestors disappeared in a room full of people, seconds before he would have been arrested by show more British soldiers. Miss Trask's brother, Frank, announces he's solved the mystery and right before he is able to explain, he disappears too!
His loan is due to be paid, and the safe is empty. Miss Trask doesn't know where he hid the money, but if the Bob-Whites don't find Frank before seven o'clock, the Inn will belong to Nick, who loaned Frank the money. show less

I do not know how many times I've read this book - I do know that it's a lot. A lot of times. Re-reading it here in 2022 because I am in the mood for this kind of feeling, and you may not know what that means unless you, too, have a book series that you more or less centered your childhood around.

I believe this was the first Trixie Belden that I read, and I think my copy cost 85¢, brand new. (Update: I was wrong. It cost $1.25.) I now own almost all of them, some of them in multiple copies, show more most of them with my first- or second- or third-grade signature on the inside cover. It is interesting to me that I never wanted to actually be one of the characters in this series, I never wished that they could be my friends in real life and I never had any desire to join them on any of their adventures. I was just so happy to read about them and that's where I wanted them to stay. In the book where they belonged.

I did not love every book in the series (actually there are a few I still have not read). But this one in particular was always one of my favorites. show less

Principal Stratton wants to get rid of all clubs in Sleepyside High School, including the Bob-Whites! The only way they can save their club is to prove that they help out other people, too. Trixie quickly comes up with a plan to host a benefit antique show and sale. But are the precious antiques in danger from thieves?

I have been happily re-reading the Trixie Belden series over the past few weeks. When I was in middle school in the 80's, this was my favorite book series. I received new books for nearly every holiday, and babysat my ill-behaved nephew to earn money to buy more of the books. Those trips to Walden Books at the mall to get another Trixie book are what started my love of bookshops! I had the entire series, and I remember being so excited when two new books came out in the late 80s. Then the show more series came to an end.....and I went off to college. I sold my full set of books to a middle school aged girl at a garage sale for 25 cents apiece. I hope she got as much enjoyment from them as I did!

I didn't think about Trixie Belden for years and years. Then, I found a couple old Nancy Drew books at a local thriftshop. That got me to thinking about books I enjoyed as a kid.....and the first one that popped into my head was Trixie! I decided I needed to re-visit my old pals from Sleepyside, NY. I still enjoy this series, even though I look at things with an adult mindset now and notice things I didin't see when I was a young girl reading them for the first time.

Trixie Belden and the Marshland Mystery is the 10th book in the series. Trixie and her bestie, Honey Wheeler, venture out to a nearby swamp to gather plants. They are going to give them to a teacher, Miss Bennett, whose book of pressed herbs was damaged by a careless student. The plants will allow her to restore her book. Little do they realize they are going to uncover a mystery of sorts in the swamp as well! Soon their club, The Bob-Whites of the Glen, are hunting for a missing child, looking for lost pirate treasure, and helping an elderly woman.

I'm not sure this story was really a mystery....more of an adventure for the teens and gathering clues to find out what exactly happened to a little girl while she was missing. Trixie learned a few lessons about jealousy, jumping to conclusions and forgiveness. All in all, despite there not really being any "mystery'', this was a fun, relaxing read and a great visit to Sleepyside!

And poor Dan Marsdon appears to have disappeared out of the books entirely. He was introduced as a new Bob-Whites member a couple books back. Then in the book after that he was mentioned only twice. And in this book.....no Dan at all. I guess Dan is a bit like Richie Cunningham's older brother on Happy Days....there one day, went upstairs.....never seen again. He never even got his picture added to the cute illustration of all the Bob-Whites on the pastedown pages at the front of the book. I wonder if he will be back? I have a theory for what happened to Dan..... The first six books of the Trixie Belden series were written by Julie Campbell. The rest of the series was written by various authors all using the pen-name Kathryn Kenny. So perhaps one author added the Dan character, but the next book was written by someone else....and they didn't like the character? Or the books were written concurrently, and the two mentions of Dan added to the story at the beginning and end of the book were added for continuity. Then...next book, no Dan at all, with no explanation. Poor, unloved Dan. :)

There are 39 books in the Trixie Belden series, written from 1948-1986. The stories, although a bit dated, are fun, quick reads.

On to book #11! Maybe Dan will be back! ha ha :) show less