Trixie Belden and the Mystery on Cobbett's Island

I loved the Trixie Belden series as a young teenager. The tales of her sleuthing with help from her brothers and friends were my favorites for years. The final books in the series published in the early 1980s were the first books I ever pre-ordered. I babysat my spoiled nephew to earn the cash to buy those books. At one time I had the entire set. All matching. Before I went to college, I sold the whole set to a 12-year old. I hope she loved them as much as I did! This year I decided to revisit the Bob-Whites of the Glen and Sleepyside, NY out of nostalgia. I have been working my way through this series a little bit at a time and enjoying every minute! Some of the books were re-released in new editions, but most are long out of print. show more Luckily, it is easy to find used copies cheaply.

The Mystery on Cobbett's Island is the 13th book in the series. There are 39 books in total. I enjoyed this sailing and treasure hunt themed story. The kids go on vacation to Cobbett's Island. Trixie finds an old letter hidden in a book, sending the kids on a treasure hunt for hidden money. The story is entertaining and the mystery is light, but interesting. Totally age appropriate for middle grade kids. The series is definitely dated, but still fun to read.

I love the book lists in the back of these old paperbacks...in the back of the old copy of Mystery at Cobbett's Island that I have it lists "The Meg Mysteries'' as a recommended series. I did a little bit of research....the Meg Mysteries is a series with a middle grade age amateur sleuth written in the late 60s. Sounds like a good series to try when I'm done re-visiting Trixie!

The first six books of the Trixie Belden series were written by Julie Campbell. The rest of the series was published under the pen-name Kathryn Kenny. The books were written by various authors all using this same pseudonym. It's very similar to how the Nancy Drew books were published. I wish I knew the names of the actual writers who penned the various books..... I never knew that Kathryn Kenny wasn't a real person until I was an adult. I hope all the writers who anonymously penned these great books for kids realized how much enjoyment they brought to all of us who read their work! show less

I loved this series when I was growing up; I thought Trixie was a lot more fun than Nancy Drew, and these were some of my all-time favorite books. I read them as an adult, though, a few years ago, and found that they haven't, IMO, stood the test of time well. They are obviously dated, and there are some messages that I don't think are appropriate anymore (mostly the way Trixie is treated differently - and often poorly - because she's a girl).

Trixie and her gang spend a week at a cottage on Cobbett's Island. While there, they get embroiled in a mystery involving a treasure map. This one is notable for the (unintentionally?) funny scene where Trixie and Jim dress up as tough hoods to blend in with the "rough crowd" at Jimmy's Place. Lol. Other than that, this mystery is pretty standard - the gang figures out the treasure map, finds the 1,000 dollars that had been hidden, saves it from a member of the "rough crowd" who was trying to outsmart them and get to it first, reforms him in a page, and gives the money to the rightful owners. All in a week's work!

A childhood favorite re-visited.

Is the story as good as I remember? – Yes

What ages would I recommend it too? – Ten and up.

Length? – Most of a day’s read.

Characters? – Memorable, several characters.

Setting? – Real world, pre - computer pre - air conditioning, pre - cell phone.

Written approximately? – 1964.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? Yes. A slight mention of the time frame of the story - as the teens are given far more freedom to come and go as they please than would be safe today. Also, the absence of computers, cell phones, and air conditioning in homes, especially the mansion.

Short storyline: Trixie Belden, show more Honey, Jim, and her brothers explore Cobbett's while on vacationing, and manage to stumble on a mystery to find the missing money of the former owner of the home next door.


Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No violence (only referred to from the past), no murder. show less

The bob-whites go on vacation. Trixie finds an old letter which sends them on a hunt for the hidden money. They learn to sail. They help their new friends on the island.