Trixie Belden and the Mystery Off Glen Road

I liked this one much better at fifty-something than I did at ten-something (and then at all of the re-read ages since). Back then it was never a favorite, possibly due to my youthful lack of interest in game preserves and poachers. I have retained that lack of interest as a grown-up but something about the whole story - the storm, the ring, the wrecked clubhouse, Trixie dressing up, the venison stew at Mr Maypenny's and the Thanksgiving party - all just struck me as so lovely.

The Mystery Off Glen Road is the 5th Trixie Belden Book. Trixie and the other members of their club, The Bob Whites of the Glen, worked hard to earn the money to repair their new clubhouse, the neglected old gatehouse on the Wheeler Estate. But a big storm hits, knocking down many trees around Sleepyside, NY, damaging the roof and one wall. The kids band together and volunteer to act as gamekeepers for Mr. Wheeler's game preserve on his large estate to earn money, and to ensure that Trixie's brother Brian can still buy the old car he's had his eye on for some time. While patrolling the game preserve looking for poachers, Trixie and Honey come across a dead deer and a rabbit in a snare. Someone is poaching on the Wheeler Estate after show more all! They need to catch the poachers to earn the $50 they need.

This story really isn't a mystery. It's more of an adventure with the kids trying to find out what is going on in the woods. It's also a heart-warming story about a sister who works really hard to make sure her brother gets his first car. The Bob Whites have a rule -- the only money they can use for the club has to be worked for and earned. They can't get money from their parents to help. So, it took a lot of work and effort to fix the old building up. The storm damage to their club is devastating for them because they have to earn enough to repair the damage quickly before the interior and furnishings are damaged. They all band together to solve the problem. I enjoyed this story! It was enjoyable to read about all the kids chipping in to repair their club house and help Brian.

The characters make me smile. Six year old Bobby is loud and precocious. Trixie's brother Mart likes to use big words to annoy his sister. They all roll their eyes at Brian and Jim a bit because they are so good and never do anything wrong. Trixie always seems to get them embroiled in a mystery or difficult situation. And....when faced with a dilemma....they all decide NOT to tell their parents, other club members, or the police. It always has to be a big secret because they are afraid of being in trouble or getting made fun of, etc. As an adult, I want to scream WILL YOU JUST TELL SOMEONE! But as a kid, I probably would have made the same decision to not tell any adults, or my friends, brothers, etc. :)

The Trixie Belden series has 39 books, written between 1948 and 1986. It's very similar to Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell. The rest of the series was written by various authors, under the pen name Kathryn Kenny. The first four books were reprinted about 10 years ago. The rest of the series is OOP. I found this book available online as a scan from OpenLibrary. They use Internet Archive to make available many OOP books. They also list ebooks available from Project Gutenberg and list publication information for any print books that are available. Some of the scans you can read online (several formats including pdf and mobi are available) and others you can borrow for a set period of time, just like a lending library. The site follows copyright laws. Only OOP books in public domain are available for download. Sign up for a free OpenLibrary account here: https://openlibrary.org/ It is a fabulous resource for finding older books that just aren't available any more! They have quite a few of the Trixie Belden books!

The photo accompanying the review is from the 1980s reprints of the books. I chose the picture because that's the version I owned as a girl. :) 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).

When a storm blows through Sleepyside, the Bob-Whites’ clubhouse is crushed by a fallen tree. Trixie, Honey, and their brothers set to work at the Wheelers’ game preserve to raise the money to repair it. Of course, no one expected Trixie to stumble across the trail of a dangerous poacher!

You know, I never loved Nancy Drew the way I loved Trixie. The Trixie Belden books are kind of like what Nancy Drew would have been like if George was the sleuth and Nancy the sidekick.

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? – 1956.

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 work as gamekeepers and discover the elusive Mr. Maypenny. Jim, Brian, and Mart struggle to repair the clubhouse before the winter storm hits.


Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No violence, no murder. show less

Love the kids and their relationships.