It is a mystery to me

I have always been a voracious reader. At times I read age-appropriate books and other times I did not. I could thrill to the "adventures" of Mr. Popper in Mr. Poppers' Penguins while simultaneously reading an in-depth look at the Revolutionary War. I was intimately familiar both with the Napoleonic Wars and the story of A Wrinkle in Time by the time I was 12.

Nor were my interests just genre specific. I read a lot of history, a fair amount of comedy, a lot of sports-related material, plenty of "young-adult" fare (a generic term for stories that may not fit any other genre), a few biographies, and a lot of westerns. One category that seldom caught my attention was mysteries, but there were a couple exceptions.

The first, of course, would be the well-known Hardy Boy series. The second was a much more unlikely selection for a healthy young American male. After all, in the 80s you had to demonstrate your masculinity I suppose. And to be certain, I was somewhat aggressive in that way...I was a fairly decent baseball and basketball player, below average in football, and played a lot of tennis as well. I was athletic. Picture such a normal American teen boy...reading Nancy Drew.

Both series, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, had a lot going for them. It is hard to pick out the best Teenage mystery series. The Hardy Boys had a great advantage. To start with, they had numerous athletic friends. Being male, fist-fights were a regular part of their adventures. They traveled the world. They boated, flew airplanes, road motorcycles...they were a blood-pumping, adrenaline fueled globe-trotting group. Amazingly, at least Chet and often enough Biff or whatever other "muscle" they needed had sufficient cash to travel the world with them. As if that was not enough advantage, the Hardys' father was a famous detective. Hence, they had credibility, connections, and ready made rescuers and the ability for a wide, wide range of adventures. By contrast, Nancy, being female, naturally solved a less violent kind sort of mystery. Her perils were much different but the mysteries were a bit more cerebral. Plus, her friends were prettier. Sure, the Hardys had Callie Shaw and Ms. Morton to date Joe and Frank...but Nancy was the STAR.

Of course, the Hardys also had the color advantage. Nancy Drew books were bound in a sickly yellow whereas the Hardys got an attractive blue.

So what was the best teen mystery series? I think the answer is clear. Trixie Belden. Who cares about the stories, she had the coolest name! Right, Trixie?