Mystery Box: A Novel about the Creators of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780812626803)

Mystery Box is the story of Franklin Dixon and Carolyn Keene, authors of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries. It's true that these two never actually lived in the real world, but the mystery of their identities has intrigued readers for years. Gordon McAlpine here imagines the lives behind these two well-loved American names.Following parallel escapes from awkward situations at home, Frank and Carolyn both find themselves in Paris in the 1920s, among the glittering expatriate literary circles. Frank, who initially made the trip overseas in search of his lost brother Joe, now runs his own detective agency and frequents the parlor of Gertrude Stein. Carolyn, who left River Heights when her young stepmother made her feel unneeded, has befriended Hemingway and Fitzgerald is trying to craft her own writing style. At the same time, though, Frank and Carolyn each pursue personal mysteries, deeper than those ever undertaken by their youthful characters. the world is full of betrayal and disillusionment. To find themselves, they must find each other?and the truths contained in their soon-to-be written fictions.

Author: Gordon McAlpine
ISBN-10: 081262680X
ISBN-13: 9780812626803
Publisher: Cricket Books
Language: English
Published: 09/16/2003
Pages: 190
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.86lbs
Size: 8.49h x 5.81w x 0.85d

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.8
Point Value: 7
Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus
Quiz #/Name: 87311 / Mystery Box


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Review - Children 10/01/2003 pg. 1227
School Library Journal 12/01/2003 pg. 157
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2003 pg. 111 - Below Average, With Minor Flaw
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2004 pg. 111 - Below Average, With Minor Flaw