IN MY HOME TOWN OF PAULSBORO, NEW JERSEY, AS A CHILD I WAS BEGINNING TO BURGEON INTO A MOST VORACIOUS READER. THE 'LITTLE GOLDEN BOOKS' WERE AMONG MY INTRODUCTION TO THE WRITTEN WORD. MY SPECIAL FAVORITES, 'THE SAGGY BAGGY ELEPHANT' AND 'LITTLE BLACK SAMBO' I READ REPEATEDLY. MY MOTHER LATER PURCHASED A SERIES SET OF GRIMMS' FAIRY TALES BOOKS THAT I REVELED IN. AMONG THESE TREASURES WERE 'ALICE IN WONDERLAND' AND 'ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS', THE CLASSIC LEWIS CARROLL STORIES THAT HAD ME ENCHANTED. ALICE, HER CAT DINAH, AND THE OTHER MARVELOUS CHARACTERS WERE BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED. THE TIMELESS TALES OF HEIDI, BY JOHANNA SPYRI, WERE ALSO AVIDLY READ BY THE HOUR.

IN 1958 I WAS INEXPLICABLY AND IRRESISTABLY DRAWN INTO THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD OF NANCY DREW, AS ENCOURAGED BY MY MOTHER. YEARS LATER MY RESEARCH INCLUDES THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF RELATED BOOKS IN SERIES READING AND BOOK COLLECTING.

IMAGINE WE ARE BROWSING IN OUR FAVORITE USED BOOKSTORE. I RUN IMMEDIATELY TO THE NANCY DREW SECTION WHEN WE ENTER. WHAT OTHER SERIES BOOKS MIGHT WE FIND HERE? DO YOU LOOK FOR DANA GIRLS BOOKS, ALSO WRITTEN BY THE AUTHOR OF NANCY DREW [CAROLYN KEENE]? 'THE RIDDLE OF THE FROZEN FOUNTAIN' IS INTERESTING. THE MOST POPULAR AND COMMONLY FOUND SERIES INCLUDE RUTH FIELDING, BEVERLY GRAY MYSTERY STORIES, JUDY BOLTON, AND DOROTHY DALE, FOR FEMALE READERS. MALE READERS, WHAT FAVORITES FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD ARE ON YOUR SEARCH VENTURE?

THE HARDY BOYS, FRANK AND JOE, BEGAN THEIR SLEUTHUING EXPLOITS IN 1927, AS RELATED BY FRANKLIN W. DIXON. THE BOOKSHELVES ARE ALSO LIKELY TO CONTAIN BOOKS ON THE ROVER BOYS SERIES, THAT PREMIERED IN 1899, BY ARTHUR M. WINFIELD. THRILLING ADVENTURE TALES ARE FOUND IN THE PAGES OF THE TOM SWIFT SERIES. MR. VICTOR APPLETON WROTE OF 'TOM SWIFT AND HIS OCEAN AIRPORT', 'TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY TRAIN, AND 'TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC GRANDMOTHER'. AMONG THE FORTY STORIES IN THIS POPULAR SERIES IS THE INVENTIVE 'TOM SWIFT AND HIS TALKING PICTURES'--------TELEVISION!!! IN THIS STORY ONE OF THE MOST ECCENTRIC CHARACTERS IS MR. WAKEFIELD DAMON. HIS HABIT OF 'BLESSING' VARIOUS OBJECTS IS MOST UNIQUE, SUCH AS 'BLESS MY STORAGE BATTERY!', 'BLESS MY FAVORITE DETECTIVE STORY!', 'BLESS MY CRANBERRY SAUCE!', AND 'BLESS MY RUBBER BOOT!'. THESE AND SIMILAR EXCLAMATIONS ARE SPRINKLED LIBERALLY IN THIS STORY.

THE 'KIDDIES' IN OUR USED BOOKSTORE WILL FIND PLENTY OF FUN STORIES IN THEIR AGE RANGE. THE MOST REVERED SERIES FOR CHILDREN IS THE BOBBSEY TWINS, CREATED BY LAURA LEE HOPE IN 1904.THE CUTE BUNNY BROWN SERIES, ALSO CREATED BY LAURA LEE HOPE IN 1904 MIGHT BE ON THE BOOK SHELVES TOO. RARE CHILDREN'S SERIES SUCH AS THE DICK AND DOLLY BOOKS AND THE TWINS SERIES ARE FROM THE 1930's. MORE RARE AND DIFFICULT-TO-FIND BOOKS LIKE THE CURLYTOPS SERIES AND THE BROTHER AND SISTER SERIES, FROM THE EARLY 1900's, ARE WORTH THE SEARCH.

THE EARLY SERIES BOOKS THAT INVOLVED TRAVEL TO MANY DISTANT PLACES BY VARIOUS CONVEYANCES DELIGHTED READERS OF DIFFERENT AGES. CONSIDER YOURSELF FORTUNATE IF YOU FIND THESE IN OUR BOOK STORE: THE MOTOR GIRLS SERIES, THE MOTOR BOYS SERIES, THE AUTOMOBILE GIRLS AT NEWPORT, THE RAILROAD SERIES FROM THE 1920's, AND THE TRAILER SERIES FOR GIRLS. THE GUYS WHO LIKE TO TAKE TO THE SKY WILL SOAR ON CLOUD 9 WITH TALES OF SPACE TRAVEL, AIRPLANES AND OTHER ADVENTURES IN THE BOOK PAGES OF YESTERYEAR. THE TED SCOTT FLYING SERIES WAS WRITTEN WHEN LINDBERGH AND ADMIRAL BYRD FLEW, IN 1927. THE AUTHOR, FRANKLIN W. DIXON, WHO BEGAN PENNING THE HARDY BOYS SERIES IN 1927, CREATED TWENTY BOOKS IN THIS HIGH-FLYING SERIES.

'IN THE AIR WITH ANDY LANE', CREATED IN THE 1930's, TELLS OF THE LATEST AND MOST DEVELOPED MACHINES IN AVIATION. GOOD FORTUNE WILL FAVOR YOU IF YOU FIND THE LUCKY TERRELL FLYING STORIES, BY CANFIELD COOKE. THE BOOKSHELVES CONTAIN MORE FLIGHT ADVENTURES--- SO FLY OVER TO FIND THESE:

ROCKET RIDERS, BY HOWARD GARIS

THE GREAT MARVEL-9 BOOKS BY ROY ROCKWOOD

THE AIRSHIP BOOKS

RUTH DARROW FLYING STORIES

AIRSHIP ANDY

WHAT TREASURES DID YOU FIND? WE ARE DOING SOME MORE LOOKING IN OUR FICTIONAL BOOKSTORE AND WE FIND THE VARIETY INCREDIBLE. THE AIR SERIES BOOKS FROM THE 1920's DEALT WITH 'MODERN' TECHNOLOGY AND CURRENT THEMES FOR THEIR READERS. THE RADIO BOYS SERIES IS FASCINATING READING ABOUT MAKING RADIO SETS, SENDING AND RECEIVING MESSAGES FOR FUN AND ADVENTURE. 'THE RADIO BOYS FIRST WIRELESS' IS THE BEGINNING TRANSMISSION FOR YOUR READING HERE. THE RIDDLE CLUB, CONSISTING OF THREE GIRLS AND THREE BOYS, SOLVE RIDDLES AND MYSTERIES AT HOME, IN CAMP, AND OTHER PLACES--- SEE WHAT YOU CAN DISCOVER WITH THEM. NOW SCRUTINIZE THE BOOK SHELVES AND HUNT FOR THESE: MOTION PICTURE CHUMS, MYSTERY HUNTERS, AND THE JACK RANGER SERIES--- GOOD HUNTING!!!

TALES OF RANCH LIFE ARE TOLD BY JAMES CODY FERRIS IN WESTERN STORIES. READ ABOUT ROY AND TEDDY, AND THE COWBOYS OF 'THE X BAR X RANCH'--- SADDLE UP FOR THESE: X BAR X BOYS AT NUGGET CAMP, AT THE BISON TRAIL--- AND MORE IN THIS 22-BOOK SERIES FROM THE 1920's.

TARZAN FANS!!! JUNGLE THRILLS GALORE ARE TEEMING IN THE WILDS OF AFRICA--- SWING OVER TO THE BOOKSHELVES FOR THESE EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS CLASSICS. BOMBA, THE JUNGLE BOY ALSO HAD ENCOUNTERS WITH WILD ANIMALS IN 20 BOOKS BY ROY ROCKWOOD. RUDYARD KIPLING CREATED 'THE JUNGLE BOOKS', EXCITING READING FOR ANYONE AT ANY TIME.

IT IS NOW TIME FOR ME TO END THIS VISIT TO OUR FICTIONAL USED BOOKSTORE. I HAVE ALREADY SCRUTINIZED THE NANCY DREW BOOKS [SEE HER PAGE ON THIS WEBSITE] AND FOUND WHAT I LIKE. YOU CAN VISIT HERE ANYTIME YOU LIKE--- I HOPE YOUR SEARCH IS SUCCESSFUL AND ENJOYABLE, CONTACT ME ANYTIME [BY E-MAIL] WITH YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT SERIES BOOK READING. HAVE FUN!!!

STEPHANIE