Children's Book Author
By the time I was born, this neighborhood was already well-established. But 20 years earlier, a neighbor’s friends asked why he had moved out to the country. There were horses in the neighborhood then, he said. Of course, there were … Continued
I’ve said many times that Nancy Drew is perfect. But don’t take my word for it. Let’s see how author Carolyn Keene describes her in The Haunted Bridge: Nancy was an only child, but the fact that she had neither … Continued
I’ve mentioned many times that my neighborhood is smack dab in the middle of Suburbia. Not a farm or barnyard in sight. So it always surprises me to find signs of chicken life. Literally. Signs of chicken life. These two … Continued
Years ago, I worked on a PR project for a local restaurant that required me to peruse all kinds of delicious food writing. In the book Home Cooking, Laurie Colwin had this to say about chicken salad: “Like the little … Continued
The Chinese New Year begins on Saturday, when we usher in The Year of the Rooster. Here in the neighborhood, we have always had a fondness for roosters. We put them on mailboxes and fence posts. We put them on … Continued
Chinese New Year begins this Saturday — the Year of the Rooster. Let’s celebrate by looking at a few of the Nancy Drew books that involve Chinese culture. More specifically, three of the ones that involve encounters with Chinese dragons. … Continued
What happens when you tear down the neighborhood bank? Well, this past fall, we had a chance to find out. Apparently, the bank building falls down. But not the bank vault. Three months later, the bank vault is still standing. … Continued
My daughters will never know a world without cell phones. Or without the neighborhood cell phone tower. It would amaze them to know that Nancy Drew not only managed to survive, but actually thrive, in a world without cell phones. … Continued
In Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, there’s rarely any doubt about who the criminals are. Oh, sure, sometimes masks are involved. But even when they’re not, the criminals are still easy to spot from a mile away. Just look at how … Continued
