Friday, October 19, 2007

How much I like the different series books

So what do I really think about the different series showcased on my site? I have attempted to separate the series into groupings based on how much I like each series. This is very difficult since my opinion varies depending on my mood and how recently I have read any volumes in a certain series. If I were to rate these same series in a year, I would certainly rate a number of them differently. 

I read Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden when I was a child, and both series have heavily influenced me. The other series that I read when I first began collecting series books, including Judy Bolton and the Dana Girls, have also heavily influenced me. I tend to like books that are set in schools, such as colleges and boarding schools, and I also tend to like books that have mysteries which are set in various haunted places and adventures which take place in country settings. 

I do not like "travelogue" books very much, especially when the books include detailed history lessons. Because I do not like the travelogue books as much, I do not like many of the Vicki Barr and Shirley Flight books quite as much as other series books. Beverly Gray is an exception, since her travels are so exciting and never feel like a history lesson. 

I mention my likes and dislikes so that there is a point of reference for my opinions presented on this page. 

I have placed the books in groups that have a rating of 0 up to 5. The ones listed under 0 and 1 are series for which I find something lacking, although the books are readable and some books are still very good. All of the series listed under 2, 3, 4, and 5 are series that I very much like and the numbers represent how great that liking is. The series listed under 5 are my very favorite series. 

With the exception of the books listed under 5, the books are listed in random order within each section. The books that are rated 5 are listed in order by how much I like them, and these books will almost certainly be in the same order in another year. 

 5 = My favorites 

Nancy Drew 
Beverly Gray 
Outdoor Girls 
Sara Gay 
Trixie Belden 
Girl Scouts Mystery Series (Fairfax) 

4 = Very, very good series 

Sally Baxter 
Peggy Lane 
Adventure Girls by Clair Blank 
Boy Scout Explorers by Palmer (Wirt) 
Brownie Scouts by Wirt 
Judy Bolton 
Connie Blair 

3 = Very good series 

Blythe Girls 
Dana Girls 
Penny Parker 
Perry Pierce 
Mexican Mystery Stories for Girls by Helen Randolph 
Ruth Darrow 
Madge Sterling 
Flash Evans 
Doris Force 

2 = Good series 

Kay Tracey 
Girls of Central High 
Moving Picture Girls 
Trailer Stories for Girls 
Dot and Dash 

1 = So-so series which do have some very good books 

Shirley Flight 
Vicki Barr 
Girl Scouts by Wirt 
Dan Carter 
Penny Nichols

0 = Below average series 

Melody Lane 
Whitman Authorized Editions

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