Nancy Drew #53 The Sky Phantom

In Nancy Drew #53, The Sky Phantom,  Nancy, Bess, and George stay at Hamilton Ranch, somewhere in the Midwest, while Nancy takes flying lessons at the Excello School.  Popular pilot Roger Paine has disappeared along with his plane.  Pop Hamilton's favorite horse, Major, has also disappeared.  Meanwhile, a strange cloud stays in one spot in the sky.  Planes that fly too close to or into the cloud lose control due to a magnetic force from within the cloud.

The book also has a subplot in which Bess has fallen in love with one of the cowboys, Chuck, and is worried about whether she should stay and marry him or whether she should remain true to Dave.  I remember how traumatized Bess was about the idea of marriage in The Invisible Intruder, so I say that she should dump both of them.  She's not ready for marriage!

I was never able to get into this story, simply because I did not care about Roger Paine or Major.  I never care as much about missing people and animals when they have not been introduced in the text prior to their disappearance.  The book gave me no reason to care.

I ran some online searches, trying to figure out whether a puffy cloud could stay in one place and be magnetic.  I could find nothing.  While a magnetic stationary cloud is interesting, I find it implausible.

A burr incident with a horse occurs on page 45, and this incident is just like one from The Secret of Shadow Ranch, 1965 revised text.  In both books, an unfriendly cowboy places a burr under the blanket of Nancy's horse.

On page 78, Nancy and Bruce investigate the cloud after Roger Paine's plane disappears into it.  They find nothing.  Bruce comments, "I guess it's just a hiding place for the sky phantom."  Say what?  Planes have a continuous forward motion.  A plane can't hide inside a cloud for an indefinite period of time.

Bruce flies back into the cloud, and they see a dark cloud inside shaped like a giant.  Soon after, the dark cloud reforms into the shape of a lion.  The giant inside the cloud is the image used for the cover art of this story.  And of course, the cover art is stupid.  This is the only Nancy Drew book that has Frankenstein's monster on the cover.

Nancy discovers a cave, an above ground cave.  The cave is full of mice and falling oily rain.  How very odd.  On page 117, Nancy tells Mr. Wade that since the oil comes from above ground that whoever owns the hill would have the rights to the oil.  Are we expected to believe that this above ground cave has a large supply of oil?

It turns out that a group of revolutionaries have buried weapons in the ground underneath the cloud.  This cloud must never move; it's a permanent fixture like a tree. 

The revolutionaries even went to the trouble of labeling the boxes so that Nancy and Ned would know that the boxes contain rifles and bombs.  How considerate!  We wouldn't want Nancy to open a box and accidentally touch a rifle or a bomb!

This is not one of the better higher-numbered Nancy Drew books.  While reading, I kept thinking about how the writing of Harriet Adams was noticeably going downhill as these books were published.

Nancy Drew #52 The Secret of the Forgotten City

In Nancy Drew #52, The Secret of the Forgotten City, Nancy, Bess, George, Ned, Burt, and Dave go on an archaeological expedition to Nevada.  They will work with a group from the University of Nevada, but Mrs. Wabash has also enlisted their help in finding an underground forgotten city.  Mrs. Wabash has a number of gold petroglyphs which contain a hidden message.  Unfortunately, Fleetfoot Joe steals Mrs. Wabash's petroglyphs, so Nancy must try to locate Fleetfoot Joe and the petroglyphs.

The manner in which the book begins is not a good sign of what will follow.  Ned plays a guessing game with Nancy, starting with exclaiming, "Au! Au! Au!"  Even Nancy expresses exasperation, which is nothing compared to how I, as the reader, felt.

The villain, Fleetfoot Joe, has a name that is too similar to Swahili Joe from The Spider Sapphire Mystery.  Both names sound catchy, but a different name should have been used in this book.  How about Fleetfoot Jack?  Or Fleetfoot Bob?  Perhaps not.

The villains get right down to business, attacking Mrs. Wabash on page 3.  Togo is taken away by one of the villains on page 18, and the villains wiretap the Drew home on page 31.
  
On page 40, we learn that Nancy owns a guitar, which just seems kind of random to me.

Nancy decides to make a fake copy of the one petroglyph tablet that was not stolen.  The boys bring Nancy a slab of rock that is presumably the same dimensions as the tablet.  How convenient!  Nancy uses modern chipping tools to reproduce the carvings from the original tablet.  Since Nancy is excellent at everything, she does so perfectly.  Last, Nancy just happens to know what substances to mix together to use to age the tablet.  After 30 minutes, she rubs off the paste and then waxes the imitation tablet.

From page 41, "The original and new tablets were compared, and it was agreed that anyone except an expert on artifacts would be fooled by the substitution."  Wow.

On page 84, Nancy and George lie down on the ground in the desert to rest.  They get what they deserve when a scorpion crawls on Nancy.  It seems to me that the girls could have rested in the car, but what do I know?

On pages 87 and 88, the young people giggle about the names they keep hearing while in a hotel, names like Shirley Rainbow and Rosemary Bluebird.  A big deal is made about how these names must be those of famous people who are there incognito.  Maybe it's just me, but if I were famous and at a hotel, I'd just pick an ordinary name to use—like maybe the one I actually have, Jennifer White.  A name like mine would draw far less attention than a name like Rosemary Bluebird.

On page 92, Nancy invites Wanna Antler (Okay, so this must be a fake name, right?) to join the archaeological expedition.  The next thing we know, Miss Antler is "leading the way to the spot where she thought they should make camp and work."  Miss Antler is now in charge?

On page 98, Nancy knows all sorts of different Spanish dialects.  She correctly guesses which dialect is spoken by the Mexicans and is able to speak fluently with them. Amazing!

The young people come up with this stupid code to use when they want to speak privately but are afraid of eavesdroppers.  They make up some nonsense statement, and the others can figure out the real meaning by using the third word in each sentence.  Ned uses this code on page 114.

"Run, because you should be in the shade.  Desert sunburns are deadly.  Any person being caught here is a target.  Be on watch for sunstroke."

Um, okay.  Nancy has to take a moment to figure out the message, which is "You are being watch."  She then runs after Ned, who tells her that Fleetfoot Joe was watching them (Is it bad that I almost typed Swahili Joe?).  Wouldn't it be easier and more to the point for Ned to just yell, "Run!" and then take off?  I'm sure Nancy would follow him, wouldn't she?

On page 127, Bess and Dave use a tube of statuary cement to repair a clay doll that Bess had found.  I am horrified that two young people would take it upon themselves to make a permanent repair to an artifact.  But then, on page 135, the museum curator tells them that they "did a great job mending this.  Very professional looking.  It is perfect."  Fine, I'll shut up now.

But the worst is yet to come on pages 140 and 141.  The young people take a skeleton that had been excavated and jiggle it around, making it dance.  Later, they use the skeleton to scare the other people on the camp.  Not only is this disrespectful of the dead, but they are running the risk of damaging important archaeological evidence.  I don't recall having an opinion of this scene as a child, but each time since then, I have been appalled.

On page 155, Nancy is foolhardy to get inside a car with people she doesn't know.  It works out fine, but I couldn't help thinking, "What if they had kidnapped her?"

I could mention lots more stuff, like Swahili Joe...er...Fleetfoot Joe hiding the tablets among a bunch of rocks in the desert where Nancy and her friends can find them.  However, I will stop here.

As I read The Secret of the Forgotten City, I felt about the same way I felt when reading The Spider Sapphire Mystery.  So much about this story is either highly annoying or stupid.  I recall greatly enjoying this story as a child, but it does not hold up to my memories.

How Not to Package Books

I purchase many bulk lots of books that are not described well by the sellers and are priced too low.  The books tend to arrive in packages that were not prepared well.  In short, the sellers make mistakes through most steps of the transaction.  Understand that I bring these experiences upon myself due to the types of lots I purchase. 

The packages shown here were not packed well, but the books were not damaged, at least not as far as I could tell.  In each case, my thought was, "These books deserved better."

The photos depict what I saw as soon as I opened each package.  The only packing material contained in any of the packages is what can be seen in the photos, except for possibly a packing slip or piece of paper placed on the top of the books.

 

The above package is strange, because the seller is a professional who has complained on the eBay message boards about other sellers' slipshod packaging.  The package was only half full of packing peanuts.  While some of the peanuts could possibly have escaped the package since the flaps were not taped down all the way across, I am of the opinion that the package was not filled adequately with peanuts.

This next package contained many early and first picture cover printings of Nancy Drew books.

The above package contained very nice condition Trixie Belden softcover books.  When I picked up the unopened package, I felt the books sliding from one end of the package to the other.  Whenever I receive packages that have books sliding around, I am compelled to turn the package over several times to feel the books shifting around, even though I know damage could occur.  I can't help myself.

These next two packages made me cringe.

 

 

It's a bit surprising that the books in the next package were stacked neatly, considering the lack of packaging materials.

This next photo shows nice early Nancy Drew picture covers crammed in tight, but the photo does not show the entire story.

Check out the following photo of the same package.

The Mystery of the 99 Steps and The Ghost of Blackwood Hall did not technically fit in the package, but the seller placed them on top anyway and then placed the lid on top of the box. 

These stories all ended well, but they could have easily ended up resulting in damaged books.  Here are links to two past posts featuring a couple of epic damaged packages.

A Box of Hardy Boys Books

More Package Troubles

Nancy Drew #51 Mystery of the Glowing Eye

In Nancy Drew #51, Mystery of the Glowing Eye, an unmanned helicopter lands on Nancy's front lawn.  Inside the helicopter is a note from Ned Nickerson:  Beware of Cyclops. This is how Nancy learns that Ned has disappeared without a trace.  Nancy surmises that the mysterious Cyclops is responsible for Ned's disappearance.

Meanwhile, Carson Drew has Nancy help him investigate a mystery involving a glowing eye that appears inside a museum.  The Drews suspect that Cyclops and the glowing eye are somehow connected.

Nancy is dismayed that Carson Drew's new assistant, Marty King, seems determined to solve the glowing eye mystery herself.  Not only is Nancy worried about Ned, she fears that Marty King plans to take her place!

This mystery is unusual in that Nancy's emotions take center stage.  She is heartsick over Ned and concerned that Marty will replace her.  Nancy is jealous! 

On page four, the helicopter "plummeted the last fifty feet.  It hit the grass with a thud and the door flew open."  Later, the helicopter is able to take off on its own, so the helicopter was not damaged by plummeting fifty feet.  Somehow I doubt the helicopter would just land with a thud.

On page 58, Nancy is standing right in front of a file cabinet when it explodes.  The explosion "tore the file cabinet apart" and "knocked Nancy against the opposite wall."  That was some blast!  As usual, Nancy is not even slightly hurt.

On page 76, Nancy draws the eye from Ned's notes on a chalkboard and writes the numbers from his notes around the eye.  She then works on memorizing the numbers.  Conveniently, the chalkboard faces the open window, and Nancy's back is to the window.   Of course, a man shows up and writes down the numbers.

On page 106, Nancy and her friends are returning to investigate an old farmhouse. A barricade consisting of rocks, a warning sign, and a lantern has been placed across the road. The book states, "There was no way to get around the wall at this point because trees grew rather solidly along the road."

Not only that, but the illustration shows that the trees have also grown across the road since the last time Nancy and her friends drove down it.  Amazing!

The idea of a light that paralyzes people for a short time seems a bit far-fetched.  Reading this story as an adult, I have trouble accepting that part of the story.

I remember really enjoying this book as a child.  I was worried about Ned and quite excited when Nancy and Ned were reunited near the end of the story.  The story did not have the same effect on me this time, but I already knew the outcome and am no longer a child.  I enjoyed the book this time, just not as much as when I was young.

Linda Carlton's Perilous Summer with Dust Jacket

This spring, I was able to purchase a complete set of the A. L. Burt editions of the Linda Carlton series.  All of the Burt editions are very hard to find, but most especially Linda Carlton's Perilous Summer and Linda Carlton's Hollywood Flight.  I now have the complete set of Linda Carlton A. L. Burt editions.

People selling series books like to refer to less common books as "rare," or more often, "RARE," as though all capital letters make it more so.  They do this all the time for Nancy Drew books that are somewhat less common printings.  None of those books are remotely close to rare.  Linda Carlton's Perilous Summer in the A. L. Burt dust jacket is rare.   

Nancy Drew #50 The Double Jinx Mystery

In Nancy Drew #50, The Double Jinx Mystery, Oscar Thurston has hired Carson Drew because he is in danger of losing his farm.  Oscar has a small zoo and owns quite a few exotic birds.  The High Rise Construction Company has requested the city council have Oscar's farm condemned so that they can build apartments on it.  Nancy helps her father with the case.

During Nancy, Bess, and George's first visit to Oscar's farm, a man cuts a hole in one of the cages.  Bess stuffs branches into the hole so that the birds cannot escape.  On page 11, the birds "realiz[ed] that she was a stranger and about to cut off their chance for freedom," so "they made an earsplitting racket."

So these birds are capable of reasoning skills?  And the birds began squawking because they realized that Bess was cutting off their chance for freedom?  Really?  The birds were squawking because people were messing with them.

On page 13, Rausch asks the girls to help him block the hole because these birds are pretty shrewd.  Well, that's not what he says, but what he does say is rather odd.  Rausch comments, "These birds may think I'm here to feed them and fly through his hole before I can get it covered."

Wouldn't the birds fly through the hole because they are birds, can fly, and can see a hole?  Why does there have to be a specific reason?  If the birds thought he was there to feed them, wouldn't they be more likely to stay in the cage to be fed?  Why leave if food is coming?

Nancy decides to stop with Ned to watch a ballet.  Quite conveniently, the director knows the villain.  Even more amazing, the director suddenly asks Nancy and Ned if they have ever danced ballet.  Nancy has, but she has never learned to leap.  So of course the director has one of the men dance with Nancy, where she is able to immediately take long, high leaps in unison with her dance partner.  And she has never leaped before.  Wow.

Both Nancy and Ned become ill with ornithosis.  As is typical, Nancy's case is not as bad as Ned's, and she recovers quickly.  Nothing stops Nancy!

At the bottom of page 122, Nancy tells Kami that the Thurstons need her help.

"You know his wife is superstitious and believes in weird signs and omens and probably can be mesmerized.  If she refuses to cooperate about selling the farm, someone may threaten to put a curse on her.  We mustn't allow this to happen."

They mustn't allow what to happen?  Is Nancy saying that they can't allow someone to threaten Mrs. Thurston?  Or is Nancy saying that they can't allow someone to put a curse on Mrs. Thurston?  I have to laugh, because it almost sounds like Nancy believes in curses.

Page 148 has a gloriously bad illustration that seems to show Nancy and Ned sliding over the edge of a waterfall.  The huge man had pushed them into the water.  "Being excellent swimmers they were able to twist their bodies into perfect dives."  If so, why are Nancy and Ned floating on the water?  They don't even look wet!

On page 166, Bess and George completely talk Mrs. Thurston out of all of her superstitious beliefs, in just a few minutes.  Amazing!

The scene near the end of the book where Nancy leaps with Merv Marvel to the strange occult meeting at the barn is stupid.  It's also ridiculous that Merv confesses everything to Nancy as they leap through the air.

I overall enjoyed The Double Jinx Mystery, even though some aspects of the mystery are quite stupid.  I am much more tolerant of the ridiculous aspects of books like this one that are set in the vicinity of River Heights.  The ones which mix traveling with ridiculous events are much harder for me to enjoy.

The Beyonders Trilogy by Brandon Mull

I love the Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull.  The author has another series, Beyonders, and I read the summary of the first book at least a year ago.

Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable—until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he’s ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

This summary did not make me want to read the book.  It's hard for me to explain exactly why, but I didn't get a good idea of the content of the story.  I couldn't figure out exactly what this place, Lyrian, was like, so I couldn't tell whether I would like the story.  I also saw no reason why I would care.

I have tried reading the first few chapters of a number of fantasy children's books online in order to try to figure out whether they would appear to me.  So often, I can't get into the books at all, and the summaries, like the one I posted above, do not help me make the decision.

I have learned that even books that have high overall ratings and many five-star ratings do not necessarily appeal to me.  Also, reading the reviews is always dangerous, since I have had the endings of books spoiled that way.  Some people don't know when to leave out certain information.

I took the plunge and decided to read the first Beyonders book, A World without Heroes.  It was hard to get into the book at first, because it was a bit hard to understand what was really going on.  I decided to write my own summary in an attempt to better explain the content of the book.  Here it is.

Strange music coming from nowhere... Jason works at the zoo on a normal day after school but that music continues to play.  Jason traces the music to the hippotamus tank.  He leans forward, losing his balance and falling into the hippo's mouth.  Suddenly, Jason is transported into the middle of a forest while the music plays on.  Jason soon discovers that the source of the music is a raft of suicidal musicians, who are floating down a river towards a waterfall.

It is not until later that Jason learns of a prophecy concerning the magicians.  The musicians had been told by a prophet that by floating over the falls while playing music, they would summon a hero from the Beyond.  That hero would somehow challenge Maldor, whose absolute rule of Lyrian is unquestioned.  Jason has the uncomfortable feeling that he is the hero who was summoned by the musicians.

Jason learns that a girl named Rachel also appeared in this strange new world at about the same time as he did, so her fate is intertwined with his. Jason and Rachel want nothing more than to find a way back home out of this unfamiliar place.  Jason unwittingly learns part of the Word, which is the one way to depose Maldor.  Unfortunately, the information was contained within a book that is linked to Maldor's agents through magic.  Maldor knows of the breach, so Jason and Rachel become outlaws on the run with no choice but to seek the Word in hopes of destroying Maldor and then finding a way home.

A World without Heroes is an excellent book once the reader understands the plot.  The second book in the trilogy, Seeds of Rebellion, is even better, and the final book, Chasing the Prophecy, is absolutely outstanding.  I mentioned recently that many series fall flat towards the end; this one improves with each book and delivers a satisfying conclusion.

The conclusion of Chasing the Prophecy is so well-crafted and so moving that as I read the final page I began crying.  I don't normally cry when reading books.  If you have read the book or ever decide to read it, you'll understand why. And understand that the crying was not devastated crying.  I was simply very moved by what I read, and few books affect readers that strongly.

Brandon Mull has created a fabulous world in Beyonders, and he has created some memorable, unique fantasy races, such as the Amar Kabal, the torivors, and the drinlings.  I am not going to explain what they are, but suffice it to say that they are fascinating.  I recall one reviewer on Amazon who hoped that some of Mull's creations would find their way into works by other authors. 

I highly recommend the Beyonders trilogy to anyone who has enjoyed series like Harry Potter and Fablehaven.

Argentine Nancy Drew Books with Dust Jackets

This spring, I was able to purchase two of the Spanish Nancy Drew books with dust jackets from Argentina.  These books were in print during the 1960s in Argentina.

Both books and jackets are in rough shape, worse than how they appear in the photo, but I purchased them anyway.  These books come up for sale no more than once every few years.

I now have a total of six out of the 10 Argentine Nancy Drew books with dust jackets.

Whistling Bagpipes seems to be the most common.  I have seen it up for sale several times, and it sometimes closes for less than $50.  For the rest of the books, you can expect to pay at least $100 up to $250 each.