Dana Girls #2 The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage

In Dana Girls #2, The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage, Jean and Louise are worried when their favorite teacher, Miss Tisdale, disappears.  Miss Tisdale's car is soon found abandoned, and it's clear that the teacher has been abducted.

The girls learn that Miss Tisdale has a sister, Mrs. Brixton, who is estranged from their parents.  Miss Tisdale has been supporting Mrs. Brixton, who is now in great need without her sister's support.  The police cannot be contacted since it is believed that the shock of learning of Miss Tisdale's disappearance could kill her father.  The Danas have no choice but to try to solve the mystery with only Captain Dana's assistance.

On page 173, Captain Dana tells the girls about the boy who was hired by a man to pick up a letter at the post office.  The boy took the letter to the man, and then the man drove off.  The boy somehow knew the license plate number.  That's a bit amazing that a boy who was paid to do a small job just happened to note and remember the license plate.  Wow.

This story features a live radio show, which dates the story.  It's not surprising that this book was dropped during the second run of the series in the 1970s.  However, all books written by Mildred Wirt Benson were dropped for the second run, so the story being dated was not the real reason.

This is a very good book.

Dana Girls #1 By the Light of the Study Lamp

In Dana Girls #1, By the Light of the Study Lamp, Uncle Ned purchases a present for Jean and Louise, a study lamp which the girls intend to use in their room at Starhurst.  Shortly after the lamp arrives, it is stolen!  The girls track the lamp to a junk store, where they purchase it.

Meanwhile, the Danas' friend, Evelyn Starr, may not be able to remain a student at Starhurst.  Evelyn's family once owned the property which is now used for the school.  The Starrs have lost their fortune, and even worse, Evelyn's brother, Franklin, has disappeared!

On page 18, Garbone insists, "I know nothing about a lamp.  I am not a thief.  I am an honest business man."  Right.  I find that many people who go around declaring their honesty are actually dishonest.  Garbone fits this pattern perfectly.

I had never thought that the price of $50 for the study lamp was off, and that is because I wasn't thinking about it.  $50 is fine now, but $50 in 1934 is quite a high price.  That amount is equivalent to around $950 today.  Can you image two high school girls paying $950 for a lamp?  The Dana Girls must be very wealthy to be able to throw money around like that, especially considering that the $50 is used to repurchase their own lamp.

Jean and Louise get back at their rivals, Lettie and Ina, by adding red pepper to cream puffs and placing them where Lettie and Ina will find them.  At times, the Danas are no better than Lettie and Ina.

On page 138, it's extremely improbable that Evelyn doesn't recognize her own brother in disguise.  She doesn't recognize his voice.  This is impossible to believe.

This is a very good book.

An Overview of the Dana Girls Series

Please read this post for a list of Dana Girls titles and an explanation about which Dana Girls books were revised.

Both the Dana Girls and Kay Tracey series were created during the early 1930s by the Stratemeyer Syndicate as rival series to the much more successful Nancy Drew series.  Both the Dana Girls and Kay Tracey series have had a convoluted publishing history with periods of time when each series was out of print and then revived.  Both series are currently out of print, probably for good.

The Dana Girls and Kay Tracey series are very similar.  Both series feature girls who solve mysteries.  The girls have a jealous rival who quite often causes lots of trouble.  It has been theorized that rejected Nancy Drew plot ideas might have been used for both series.  The plots of both series tend to be crazier and more absurd than the Nancy Drew plots.  For this reason, the Dana Girls and Kay Tracey series are often compared to each other.

On February 2, 2018, I wrote, "I have a special fondness for Kay Tracey, but I probably like the Dana Girls series better."  I actually really didn't remember exactly how I felt, but most everyone else seems to like the Dana Girls series better, so I figured that was the case.  A few months later, I read all of the Kay Tracey books again.  I was pleased that I enjoyed them as much as ever.  I began to suspect that I might not like the Dana Girls series quite as much as I once did.

After I had read through a number of the Dana Girls books this summer, I wrote in reference to my previous comment, "Let's revise that statement. 'I have a special fondness for Kay Tracey, and I like the Kay Tracey series better.' "  I have now finished reading the entire Dana Girls series, and in my opinion, it is overall weaker than the Kay Tracey series.

I consider the Kay Tracey series to be overall very good.  There's a good reason why.  The Kay Tracey series consists of 18 titles, which are all equally good.  The series underwent no major change in tone or quality during the years it was published.

The Dana Girls series quite unfortunately consists of 34 titles.  If the series had ended with just 10 titles, I would consider it to be an excellent series.  If it had ended with 12 to 18 titles, then I would consider it to be a very good series.  Sometimes we wish that excellent short series had continued longer.  The Dana Girls series serves as an example of what happens when a series is allowed to continue on and on until it deteriorates into an insipid mess.

The Dana Girls series can be divided into four parts.

#1 By the Light of the Study Lamp through #14 The Clue in the Ivy

#1-4 were written by Leslie McFarlane, and #5-14 were written by Mildred Wirt Benson.  All of these books were written during the 1930s and 1940s.  All of these books have 25 chapters.  #14 was not published until 1952, but it was actually written during 1944 and fits with the first 13 books.  These books are the golden age of the Dana Girls series.  These books tend to be very good to excellent.  They are a strong group of stories, and they are just as good as the original text Nancy Drew books.

#15 The Secret of the Jade Ring through #18 The Clue of the Black Flower

These books are the transition books.  All four books have 25 chapters.  These books are the first ones containing educational content, such as the history of jade or how to make artificial flowers.  The educational content is often boring and reads like it was lifted out of an encyclopedia.

Mildred Wirt Benson wrote #15 and #16.  Her writing style for #15 and #16 is different than it was for #5-14 for two reasons.  First, #15 was written eight years after #14.  Second, Benson had to insert educational content into the stories.  Harriet Adams took over writing the series with #17, and the series quickly went downhill from there.

#19 The Winking Ruby Mystery through #24 The Secret of Lost Lake

All of these books were written by Harriet Adams.  These books are excessively educational, which makes them rather boring.  This portion of the series is one big travelogue with lots of information about various destinations.  The plots are often quite stupid and not in an entertaining fashion.

By this time, Harriet Adams was writing all of the Nancy Drew and Dana Girls books.  The Nancy Drew books from this time period are better.  My theory is that Harriet concentrated her efforts on the Nancy Drew books and turned out an inferior product for the Dana Girls series.  [December 20,2021:  Harriet Adams was given credit for writing all Nancy Drew and Dana Girls books from this time period.  I now believe that she did not write all of the Nancy Drew books that are attributed to her, since some of the Nancy Drew books were written quite well.  Harriet most likely did write all of the Dana Girls books from #17 on, which is why the Dana Girls books are not as good as the Nancy Drew books.]

#25 The Mystery of the Stone Tiger through #30 The Phantom Surfer followed by #14 The Curious Coronation through #17 The Witch's Omen from the 2nd series

Harriet Adams wrote all of these books, and the plots tend to be a bit stupid and bizarre.  I actually like this group of books better than the previous group, mostly because the travelogue aspect is gone.  I also surmise that Harriet Adams was more comfortable in her writing and was able to produce a better product.  That said, the final four books in the 2nd series were first published when Harriet Adams was 84 to 87 years of age.  Harriet's writing ability was better, but her health was also failing, which resulted in the final Dana Girls books being a bit... strange.

By the way, I have noticed that generous usage of the words "chuckled," "grinned," and "amazed" are indicators that Harriet Adams did indeed write the books.  It is unknown whether all books attributed to Harriet Adams were actually written by her, since she signed releases for many books years after the books were published.  I feel confident that Harriet Adams did actually write all Dana Girls books that are attributed to her.

My reviews will follow.  I find that my opinion of many of the books from #16 and up differs greatly from what other people think.  For that reason, do not use my opinion on those books to guide you on whether those books are worth reading.  I cannot stand some books that others love, and I get a huge kick out of some books that others cannot stand.  That's why I hate it when people ask me which books are the best in a series.  That depends on you.

Wildfire #81 The Ten Cupcake Romance and #82 The Wrong Love

81. The Ten Cupcake Romance, M. L. Kennedy, 1986

Every time Amy Miller falls in love she eats her heart out—literally.  Her latest craze is cupcakes, but when her friend Sharon finds Amy devouring a whole box of them, she knows Amy needs to find a hobby.  Why not become a romance novelist?

 Amy thinks it's a great idea, and Simon Adams, a cute English guy at school, fits right into the plot.  In fact, he's the main character!  Amy goes out with Simon to gather "data" for her book.  It's a good thing she’s sworn off boys.  She'd hate to let her feelings interfere with her work.  But what about Simon's feelings...?

This story is a bit silly, especially at the beginning.  The story was written in a humorous fashion.  The problem is that I don't want a funny Wildfire book.  The book is overall good, and I just marginally enjoyed it.

82. The Wrong Love, Kathryn Makris, 1986

When Carl Jenson first moved to the Texas border town where Sarita Valdez lives, he didn't even know what a taco was.  Sarita thought that was funny.  She liked Carl's sweetness and his warm blue eyes, too.  Sarita offers to show him around, and that's when she finds out that tacos aren't the only thing Carl knows nothing about.  Her friends' prejudice against "Snowbirds," or Anglos from the North, is very real.

Sarita never expected to fall in love with Carl, but now that she has, she's afraid her friends won't accept him, or—worse yet—that they'll expect her to break up with him.  How can Sarita's first love feel so right when everyone tells her it's so wrong?

The boyfriend is Karl, not Carl.  The name is spelled wrong in the synopsis.  Way to go, Scholastic!

On page 18, Sarita and her friend are referred to as the Bobbsey Twins.

The next paragraph spoils part of the ending.

Sarita realizes that her fears about her friends' prejudice were unfounded.  Carmen asks her, "Do you think that maybe the prejudice was coming from somewhere inside you, instead?"  Carmen further explains.  "Sometimes, Sarita, what we most fear in others is really inside ourselves."  I thought that this was an interesting development.  It also allowed for the author to wrap up the plot in a nice, neat package with everyone getting along happily ever after.

The cover photo really bothers me.  The girl looks like the typical Caucasian American.  Before I began reading the book, I barely glanced at the summary, since I find that the summaries often reveal way too much information that I would rather not know at the beginning of the book.  Since I barely glanced at the summary, I thought that the boyfriend would be the Latino, not the female protagonist.

The girl on the cover does not look Latino.  She could vaguely be, but she just looks like the girls on all of the covers.  This is so lame!  Scholastic should have used an obvious Latino girl.  I was so disappointed.

This is an excellent book.

#79 A Girl Named Summer and #80 Recipe for Romance

79. A Girl Named Summer, Julie Garwood, 1986

A little lie never hurt anyone.  That's what Summer Matthews thought when she met David Marshall and fell in love.  Summer would do anything for David, including letting him believe something about herself that isn't true.  When Summer finds out that David admires girl athletes, she decides to compete in a six-mile race to impress him, even though she's never raced before.  Behind David's back, she begins a rigorous training schedule, and two months later, her plan seems to be working.  She's ready for the big race. 

But then David tells Summer the only thing he can't stand is being lied to.  What will happen if he finds out about Summer's lie?  Will all her hard work have been for nothing?

I enjoyed this book.

80. Recipe For Romance, Terri Fields, 1986

Holly Hanson wants to be a great chef one day.  Her part-time job as an assistant cook in a fraternity house is giving her a head start on her career—but it's setting her love life back a long way!  Holly’s job should be a great way to meet guys, but her boss has one strict rule: no dating the frat men. 

Holly doesn't want to lose her job, so when Greg, a cute, funny guy, asks her out, she turns him down.  But Greg comes up with a plan...  If his recipe for romance flops, Holly will be out of a job and out of love.

This is an excellent book.

Wildfire #77 Dating Blues and #78 Brian's Girl

77. Dating Blues, Maud Johnson, 1986

For Beth-Ann Hughes, who just turned 16, "dating blues" used to mean "no dates."  But after great-looking Kenny and upperclassman Curtis start asking her out, Beth-Ann knows that having lots of dates—with the wrong boys—can be even worse!

Her best friend tells her she's too picky; there's no such thing as a perfect boy.  Then Beth-Ann meets Tony and she knows that isn't true.  Tony is perfect—but does he care for Beth-Ann as much as she cares for him?  Beth-Ann is finally in love, and everything should be wonderful.  So why is she still feeling those dating blues?

I find it interesting and a bit shocking that Beth-Ann's mom and her best friend, Fran, blame Beth-Ann for each failed date.  In one case, the boy expects Beth-Ann to sleep with him.  Beth-Ann refuses.  Fran chides Beth-Ann for breaking off the relationship, "Boys talk.  He could ruin your chances with other guys if he told them you were no fun."  Huh?  It sounds like Fran thinks Beth-Ann should have put out so that she would get more dates. 

This is a good to very good book.

78. Brian's Girl, Diane Hoh, 1986

Kate Ryan is Brian Donahue's girl.  Or at least she thought she was.  When Brian comes home from college for a visit, he devastates Kate by telling her he's in love with someone else.  But Kate isn't down for long.  She launches an all-out campaign to win him back.  

Adam Tranter, a new guy at school, is attracted to Kate, and he fits right into her plan.  She needs someone to make Brian jealous, and it doesn't hurt that Adam is cute and fun to be with.  Kate doesn't like using Adam, but she has no choice.  This is war!  

Suddenly everything is upside down.  Brian isn't the boy on her mind—Adam is—but he's not even speaking to her anymore.  Has Kate let her obsessive love for Brian ruin her chance for a romance with Adam?

Kate is prone to violent thoughts.  On page 20, she wants to shoot Brian's new girlfriend.  On page 39, Kate reflects that she would "cut her throat" before showing tears.

I enjoyed seeing how Kate gradually comes to figure out what she really wants.  This is a very good book.

Wildfire #75 Love to the Rescue and #76 Senior Prom

75. Love to the Rescue, Deborah Kent, 1985

Lifeguards have all the fun.  That's what Laurie Cavanaugh used to think before she became one.  Now she knows there's more to the job than looking great in a bathing suit.  It's demanding work and a big responsibility.  But there would be some time for fun in the sun if Andy Hawthorne, the head lifeguard, wasn't such a creep.  He watches every move Laurie makes and criticizes her constantly.  Why does he have to be the cutest boy she has ever seen?  Laurie is confused, but she's sure of one thing.  Being a lifeguard may not be fun, but it's never boring either!

This is an excellent book.  I really enjoyed it.

76. Senior Prom, Patricia Aks, 1985

Last year Amy thought she'd found Mr. Right, but Jeff turned out to be oh-so-wrong.  With her new-found confidence, Amy realizes she doesn't need just one boyfriend—she's ready to play the field!  Even if she doesn't have much in common with any of the boys she dates, she loves being popular.  Best of all, Amy doesn't have to worry about a date for the senior prom.  This year her biggest worry is deciding which of her three invitations to accept!

Then Amy sees Jeff with another girl and the stab of pain in her heart tells her what she knew inside all along:  She still loves Jeff.  What good are a million dates for the prom, when you can't have the only one you want?

Fortunately, Amy isn't as stupid as she was in the previous book, Junior Prom.  This is a good book but nothing special.

Wildfire #73 The Boy Barrier and #74 The Yes Girl

73. The Boy Barrier, Jesse DuKore, 1985

"Love" means zero in tennis.  That's a score that Stacey King, the Number One player on the girls' tennis team, never earns on the court.  Off the court, it's another story.  There her love life scores a big fat zero!  Stacey was always too busy playing tennis to learn how to talk to boys.  Now she'd like the chance to change all that—especially since she's met Keith Flowers, the Number One player on the boys' team.  But the boy barrier is harder to break than Stacey had realized.  It gets even harder when the coach of the boys' team asks Stacey to join. If she accepts, will she become "just one of the boys"?  Can Stacey be Number One in Keith's heart if she takes his place as Number One on the team?

Stacey's best friend is Sally, and the similar names kept confusing me.  Also, too many people are introduced all at once in the same scene at the beginning of the story, which made my confusion even worse.  I cannot remember characters when they are thrown at me all at once.

I was confused on page 70.  The reader is told that Stacey's mother never went to college because it was the time of the Great Depression.  The Great Depression lasted from 1929 to 1939.  Either this book is set way back in the past, or else Stacey's mother is much older than would be expected.  The book was published in 1985, so Stacey's mother would have been at least 65 years old.  This is possible, but it is not how these books are usually set up.

On page 44, the story starts getting interesting when Stacey joins the boy's team.  However, the story then falls flat.  I only read part of the book.  The book has too much content about tennis, and the characters are boring.  I did not care about the story. 

74. The Yes Girl, Kathryn Makris, 1985

Gwen’s favorite word is yes.  She says yes to Susan who asks for free math tutoring, yes to any friend who needs help... even a yes to nice but boring Mitch who asks her for dates.  Gwen doesn't have a minute to herself.  

Unfortunately, she hardly has any time for Phil, either.  Phil is funny, handsome, and definitely not boring.  And Gwen likes him a lot.  When he asks her out, Gwen says yes... with delight.  But she is still saying yes to Mitch, too. 

Phil soon becomes tired of being Gwen's second choice, and tells her so angrily.  Now Gwen is torn.  If she starts saying no, she may lose her friends. If she can't stop saying yes, she'll lose Phil.

I do not find it enjoyable to read about a girl who is letting everyone take advantage of her so that she doesn't have any fun.  Going out with boys she doesn't like is appalling.

I read a little of the book, skimmed some, then I read the ending.  The only part of the book that interested me was the last couple of chapters.