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Mandie #10
Mandie and the Mysterious Bells
When the bells in the steeple of the big downtown church in Asheville suddenly begin ringing at the stroke of midnight, Mandie and her friends have a new mystery to investigate. The unscheduled bells and bizarre writings on the outside walls of the church have the townspeople upset. Mandie determines that whoever is vandalizing the house of the Lord must be discovered and brought to justice.
But her zealous investigation only gets her in trouble; and when an influenza outbreak occurs in the town, many people are only too ready to blame it on the strange happenings at the church.
But her zealous investigation only gets her in trouble; and when an influenza outbreak occurs in the town, many people are only too ready to blame it on the strange happenings at the church.
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1988
2 people are currently reading
389 people want to read
About the author
Lois Gladys Leppard
119 books287 followersLois Gladys Leppard was the author of the Mandie series of children's novels. Leppard wrote her first Mandie story when she was only eleven and a half years old, but did not become a professional author until she was an adult. Leppard has also worked as a professional singer, actress, and playwright. At one time, she and her two sisters, Sybil and Louise, formed a singing group called the Larke Sisters.
There are forty Mandie books in the main series, an eight-book junior series and several other titles. Leppard said that she could write a Mandie book in two weeks, barring any interruptions.
The eponymous heroine lives in North Carolina in the early 1900s, encountering adventure and solving mysteries with help from her friends, family, and pet cat, Snowball. These young reader novels are meant to teach morals as well as be fun and captivating stories to read. Leppard stated that her books contain "nothing occult or vulgar", and Mandie is depicted as a faithful Christian. The Mandie books often deal with issues of discrimination and prejudice relating to race (particularly with regard to the local Cherokee), class, and disability.
Lois Gladys Leppard based some of the incidents in her Mandie books on her mother's experiences growing up in North Carolina. The dedication in the first book is: "For My Mother, Bessie A. Wilson Leppard, and In Memory of Her Sister, Lillie Margaret Ann Wilson Frady, Orphans of North Carolina Who Outgrew the Sufferings of Childhood".
There are forty Mandie books in the main series, an eight-book junior series and several other titles. Leppard said that she could write a Mandie book in two weeks, barring any interruptions.
The eponymous heroine lives in North Carolina in the early 1900s, encountering adventure and solving mysteries with help from her friends, family, and pet cat, Snowball. These young reader novels are meant to teach morals as well as be fun and captivating stories to read. Leppard stated that her books contain "nothing occult or vulgar", and Mandie is depicted as a faithful Christian. The Mandie books often deal with issues of discrimination and prejudice relating to race (particularly with regard to the local Cherokee), class, and disability.
Lois Gladys Leppard based some of the incidents in her Mandie books on her mother's experiences growing up in North Carolina. The dedication in the first book is: "For My Mother, Bessie A. Wilson Leppard, and In Memory of Her Sister, Lillie Margaret Ann Wilson Frady, Orphans of North Carolina Who Outgrew the Sufferings of Childhood".
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 20, 2019
lil cheesy near the end but its Mandie so of course i loved it ahh
September 19, 2012
I admit it: I am reviewing these books years after reading them. However, do not even suggest that I'm no longer qualified, that too many years have passed to remember. My battered and faded copies of these books testify to how many times I read them growing up and plots and entire passages are seared in my memory forever.
Snowball always ran away, Mandie always got in trouble, Uncle Ned always rescued her, and Joe and Tommy bristled at each other. I myself prefered Joe, but Tommy's cosmopolitan airs nearly tipped the balance a time or two. I recall- fondly and as though it were yesterday- my glee when Mandie went off to Europe, my disgust at the new baby, my delight in Mandie's wardrobe of sky blue frocks, my puzzlement at all her near escapes and handy school vacations, my terror during the daring midnight adventures. Ah me, to be young and silly again...
If I had written goodreads reviews at the age of eleven, all Mandie books would've received automatic five-star ratings and gushing descriptions. As an adult, I will honestly give them all three stars, except for my special pets. And if I ever have a little girl, I will buy her the entire set. Oh, and did you know there are more than forty books in the series by now? And I'm guessing Mandie never grows up, either.
Snowball always ran away, Mandie always got in trouble, Uncle Ned always rescued her, and Joe and Tommy bristled at each other. I myself prefered Joe, but Tommy's cosmopolitan airs nearly tipped the balance a time or two. I recall- fondly and as though it were yesterday- my glee when Mandie went off to Europe, my disgust at the new baby, my delight in Mandie's wardrobe of sky blue frocks, my puzzlement at all her near escapes and handy school vacations, my terror during the daring midnight adventures. Ah me, to be young and silly again...
If I had written goodreads reviews at the age of eleven, all Mandie books would've received automatic five-star ratings and gushing descriptions. As an adult, I will honestly give them all three stars, except for my special pets. And if I ever have a little girl, I will buy her the entire set. Oh, and did you know there are more than forty books in the series by now? And I'm guessing Mandie never grows up, either.
July 26, 2019
Title: Mandie and the Mysterious Bells
Author: Lois Gladys Leppard
Series: Mandie, 10
Format: ebook, bind-up
Length: N/A
Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis: When the bells in the steeple of the big downtown church in Asheville suddenly begin ringing at the stroke of midnight, Mandie and her friends have a new mystery to investigate. The unscheduled bells and bizarre writings on the outside walls of the church have the townspeople upset. Mandie determines that whoever is vandalizing the house of the Lord must be discovered and brought to justice.
But her zealous investigation only gets her in trouble; and when an influenza outbreak occurs in the town, many people are only too ready to blame it on the strange happenings at the church.
Favourite character: Ben
Least favourite character: N/A
Mini-review: I didn't remember anything about this book which was really nice. It was like reading it for the first time. I enjoyed the mystery.
Fan Cast:
Amanda "Mandie" Shaw - Emma Rayne Lyle
Celia Hamilton - Sadie Sink
Joe Woodard - Louis Hynes
Grandmother Taft - Meryl Streep
Dr. Woodard - Gideon Emery
Uncle Ned Sweetwater - Zahn McClarnon
Ben - Mamoudou Athie
Miss Hope Heathwood - Patricia Heaton
Miss Prudence Heathwood - Mary Steenburgen
Etrulia - Emily Alyn Lind
Phineas Prattworthy - Patrick Breen
Author: Lois Gladys Leppard
Series: Mandie, 10
Format: ebook, bind-up
Length: N/A
Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis: When the bells in the steeple of the big downtown church in Asheville suddenly begin ringing at the stroke of midnight, Mandie and her friends have a new mystery to investigate. The unscheduled bells and bizarre writings on the outside walls of the church have the townspeople upset. Mandie determines that whoever is vandalizing the house of the Lord must be discovered and brought to justice.
But her zealous investigation only gets her in trouble; and when an influenza outbreak occurs in the town, many people are only too ready to blame it on the strange happenings at the church.
Favourite character: Ben
Least favourite character: N/A
Mini-review: I didn't remember anything about this book which was really nice. It was like reading it for the first time. I enjoyed the mystery.
Fan Cast:
Amanda "Mandie" Shaw - Emma Rayne Lyle
Celia Hamilton - Sadie Sink
Joe Woodard - Louis Hynes
Grandmother Taft - Meryl Streep
Dr. Woodard - Gideon Emery
Uncle Ned Sweetwater - Zahn McClarnon
Ben - Mamoudou Athie
Miss Hope Heathwood - Patricia Heaton
Miss Prudence Heathwood - Mary Steenburgen
Etrulia - Emily Alyn Lind
Phineas Prattworthy - Patrick Breen
March 1, 2016
About this book:
“When the bells in the steeple of the big downtown church in Asheville suddenly begin ringing at the stroke of midnight, Mandie and her friends have a new mystery to investigate. The unscheduled bells and bizarre writings on the outside walls of the church have the townspeople upset. Mandie determines that whoever is vandalizing the house of the Lord must be discovered and brought to justice.
But her zealous investigation only gets her in trouble; and when an influenza outbreak occurs in the town, many people are only too ready to blame it on the strange happenings at the church.”
Series: Book #10 in “Mandie” series. (To read the reviews of the previous books in this series, click the number to be taken to that review: #1! #2! #3! #4! #5! #6! #7! #8! #9!) {There also is the “Young Mandie Mystery” series, (Book #1 review Here and Book #2 review Here!) but they do not connect together well}
Spiritual Content- Matthew 5:7 at the beginning; Prayers & Blessings over food; Talks about being Christ like; A couple Scriptures are quoted, talked about and prayed; Church going; Uncle Ned refers to Heaven as “happy hunting ground”; Mentions of Church going (but not necessarily for church); Mentions of what the Bible says;
*Note: Mentions of spooks & superstitions.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blatsted’, a ‘confounded’, a ‘dadblasted’, a ‘dumb’ and two ‘shucks’s; A bit of sarcasm; Mentions of robberies, bullets & a horse whip.
Sexual Content- N/A
-Amanda “Mandie” Shaw, age 12
P.O.V. of (mostly) Mandie
Set in 1900
160 pages (also available in a collection with four other Mandie books.)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Four Stars (and a half)
New Teens- Four Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
{Ratings are lowered as ages get higher due to the simple plot.}
Another fun Mandie mystery! Looking forward to reviewing the next one! :)
*See my thought on this series versus the younger series, Here!
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
“When the bells in the steeple of the big downtown church in Asheville suddenly begin ringing at the stroke of midnight, Mandie and her friends have a new mystery to investigate. The unscheduled bells and bizarre writings on the outside walls of the church have the townspeople upset. Mandie determines that whoever is vandalizing the house of the Lord must be discovered and brought to justice.
But her zealous investigation only gets her in trouble; and when an influenza outbreak occurs in the town, many people are only too ready to blame it on the strange happenings at the church.”
Series: Book #10 in “Mandie” series. (To read the reviews of the previous books in this series, click the number to be taken to that review: #1! #2! #3! #4! #5! #6! #7! #8! #9!) {There also is the “Young Mandie Mystery” series, (Book #1 review Here and Book #2 review Here!) but they do not connect together well}
Spiritual Content- Matthew 5:7 at the beginning; Prayers & Blessings over food; Talks about being Christ like; A couple Scriptures are quoted, talked about and prayed; Church going; Uncle Ned refers to Heaven as “happy hunting ground”; Mentions of Church going (but not necessarily for church); Mentions of what the Bible says;
*Note: Mentions of spooks & superstitions.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blatsted’, a ‘confounded’, a ‘dadblasted’, a ‘dumb’ and two ‘shucks’s; A bit of sarcasm; Mentions of robberies, bullets & a horse whip.
Sexual Content- N/A
-Amanda “Mandie” Shaw, age 12
P.O.V. of (mostly) Mandie
Set in 1900
160 pages (also available in a collection with four other Mandie books.)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Four Stars (and a half)
New Teens- Four Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
{Ratings are lowered as ages get higher due to the simple plot.}
Another fun Mandie mystery! Looking forward to reviewing the next one! :)
*See my thought on this series versus the younger series, Here!
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
November 5, 2022
Ok, here’s a list of what’s bothering me today:
Why in the heck are we not engaging with the pastor and whoever else at the church? No one even bothers to tell them Mandie and her fitness are hanging out in the church checking things out until they cause damage to the building.
Snowball in church alert! Admittedly not during service, but they just said earlier in the book there was no reason to take him on these trips and he might get lost, are you kidding me?
Why doesn’t Ben tell someone about the key????
Can’t believe they left Ben to watch the bank robber. Ben’s just gonna fall asleep.
And finally: the solution to the main mystery of the book is that the guy just kind of went crazy? I was really into the mystery in this one and then was kind of disappointed. I think what’s really disappointing me in these books is the lack of foreshadowing for the reveals.
Why in the heck are we not engaging with the pastor and whoever else at the church? No one even bothers to tell them Mandie and her fitness are hanging out in the church checking things out until they cause damage to the building.
Snowball in church alert! Admittedly not during service, but they just said earlier in the book there was no reason to take him on these trips and he might get lost, are you kidding me?
Why doesn’t Ben tell someone about the key????
Can’t believe they left Ben to watch the bank robber. Ben’s just gonna fall asleep.
And finally: the solution to the main mystery of the book is that the guy just kind of went crazy? I was really into the mystery in this one and then was kind of disappointed. I think what’s really disappointing me in these books is the lack of foreshadowing for the reveals.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2021
After a day off from Mandie I returned with book ten, and this was one of my least favourite stories so far.
It seemed to take a long time to go nowhere.
At least they are back at school even if it used a somewhat dodgy device to get them out again so they could solve their mystery.
The motivation behind their school nemesis would be good to explore because she just seems to be a trouble make for no particular reason.
Not counting specials I am now 25% through the main series.
It seemed to take a long time to go nowhere.
At least they are back at school even if it used a somewhat dodgy device to get them out again so they could solve their mystery.
The motivation behind their school nemesis would be good to explore because she just seems to be a trouble make for no particular reason.
Not counting specials I am now 25% through the main series.
December 3, 2022
Mysterious things are happening at the church in Asheville where Mandie's grandmother is a member. The church bells are ringing the wrong amount of chimes for the hour. Mandie and her friends investigate the mystery. In the process they help a homeless man as well as catch a bank robber!
April 6, 2018
Pretty good.
September 23, 2018
I like this one because Mandie finds out a friend in a place where she thinks is so different and saves a person from being terriably sick, it shows how much friendship does.
December 14, 2019
A good edition to the series with a godly message!
September 24, 2020
I like how these all tie together
June 21, 2021
I wouldn't read it again.
April 9, 2024
4 stars given by 9-year old.
February 27, 2017
Mandie's adventures were always a pleasure to preteen me. I doubt I'd enjoy them now, but I devoured them then! If you're out of high school and/or you enjoy reading classic literature, Mandie is probably not for you. However, if you're between the ages of ten and fifteen, and haven't touched an Austen or a Dickens, you just might have some fun with Mandie, her cat, and all of their friends!
January 5, 2014
Okay so I wasn't very pleased with this book and I'm so glad I bought it as a Goodwill and only paid fifty cents for it. The book was boring until the last chapter which is the one that gave it the second star. Without that chapter it would be a one star book.
The book starts off with Mandie and Celia having to solve the mystery of why the bells at the church are ringing the wrong number of times. Most of the locals think it is a bad omen especially when the flu breaks out and a big snowstorm comes. When Mandie and Celia solve who is behind the ringing of the bells they have another mini-mystery to solve. At the end of the book it leaves it open for the next book in the Mandie series.
The characters were all okay. The one I loved the most had to be Ben. In the book it is set way back and so the black people are still servants and men seem to be the main provider of the household.
The book starts off with Mandie and Celia having to solve the mystery of why the bells at the church are ringing the wrong number of times. Most of the locals think it is a bad omen especially when the flu breaks out and a big snowstorm comes. When Mandie and Celia solve who is behind the ringing of the bells they have another mini-mystery to solve. At the end of the book it leaves it open for the next book in the Mandie series.
The characters were all okay. The one I loved the most had to be Ben. In the book it is set way back and so the black people are still servants and men seem to be the main provider of the household.
September 6, 2016
This book was pretty good, but in my opinion, not the best in the series. I appreciate how this book had some action, but on the other hand, I didn't really like the beginning because it wasn't that intriguing for me. Once I got more towards the middle though, things became more interesting. More action happened and more characters came in and that caused the book to have a more exciting plot as you find out the importance of the characters. The story unveils itself more towards the end, which can lead suspense, but for me, the beginning just became a bit boring. Other than the beginning, this was a very good book, I just wish that in the beginning, they explained the events that were going on more and why it was bad that these things were happening.
June 11, 2020
The Mandie books are fun Christian mysteries for children, but I still love reading them. Even though she doesn't age very quickly and seems to get far too many breaks from school during the year, she's a lot of fun.
June 25, 2014
My favorite part was when mandie found out who was mysteriously ringing the bells. The worst part was when the friend was almost going to jail. My favorite character was mandie. The worst character was the robber. Auryn 10 years old, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 24, 2007Leppard, Lois G. PB
January 6, 2008
These are great books for teenagers!
July 27, 2012
Another Mandy mystery that I enjoyed back in junior high & high school.
November 7, 2017
Another great Mandie book! 5 stars!
September 4, 2015
Best Mandie book so far.
January 5, 2024
Loved it again
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January 22, 2009JMAR4-Lep
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September 16, 2017When the bells in the steeple of the big downtown church in Asheville suddenly begin ringing at the stroke of midnight, Mandie and her friends have a new mystery to investigate.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews