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The Happy Hollisters #6
The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp
The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp (#6 in the Happy Hollisters series)
One day the Hollister children saw their grandparents on television. The show was featuring dog sled races during a yearly Canadian Trappers’ Carnival. Since the elder Mr. and Mrs. Hollister run a winter resort called Snowflake Camp in Canada, the children thought it would be a wonderful idea to ask their grandparents if they could visit them over the Thanksgiving vacation when the next Carnival would be starting.
No one had any idea, while waiting for the invitation to arrive, that Snowflake Camp would turn out to be the trail’s end of a mystery which started in Shoreham. A mystery involving the children’s schoolteacher, her missing brother (a fine trainer of Eskimo dogs) and some valuable Eskimo puppies that appear then disappear from an abandoned barn near the Camp.
The children have much fun preparing for their trip, and enjoy themselves as much as ever in their new and interesting surroundings. They learn to ski, drive a dog sled and solve a mystery in the land of deep snow and long cold winters.
Here is another exciting adventure with this family of happy people whose unity and warmth is felt throughout their unusual experiences.
First published in 1954, this charming mystery-adventure story, faithfully reproduced, is now available in paperback and eBook for the first time! Written for boys and girls between the ages of six and twelve, The Happy Hollisters are wholesome books, with an accent on humor and good, clean fun. Integrity always pays off and right wins over wrong. This is a perfect gift for the young reader in your life. Parents, grandparents, and teachers love these books for their healthy celebration of life in simpler times. Kids are thrilled with the fast-paced action and will not want to put them down. The action-packed illustrations make the story – and the Hollister family – so vivid that the reader has a feeling of really sharing in on the adventures of this lovable and interesting family.
One day the Hollister children saw their grandparents on television. The show was featuring dog sled races during a yearly Canadian Trappers’ Carnival. Since the elder Mr. and Mrs. Hollister run a winter resort called Snowflake Camp in Canada, the children thought it would be a wonderful idea to ask their grandparents if they could visit them over the Thanksgiving vacation when the next Carnival would be starting.
No one had any idea, while waiting for the invitation to arrive, that Snowflake Camp would turn out to be the trail’s end of a mystery which started in Shoreham. A mystery involving the children’s schoolteacher, her missing brother (a fine trainer of Eskimo dogs) and some valuable Eskimo puppies that appear then disappear from an abandoned barn near the Camp.
The children have much fun preparing for their trip, and enjoy themselves as much as ever in their new and interesting surroundings. They learn to ski, drive a dog sled and solve a mystery in the land of deep snow and long cold winters.
Here is another exciting adventure with this family of happy people whose unity and warmth is felt throughout their unusual experiences.
First published in 1954, this charming mystery-adventure story, faithfully reproduced, is now available in paperback and eBook for the first time! Written for boys and girls between the ages of six and twelve, The Happy Hollisters are wholesome books, with an accent on humor and good, clean fun. Integrity always pays off and right wins over wrong. This is a perfect gift for the young reader in your life. Parents, grandparents, and teachers love these books for their healthy celebration of life in simpler times. Kids are thrilled with the fast-paced action and will not want to put them down. The action-packed illustrations make the story – and the Hollister family – so vivid that the reader has a feeling of really sharing in on the adventures of this lovable and interesting family.
184 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1954
About the author
Jerry West
72 books52 followersThe Happy Hollisters by Jerry West was actually written by Andrew E. Svenson, a prolific yet somewhat anonymous, writer of books for children. Jerry West was the pen name assigned to Svenson when he started writing The Happy Hollisters for the Stratemeyer Syndicate. The Stratemeyer Syndicate was a book packager, well-known for its development of children’s book series including Tom Swift, The Bobbsey Twins, The Hardy Boys, and Nancy Drew. Many of these series were intended to have long publishing lives, and were written by multiple authors using the same pseudonym. The Happy Hollisters, however, were all written by Andrew Svenson, whose identity as Jerry West was kept secret until several years after his death in 1975.
Andrew Svenson was born in Belleville, NJ, in 1910, and his interest in writing started early. He was editor of his high school newspaper and yearbook at Barringer High School in Newark, and then went on to study Creative Writing at the University of Pittsburgh. After his graduation in 1932, he worked as a reporter and editor for the Newark Star Eagle and the Newark Evening News. He also taught creative writing courses at Rutgers University and Upsala College.
Andrew Svenson was encouraged by his friend Howard Garis (author of Uncle Wiggily) to try his hand at juvenile fiction. He joined the Stratemeyer Syndicate as a writer in 1948, where he contributed to established series as Franklin W. Dixon (The Hardy Boys) and as Laura Lee Hope (The Bobbsey Twins). The first volume in his own original series, The Happy Hollisters, was published in 1953 by Doubleday & Company, and he was made a partner in the Stratemeyer Syndicate in 1961. As he wrote and developed 33 titles in The Happy Hollisters, he was also creating additional series for children under other pen names: Bret King by Dan Scott and The Tollivers by Alan Stone, one of the first series written about and for African-American children.
Under various pseudonyms, Andrew Svenson wrote more than 70 adventure and mystery novels for children, which were published in 17 languages and sold millions of copies. The Hollister family was modeled on his own family and he often used actual Svenson family events and travels as the foundation for The Happy Hollisters books. He also kept copious newspaper clippings for story ideas, and interviewed hundreds of school children and teachers for additional suggestions. These ideas were then worked into his storylines, adding an educational element that was appreciated by parents and educators alike. The children loved the stories for their elements of danger and excitement geared to their comprehension level.
After his death in 1975, the Stratemeyer Syndicate assigned all rights to The Happy Hollisters to his widow, Marian Svenson; they subsequently became the property of The Hollister Family Properties Trust. The current publication was initiated by Andrew E. Svenson III, grandson of the author, on behalf of The Hollister Family Properties Trust.
Andrew Svenson was born in Belleville, NJ, in 1910, and his interest in writing started early. He was editor of his high school newspaper and yearbook at Barringer High School in Newark, and then went on to study Creative Writing at the University of Pittsburgh. After his graduation in 1932, he worked as a reporter and editor for the Newark Star Eagle and the Newark Evening News. He also taught creative writing courses at Rutgers University and Upsala College.
Andrew Svenson was encouraged by his friend Howard Garis (author of Uncle Wiggily) to try his hand at juvenile fiction. He joined the Stratemeyer Syndicate as a writer in 1948, where he contributed to established series as Franklin W. Dixon (The Hardy Boys) and as Laura Lee Hope (The Bobbsey Twins). The first volume in his own original series, The Happy Hollisters, was published in 1953 by Doubleday & Company, and he was made a partner in the Stratemeyer Syndicate in 1961. As he wrote and developed 33 titles in The Happy Hollisters, he was also creating additional series for children under other pen names: Bret King by Dan Scott and The Tollivers by Alan Stone, one of the first series written about and for African-American children.
Under various pseudonyms, Andrew Svenson wrote more than 70 adventure and mystery novels for children, which were published in 17 languages and sold millions of copies. The Hollister family was modeled on his own family and he often used actual Svenson family events and travels as the foundation for The Happy Hollisters books. He also kept copious newspaper clippings for story ideas, and interviewed hundreds of school children and teachers for additional suggestions. These ideas were then worked into his storylines, adding an educational element that was appreciated by parents and educators alike. The children loved the stories for their elements of danger and excitement geared to their comprehension level.
After his death in 1975, the Stratemeyer Syndicate assigned all rights to The Happy Hollisters to his widow, Marian Svenson; they subsequently became the property of The Hollister Family Properties Trust. The current publication was initiated by Andrew E. Svenson III, grandson of the author, on behalf of The Hollister Family Properties Trust.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 7, 2020
These books are some of my most treasured possessions from my childhood. Many of my collected books from the series were from each of my parents when THEY were little, and I continue to collect the books when I come across them at antique stores.
November 23, 2019
Antoher sweet story in the series
January 30, 2020
I read this book aloud to my two oldest girls, ages 4 and 6, and as always happens when we read from this series, many details of the story inspired their make-believe play. For days, as we were reading the book and even now that we have finished, they have been going out on our deck to pretend they are dog sled racers. They shout commands to their "dogs" (which are really hobby horses) using vocabulary they picked up from the book and act out various scenes from the story. It was also serendipitous that there were characters in the book who were twins, as we're expecting twins soon and they are on everyone's mind in our family.
I do find these books somewhat tedious to read aloud if we do too many, so I might try to have the girls read them independently in the future, but there is no question that they engage the imagination and introduce new ideas kids might not otherwise discover.
I do find these books somewhat tedious to read aloud if we do too many, so I might try to have the girls read them independently in the future, but there is no question that they engage the imagination and introduce new ideas kids might not otherwise discover.
January 12, 2021
This was happy reading. I read these as a child and enjoyed the quick read and to down memory lane. This had me smiling all day.
March 5, 2011
Pete, Ricky, Pam and Sue were watching the ice carnival mystery from last year (a show)and they got to go see the ice carnival because their grandparents lived in Canada. Traver Nelson was in the dog race and they lost and Traver was Mrs. Nelson (Pam's teacher's brother) and she missed him. They found him living in the woods in a little cabin and he was ill. Stockman and Gates are robbers that stole Traver Nelson's sled dogs but they couldn't find fluffy (the team leader of the dogs). They finally caught Stockman and Gates but not the dogs (they sold them.) Traver couldn't enter the dog race but Pete said he would do it and borrow some dogs from his friends along with Fluffy. Pete won!
Like: It was cool when they got to see the skiiers and Holly got to be a skiier and she won.
Dislike: When I heard that the robbers stole the Travers dogs.
It wasn't believable that Pete and Holly would win without any experience. It does make it fun that they won.
Like: It was cool when they got to see the skiiers and Holly got to be a skiier and she won.
Dislike: When I heard that the robbers stole the Travers dogs.
It wasn't believable that Pete and Holly would win without any experience. It does make it fun that they won.
March 6, 2017
The Hollisters are written for a younger audience than the Famous Five books by Enid Blyton. Unlike the Famous Five, the Hollisters did not go on holidays alone without adults, and they did not usually five themselves in such extreme dangers. They still managed to live adventures and solve mysteries, though.
The books were written in the 50s and 60s, and it depicts a clean-cut, wholesome family, where children get along with their siblings and respect their parents. The plot is simple, as befits the target audience, and the chapters usually end in a cliffhanger to keep readers interested. The target audience is a bit too young for the books to appeal to adult readers, but then again they do not need to. Children between 5 and 11 are the target audience, and the books will work well for them.
In this book the Hollisters travel to Canada to visit their grandparents and search for a missing trainer of Eskimo dogs who happens to be the brother of the children's teacher.
The books were written in the 50s and 60s, and it depicts a clean-cut, wholesome family, where children get along with their siblings and respect their parents. The plot is simple, as befits the target audience, and the chapters usually end in a cliffhanger to keep readers interested. The target audience is a bit too young for the books to appeal to adult readers, but then again they do not need to. Children between 5 and 11 are the target audience, and the books will work well for them.
In this book the Hollisters travel to Canada to visit their grandparents and search for a missing trainer of Eskimo dogs who happens to be the brother of the children's teacher.
August 31, 2012
I love how the Happy Hollisters take one trip after another. Either travel was easier and cheaper back in the 50s or I've discovered one more vintage literary device.
Either way, I wish I were them. It'd be fun to travel all the places the Hollisters go.
This time they're off to Canada for a sled-dog adventure. Honestly I'd give this a 3.5 over a 4 stars simply because I had to suspend disbelief a few too many times. On the other hand, it was fun learning about sled-dogs. And I enjoyed the wintertime adventure.
Would I recommend this book? Sure. If you're reading the rest of the series, don't skip it. Would I go out of my way to read it? Not necessarily.
Either way, I wish I were them. It'd be fun to travel all the places the Hollisters go.
This time they're off to Canada for a sled-dog adventure. Honestly I'd give this a 3.5 over a 4 stars simply because I had to suspend disbelief a few too many times. On the other hand, it was fun learning about sled-dogs. And I enjoyed the wintertime adventure.
Would I recommend this book? Sure. If you're reading the rest of the series, don't skip it. Would I go out of my way to read it? Not necessarily.
December 18, 2015
Loved it when I read it in 1967.
February 8, 2016
It was pretty good.
December 17, 2025
This was my very first venture into The Happy Hollisters series, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was. The story follows the Hollister family to Snowflake Camp, where adventures pile up quickly—mysteries to solve, new friends to meet, and plenty of action to keep the pace lively. With more than 70 illustrations throughout, the book felt wonderfully engaging and full of energy.
What made it especially memorable were the wintery themes woven into every chapter: snowball fights, snowshoeing, dogsled racing, roasting marshmallows, sledding, cozy cabins, and even the thrill of sleigh rides. The snow-covered mountains and frosty forests created a magical backdrop for the Hollisters’ adventures.
As a mystery series for young readers, I loved the many twists and turns, with the five Hollister children solving a handful of puzzles along the way. What struck me most was how the book evoked a simpler time—before cell phones and the internet—when children were actively involved in the world around them, communicating with adults and shaping their own adventures. It had the wholesome, engaging feel of a Leave It to Beaver episode, mixed with the adventure of a Hardy Boys mystery, making it all the more charming.
Altogether, it was the perfect seasonal read: brisk, cheerful, and packed with snowy charm.
What made it especially memorable were the wintery themes woven into every chapter: snowball fights, snowshoeing, dogsled racing, roasting marshmallows, sledding, cozy cabins, and even the thrill of sleigh rides. The snow-covered mountains and frosty forests created a magical backdrop for the Hollisters’ adventures.
As a mystery series for young readers, I loved the many twists and turns, with the five Hollister children solving a handful of puzzles along the way. What struck me most was how the book evoked a simpler time—before cell phones and the internet—when children were actively involved in the world around them, communicating with adults and shaping their own adventures. It had the wholesome, engaging feel of a Leave It to Beaver episode, mixed with the adventure of a Hardy Boys mystery, making it all the more charming.
Altogether, it was the perfect seasonal read: brisk, cheerful, and packed with snowy charm.
June 13, 2021
The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp
I read the this book because I grew up with this series. I LOVED them as a kid. I still like them, however, they are dated. The girls did kitchen chores while the boys played. Back when I was young, that wasn’t that unusual. I still think young 2nd - 4tj grade would enjoy them. After a child read it, I would perhaps want to discuss how to things might be different today. Nevertheless, they are simple mystery books that portray strong family values.
I read the this book because I grew up with this series. I LOVED them as a kid. I still like them, however, they are dated. The girls did kitchen chores while the boys played. Back when I was young, that wasn’t that unusual. I still think young 2nd - 4tj grade would enjoy them. After a child read it, I would perhaps want to discuss how to things might be different today. Nevertheless, they are simple mystery books that portray strong family values.
January 3, 2019
❤️LLLLLOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVEEEEEE!!!!!❤️
🍀I absolutely ADORE the Happy Hollisters! I have read many of their books📚, but I just wish they were free! 😂😂 When I read about their adventures, I just wish that reality was like that. The Hollisters always seem to get along, without fights😦😦! I live in a family of 7, and I’ll tell you, it’s nothing like the way the Hollisters treat each other. All odds aside, your books are just AMAZING!!🍀
🍀I absolutely ADORE the Happy Hollisters! I have read many of their books📚, but I just wish they were free! 😂😂 When I read about their adventures, I just wish that reality was like that. The Hollisters always seem to get along, without fights😦😦! I live in a family of 7, and I’ll tell you, it’s nothing like the way the Hollisters treat each other. All odds aside, your books are just AMAZING!!🍀
March 9, 2018
The Happy Holisters at Snowflake Camp by Jerry West.
What I like about this book is that it's for middle age children. Love hearing about the family as this is the first book I've read. Love hearing of their adventures and how they help solve mysteries.Liked hearing of the dogs and how they live, train, etc.
Such a fun loving book to alternate reading with your child. Fun for all.
What I like about this book is that it's for middle age children. Love hearing about the family as this is the first book I've read. Love hearing of their adventures and how they help solve mysteries.Liked hearing of the dogs and how they live, train, etc.
Such a fun loving book to alternate reading with your child. Fun for all.
February 22, 2019
Good read for the whole family
My kids and I enjoyed reading this as our bedtime story. It was engaging, we love dogs and we enjoyed the mystery element as well. We would definitely recommend this book for families of all ages.
My kids and I enjoyed reading this as our bedtime story. It was engaging, we love dogs and we enjoyed the mystery element as well. We would definitely recommend this book for families of all ages.
May 6, 2021
The Hollister children go to Snowflake Camp in Canada. A mystery develops and of course, the Hollister kids are right there.
What a fun read. The children are great. The plot exciting, and the ending satisfying. They learn to ski, drive a dog sled and yes, solve the mystery.
What a fun read. The children are great. The plot exciting, and the ending satisfying. They learn to ski, drive a dog sled and yes, solve the mystery.
December 26, 2018
Cheerful and upbeat. Nicely old-fashioned. But it strains credulity that these children win every contest, every competition, even with no experience.
June 28, 2020
Loved it!
We love the Happy Hollister series and snowflake camp was another great one!! Great book! My kids really liked it ages 11, nine, seven.
We love the Happy Hollister series and snowflake camp was another great one!! Great book! My kids really liked it ages 11, nine, seven.
December 19, 2021
relly enjoyed this one very enjoyable for my first time reading happy hollisters
tbr-1
June 25, 2022Y’all, several of these books are free on Amazon—books 1-4, 9-11. Go check them out and keep an eye on them!
(21.6.24)
(21.6.24)
September 3, 2023
good family book
Recommended for any age from six to sixty. The Happy Hollister books are great to read together with your family.
Recommended for any age from six to sixty. The Happy Hollister books are great to read together with your family.
January 30, 2024
Rating by 8 year old
May 4, 2025
Similar feel to the Boxcar Children books
August 24, 2026
I would have enjoyed it more if I was in elementary or middle school, but it was still fun to try and figure out the mystery with the Holisters.
March 24, 2016
Los Hollister es la serie de libros que me inició definitivamente en la lectura. Recuerdo haber leído el primero y, con todo el dinero que había ahorrado por mi primera comunión y en todos los años anteriores, ir a por los 32 restantes, que costaban 600 pelas cada uno. Los compré todos en la feria del libro de Ceuta, lo recuerdo perfectamente, y volví a mi casa con dos bolsas y una mochila llenas de libros, que me duraron tres meses exactamente, para sorpresa/preocupación de mi madre.
Cada libro es el mismo, con aventuras algo diferentes, y con los mismo personajes, que no evolucionan nada en toda la serie. Pete, Pam, Holly, Ricky, Sue, puedo recitar sus nombres treinta años después sin consultarlo. Yo siempre fui de los Hollister, despreciando a quieres eran de los siete secretos, los Cinco o (puaj) Puck.
Junto a Mortadelo, los tres investigadores de Alfred Hitchcock y (a petición de mi padre) las aventuras de Guillermo, comenzaron a formar mi universo lector. Y por ello, aunque sean libros de lo más intrascendente, los considero fundamentales.
Cada libro es el mismo, con aventuras algo diferentes, y con los mismo personajes, que no evolucionan nada en toda la serie. Pete, Pam, Holly, Ricky, Sue, puedo recitar sus nombres treinta años después sin consultarlo. Yo siempre fui de los Hollister, despreciando a quieres eran de los siete secretos, los Cinco o (puaj) Puck.
Junto a Mortadelo, los tres investigadores de Alfred Hitchcock y (a petición de mi padre) las aventuras de Guillermo, comenzaron a formar mi universo lector. Y por ello, aunque sean libros de lo más intrascendente, los considero fundamentales.
January 4, 2022
Wonderful series where I could travel vicariously, learned diverse customs and manners, as well as helped me develop a good attitude.
June 30, 2020
I liked it. They need to find this dog named fluff and the master that just disappeared.
April 17, 2017
For about a decade, I've been reading "cozy" mysteries. With a few wonderful exceptions, the books have been terrible.
There are many Facebook pages and blogs by authors and those who report on the release of upcoming books that can be pre-ordered, as well as of cover art that will appear on upcoming books in a series. These page admins and bloggers do a disservice to the reading public if they are swayed to write flattering material about barely-fit-for-print (or Kindle) works of slapdash authorship.
I had an author contact me last month with a copy (free of charge) of her forthcoming cozy mystery (book one in the series). It was awful. I don't give positive reviews on books in exchange for incentives of any kind. To top it off, the book was in grave need of a proofreader and editor (it was rife with misspellings, punctuational errors, sentence fragments, improperly-used words, and more). And the plot: I can suspend disbelief probably a little better than the next reader, but this book was silly and absurd.
Back to the reason for this review, my enjoyment of the 63-year-old Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp (1954). It was wonderful! It moved right along, keeping me engaged in the goings-on of the Hollister family. The characters were truly likable with endearing and unique personality traits that had you rooting for them throughout. Now I want to read all the books in the series! The sentences were... sentences! Characters spoke dialog that people would actually say to each other in real life.
I'm considering starting my own, honest blog on the cozy mystery genre. I see too many four- and five-star reviews of bits of paper whose only use should be to line the birdcage. If you're interested in reading an honest blog like this, would you let me know in the comments? Thank you
There are many Facebook pages and blogs by authors and those who report on the release of upcoming books that can be pre-ordered, as well as of cover art that will appear on upcoming books in a series. These page admins and bloggers do a disservice to the reading public if they are swayed to write flattering material about barely-fit-for-print (or Kindle) works of slapdash authorship.
I had an author contact me last month with a copy (free of charge) of her forthcoming cozy mystery (book one in the series). It was awful. I don't give positive reviews on books in exchange for incentives of any kind. To top it off, the book was in grave need of a proofreader and editor (it was rife with misspellings, punctuational errors, sentence fragments, improperly-used words, and more). And the plot: I can suspend disbelief probably a little better than the next reader, but this book was silly and absurd.
Back to the reason for this review, my enjoyment of the 63-year-old Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp (1954). It was wonderful! It moved right along, keeping me engaged in the goings-on of the Hollister family. The characters were truly likable with endearing and unique personality traits that had you rooting for them throughout. Now I want to read all the books in the series! The sentences were... sentences! Characters spoke dialog that people would actually say to each other in real life.
I'm considering starting my own, honest blog on the cozy mystery genre. I see too many four- and five-star reviews of bits of paper whose only use should be to line the birdcage. If you're interested in reading an honest blog like this, would you let me know in the comments? Thank you
Read
November 25, 2018They did it again!
They’re still the Happy Hollisters, the mysteries arise and are solved. This time their affords are aided by their grandparents in the arctic. A great story in a great series that my Grandkids will thoroughly enjoy.
They’re still the Happy Hollisters, the mysteries arise and are solved. This time their affords are aided by their grandparents in the arctic. A great story in a great series that my Grandkids will thoroughly enjoy.
Read
January 11, 2019Good book I think young people who enjoy mysteries and happy endings will really enjoy the series it is nice to get away from real life sometimes. I look forward to reading many more in the series and so does my nephew.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews