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Clues for Real Life: The Classic Wit & Wisdom of Nancy Drew
For more than 75 years, young girls have been drawn to Nancy Drew, America's favorite young sleuth. Readers couldn't have missed the words of wisdom sprinkled throughout the book about how to deal with everyday problems mixed in with the mystery. Filled with memorable and fun illustrations of Nancy during the past 75 years, this new book is filled with quotes straight from the pages of Nancy Drew books. And, with chapters covering such topics as Career Clues: The Secrets to Getting Ahead; Mysterious Men: Solving Your Dating Dilemmas; and Friendship Files: Lessons Learned from Bess and George, this is a great gift for Nancy Drew fans.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published November 6, 2007
4 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Karpinske
12 books57 followersI'm a freelance health writer for magazines and websites. I also write fiction. I've always been interested in genetics which is what inspired me to write The Samantha Project Series. I write New Adult Romance under a different name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 16, 2012
The first chapter is the best, with a short history of the Stratemeyer Syndicate and the evolution of the Nancy Drew series. The illustrations from the various books in the original series are also great. The "wit and wisdom" quotes aren't very witty or wise for anyone over 12 years old however.
Written for a younger reading audience then I expected, and not for "grown-up" fans of Nancy and chums. Given that, it's a cute book for young fans, but if you're a -ehem- mature fan, try these alternatives instead:
Written for a younger reading audience then I expected, and not for "grown-up" fans of Nancy and chums. Given that, it's a cute book for young fans, but if you're a -ehem- mature fan, try these alternatives instead:
December 29, 2017
While this book represents most of why I love Nancy Drew, it was still a little flat. Overall, it's a fun book to browse through, but it's not going to change my life. My favorite sections were about dating, fashion, and food. At the beginning of the book, you are told to keep track of clues as you read so that you can solve a code at the end. However, they tell you the code (it's not very hard anyways) so it seems kind of lame. Mystery aficionados are reading this! They want to figure it out for themselves! That is all :)
2017 challenge: a book with a subtitle
2017 challenge: a book with a subtitle
September 30, 2017
I found this book in the closet as I was going through my old books to donate. Recommended if you're a huge Nancy Drew fan, as it's mostly quotes. This is ridiculous and cheesy, as I expect is the point. It was cool to read about the changes (covers, outfits, mysteries) throughout the decades.
July 6, 2016
I love Nancy Drew! The mystery series was one of my absolute favorites as a kid! This was an interesting book at the beginning, giving the history of the writing, coverwork, Nancy herself and how she evolved. Then it mostly gave quotes, which was okay but I wanted more knowledge and less of something I could have gotten elsewhere. Like...the actual books themselves. The advice was also a little kid-ish. However, I did enjoy reading through it and reliving the feeling of going on a mystery with Nancy Drew.
September 3, 2008
Pure nostalgia courtesy of my friend Emerald. This book does not contain brilliant prose, but it does take a look back at the history of the Nancy Drew series - who Carolyn Keene really was, how Nancy evolved from the 30s to the 70s, etc, etc. I especially liked the pictures of the book covers. Someday when I have my "Beauty & the Beast" library I will place this book next to my collection of Nancy Drews from the 30s, 60s, and 90s. Can't wait!
June 8, 2018
Really enjoyed the Trivia and taking a trip down memory lane.
January 21, 2025
These books are usually pretty awful. ”Everything I Need to Know I Learned from Picking Up My Dogs Poop” and its ilk are usually pretty insipid.
Buy Nancy Drew will always hold a special place in my heart. She gave me a love of mysteries and books that I carry with me to this day.
I do like that it is illustrated with some of the classic book covers.
Some interesting history on the various writers of the original books.
There’s also a cool section that compares the changes from the 1930 original to the 1959 revisions.
Nancy drives at “breathtaking speed.” Becomes Nancy drives “as rapidly as the law permitted”
Nancy Drew is plucky, brash, and opinionated becomes Nancy becomes an unfailingly polite debutante type who’s always dutiful.
After the history lessons and the trivia quiz come the required insipitude.
If a parrot exclaims, “Go away. Danger,” you might want to heed his advice!”
It also notes which book that particular advice came from.
When being followed, pretend to drop your purse and turn slightly for a more natural look-see!
Be aware of who you give autographs to—your signature might later be used to forge checks.
Sometimes you need to take a break from staking out counterfeiters for a festive round of croquet and horseshoes.
There is also “Friend or Foe? How do you know?” And “Personality Match: Are you like Nancy, Bess, or George?” Quizzes.
I’m not normally considered an icon of feminism but I’m not even going to quote anything out of the “Mysterious Men: Solving Your Dating Dilemmas” chapter.
”Always give your hair special attention and wear pretty dresses from the boys!”
I wouldn’t suggest you hunt down a copy of this book - even for hardcore Nancy fans (you know the type - you can tell by the hair).
But as I don’t know of the existence of a more in-depth guide to Nancy Drew this will have to do.
There is also a “Match the Outfit to the Sleuthing Situation” quiz.
Chapter 8 is “Recipe for Adventure: In the Kitchen with Nancy”.
Don’t miss out on an opportunity to dine where they advertise, ‘Chicken Dinners Are Our Specialty.’”
You can always start your diet over!
A huge appetite can frighten the boys away!
Just today I ran across a bunch of Nancy Drew hardcovers. Obviously reprints but with the classic painting and yellow spines of the originals. Very tempting…
”TASTY TREATS: Nancy’s Favorite Foods”
And even a recipe for ”Carson Drew’s Beloved Beef Pot Roast”
I’m not sure I’ve ever had a pot roast. Three more recipes follow!
“Search for Fun: Test Your Puzzle-Solving Skills”
If you’ve ever tried to decipher exactly what a guy meant when he said, ‘You’re a really nice girl,’ or ‘I’ll call you soon,’ then you know all about cracking codes!
Well, this was a cute book and I really can’t complain about it because it’s kind of exactly what it purports to be.
The first 20 pages were the most interesting parts. But at least it had those!
So I’ll give it 3 stars for being true to itself, but I’d love to hear if there is a more interesting ‘history of Nancy Drew book out there’.
I’ll keep his one until I find it.
Buy Nancy Drew will always hold a special place in my heart. She gave me a love of mysteries and books that I carry with me to this day.
I do like that it is illustrated with some of the classic book covers.
Some interesting history on the various writers of the original books.
There’s also a cool section that compares the changes from the 1930 original to the 1959 revisions.
Nancy drives at “breathtaking speed.” Becomes Nancy drives “as rapidly as the law permitted”
Nancy Drew is plucky, brash, and opinionated becomes Nancy becomes an unfailingly polite debutante type who’s always dutiful.
After the history lessons and the trivia quiz come the required insipitude.
If a parrot exclaims, “Go away. Danger,” you might want to heed his advice!”
It also notes which book that particular advice came from.
When being followed, pretend to drop your purse and turn slightly for a more natural look-see!
Be aware of who you give autographs to—your signature might later be used to forge checks.
Sometimes you need to take a break from staking out counterfeiters for a festive round of croquet and horseshoes.
There is also “Friend or Foe? How do you know?” And “Personality Match: Are you like Nancy, Bess, or George?” Quizzes.
I’m not normally considered an icon of feminism but I’m not even going to quote anything out of the “Mysterious Men: Solving Your Dating Dilemmas” chapter.
”Always give your hair special attention and wear pretty dresses from the boys!”
I wouldn’t suggest you hunt down a copy of this book - even for hardcore Nancy fans (you know the type - you can tell by the hair).
But as I don’t know of the existence of a more in-depth guide to Nancy Drew this will have to do.
There is also a “Match the Outfit to the Sleuthing Situation” quiz.
Chapter 8 is “Recipe for Adventure: In the Kitchen with Nancy”.
Don’t miss out on an opportunity to dine where they advertise, ‘Chicken Dinners Are Our Specialty.’”
You can always start your diet over!
A huge appetite can frighten the boys away!
Just today I ran across a bunch of Nancy Drew hardcovers. Obviously reprints but with the classic painting and yellow spines of the originals. Very tempting…
”TASTY TREATS: Nancy’s Favorite Foods”
And even a recipe for ”Carson Drew’s Beloved Beef Pot Roast”
I’m not sure I’ve ever had a pot roast. Three more recipes follow!
“Search for Fun: Test Your Puzzle-Solving Skills”
If you’ve ever tried to decipher exactly what a guy meant when he said, ‘You’re a really nice girl,’ or ‘I’ll call you soon,’ then you know all about cracking codes!
Well, this was a cute book and I really can’t complain about it because it’s kind of exactly what it purports to be.
The first 20 pages were the most interesting parts. But at least it had those!
So I’ll give it 3 stars for being true to itself, but I’d love to hear if there is a more interesting ‘history of Nancy Drew book out there’.
I’ll keep his one until I find it.
March 29, 2021
2020 was my year of Austen and 2021 is my year of Nancy Drew. I am challenging myself to not only reread my Nancy Drew collection, but also all the books I own about Nancy Drew and her creators.
This was a fun quick read broken down into short chapters dealing with Nancy's evolution, her different careers, her many friends, her boyfriends, the villains, her travels, her fashion, and the popular food from the book, I really enjoyed the first chapter as it talked of her development by Edward Stratemeyer and the 8! ghostwriters that wrote the books. It also talked about the revising of Nancy that took place in 1959 and how Nancy stayed current with the times in regard to fashion.
There were lots of quizzes sprinkled throughout the book, so that you could see how big of a fan you really were. There are also recipes included in the back for Carson Drew's Beloved Beef Pot Roast , Hannah's Famous Cheese Souffle, Nancy's Cinnamon Toast, and The Drew Family's Hot Chocolate.
The rest of the book is the wisdom of Nancy and illustrations from the stories. This would be a fine addition to the collection of a true Nancy aficionado, but others might find it lacking and the wisdom dated.
This was a fun quick read broken down into short chapters dealing with Nancy's evolution, her different careers, her many friends, her boyfriends, the villains, her travels, her fashion, and the popular food from the book, I really enjoyed the first chapter as it talked of her development by Edward Stratemeyer and the 8! ghostwriters that wrote the books. It also talked about the revising of Nancy that took place in 1959 and how Nancy stayed current with the times in regard to fashion.
There were lots of quizzes sprinkled throughout the book, so that you could see how big of a fan you really were. There are also recipes included in the back for Carson Drew's Beloved Beef Pot Roast , Hannah's Famous Cheese Souffle, Nancy's Cinnamon Toast, and The Drew Family's Hot Chocolate.
The rest of the book is the wisdom of Nancy and illustrations from the stories. This would be a fine addition to the collection of a true Nancy aficionado, but others might find it lacking and the wisdom dated.
November 9, 2024
My top 5 of the wisdom provided:
5) If someone's trying to buy a house and it suddenly becomes haunted, it's probably not a coincidence.
4) Do try to focus on your boyfriend's conversation even though tales of football and insurance are not as exciting as sleuthing.
3) When you become stranded because your clothes have been stolen, you might be frustrated at your chum who's wandered off, until you learn of her being locked in a tower.
2) An old sack tied over your head by criminals is not a very fashion-forward accessory.
1) if you make a bet with your friends, you might end up knitting a sweater when you're proved wrong.
5) If someone's trying to buy a house and it suddenly becomes haunted, it's probably not a coincidence.
4) Do try to focus on your boyfriend's conversation even though tales of football and insurance are not as exciting as sleuthing.
3) When you become stranded because your clothes have been stolen, you might be frustrated at your chum who's wandered off, until you learn of her being locked in a tower.
2) An old sack tied over your head by criminals is not a very fashion-forward accessory.
1) if you make a bet with your friends, you might end up knitting a sweater when you're proved wrong.
May 2, 2023
Best part is the overview of how Nancy Drew was written. Although the quotes and ideas presented are interesting and amusing, I wish the book presented more historical background data (ex. For the fashion chapter, they could have a brief description of evolving fashion from the 1930s to 70s and then correlate that to Nancy’s closet instead of plucking some clothing-centric quotes from her stories).
April 22, 2018
This was a gift from a friend who knows I like quirky reference books. I did read Nancy Drew as a kid, so it was fun to revisit the character. I plan to put this book in a Little Free Library in town so someone else can enjoy it.
June 23, 2019
This book was a gift. It is a light trip down memory lane for those who grew up reading Nancy Drew.
January 6, 2020
I used to love Nancy Drew books when I was a kid. This was a neat look back at one of my favorite book series.
May 14, 2023
It’s a fun book for what it is. I wish it went into more depth about things, but I enjoyed the quizzes and puzzles within it a lot.
Read
March 5, 2024History of the Nancy Drew books.
February 8, 2025
A little strange...perhaps a lot strange!
November 12, 2019
Fun, fluffy mix of history, trivia and quotes.
August 15, 2008
Cute little book. I was killing time at Barnes before dinner with some friends and this book caught my eye. I sat and read it in a little over half an hour. It is full of great quotes from the classic Nancy Drew books and nifty little applications to your life from Drew's. I found its target audience to be a bit split, however, in a negative way.
While the book itself was adorable and the idea was great, it was aimed toward young girls. There is, of course, nothing wrong with this so much but the entire first chapter (a history of Drew and the times surrounding her creation) prepared me for a book that was going to be aimed at the older women who grew up with Nancy Drew. That is very much what it appears to be until you get to the actual "wisdom" part where it is suddenly the kind of things 12 year-olds would read and giggle over at slumber parties.
It's an adorable little book, no doubt, but not entirely relevant to one audience or the other.
While the book itself was adorable and the idea was great, it was aimed toward young girls. There is, of course, nothing wrong with this so much but the entire first chapter (a history of Drew and the times surrounding her creation) prepared me for a book that was going to be aimed at the older women who grew up with Nancy Drew. That is very much what it appears to be until you get to the actual "wisdom" part where it is suddenly the kind of things 12 year-olds would read and giggle over at slumber parties.
It's an adorable little book, no doubt, but not entirely relevant to one audience or the other.
November 29, 2008
I'm gonna have to post some quotes as I read this:
"When lost in the mountains, try to put on a brave front for morale's sake."
"Posing under empty picture frames to elude a villain is a risky venture!"
"Beware of who you give autographs to--your signature might later be used to forge checks."
***Finished***
The main draw here is obviously the random quotes that are hilarious when removed from their original context, but it also includes a brief history of the series' creation/evolution, and some light-hearted quizzes (none of which I could answer) and the like. Anyway, I don't want to give all of them away but here are a few more.
"Eating can be a fattening hobby."
"If you're taken prisoner, unobtrusively knock off a button so that your rescuers will be better able to trace your whereabouts."
"When threatened with a hairbrush by a vicious woman, remain calm and speak in cold level tones."
"When lost in the mountains, try to put on a brave front for morale's sake."
"Posing under empty picture frames to elude a villain is a risky venture!"
"Beware of who you give autographs to--your signature might later be used to forge checks."
***Finished***
The main draw here is obviously the random quotes that are hilarious when removed from their original context, but it also includes a brief history of the series' creation/evolution, and some light-hearted quizzes (none of which I could answer) and the like. Anyway, I don't want to give all of them away but here are a few more.
"Eating can be a fattening hobby."
"If you're taken prisoner, unobtrusively knock off a button so that your rescuers will be better able to trace your whereabouts."
"When threatened with a hairbrush by a vicious woman, remain calm and speak in cold level tones."
February 28, 2012
I loved the first chapter of the book, Hidden Secrets: The Evolution of Nancy Drew, which has the historical background of Nancy Drew, Nancy Drew by numbers, and even a cute quiz! However the rest of the book with "advice" seems a little, well...ehh. It's rather boring. As an avid Nancy Drew-er I appreciated the quirky quotes from the book along with the classic pictures, however if you are not a Nancy Drew fan, this will be a bore. I received this book as a gift and I think it was a wonderful present to receive, it showed my friend truly knew what I liked, however I probably wouldn't have purchased it for myself. If you're a die-hard Nancy Drew fan, then this is a must-have, however if your simply an amateur detective, I'd pass on this one.
July 12, 2011
Clues for Real Life: The Classic Wit and Wisdom of Nancy Drew is another quick read. It is a compilation of facts, quizzes, pictures, and quotes from the Nancy Drew books. I only read a couple of the original Nancy Drew books, but it was still fun to read this compilation. My favorite part was the comparison between the original books from the 1930s and the 1959 revision. I recommend this book for anyone who already loves Nancy Drew or is interested in women's rights. The beginning section talks about Nancy Drew's impact on the Suffragette Movement and being a role model for the equal rights movement.
January 23, 2008
everyone should carry this in their purse at all times and refer to it for all sorts of advice. example: "beware of who you give autographs to-your signature might later be used to forge checks" and "when threatened with a hairbrush by a vicious woman, remain calm and speak in cold level tones" and "a stuffed wryneck bird on the lawn is a sign that you might be jinxed!"
truly, good stuff.
additionally: anyone who can solve 56 mysteries, travel to 10 countries, and have four cars all while they're 18 is someone that you should definitely take advice from.
truly, good stuff.
additionally: anyone who can solve 56 mysteries, travel to 10 countries, and have four cars all while they're 18 is someone that you should definitely take advice from.
November 12, 2011
A very cute little book that would be a perfect gift for Nancy Drew fans! I'm sort of wannabe fan- I'm very interested in the series, the changes it underwent, the real authors, etc. But I haven't actually read any of the books yet. I definitely plan on reading some of the series! Anyway, the information part of this book was really interesting, and the advice taken from the stories is hilarious. There are also little trivia quizzes throughout and a mystery to solve at the end (you collect clues throughout the book).
October 16, 2012
As a child, I was an avid mystery reader…Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown, and (especially) Nancy Drew were my favorites. This book brought back a ton of memories! And, I found the real-life comparisons cute and entertaining. I also liked that I learned something. There were a lot of nuances contained within the old books that I hadn’t even thought about as a child, such as how her clothing style changed to fit the era, which is part of what made Nancy Drew so timeless and appealing to kids. This is a really cute book for anyone who remembers the book series fondly.
January 18, 2016
This is subtitled The Classic Wit and Wisdom of Nancy Drew. The book has nine chapters, each chapter with one or more drawings from the Nancy Drew books and these are really very well done and very colorful and attractive. Each chapter with have a text introduction and a number of quotes from the various Nancy Drew Mystery books centered around the chapter's topic, and also may have modified interior drawings from the books.
There are also a number of quizzes to test the reader's knowledge of Nancy Drew. All of this adds up to a very well-done book.
There are also a number of quizzes to test the reader's knowledge of Nancy Drew. All of this adds up to a very well-done book.
May 24, 2013
I haven't seen many high ratings for this book. I've seen quite a few complaints, though. Some readers didn't like the history of Nancy Drew, and some didn't like that it was written a lower "level." What did you expect? If you pick up a book about Nancy Drew, it's probably not going to be targeting adults. I did like reading about the history of the various writers and artists that created Nancy Drew. I found it interesting.... Maybe that's just me?
June 28, 2015
Growing up a Nancy Drew addict, I received this book as a gift, and it's cute, but not enthralling. It's full of old covers and illustrations, which make me want to pull out my old ND's and reread them. They're formulaic, they're predictable, but also comforting, like a bowl of tomato soup on a rainy day. Some of these nuggets of wit and wisdom will make you smile; others will make you cringe at the way the people thought about women and interpersonal relationships, back in the day.
January 5, 2020
This book was a gift from a friend who also grew up reading the Nancy Drew mysteries. It was a fun, quick read geared toward young readers of Nancy Drew or to those of us who are no longer young, but grew up loving the mysteries. The beginning of the book explains the origins of the series and the writers. Most of the book is made up of quotes, quizzes, and the artwork from the original books. I enjoyed revisiting this beloved mystery series, which I began reading when I was about 10 years old.
July 1, 2010
This book just takes quotes from Nancy Drew books and applies them rather hilariously to real life. It's so much fun if you have read Nancy Drew books before. If you haven't, you should probably skip it.
February 16, 2014
Hilarious quotes when taken out of context. Actually, these quotes would probably still be hilarious even in context. "A huge appetite can frighten the boys away." Very true Nancy. Out of the mouths of babes...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews