The Purple Fingerprint

Nancy Drew: Notebooks #44

by Carolyn Keene, Jan Naimo Jones (Illustrator)

Nancy gets the big picture from a really tiny clue! Nancy and her friends love Mr. Lizard's Funhouse -- it's their favorite TV show. But now Mr. Lizard is going to be replaced -- by a cooking show! Nancy gets the kids in school to sign a petition to save the Show, but when she brings it to the TV station, it says in big purple letters, "Get rid of Mr. Lizard!" From the lunch lady to a science whiz kid, anyone in school Could have written the nasty note. Then Nancy's father gives her a special gift -- a magnifying glass. It's just the thing for an upclose look at her best clue -- a distinctive purple fingerprint!

Genres: Mystery, Childrens

80 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

Carolyn Keene is a writer pen name that was used by many different people- both men and women- over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym Carolyn Keene to assure anonymity of the creator.

Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister Harriet. It was Mildred Benson (aka: Mildred A. Wirt), who breathed such a feisty spirit into Nancy's character. Mildred wrote 23 of the original 30 Nancy Drew Mystery Stories®, including the first three. It was her characterization that helped make Nancy an instant hit. The Stratemeyer Syndicate's devotion to the series over the years under the reins of Harriet Stratemeyer Adams helped to keep the series alive and on store shelves for each succeeding generation of girls and boys. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier Carolyn Keene novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.

Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Harriet herself, she wrote most of the series after Mildred quit writing for the Syndicate and in 1959 began a revision of the first 34 texts. The role of the writer of "Carolyn Keene" passed temporarily to Walter Karig who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew's prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.

Reviews

[Yrsa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kitty brukar aldrig vara elak men i den här var hon, Bess och George lite taskiga mot två stycken i sin klass/på skolan.

[Gowri_Sharma28 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well..it is a kid's book with a mystery for kids so dot dot dot..

[Margot · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book becuase they tried to save their favorite TV star from getting off the air.