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The Happy Hollisters #5
Los Hollister y la montaña tenebrosa
The Happy Hollisters at Mystery Mountain (#5 in the Happy Hollisters series)
While returning from New Mexico to the airport in their rented bus, the Hollister children stop to buy cowboy suits. Mr. Hollister, with an eye for items to sell in his store, The Trading Post, discovers the suits are designed by Marie Vega, the wife of an old college friend. Mr. Hollister contacts the Vegas and the whole Hollister family is invited to spend a few weeks on the Vega ranch.
Meanwhile, the children have met Helen and Jack Moore, youngsters about Pete’s age, who are staying at a dude ranch not far from the Vegas’ and Mystery Mountain. Jack has a map that leads to the cave of the ancient doll makers, the long buried secret of the mountain. Complications set in, however, when the Hollisters and the Moores meet the boy Willie and his friend the mysterious Mesquite Mike. Not only does the map disappear, but word is around that a rustler is taking sheep from the ranchers in the area.
Here is another exciting Hollister adventure. What happens to the children when they spend a night on the desert? Is there really a monster in Mystery Mountain? And who could the rustler be? All these questions are answered in this fast-moving story.
First published in 19534 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. Over seventy 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.
While returning from New Mexico to the airport in their rented bus, the Hollister children stop to buy cowboy suits. Mr. Hollister, with an eye for items to sell in his store, The Trading Post, discovers the suits are designed by Marie Vega, the wife of an old college friend. Mr. Hollister contacts the Vegas and the whole Hollister family is invited to spend a few weeks on the Vega ranch.
Meanwhile, the children have met Helen and Jack Moore, youngsters about Pete’s age, who are staying at a dude ranch not far from the Vegas’ and Mystery Mountain. Jack has a map that leads to the cave of the ancient doll makers, the long buried secret of the mountain. Complications set in, however, when the Hollisters and the Moores meet the boy Willie and his friend the mysterious Mesquite Mike. Not only does the map disappear, but word is around that a rustler is taking sheep from the ranchers in the area.
Here is another exciting Hollister adventure. What happens to the children when they spend a night on the desert? Is there really a monster in Mystery Mountain? And who could the rustler be? All these questions are answered in this fast-moving story.
First published in 19534 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. Over seventy 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.
200 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 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 19, 2021
The Happy Hollisters at Mystery Mountain: (Volume 5) by Jerry West
This story follows the family as they have left the Indians in New Mexico and there is a lead to a friend of the dad and they locate him and go to visit on his ranch.
They soon learn there is a bully in the area and he harms the kids. There are also sheep rustlers and we get to experience the rains. Like learning some Spanish words and what they mean.
The kids have found other kids visiting relatives and they have a book that explains where to find the mystery in the mountain. They are warned to stay away from the mountain areas.
Love the caretaker on the ranch who can predict weather and it's usually ONLY ever good to go fishing. Love learning more about sheep, so cool facts!
Kids love doing that also! So many dangerous things but it doesn't stop the kids at all. Love the plane rides!
This story follows the family as they have left the Indians in New Mexico and there is a lead to a friend of the dad and they locate him and go to visit on his ranch.
They soon learn there is a bully in the area and he harms the kids. There are also sheep rustlers and we get to experience the rains. Like learning some Spanish words and what they mean.
The kids have found other kids visiting relatives and they have a book that explains where to find the mystery in the mountain. They are warned to stay away from the mountain areas.
Love the caretaker on the ranch who can predict weather and it's usually ONLY ever good to go fishing. Love learning more about sheep, so cool facts!
Kids love doing that also! So many dangerous things but it doesn't stop the kids at all. Love the plane rides!
March 7, 2009
I remember reading the Happy Hollisters back when Hank was a pup. This cover strikes a chord in me. The mystery series was a fun read for maybe 6- or 7-year-olds. It's funny how some books stick in the mind.
Read
May 31, 2021I liked adventure in this installment: there was horseback riding and animals. I love the idea of ranches & nature, so this setting was perfect for me. Too bad their overnight horseback riding didn't go like they had planned: it could have been an awesome trip, just those I dreamed of as a child.
February 18, 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.
This book happens right after the previous one (The Happy Hollisters and the Indian Treasure). It's a standalone adventure, but it happens on the same trip. The Hollisters are guests in a ranch, and they try to catch some cattle thieve. They also meet some friends who are looking for a mountain where the remains of the fabled dollmakers may be hidden, but unfortunately the locals believe that there is a monster there.
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.
This book happens right after the previous one (The Happy Hollisters and the Indian Treasure). It's a standalone adventure, but it happens on the same trip. The Hollisters are guests in a ranch, and they try to catch some cattle thieve. They also meet some friends who are looking for a mountain where the remains of the fabled dollmakers may be hidden, but unfortunately the locals believe that there is a monster there.
March 23, 2012
The amount of adventure in this fabulous books always astonish me. There is always something exciting happening, and I can't stop turning the pages until the book is done. Someday I want to find all the books in this series. It's truly one of the best things I've read for children. Does anybody today write like this?
June 30, 2020
I liked it. They go to a store to buy some cowboy clothes and they find out that there was a mountain that dollmakers used to live in and they thought it still had some stone dolls in it, but sheep are getting stolen and then their sketch gets stolen and the book that had the sketch of the mountain in it.
January 5, 2012
I wish these books were easy to find - I loved them all, and so did some of my kids and their friends. And now we can not find them for my youngest. I will have to look a bit harder, because these are great stories!
December 18, 2015
Loved it when I read it in 1967.
January 2, 2017
I loved reading this 1954 book...with the old pages and the sweet adventure. Youth fiction.
May 18, 2025
Lizzie: Not as interesting as the other books in the series so far, but it was still good.
December 1, 2021
I had never read this episode. We find out how they got their burro, Domingo!
April 8, 2018
I read these books as a child, and have now read a couple out loud to my children. They are fun mysteries for a younger audience; the language is a bit simple for a 10 year old but the mystery was still enjoyable.
I rated this one as three stars because of some cultural inconsistencies that are portrayed about people who speak Spanish. The Hollisters visited a family who speaks Spanish, yet it was unclear which country they came from. Taking place in Mexico, it would seem obvious they would have ancestry in Mexico (or from Texas before it became part of the United States), yet at times there were references to the culture of Spain (for example, the flamenco dance).
As an adult, I also find the stories and characters a bit harder to swallow - for example, the idea that people are either bad or good (good people don't have bad in them, only "foolishness," bad people don't have good in them and must be punished harshly) and young children (age 6 or 8) can act and think like adults to solve a mystery.
I rated this one as three stars because of some cultural inconsistencies that are portrayed about people who speak Spanish. The Hollisters visited a family who speaks Spanish, yet it was unclear which country they came from. Taking place in Mexico, it would seem obvious they would have ancestry in Mexico (or from Texas before it became part of the United States), yet at times there were references to the culture of Spain (for example, the flamenco dance).
As an adult, I also find the stories and characters a bit harder to swallow - for example, the idea that people are either bad or good (good people don't have bad in them, only "foolishness," bad people don't have good in them and must be punished harshly) and young children (age 6 or 8) can act and think like adults to solve a mystery.
April 5, 2021
The Hollister family is invited to spend a few weeks on the Vega ranch. The adventure begins when they meet Helen and Jack Moore. Mystery Mountain is introduced. Jack has a map that leads to the cave of the ancient doll makers, the long-buried secret of the mountain. I love caves, as most people. The Hollisters and the Moores meet Willie and his friend the mysterious Mesquite Mike. The map disappears and a rustler is taking sheep from the ranchers in the area. What a great read. I love these adventure-seeking kids.
February 17, 2021
Another mystery leads the Hollisters into adventure
On their way home after finding the Indian treasure in the fourth volume of the Happy Hollisters series, the family meets up with an old college friend of Mr. Hollister and find themselves on the trail of sheep rustlers and stone dolls and toys said to be hidden at Mystery Mountain. As always, a good, clean story with plenty of fun with the Hollister family.
On their way home after finding the Indian treasure in the fourth volume of the Happy Hollisters series, the family meets up with an old college friend of Mr. Hollister and find themselves on the trail of sheep rustlers and stone dolls and toys said to be hidden at Mystery Mountain. As always, a good, clean story with plenty of fun with the Hollister family.
May 13, 2019
I really liked the book
I think it was a great book for children I suggest you read the whole series it is great for entertainment and education it is good literature to put in your mind this book has a positive attitude even when there in trouble I suggest the book to anyone I hope more people read the book over all its a great book I suggest it to you!!!!😀😀
I think it was a great book for children I suggest you read the whole series it is great for entertainment and education it is good literature to put in your mind this book has a positive attitude even when there in trouble I suggest the book to anyone I hope more people read the book over all its a great book I suggest it to you!!!!😀😀
November 15, 2019
I didn't remember this one, until I got to the part where one of the kids tried to ride a cafe. I remembered that part.
This is such a sweet series for kids (and those of us who like to walk down memory lane).
This is such a sweet series for kids (and those of us who like to walk down memory lane).
April 8, 2025
I think it's a really good mystery adventure book. I would say it's good, but not my favorite. It is a little bit of a thriller. I like it. The old book style and stuff. I love the cover of this book too. I hope you enjoyed this little review.
December 3, 2020
Not our fav, but good.
My girls didn’t really enjoy this book as much as other HAppy Holisters we have read. Still a good read.
My girls didn’t really enjoy this book as much as other HAppy Holisters we have read. Still a good read.
January 30, 2021
I lucked up on another to add to my collection of this series at a used bookstore. Only two to go until I have the entire series! I enjoyed reading how they got their burro, Domingo.
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)
January 30, 2024
Rating by 8 year old
February 7, 2025
The Hollister kids cause seemingly endless catastrophes at a ranch.
August 14, 2022
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.
September 15, 2022
Good but showing it's age. There are other books that the kids enjoy more.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews