Bad Day for Ballet

Nancy Drew: Notebooks #4

by Carolyn Keene, Anthony Accardo (Illustrator)

Nancy must find the missing music tape before 3:00 on Sunday or else the ballet recital will be cancelled.

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Chapter Books, Audiobook, Fiction, Middle Grade, Juvenile

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

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 In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten.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

[Lyssi Hyland]

Just as good as the rest!!!

[Karen]

2.5

Nothing at all wrong with this, it just left no impact on me. The audiobook (on double speed) is less than an hour so I listened to it this afternoon while doing some cleaning and that was that. :)

[Ananya]

One of my most important reading goals this year is to finish this series. It's been pending since too long -_- These books are like a small break from reading full length novels to me and they're pretty okay.

[Prashansa]

Okay fine!!! Won't dare to read any such thing again and punish myself.

[Jeremiah]

A good day for ballet! I read this to my daughter in one sitting—that’s an automatic five stars. We had fun talking about all the ballet terms in the story, she recognized them all from her ballet class.

I like these stories because they seem to have sympathetic villains or misunderstandings. There’s no “bad guy.”

One criticism: my daughter asked if boys were allowed in Nancy’s ballet class—there weren’t any. This was a good opportunity to talk about how boys and men are ballet students and dancers.

[Rut]

One night I couldn't sleep, so I found this audiobook on YT. And I couldn't sleep for another half an hour. As a kid I never got very familiar with Nancy Drew's notebooks collection. So reading or listening to one as an adult was charming, it was like looking (and feeling) back on those simpler and beautiful times of my childhood, when I too kept a notebook tracking down clues to help finding any lost object, just playing detective at home, while also biking with friends, experimenting with make up, or eating homemade hot cakes (like our little protagonist here).

[James Crawford]

This is #4 in the Nancy Drew notebooks story where Nancy and her friends are in elementary school and solve mysteries. In this case Nancy and the others are taking ballet and are to perform, but someone has stolen the tape with the music and it seems that there will be no performance held. There are several suspects, as usual. They manage to solve the mystery and the performance goes well.

[Alex]

I thought this was part of the Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series when I saw it in the library catalogue, but it turned out to be from a completely different series. It was still incredibly adorable, though, and I wish my library had more of these books! Looks like this is the only one they have, which is kinda weird.

[Eulene]

Book 3/69 of reading/rereading nancy drew books just because i can

This was definitely a reread since I remembered it. Di na magwowork premise neto ngayon kasi may spotify na hahaha.
Reading these books pag kailangan ng break ng utak ko.

[Blue Mullins]

:)

[Jaclyn]

To quote George Fayne: That was fun! :)

[Frieda]

Definitely got the Nancy Drew vibe right. I did figure it out, and enjoyed the story.

[Chris Comden]

Bad Day for Ballet by Carolyn Keene
Series: Yes Nancy Drew Notebooks #4
Format: Softcover
Stars: 3 1/2
Recommend: Yes
Would Reread: No



I give honest reviews and all my opinions are my own.

For more of my reviews go to Heavenly High Seas Books
https://heavenlyhighseasbooks.blogspo...

[G]

This was my favourite book as a child.

[V. Arrow]

I'm having a hard time remembering whether this is literally the same plot as Cinderella Ballet Mystery or whether I'm just remembering this one, twice. Which means it has slightly more impact than the other title, I guess.

[Megan]

This book is funny, I love ballet I used to take ballet but I don't any more, I want to start it up again thought

[Rika]

It was OK. Very classical.

[Dwayne Keller]

Nice story for young readers, well written.

[Jennifer]

Ordered this book as a Christmas gift for a lovely young lady. She loved it. She couldn't put it down and read it quickly.

[Brylee Ure]

I think it is really good! You don't think who is the suspect in tell the end.

[Yasuko]

2011.6.14 9436words

[matilde]

* 3.5 *

[Briana]

Initial Thoughts: Definitely a book for younger readers. Simple plot with clear clues. Assumes prior knowledge of Nancy Drew. Full review to come.

[Samantha Osborne]

a really good story where nancy's friend bess get framed when a tape goes missing that has the recital music on it and nancy trying to find out who really did it