Nancy Drew, literature's favorite girl spy turned 80 this week...well actually she turned 98 since she began her series at the age of 18. She has survived the Great Depression and WWII...she made it through the Cold War and Woodstock and the Disco Era and is still sleuthing today all the while inspiring little girls around the world that they can do anything their heart wishes. Pretty good for a 98 year old!
Independent, smart, determined...yes, plucky, Nancy became a role model in a blue roadster opening up a world where girls could — and did — do anything. She was a new type of "heroine" in fiction marketed to young girls. Only a few years after women had been given the right to vote on April 28 1930, The Secret of the Old Clock
the first Nancy Drew Mystery was released launching a series that would become a franchise and a staple on every girl's bookshelf.
In the 80 years since Nancy has been solving mysteries, with her sidekick Snowball the cat, over 200 million copies worldwide in 25 languages have been sold and countless readers have shared her stories and been inspired to not only tap on walls or search with a flashlight in hand, but also to believe that it was OK to be adventurous and smart.
Among her many fans are an impressive group of women who may very well have have learned from Nancy at an early age not only that girls can be bold and fearless but also what girls can achieve-Hillary Clinton, Bette Davis, Beverly Sills,Barbara Walters, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Anna Quindlen, Nancy Pelosi and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg among them. Nancy Drew opened their minds to what they could accomplish and they in turn have blazed trails for all girls to follow.Come Visit Applause! to celebrate Nancy Drew!
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