The Mystery of the Ivory Charm (Nancy Drew, Book 13)

As I slowly get the books unpacked into my new bookcase, I have been discovering all kinds of hidden gems. In one long-waiting box that had been shipped from the US I found all of my old Nancy Drew books. At a certain age, I received double Nancy Drew book editions in the mail until the series was over. I just had to sit down one afternoon this summer to take a look at one of the books. My edition published the standard 1936 version of this Nancy entry. It was originally written by Mildred Wirt Benson. It's an interesting look at race and class from that period, if nothing else. Nancy comes across an Indian circus boy (Coya) being abused by a man who claims to be his father but who is somehow "clearly inferior" to the boy. But class will out in the end, and it turns out that both greater danger and a greater destiny awaits the young man. This is actually a pretty coherent Nancy Drew book. The plot makes sense and the characters are engaging. There's a nice mixture of international intrigue and basic human nature.

Im a HUGE Nancy fan and have all her books original & Revised...this book is amazing! Very different from all other Nancy books very surreal... and you are insane if you pass this up. Like I said before, this book uses a different recipe and its great!!!!!!:-)

I like how Caroline Keene writes. She gives great detail. Such as: "She wore a white turban, and the wind whipped her flowing robes about wildly." Also in this story, I could relate to Nancy. Some things she did, the actions she made, I would of done too; for instance, telling the police about the mystery she was trying to solve. This book is about a young boy, named Rishi, who was the maharaja of India. He was kidnapped when an infant. The three people that kidnapped him wanted a different person to rule the land. Nancy's job was to find the culprits and arrest them. But it wasn't easy. Rishi's stepfather was after him, trying to kill him, because he knew too much. He kidnapped Rishi twice, almost killing him. Nancy doesn't know where to look for him. Also someone stole her charm with lifesaving fluids in it, which rishi would need to recover from his injuries. Will Nancy find her charm? Will Rishi ever be found? I think anyone can read this book. Particularly people who like mysteries. And anyone who likes adventure and suspense.

In this book, Nancy Drew goes to see a circus and feels sorry for a little boy who appears to be abused by his master. Nancy is surprised when he shows up at her home. He wears a mysterious ivory charm in the shape of an elephant that is supposed to protect the wearer from harm. He gives it to Nancy. She will surely need protection soon after, because she must investigate a mysterious hideout and missing jewels. Could it be that the mystery of the room in the cave and the shady circus are related? read to find out! I would also recommed buying the applewood books fascimle edition of this story. It is priced higher but it is the original story from the 30's. Buy both versions for some flavor and to see how the story was changed.