Yesterday was a high and low day—a business meeting that left me feeling hollow, a blog-world embrace that I will never forget. There is no sap in the kind of blog goodness that was sent my way yesterday. There is only strength.
There is also only strength in conversation, and there's a very intriguing conversation currently ongoing at Chasing Ray. The overarching theme, as you know, is What a Girl Wants. Today's conversation is called The Girl Detective Edition. Colleen Mondor, who hosts this dialogue among YA writers, is wondering about the apparent absence of Nancy Drew-style detectives in contemporary YA. Middle grade books feature them. Adult books do. What has happened to YA? What does it mean, and does it matter?
6 Comments on Girl Detectives, last added: 6/27/2009
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Beth,
There aren't a lot of YA detectives, in general. And the few that I can think of aren't strong role models, for boys or girls. That's probably why I keep recommending easy adult mysteries to teens. There are definitely a lot of independent, self assured female detectives.
The Book Thief is such a wonderful book and everyone should read it. The characters are all superb.
On another note, how can a business meeting make you feel hollow?
Kiki Strike!
But there ARE a lot of YA girl-spy-books. Maybe that's just more of a fad than detectives at the moment?
Joy for business meetings.
I loved the Trixie Beldon and Nancy Drew series and hadn't noticed the lack till you mentioned it.
I'd vote for re-printing those series in a heartbeat.
I'm sorry your business meeting was rough. I'll head over to Chasing Ray to have a look at the discussion.
I didn't know about this. I read all the Nancy Drews as I was growing up - they were so gentle and innocent.
Could it be that there's no longer a crime/mystery level in today's society that fits nicely between junior high (missing sneakers) and CSI (forensic gore)?
I hope I'm wrong.
:-D Anna