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6 Trixie Belden Books That Made Us All Want To Be Detectives
Some books are capable of remaining popular no matter when they were published. The Sweet Valley High books are pretty wonderful no matter when you read them, V.C. Andrews' terrifying stories will always freak you out, and then there are of course the Trixie Belden books.
The Trixie Belden books are iconic. Basically everyone in our generation has read them, our parents' generation, and even some of our grandparents enjoyed them when they were young as well! The books have been around forever, but the stories never go out of style.
Trixie Belden was someone a lot of us aspired to be. She was kind of like Nancy Drew in that she was a detective, but she was younger so we could relate a little bit better. She struggled in school, she had to deal with her brothers, and she also had issues with her self-esteem.
The books meant a lot to us when we were kids, so let's take a minute to remember the original six books that started it all!
The Secret of the Mansion
We meet the 13-year-old Trixie Beldon while she does what so many of us did as kids: Beg their parents for a horse. When a new family moves in across the street, she meets her new best friend, Honey. The two help each other work through their own issues, and together they begin exploring the neighborhood. They investigate another neighbor's mansion and try to find out what's going on with it. What they find leads them on a crazy adventure.
The Red Trailer Mystery
Trixie and Honey have to try and track down Jim who ran away at the end of the first book, but while out looking for him, they end up finding more mysteries. They come across a woman whose daughter is missing and they do what they can to help. They do end up finding Jim, who moves in with Honey's family.
The stories just kept getting better...
The Gatehouse Mystery
This time, Tixie and Honey explore an old greenhouse which will eventually become their clubhouse. We are also finally introduced to Trixie's brothers.
The Mysterious Visitor
This book is putting in a lot of foreshadowing for the future of the series, with the entrance of Diana as well as a suspicious uncle.
The Mystery Off Glen Road
Their brand new clubhouse that was built in The Gatehouse Mystery is badly damaged, but Trixie's older brother uses the money he has been saving to buy a car to fix it up. While trying to find a job to help pay him back, Trixie comes across a poacher who isn't supposed to be there.
The Mystery in Arizona
The uncle who arrived back in The Mysterious Visitor reemerges when Trixie is at a ranch. She has to try and figure out what's going on because many of the employees at the ranch are vanishing without explanation.
The books started back in 1948, but for some reason they are timeless.
No matter what year it is, kids everywhere can read these stories and relate to this little detective. The books have lasted long after the original author stopped writing them. Julie Campbell actually only wrote the first six books, but then moved onto other stories.
She later wrote the Cherry Ames series and then the Vicki Barr Flight Stewardess Series. The Trixie Belden book series continued for decades even though Julie Campbell wasn't involved with them. The last Trixie Belden book was published in 1989 and it was called The Mystery of the Galloping Ghost.