Author: Kathryn Kenny
The BWGs (Bob Whites of the Glen) are on spring break from Sleepyside Junior-Senior high school. After holding an antique show to benefit UNICEF and a winter ice carnival to help earthquake victims in Mexico, the group is bored at the thought of an entire break from school with nothing exciting to do. Trixie's Uncle Andrew saves the day. He travels through town before leaving on a trip to Scotland and invites the kids to spend spring break at his farm in Iowa. And there's a mystery afoot -- sheep are mysteriously disappearing from Happy Valley Farm. And of course, the BWGs are on the case to find the evil sheep-nappers!!
The first thing that struck me about this story is that the newest member of the BWGs is left entirely out of the story. Dan Marsden joined the club after the Black Jacket Mystery was solved.....he appears for one page at the start, stating he can't travel to Iowa because he's being tutored at school over break. I read an old hardback copy of this book from the 70s....and Dan's picture hasn't been added to the drawings of the BWGs that appear on the leaves at the begnning of the book. Hmmmmm. I'm not sure that bodes well for the newest member of the gang. Will Dan become a regular character? Or perhaps he will just disappear with no explanation. I read every book in this series in middle school....but I can't remember whether Dan became a "real' member of the group or not. Everyone forgot poor Dan....even me. ha! :)
Also in this book it is stated that Di Lynch's house is located "just past" The Manor, the large estate owned by Honey Wheeler's family (Trixie's BFF). In prior books, the Lynch house was not located that close to the Wheelers or the Belden farm. Another Hmmmmmm moment.
I think perhaps those discrepancies might be due to the fact that after book six the series was written by various authors all using the pen name Kathryn Kenny. One author added a new character.....but the next one didn't want to include the new kid? Who knows.....but the discrepancies jumped out at me as I re-read this book. When I was in middle school and collected this entire series, I didn't notice. I just wanted to know what mystery the kids were going to get involved in next. :) As an adult, I can't help but notice when they move someone's house.....or drop a new club member. In an earlier book when Trixie's grades were hurting, she didn't miss out on a trip with the gang....the older boys offered to help tutor her over break. Nobody spoke up for Dan Marsden......he was just left at home without another mention by the other club members. There was no "Geepers, I really wish Dan was here.'' or "Boy, I'm really sorry Dan is missing this cool trip.'' They didn't mention him once. Not once. Poor Dan. Even when they were returning home, nobody mentioned poor Dan slaving over his school books.
My guess -- the book was written at the same time as Black Jacket Mystery by another author....and the few sentences giving Dan an excuse for not being there were added for continuity, leaving poor Dan at home sitting through tutoring sessions while his "friends' gallivanted off into the Iowa countryside without a backward glance to look for disappearing sheep. Poor Dan.
Those little things aside.....this was another fun read for me. I loved this series when I was young, and I'm happily re-reading them again now. :) I do see things a bit differently as an adult....but that doesn't make the stories any less enjoyable.
The Trixie Belden series was written from 1948-1986. There are 39 books in the series. The first six books were written by Julie Cambell. The rest of the series was written by various authors all using the name Kathryn Kenny. The differences in writing style are apparent to me as an adult, but it doesn't change my love of this series.
There was one cute scene at the end of this story between Trixie and Jim...... awwwwwww. :) Made me smile.
On to the next book!!! The Marshland Mystery!
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