Modern Girl

Wendy, 13, is a modern teen girl, so what book does she recommend reading? You may be surprised that she suggests a book series that was created in 1930!

A modern teen girl of her own time, Nancy Drew first appeared in books in 1930 and starred in a mystery series where she solves innumerable crimes. The series is still alive today in new adventure series like Nancy Drew and Clue Crew and even comic books where she hunts down vampires. 

“It’s kind of fun to see how Nancy and her friends solve mysteries. You see the whole process,” Wendy said. “You could probably solve mysteries in real life after reading these.” 

Wendy’s favorite mystery was a book in Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series called "Scream for Ice Cream" and is about a stolen ice cream recipe. 

 “Nancy keeps her cool during all of the mysteries,” Wendy said. “She never panics.” 

Can a modern girl in 2014 relate to a character writen in 1930? “Well, she is a modern girl like us,” Wendy said. “It’s not so different.” 

Want to read what Nancy Drew has been up to since 1930? Click here for books on our catalog.

A Very Famous Teddy Bear

We all know the adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin thanks to author A.A. Milne’s loveable books and Disney’s darling films. But did you know that Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh were real? 

 

Christopher Robin was the son of author A.A. Milne, and Winnie was the name of his beloved teddy bear. His bear was named after a real bear that Christopher Robin often visited in the London Zoo. 

(That's author and father A.A. Milne, young Christopher Robin, and Winnie the Pooh!)

 

Just like his namesake, Winnie the zoo bear had a lot of adventures himself: Winnie was bought in Winnipeg (a Canadian city for which he is named) for $20 by a Canadian Lieutenant about to depart to England during World War I. While the soldiers were fighting in France, Winnie lived at the London Zoo. He became such a popular attraction that the Lieutenant donated him to the zoo. 

(There's the real life Winnie with a soldier.)

Where did the “Pooh” part of Winnie’s name come from? Pooh was the name of a swan! Christopher Robin had seen Pooh the swan while on holiday.

The forest where Christopher Robin and Pooh play is called the Hundred Acre Wood in the books. In real life, it is based on Ashdown Forest. Rumor has it that Christopher Robin once lost another one of his toys, Piglet, in these woods, and it has become a tradition for British children to search for Piglet while visiting the forest.

 

You can even see Christopher Robin’s teddy bear on display at the New York Public Library. 

Are you interested in learning more about Winnie the Pooh? Check our online catalog for A.A. Milne’s books HERE.

Dear Reader

Miss Nancy is an expert on good stories for parents and kids to read together. That’s because she has read so many with her own son, who loves books, especially novels. So which book does Miss Nancy recommend for a good read-together?

Miss Nancy chose The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. This book won the 2004 Newberry Medal, which means many people consider it to be the best book for kids of that year.

The Tale of Despereaux in an adventure story about a daring mouse living in a castle. But, what Miss Nancy likes most about the story is the narrator, the voice who tells the story.

The narrator made her son “really feel like he was there,” Miss Nancy said. “The narrator included you a lot in it. You were an active reader. You always felt engaged in the story.”

The narrator addresses you, the reader, by saying, “Dear reader.” The narrator asks you questions and helps you keep the plot straight by reminding you of what other characters are doing.

“The narrator’s questions were fun to discuss while we read together,” Miss Nancy said, which is why it’s such a good book for parents or teachers to read with their kids.

In fact, Miss Nancy likes this book and its author, Kate DiCamillo, so much that she’s reading Kate’s new book The Illuminated Adventures of Flora & Ulysses right now.

Well, dear reader, do you want to find more books by Kate DiCamillo? Click this link to see her books on our card catalog.