Iconic teen detective gets update in new series

By Gary Strauss
USA Today

Four paperbacks due out in March debut a grown-up Nancy, solving crimes with computers and narrating the stories herself. Simon & Schuster hopes to release six new books a year. Gannett News Service

In four new paperbacks due in March, Nancy is finished with high school. She tools around River Heights in an environmentally friendly, gas-electric hybrid car. She uses computers to solve detective work. And she tells her crime-fighting tales in first person.

An ultra-early icon of girl power, Nancy had the smarts and feistiness that made her an inspiration to teens and preteens in the 1930s. More than 200 million copies of the books, written under the pen name Carolyn Keene, have been sold in 17 languages.

Nancy and many story lines in the original 56 hardcover novels previously have been tweaked. Some early Drew books remain big sellers — about 150,000 hardcover copies of the first mystery, "The Secret of the Old Clock," sold in 2002, good enough for a top-50 ranking among kids' books, says Publishers Weekly children's books editor Diane Roback. "Clearly, she still has a musty appeal," she says.

The latest paperbacks will continue to be written under the Keene pseudonym. From Simon & Schuster, they feature fresh-look covers and pop-culture references, making "her a little more empowered and relevant to today's readers," says spokeswoman Tracy van Straaten.

In "A Race Against Time," Drew captains her charity benefit biking team, racing to catch the thief who stole the event's donations. In "High Risk," she exposes a major smuggling ring while taking flying lessons.

Simon & Schuster hopes the release of six new books a year will appeal to a core target group: 8- to 12-year-olds now devouring top-selling "Harry Potter" and Lemony Snicket books.

The publisher also is trying to expand Drew's presence as a brand. Her name already is licensed for apparel, video games and backpacks. A feature film — the first since the release of four 1930s-era movies — is in development at Warner Bros. "She's still a big franchise, but we hope to widen the market," says van Straaten.

Some doubt that efforts to make the 74-year-old Drew more cool will spur sales.

"There are other things to do — other series books, boys, shopping malls and video games," says Roger Sutton, editor of the Horn Book magazine, which covers children's literature. "They might maintain a bigger market share if they just let the old girl be herself. People aren't ready for her to be hip."

Others say Drew holds classic appeal.

"She made it possible for girls to dream of possibilities, to imagine themselves doing things they wouldn't dare do," says longtime fan Denise Bentley, 49, of Felton, Calif. "That's enticing in any era."