Wouldn’t It Be Great To Be As Smart As Nancy

By Carole Goldberg, The Hartford Courant, Conn.

Nov. 18–Most girls (and quite possibly some boys) who have ever read a Nancy Drew mystery — and Nancy has been solving them for 77 years, so that is a lot of readers — has probably thought at least once: “Wouldn’t it be great to be as smart as Nancy?”

Well, yes, it would be. And now there is a book to help girls of all ages (and quite possibly some boys) achieve that goal.

The book is “The Official Nancy Drew Handbook: Skills, Tips & Life Lessons From Everyone’s Favorite Girl Detective” (Quirk, $16.95) by mystery writer Penny Warner.

Here you will learn such detective-oriented specifics as “how to choose your faithful sidekicks,”"determine a man’s character by the shoes he wears” and perhaps even more important, “how to escape from a locked car trunk.” Not to mention the all-purpose “how to remain poised in dire situations.”

In addition to advice on detecting, there are categories of clues that relate to relationships and life, fashion and beauty, love and romance and escape and survival, which just about covers everything.

The book ends with a list of stress-busting tips: “Clear your mind. Brainstorm possible solutions. Be realistic about the solutions. Believe in your ability to solve your problem. Use your brain, not your emotions. Take a break. Keep your spirits up.”

Now all you need is that blue roadster.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Hartford Courant, Conn.

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