It was possibly her own adventurous and confident attitude that Benson built into her most famous character, Nancy Drew. Always inspired to follow a lead and pursue a curious story, Nancy seemed to have few limits. This may well be the most appealing attribute of the girl detective who won the hearts of millions.
As a young girl, I too fell prey to the exciting adventures of Nancy Drew, being drawn first to the mystery aspect of the series, but quickly becoming hooked on the characters and their own individual stories as well. During these childhood years I was quick to read every book, diving at the next in the series and even re-reading many of my favorites (in particular the 1931 "The Secret of Red Gate Farm"). I loved the world of Nancy Drew and can say with confidence that the Nancy Drew series helped to inspire in me a life long love of books and reading. These books were the first where I found myself highly engaged in the continual narrative and really attached to the characters of the story. Of course I would experience these feelings again and again with series like "Harry Potter," "The Lord of the Rings," and "His Dark Materials," but Nancy Drew was really the jumping off point for me. In fact I think it is reasonable to say that this is possibly the case for many adult readers who can look back and pinpoint this series as integral in inspiring a love of reading.
While there continue to be excellent book series written for young readers like "The Sisters Grimm," "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," "The Underland Chronicles," and "Fablehaven," to name a few, Nancy Drew remains in the ranks. Its good storytelling, likeable characters, and exciting adventure provides yet another great option for young readers to inspire within themselves a love of reading.