Nancy Drew & the Eight Limited Print Copies

Biographical Statement

Tamara Doiny
2024 F. David Hoeniger Book Collection Prize Winner.

Tamara Doiny is a second-year student at Victoria College. She is majoring in Book and Media Studies with minors in Digital Humanities and English.

“Childhood Love of Nancy Drew Turns into Award-Winning Collection,” an article by Tina Adamopoulos on the content of Tamara’s collection, appeared in Inside Victoria on March 14, 2025 (issue 189).

The exhibition is on display in the front foyer from March 17 to April 11, 2025.

Collection Statement

I was seven when my mother gave me my first Nancy Drew book for the holidays. She had read the series when she was my age, and felt it was time to pass the love of mysteries onto me. The rest of my childhood was defined by that gift. On the inside cover of the first few books I acquired was an itemized list of every single book in the Nancy Drew series, and I became determined to collect all of them. It took six years to achieve that, and now I get to brag that I’m the proud owner of a sixty-four-book collection.

Most of the books in my collection are second-hand, bought from library sales or used bookshops or Kijiji. That means that many of them are not in pristine condition, but instead have dog-eared pages, scribbles on the title page, or “sale” stickers on the cover. But while these imperfections in my books might disrupt the synchronicity of the collection, I find it beautiful—so many people have touched those books and engaged with those stories, so through my collection, I find myself as a cumulative point of childhood literary passion.

I also tried to get only the classic yellow hardcovers, since they were what everyone pictured when they thought “Nancy Drew.” But buying second-hand means you can’t be picky, and I ended up owning some copies of the older, rough-textured covers. That was frustrating for me when I was in the midst of collecting, but while itemizing all my books, I realized that those editions are the originals, which gives me a peek into what mystery books looked and felt like during their original publication.

The last eight books of the series are limited-print; that is to say, there aren’t many of those books in circulation. You can’t get them at Indigo, that’s for sure. So my parents had to go on an exhaustive treasure hunt to find those books for me since I was too young to do that myself. And unlike other kids my age who wanted a new bicycle or a Polaroid camera, all I wanted was to own the last eight books of Nancy Drew and complete my collection.

I only read most of the books once; even the last eight have only been opened once by me. But it’s having the books that makes me happy: they represented so much to me when I was a child. Nancy was a role model for me growing up: she never gave up, always tried to help others, and didn’t let her gender get in the way of her adventures. So now, I get to have an entire bookshelf dedicated to the emblematic yellow covers that commemorate my childhood passion.

I’m incredibly proud to own the last eight limited-print books, but I most value that first volume my mom gifted me. It has three different stories within it: The Secret of the Old Clock, The Bungalow Mystery, and The Mystery of the 99 Steps. And while I have all three of those books in individual copies, it’s the original volume that matters, since it’s a physical copy of what started my passion for this collection, and it’s the one book I will always keep no matter what.

Thanks to my attachment to Nancy Drew, I developed a deep love for literature, and not just mystery books. Now as a university student, I read all sorts of fiction, and I’m even pursuing a degree in Book and Media Studies to analyze how a series such as Nancy Drew can influence individuals, and by extension, society. Because of all people, I know how one childhood series can determine your path.

Books in the Collection

Keene, Carolyn. The Secret of the Old Clock. 1930. Grosset & Dunlap, 1997.

–––. The Hidden Staircase. 1930. Grosset & Dunlap, 1997.

–––. The Bungalow Mystery. 1930. Grosset & Dunlap, 1998.

–––. The Mystery at Lilac Inn. 1930. Grosset & Dunlap, 2002.

–––. The Secret of Shadow Ranch. 1931. Grosset & Dunlap, 1993.

–––. The Secret of Red Gate Farm. 1931. Grosset & Dunlap, 1989.

–––. The Clue in the Diary. 1932. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003.

–––. Nancy’s Mysterious Letter. 1932. Grosset & Dunlap, 1996.

–––. The Sign of the Twisted Candles. 1933. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003.

–––. Password to Larkspur Lane. 1933. Grosset & Dunlap, 1994.

–––. The Clue of the Broken Locket. 1934. Grosset & Dunlap, 1993.

–––. The Message in the Hollow Oak. 1935. Grosset & Dunlap, 1989.

–––. The Mystery of the Ivory Charm. 1936. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003.

–––. The Whispering Statue. 1937. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003.

–––. The Haunted Bridge. 1937. Grosset & Dunlap, 2004.

–––. The Clue of the Tapping Heels. 1939. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003.

–––. Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk. 1940. Grosset & Dunlap, 2004.

–––. Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion. 1941. Grosset & Dunlap, 2004.

–––. The Quest of the Missing Map. 1942. Grosset & Dunlap, 2004.

–––. The Clue in the Jewel Box. 1943. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003.

–––. The Secret in the Old Attic. 1944. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003.

–––. The Clue in the Crumbling Wall. 1945. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003.

–––. Mystery of the Tolling Bell. 1946. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003.

–––. The Clue in the Old Album. 1947. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003.

–––. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall. 1948. Grosset & Dunlap, 2000.

–––. The Clue of the Leaning Chimney. 1949. Grosset & Dunlap, 2000.

–––. The Secret of the Wooden Lady. 1950. Grosset & Dunlap, 2000.

–––. The Clue of the Black Keys. 1951. Grosset & Dunlap, 1999.

–––. Mystery at the Ski Jump. 1952. Grosset & Dunlap, 2000.

–––. The Clue of the Velvet Mask. 1953. Grosset & Dunlap, 2000.

–––. The Ringmaster’s Secret. Grosset & Dunlap, 1953.

–––. The Scarlet Slipper Mystery. 1954. Grosset & Dunlap, 2000.

–––. The Witch Tree Symbol. Grosset & Dunlap, 1955.

–––. The Hidden Window Mystery. 1956. Grosset & Dunlap, 1970.

–––. The Haunted Showboat. Grosset & Dunlap, 1957.

–––. The Secret of the Golden Pavilion. Grosset & Dunlap, 1959.

–––. The Clue in the Old Stagecoach. Grosset & Dunlap, 1960.

–––. The Mystery of the Fire Dragon. Grosset & Dunlap, 1961.

–––. The Clue of the Dancing Puppet. Grosset & Dunlap, 1962.

–––. The Moonstone Castle Mystery. 1962. Grosset & Dunlap, 1992.

–––. The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes. 1964. Grosset & Dunlap, 1999.

–––. The Phantom of Pine Hill. Grosset & Dunlap, 1965.

–––. The Mystery of the 99 Steps. 1966. Grosset & Dunlap, 1994.

–––. The Clue in the Crossword Cipher. Grosset & Dunlap, 1967.

–––. The Spider Sapphire Mystery. Grosset & Dunlap, 1968.

–––. The Invisible Intruder. Grosset & Dunlap, 1969.

–––. The Mysterious Mannequin. 1970. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003.

–––. The Crooked Banister. 1971. Grosset & Dunlap, 1989.

–––. The Secret of Mirror Bay. 1972. Grosset & Dunlap, 2005.

–––. The Double Jinx Mystery. 1973. Grosset & Dunlap, 1997.

–––. Mystery of the Glowing Eye. 1974. Grosset & Dunlap, 1988.

–––. The Secret of the Forgotten City. 1975. Grosset & Dunlap, 1999.

–––. The Sky Phantom. Grosset & Dunlap, 1976.

–––. The Secret Message in the Parchment. 1974. Grosset & Dunlap, 1995.

–––. Mystery of Crocodile Island. 1978. Grosset & Dunlap, 1998.

–––. The Thirteenth Pearl. 1979. Grosset & Dunlap, 1993.

–––. The Triple Hoax. 1979. Grosset & Dunlap, 2005.

–––. The Flying Saucer Mystery. 1980. Grosset & Dunlap, 2005.

–––. The Secret in the Old Lace. 1980. Grosset & Dunlap, 2005.

–––. The Greek Symbol Mystery. 1981. Grosset & Dunlap, 2005.

–––. The Swami’s Ring. 1981. Grosset & Dunlap, 2005.

–––. The Kachina Doll Mystery. 1981. Grosset & Dunlap, 2005.

–––. The Twin Dilemma. 1981. Grosset & Dunlap, 2005.

–––. Captive Witness. 1981 Grosset & Dunlap, 2005.

–––. The Best of Nancy Drew: Classic Collection. Vol. 1, Grosset & Dunlap, 2005.

–––. The Secret of the Old Clock / The Hidden Staircase. 1930. Grosset & Dunlap, 2007.

–––. The Nancy Drew Sleuth Book. 1979. Grosset & Dunlap, 2007.

Acknowledgements

The curators express their gratitude to Professor Kenneth Bartlett for his service on the selection committee that chose the winner of the 2024 F. David Hoeniger Book Collection Prize.

We would also like to acknowledge our colleagues: Roma Kail (Interim Chief Librarian, Victoria University Library), Beth Shoemaker (Head, Bibliographic Services Department), and Abraham Lam (Web & Digitization Specialist) for the support and resources they generously provided during the preparation of this exhibition.

Exhibition Credits

The 2024 F. David Hoeniger Book Collection Prize Exhibition is curated by Agatha Barc (Reader Services & Instruction Librarian) and Colin Deinhardt (Interim Head, Reader Services Department). The Nancy Drew-inspired book cover, collection statement, artifact labels, and the companion website have been designed by Agatha Barc, with text composed by Tamara Doiny. 

The artifacts in the exhibition have been mounted by Agatha Barc, Colin Deinhardt, and Laura Fedynyszyn (Conservator). 

The typefaces featured in the design are DeVinne Becker Ornament and Lydian (display text) as well Libre Baskerville with glyphs (body text). The collection statement and the labels are printed on recycled paper with smooth finish, weight 21.62 M, manufactured by Neenah, Inc.