The Secret of the Caves (Hardy Boys, Book 7) [Hardcover]

Franklin W. Dixon (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

When the Hardy boys reached the caves, they came unexpectedly upon a queer old hermit.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Franklin W. Dixon is the author of the ever-popular Hardy Boys© books which have been in print since 1927. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From AudioFile

While the detective duo of Frank and Joe Hardy is hot on the trail of a missing college professor, they discover a secret in a complex of caves near a government radar installation. Filled with action and plot twists, the mystery is ably read by Bill Irwin. His delivery is soft, but he has enough variety to keep the listener's interest. The sound effects and music are also appropriate for the production. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (May 1, 1929)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0448089076
• ISBN-13: 978-0448089072
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( D ) > Dixon, Franklin W.
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Series > Mystery & Detective > Hardy Boys
  • #17 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Boys & Men > Fiction

More About the Author

Franklin W. Dixon is the pen name used by a variety of different authors (Leslie McFarlane, a Canadian author being the first) who wrote The Hardy Boys novels.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Hardy Boys in yet another Cave, March 31, 2005

By 

Lonnie E. Holder "The Review's the Thing" (Columbus, Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret of the Caves (Hardy Boys, Book 7) (Hardcover)

Fenton Hardy is trying to find out who is out to sabotage a new military radar installation. At the same time the boys are on the trail of a missing college professor. It seems the further the boys travel in following the missing professor, the more suspicious characters they discover. Some people they encounter who appear suspicious may not be, and others who appear to be uninvolved may be. How will the boys learn where the missing professor is located?

During the boys investigation they come across a huge complex of caves. During their stay in the cavern the boys have their stuff stolen, and are threatened. What could be so important that someone would want to chase the Hardy Boys away?

I have been a big fan of the Hardy Boys since I was a child. However, I found this particular book to be less enjoyable than some of the other books. The main reason is that the author appeared to know little about the military and military construction, and his description of the sabotage at the radar site would have involved the FBI and much heavier security, among other details. However, if you can get over the minor annoyances, the basic story has some interesting twists.

As I noted in my review of Hardy Boys #6, "The Shore Road Mystery," the author seemed to have a fixation on caves. The five previous books in the series had caves and the next story has a cave. I guess caves are just very mysterious places along with being great criminal hangouts.

Though the Hardy Boys series is written in a relatively archaic fashion, as reading material for an increasingly younger audience they are excellent. The stories were once recommended for children ages 10 to 14. As children are exposed to more violence and seem to require greater levels of stimulation, the recommended age range has move to 9 to 12. I think any child capable of reading some of the challenging words in these books will enjoy them, regardless of how tame most of the action may be. Once a child has reached age 12 or so the stories may be of less interest, but given the combination of mystery and action, these books remain good safe choices for parents who want to know what their children are reading.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars still good clean fun, December 13, 2004

By 

Joe Sherry (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Secret of the Caves (Hardy Boys, Book 7) (Hardcover)

"The Secret of the Caves" is book 7 in the Hardy Boys Mystery Series. This review deals with the 1964 Revised Edition and not the 1929 Original. Fenton Hardy, the father of Frank and Joe, is engaged in an investigation regarding a new radar station just outside Bayport. While the brothers want to help their father, they are brought into the mystery of a missing college professor. Their search takes them to the Honeycomb caves as they try to find clues to the location of the professor and what might have happened to him. Through the investigation they find a connection to the case their father is working on.

There is a certain charm to the Hardy Boys. These books are of a more wholesome time in which everybody seems to be part of a Lake Wobegon where all the women are pretty, all the men strong, and all the children above average. Forgive me the comparison, but I am from Minnesota. Seriously, the comparison fits as all the main characters are smart, strong, and courageous and always up to the task, even the girls. On one hand, all the Hardy Boys novels are a little silly, but they are such good tales for young boys and girls, even the ones that are not quite as good. "The Secret of the Caves" has a bit too many fortunate coincidences that are not so much a result of the sleuthing of the Hardys as plain good luck. That is a drawback here, but as with all of the earliest Hardy Boys novels, "The Secret of the Caves" remains good fun.

-Joe Sherry

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Secret Of The Caves, July 29, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Secret of the Caves (Hardy Boys, Book 7) (Hardcover)

I really like this book because I love to go exploring, I like caves, and cave mysteries are great! This was the 7th book I read and it's book number 7! I was really surprised about that! In the book, there were lots of storms, and I like camping in caves when there are storms. I recommend that you read this book for total mystery and action.