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Carolyn Keene

The Clue of the Dancing Puppet Hardcover – February 1, 1962

by Carolyn Keene (Author)

4.6 278 ratings

Book 39 of 163: Nancy Drew Mysteries

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When the eerie performances of a life-size puppet begin to haunt the old Van Pelt estate, where an amateur acting group – The Footlighters – have their theater, Nancy Drew is called upon to unravel the baffling mystery. From the moment the detective and her friends Bess and George arrive at the mansion, the dancing puppet puzzle is further complicated by Tammi Whitlock, the Footlighters’ temperamental leading lady, and Emmet Calhoun, a Shakespearean actor.

Nancy’s search of the mansion’s dark, musty attic for clues to the weird mystery starts a frightening chain reaction. A phone call from a stranger with a witchlike, cackling voice warns her to “Get out!” Next an encounter with two jewel theft suspects adds another perplexing angle to the puzzle. When Nancy finally sees the life-size puppet flitting across the moonlit lawn and chases it, she learns that someone with a sinister motive is determined to keep her form solving the case. Is it one of the Footlighters? Or is it an outsider?

Reading age

8 - 12 years
Book 39 of 163

Nancy Drew Mysteries
Print length

192 pages
Language

English
Grade level

3 - 7
Lexile measure

750L
Dimensions

7.76 x 5.08 x 0.52 inches
Publisher

Grosset & Dunlap
Publication date

February 1, 1962
ISBN-10

0448095394
ISBN-13

978-0448095394
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

When the eerie performances of a life-size puppet begin to haunt the old Van Pelt estate, where and amateur acting group-The Footlighters-have their theater, Nancy Drew is called upon to unravel the mystery.

About the Author

Carolyn Keene is a pen name used by a variety of authors for the classic Nancy Drew Mystery series. The first author to use the pseudonym was Mildred Wirt Benson, who wrote 23 of the original 30 books. Other writers who have adapted the "Carolyn Keene" moniker include Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Walter Karig, and Nancy Axelrod.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grosset & Dunlap (February 1, 1962)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0448095394
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0448095394
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 12 years
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 750L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 5.08 x 0.52 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #794,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3,491 in Children's Books on Girls' & Women's Issues
- #5,325 in Children's Mystery, Detective, & Spy
- #9,104 in Family Saga Fiction

Customer Reviews:
4.6 278 ratings

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Carolyn Keene

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Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon are the pseudonyms under which many ghostwriters penned the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, respectively. Both series were created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm, in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet, and syndicate writer Mildred Wirt Benson were the two people primarily responsible for bringing the iconic character of Nancy Drew to life in the minds and hearts of millions of readers around the world.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5

278 global ratings

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Kindle Cat

Adventure

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2023

Verified Purchase

Poor Nancy. She really needs to keep her head out of the way of falling objects. She has probably had more concussions than a football player. She runs into more bad guys and more mysteries. Good story.

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Andrew J. Mulhall Jr.

It's Nancy Drew

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

Like: strange band spooky goings on.
Dislike: Why does everybody think of trying to scare people away. It wouldn't work nowadays because you'd attract even more curious people.
I read Nancy Drew books to fill in the gaps while awaiting the release of other books, The language is simple and straightforward and the stories are always exciting.

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J. Sexton

I have always loved this series

Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2014

Verified Purchase

I have always loved this series, so when a play titled "Nancy Drew, Girl Detective" was put on locally, I jumped at the chance to go. The play was based on this book's mystery. The talented Miss Drew shines (as always) at anything she turns her hand to. This mystery stands the test of time and help my adult attention.

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Linda

Great, Timeless Heroine

Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2013

Verified Purchase

I grew up reading Nancy Drew books and recently started reordering them for my niece. We read them together when I babysit her and she absolutely loves them. Its amazing to think that these books began in the 30's yet they are still so relevant for today's youth. Not only is Nancy a great female character, its also great that for the most part its her female friends that are helping her. Its also great to see a crime novel for kids that doesn't have blood, gore, or people dying.

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Barbara and Lowell Moxley

I HAVE ALMOST ALL NANCY DREW BOOKS I READ THEM ...

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2015

Verified Purchase

I HAVE ALMOST ALL NANCY DREW BOOKS I READ THEM ONCE AND I AM STARTING OVER TO SEE HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE ME TO READ THEM AGAIN FROM START.

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2017

Verified Purchase

Everything is so awesome thanks!

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2013

Verified Purchase

This was a Christmas present for my best friend, who is a Nancy Drew fiend.

She practially begged me to get her a copy of the book, so I immediately came to the Amazon site and got it for her.

One person found this helpful

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Courtney Metzinger

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2016

Verified Purchase

Great, clean literature for children. So much better and more educational than anything that the authors are producing today.

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