The Texts: The texts to the first 34 Nancy Drew books come in two versions--original and revised. The original texts were 25 chapters and around 200 plus pages. Original texts too, included prejudices and stereotyping of the times. However, this has been blown out of proportion by those who haven't actually picked up an original and read it. This kind of thing is not rampant in these books! The main reason for the revising of these books was actually monetary--it was cheaper for Grosset & Dunlap to publish books with less pages. Beginning in 1959, the texts were revised over a period of time up until 1977. The revisions have a format of 20 chapters and around 180 pages. The revisions shortened the books and left out a lot of the prejudices and stereotypes from the original text volumes and really homogenized the characters. Slang was removed in some instances that was outdated and also things like "electric lights." In revising the first 34 books, they also quickened the pace of the texts. The originals really develop the story, the scenes, and the characters in much more detail than do the revised texts. Consequently, most collectors who grew up with the originals would not have the revised texts for anything! Those who grew up reading the revised texts, and probably not realizing they were revised, are enjoying the originals as well but tend to sometimes prefer the revisions they grew up with. For an analysis of the originals and the revisions, visit the Nancy Drew Revealed section for the article, Revising an Original which compared the original text of The Secret of the Old Clock to the revised text. Volume #'s 35-56 were issued with only one text--of 20 chapters and 180 or so pages. These were never revised--they were written at the same time as the other volumes were being revised, so there was no need for a revision. In her Girl Sleuth on the Couch, Betsy Caprio notes that there were 8 volumes that were revised and all new stories were written. For example, in volume #4, The Mystery at Lilac Inn, in the original, the inn itself was only the scene of a purse theft. In the revised, it was the scene for the mystery--many activities revolved around the inn. Some of the characters were changed as well. These were volume #'s 2, 4-5, 11-12, 14, 17-18. There were 6 with minor title changes--volume #'s 5, 10, 17-18, 23, and 29. These minor changed include dropping a 'the' or changing an 'at' to an 'of'. In my reading and re-reading of the original v. revised texts, I have noted that although those 8 previously mentioned volumes were revised with virtually all new stories, all of the other revisions had some added or subtracted plot elements and scenes as well. The following table notes which years that the original texts of volume #'s 1-34 were revised. Also an '*' by a volume number means that is a text that when revised was substantially changed with an all new story. A '+' sign next to a volume number indicates that when it was revised there was a minor title change. Volumes: Revision Date: 1 1959 2* 1959 3 1960 4* 1961 5* + 1965 6 1961 7 1962 8 1968 9 1968 10 + 1966 11* 1965 12* 1972 13 1974 14* 1970 15 1972 16 1969 17* + 1976 18* + 1971 19 1969 20 1972 21 1970 22 1973 23 + 1973 24 1977 25 1967 26 1967 27 1967 28 1968 29 + 1968 30 1969 31 1974 32 1974 33 1975 34 1975 The Authors: The following table notes the authors for each text, 'O' being for original text and 'R' being for revised text. Note: On revisions, I have included who wrote the adaptation, Harriet Adams revised for the most part and or edited most of the revisions, with help from other various individuals on certain volumes. If you are interested in learning more about Mildred A. Wirt Benson, who ghosted 23 of the original text Nancy Drew books, visit the Mildred A. Wirt Benson Website. Volumes: Authors: 1 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Harriet Adams 2 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Harriet Adams 3 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Harriet Adams 4 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Harriet Adams 5 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Grace Grote 6 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Harriet Adams 7 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Harriet Adams 8 O: Walter Karig

R:Harriet Adams 9 O: Walter Karig

R:Patricia Doll 10 O: Walter Karig

R:Patricia Doll 11 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Harriet Adams 12 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Grace Grote 13 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 14 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Harriet Adams 15 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 16 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Harriet Adams 17 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Harriet Adams 18 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Harriet Adams 19 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 20 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 21 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 22 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 23 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 24 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 25 O:Mildred A. Wirt

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 26 O:George Waller, Jr.(Harriet Adams)

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 27 O:Margaret Scherf

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 28 O:Wilhelmina Rankin

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 29 O:Alma Sasse

R:Ann Shultes 30 O:Mildred A. Wirt Benson

R:Pricilla Baker-Carr 31 O:Harriet Adams

R:June Dunn 32 O:Charles Strong

R:Ann Shultes 33 O:Harriet Adams

R:Ann Shultes 34 O:Harriet Adams

R:Mary Fisher 35 Harriet Adams 36 Harriet Adams 37 Harriet Adams 38 Harriet Adams 39 Harriet Adams 40 Harriet Adams 41 Harriet Adams 42 Harriet Adams 43 Harriet Adams 44 Harriet Adams 45 Harriet Adams 46 Harriet Adams 47 Harriet Adams 48 Harriet Adams 49 Harriet Adams 50 Harriet Adams 51 Harriet Adams 52 Harriet Adams 53 Harriet Adams 54 Harriet Adams 55 Harriet Adams 56 Harriet Adams