Trixie Belden Nit-Picks
The errors, inconsistencies and nonsensical actions in the world of our favorite girl sleuth.
Submit a nit along with book #, page #, and book edition. You will receive full credit for your contribution(s).
Last update: 06/26/08
E-mail barbln@cygnus.org with "Nit-pick" in the subject line. Don't forget your name!
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From Barbara D.:
I believe I found the answer when I read a bio about Julie Tathum Campbell and it stated that she was one of the first women polo players in the U.S. I used to ride Western, have ridden English for years, and know a lot of polo players (and played a little myself), so I'm familiar with all three styles of riding. Polo players always ride with their left hands so that their right hands are free to hold the mallet. Even if you're just exercising a polo pony or pleasure-riding, you'd still neck rein with your left hand because that's what the horses are used to. It's a very "western" style of riding even though you're in an English saddle. My guess is that Julie Campbell was so used to riding polo ponies, she transferred this style of riding to the characters in her books. She was from a military family, and it was common for cavalry officers to play polo. Maybe she rode polo ponies almost exclusively while growing up, so riding with the left hand was "the norm" to her. All I know is that when I read that bio and saw the word "polo" everything suddenly became very clear.
I was reading Trixie Belden the Mystery at Saratoga ... This is the Oval Paperback edition. #24.
From Kay:
I just finished rereading Mystery at Bobwhite Cave.
At the part where the Bobwhites are saving the drowning man who has fallen out of his boat, and the boat is overturned, the author says that while the boys are rescuing the man, Trixie goes over to the boat and rights it.
She did this ALONE? In choppy waters? Not possible. This wasn't a rubber raft we're talking about here. It was a boat, possibly a wooden one, or maybe aluminum.
From Felicia:
In The Marshland Mystery (cannot remember which page), there is a mention of Dan Mangan's coming to Sleepyside under suspicion, but being cleared of it by Trixie's detective work - but wasn't she herself really suspicious of him from the beginning?
Also - in the Red Trailer Mystery, when Trixie tells Honey that she remembers being inside the Robin before, but couldn't remember when. It turns out that the Robin belongs to the Lynches. Trixie didn't know any wealthy people other than the Wheelers and Lynches, much less anyone who could have afforded a luxury motorhome, so how could Trixie have forgotten the circumstances around which she would have seen the Robin?
Oh, and one more thing - I recently re-read The Secret of the Mansion and found one more thing to add to the whole timing inconsistency found in the mention of the supposed theft of Aunt Nell's music box by Jonesy in The Mysterious Code - Jim told Trixie and Honey that his mother married Jonesy two years earlier (when Jim would have been around 13), so it is MORE confirmation that Jonesy wasn't around when the music box disappeared.
Anyway, to update Mary C's nit-pick from Missing Heiress (short/ugly edition on page 81) where BRIAN started the car for Jim - the edition I have - tan paperback copy - somebody caught the mistake and it has been corrected; Jim actually got to start the car himself!
From Cindy:
I just recently found this page, have been reading the Trixies since about 1960-eagerly waited for each to come out. Don't know if it's included, but when Di appears in #4, she lives some distance away, but later lives on the other side of Honey.
From Linda:
From Elisa:
Peter's father died when Brian & Mart were babies and Helen was carrying Trixie. They moved back to CF to help Peter's mother. Peter inherited the farm when his mother passed away. This allows the Fraynes to be kind to them. (I made all this up, of course!)
My own possible answer is this: Jim and his parents did make trips to Ten Acres until Aunt Nell died. Jim would have been very little and probably didn't remember. Mr. Frayne became a recluse after she died (probably depression). Jim's father started coming to visit alone due to the state of the house and Mr. Frayne's attitude. He checked on his uncle, but left his wife & young son out of it. He made fewer trips because he had to leave his family at home & his uncle didn't appreciate it anyway. Then Jim's father died and his mother remarried. Surely Jim's parents would have met the Beldens if Mr. & Mrs. Frayne were 'kind' to them?
From Kay W: My nitpik is in The Gatehouse Mystery.
As we all know Bobby had a speech impediment and I always found myself annoyed by this to the point that all these years later I along with my siblings find ourselves imitating some of them. For instance saying ‘splorin’ for exploring and Holp for Help. So at age 50, I decided to reread these books to see what it was that I so enjoyed them for. The other day when I picked up the Gatehouse mystery to read I couldn’t help but notice on page 110 and to my disappointment that Bobby pronounced the word Help correctly! I thought to myself, “Did I remember it wrong?” Later on page 127 I am relieved to find that Bobby DOES say Holp for help, just like I remembered. Phew. So I am not having memory lapses after all.
Why this is so significant is this. Normally over time, children’s speech should improve, not regress. Bobby was able to say help earlier on in the book.
Doesn’t make much sense to me.
From Charlotte:
From Brendini: In "Cobbett's Island", Mrs. Hall says that Eddie will be home "tomorrow" for a few weeks. They spend the entire next day looking for the money. Then, on page 223, "We'd better call Ethel and see if it's all right for us to go over tomorrow," Jim suggested. "Ed may not want a bunch of strangers descending on him, his first day home."
Also, on page 13, Trixie says that they are going to Cobbett's Island for ten days. When you count the days, even counting the day they arrive, it's only 9 days. And really, would you count that in with the days? Just a thought.
From Tessa: My nit pick occurs in book 11, The Mystery at Bob-White Cave. When explaining Dan Mangan’s initial involvement with the Bob-whites, the author says that he is Mr. Maypenny’s nephew, while he is actually the son of Regan’s deceased sister. This was explained in book 8, The Black Jacket Mystery. Although for much of this book, Trixie suspects that Dan is related to Mr. Maypenny, it is revealed in the end that he is Regan’s nephew.
From Lori H.: I have had a pleasant summer re-reading my Trixie books and just finished the hardcover Black Jacket Mystery.
It's great that Brian wants to be a doctor, but for heaven's sake, I very much doubt he would be qualified to stitch up a gash in Mr. Maypenny's scalp, even though Trixie and Honey boiled the thread and needle.
And in this edition, Starlight is no longer a chestnut gelding, he has become a mare.
From Zoe R.: I am new to the series, but I noticed this in the 2003 edition of the third book, The Gatehouse Mystery. On page 24, the book says that "It was hard work sawing away the coarse vines that crisscrossed the paneless window facing the thicket." On the front cover, you can clearly see that the window has a jagged hole in it, which meens that there has to be panes on the windows. Gleeps!
From Marci: This always bothered me, although I don't have the books around to look it up. In Book 3: Trixie suggests Tom for the chauffeur's job because he loves both horses and cars (and kids). In later books, it talks about him loving cars, but hating horses, and how that makes him perfect for the job.
From Paige: In book #17, The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest, I noticed something strange. I don’t know the edition, because they’re quite old, but it’s a cream paperback with and oval on the front. It started on page 168, when Trixie was having her dress for Juliana’s wedding fixed and she saw Jim’s bike being stolen by the scrawny gang kid. She striped the dress off, pulled on her shorts and blouse, ran outside, and grabed Honey’s bike to chase after him. She gets to the Glen Road Inn on page 169, and saw Jim’s bike (ONE) hidden in the lilac bush and the scrawny gang kid gone. Trixie went into the Inn to investigate after putting Honey’s bike in the Inn rack (TWO), then came back out and found that Hallie (her cousin) and Honey there, too, with two other spare bikes (THREE, FOUR). They did more investigating at the Inn after putting all FOUR bikes on the Inn rack. Then they all got on a bike and pedal home on page 172. There are only 3 of them, and four bikes (Jims stolen bike in the bushes, Honey’s bike on the Inn rack, Honey’s spare bike that Honey road to the Inn, and another spare bike that Hallie road). How do they ride them home without leaving one there?
From Jessica: I've got the cream coloured covered trixie belden books and noticed something wrong with Brian. In the Mystery of the Ghostly Galleon it says in the beginning, (page 14) that Brian is seventeen years old. Then later on in the Hudson River Mystery he has his birthday (pg 76). In the beginning of the Midnight [Marauder] Mystery it says Brian is seventeen years old (page 19), but didn't Brian just have his birthday and turn eighteen years old?
From Jordan: While I was reading book #16, Mystery of the Missing Heiress, (I am not sure what version it is, but it is hardback, purple cover, and when you open it you see what all of the Bob-Whites look like...except poor, left out Dan.) I came across my "Nit Pick". On page 14, about mid-way down the page, when Kathryn Kenny is describing Honey it says, "Honey, a tall, graceful blonde"... In all of the previous books Honey recieved her books her nickname by the color of her "honey' brown hair
From Melissa: I'm currently re-reading The Red Trailer Mystery, and something caught my eye: on page 19 of the cameo version, Honey's trailer is described as a "spacious, chrome-trimmed sky-blue trailer". Sky blue? Then why is it called the SILVER Swan? I found this same description in the deluxe, short ugly, and also 2003 editions of the book. However, in the picture on the cover of the 2003 version, the top half of the trailer appears to be chrome, and the bottom half sky blue. It makes the trailer look silver, even if it doesn't match the description in the book.
I noticed that a few people mentioned here how $5 was a lot of money for Trixie to receive weekly for allowance. Here's something interesting to add to that:
$5 in 1950 is equivalent to about $36 today
$5 in 1960 is equivalent to about $30 today
$5 in 1970 is equivalent to about $24 today
Therefore, the Beldens certainly aren't poor! And they must be giving some sort of allowance to Brian and Mart, too... unless Brian's so noble that he refuses to accept allowance from his parents...
From Ashley : My mom and little brother noticed this when they were reading aloud: At the beginning of Chapter 9 in the Short-and-Ugly version of The Red Trailer Mystery (I haven’t checked any others), the gate attendent says,
"'Horses aren’t allowed here. Would you like for me to return ‘em for you?'
Honey slipped off Peanuts’s back. 'Oh, that would be wonderful,' she said gratefully....
The attendant grinned AND LED THE HORSES AWAY. 'Hurry up and read it, Honey,' Trixie begged even BEFORE SHE GOT OUT OF THE SADDLE." (emphases by contributor)
I guess she just kept the saddle and kept sitting in it after the horses were gone. :D
From KAnn: In the trip to Iowa, when the kids go to help Mr. Gorman in the barn with the sheep about to give birth, Trixie tells him how Brian has so much experience with that sort of thing, because when their cow gave birth he helped with that. That's the first I've ever heard of the Beldens having a cow...chickens and Reddy, but no cow. LOL!
From Nancy: In the short ugly version of Marshland Mystery, Gaye Hunya's aunt, Miss Crandall, says, "(Gaye's) father-- my only brother-- was a great violinist." If Miss Crandall was the sister of Gaye's father, wouldn't Gaye and Miss Crandall have the same last name? (And since she's called "Miss," it's doubtful Miss Crandall was married or a widow.)
From Vicky:
In the new cellophane glossy editions, book 3 (Gatehouse Mystery.) the fact that Honey and Jim get the mail every other day was confusing, because it seems like that would be Miss Trask or Celia's job or something like that. Also, Honey keeps forgetting to bring in the mail on her days. I thought Honey was supposed to remember things! (At least I think. I've only read 1-8 and I'm finishing 9. I'm still waiting for 10!!)
From Jordan: While I was reading book #16, Mystery of the Missing Heiress, (I am not sure what version it is, but it is hardback, purple cover, and when you open it you see what all of the Bob-Whites look like...except poor, left out Dan.) I came across my "Nit Pick". On page 14, about mid-way down the page, when Kathryn Kenny is describing Honey it says, "Honey, a tall, graceful blonde"... In all of the previous books Honey [received] her books her nickname by the color of her "honey' brown hair
From Erica: In
The Mystery Off Glen Road, square edition I have found another horse nit pick that nobody
seems to have noticed.
We are introduced to "Fleagle", the gamekeeper. On page 27 Honey and Trixie are
discussing how much Regan dislikes Fleagle.
Page 27 - 28
Honey is telling Trixie about Fleagle's bad habits in regards to the use of the horses. Regan and Fleagle are having an argument, Honey says to Trixie "If only Fleagle would be more polite. You know, consult Regan before he goes riding off on Jupiter or Strawberry." What's This? Another person riding Jupiter!?
Fleagle then quits. Then on page 96 Regan says "Fleagle, was as stupid as they come. Why, even you and Trixie know more about horses than he does." Somebody who is stupid riding Jupiter? What is the world coming to?
From Mary C.: In the Gatehouse Mystery, Honey states
that there are 3 bedrooms for the servants on the third floor, and later on in the book,
they discuss the fact that Celia and the cook are anxious to retire there since Mr.
Wheeler had the 3rd floor air-conditioned because it's closer to the roof, and thus, gets
much hotter in the summertime. In The Mysterious Code, however, it says that the
Bob-Whites take two sets of stairs to get to the attic to look for things for the antique
show. It does say that they have to go through a cubbyhole door to get to the room
over the upstairs library, but it also says that there is another big room which contains
furniture from the Wheelers' city home. Honey says, "Some of the things in the
other attic room are almost as pretty."
I suppose all this plus the servants' rooms could be on the third floor, but it
seems unlikely, especially since there is no reference to any other part of the attic in
#3, and Honey's reference to the other attic room in #7 makes it seems like there
are only two in total.
From Rebecca P.: ok, in 'The Mysterious Code' (book 7, pg 172), Trixie is dancing with Tad and talking to him bout Bull Thompson, so it's a little strange when Jim comes over with burgers and drinks...cause Trixie's dancing...so its even stranger when Tad suddenly "jumps up from the chair where he had been talking to Trixie."
From Laura in Australia: I have the Cameo version of ‘The Mysterious Visitor." On [page] #116 Harrison, Di’s butler comes up to her and asks if she requires him any more, adding that Mrs Wilson though it best for me to stay until the party had progressed to this point." I wasn’t aware [that] Di’s fake Uncle Monty had a wife. Perhaps the author means Mr Wilson. [definitely a typo not appearing other editions].
From Joyce : I just finished reading The Red Trailer Mystery copyright 2003 hardback. There is a picture of the "Silver Swan" on the front cover of the book. In the picture you can plainly see the air- conditioner unit on the top of the trailer but on page 17 Honey says "One of my mother's friends has an air-conditioned coach and I wish the Swan was."
From Tara: I guess I have the "Ugly, short" book of The Missing Heiress" ... Pretty sure it is this book (I have been re-reading all of them lately) or it could be in the Missing Grasshopper one, but up until then, the Beldens have lived at CF for 6 generations, and all of a sudden, it is THREE generations. Huh?
From Ann : In the glossy ed. of Black
Jacket, Mart leaves the others at the lake to go to Mr. Maypenny's on JUPITER( that's when
he finds him on the ground with a head injury). In a previous book - think it was 5 or 7 -
Jim won't allow Brian to ride him. We all know that only Jim, Regan and Mr. Wheeler can
handle Jupe - he must prefer redheaded riders. However, Mart doesn't ask, and just rides
off. Mart seems to be smaller/less strong than Brian, so this is weird.
Also in this book, Mr. Maypenny has an "old nag" named Brownie. Now, he didn't
have a horse when he is introduced in #5, and when Honey offers him the gamekeeper job,
she assures him that "Daddy" will buy him a horse. Surely he didn't buy him an
old tired one! Especially with horses like Thunderer and Spartan popping up out of
nowhere.
In the same book, Miss Trask has become the housekeeper, with no mention of her having
been a teacher or governess for Honey before coming to the Manor House. With her
duties and education, "estate manager" would be a more apt description of what
Miss Trask is.
In #9, Happy Valley, the Manor House has tennis courts and a pool - apparently no lake.
The tennis courts were not previously mentioned, as far as I can recollect.
I was also surprised that in #8, Lupe and Dolores, the Mexican penpals who were brought in
as a surprise at the carnival, went right out on the ice with Mart and Brian. I wouldn't
think they would have had much opportunity to learn to ice skate in sunny Mexico.
From Kathy K.: In #19 "Unseen Treasure", oval edition, on page 18, we have an instance of a reappearing pet.
"Their arrival at Manor House was announced noisily by Honey's fat cocker, Bud."
I thought that Honey gave Bud to Sally Darnell in Red Trailer. Did Bud run away from the Darnells and come back to Manor House? Did Sally at some point have to give Bud back?
Did the author perhaps mean instead "Jim's springer Patch?"
From Maidrya: This
nit-pick concerns the correct name and format
of Sleepyside and it covers several books. The question is: should it be
"Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson" or "Sleepyside-on-Hudson"? This
question occurred to me when I noticed that other towns in New York are styled
"Croton-on-Hudson" or "Garrison-on-Hudson" -- no "the." But,
I always had thought of the town as "Sleepyside-on-the-Hudson."
I have by no means checked all the books or checked them all the way through. In fact, in
the books I checked, I only looked in the first chapter where the author lays out the
basic background. (I kind of assumed that in the rest of the text references will be to
the shortened version of "Sleepyside.) Of the volumes I've checked, here's the
results (Note: these are all Cello editions):
Secret of the Mansion -- reference to Sleepyside; no "on" or "on
the" or Hudson at all.
Red Trailer -- the town's name is not mentioned at all that I can see!
Gatehouse -- Trixie's letter is datelined "Sleepyside-on-Hudson"
Mysterious Visitor -- it's stated that the Bob-Whites live in
"Sleepyside-on-the Hudson."
Off Glen Road -- just Sleepyside.
Mystery in Arizona -- back to "Sleepyside-on-Hudson."
Did Campbell make a mistake one time (in Mysterious Visitor) or did some overeager
editor added or changed it to "on the" and no one noticed?
I checked a few of the KK's
Mysterious Code -- just Sleepyside
Black Jacket -- just Sleepyside.
Marshland Mystery -- back to "Sleepyside on the Hudson," but this
time with no hyphens in between the words.
Gleeps! Don't we even know what town we're in?
From Mary C: My nit-pick is from #16 "The Missing Heiress", short and ugly edition. I have no idea if it's been corrected in later editions. The Bob-Whites are returning from the Bronx, after trying to find Juliana at the DeJong's house. Near the top of page 81, Jim says, " 'Get in the backseat please, Mart...I'll do the driving going back, and I like plenty of arm room.' " Near the bottom of the page, though, it says, "Brian started the car." I know it's a very nit-picky, but something's wrong unless Brian makes a practice of starting the car everytime Jim drives!
From Maryanne: for Seabrooke, it's in book 8 (Black Jacket) that poor Strawberry has that mysterious sex change. Even more mysterious is that in book 9, Dan has skipped up from being in Mart's class to being in Jim and Brian's.
From Marie: My nit pick is found in books #1, #3, #5, #10 and probably more. According to the description, the Manor house is on the WEST side of Crabapple Farm. But in the deluxe version the picture shows the Manor house on the east side. If you look at the angle people are going from Crabapple farm to the Manor the house has to be on the east side or across from the street. This really drives me nuts when the author describes something one way and the pictures shows another. It took me forever to figure out where everything was. OF course with all the mess ups in the later books it get even more complicated.
From Kate: Rebecca nit-picked: In the "Mystery of the Midnight Marauder"
... in all previous books Patch has been the disciplined dog doing whatever his
master told him. Reddy is the undisciplined or backwards dog not Patch. It's amazing how
much that annoyed me.
What's even more annoying? Patch is a Springer Spaniel - not a cocker. That
version was doubly wrong. <g>
From Trish K.: On page 181 of the cream oval paperback of #25 The Sasquatch Mystery Knut says that Cap has been missing for "fifty hours". The following day on page 207 he says that "Cap disappeared late Wednesday afternoon, and this is only Friday morning". Even if Knut was counting from when he last saw Cap when he said it was 50 hours that's still only from Wednesday morning to late Thursday evening. Tainted timeline strikes again!
From SusanB: We learn in #7
Mysterious Code (Cream oval and short ugly p. 188) that the Lynch boy twins are
Larry and Terry.
In the Short Ugly of #16- Missing Heiress (p 43) it says "Larry and Jerry can
come with me to visit Old Brom," Bobby says.
But the powers that be realize this and in the cream oval of #16 Missing Heiress (p. 43)
Jerry goes back to being Terry.
From Ann: In Black Jacket, the Wheeler lake is suddenly far into the woods. It is quite a hike to get there, although the lake had previously been at the edge of the lawn, in calling distance of the house. Remember, Celia and Miss Trask made many trips there with trays of good food for the BWGs.
From Seabrooke: ok, it has been about a year, but i'm going to respond to Lee's response to my nit pick about all the riding stuff screwed up. I know you can jump Western, but Regan wa giving them an actual lesson and talking aobut jumping in a horse show, so I'm thinking English for sure. Plus, in my copy of Mystery off Glen road, they are definitly using English saddles. Plus, Regan talks about Jupiter using a pelham- that is an English bit. A Western rider would use a curb. I've been re-reading on occasion when I have time, but havn't found the part where Strawberry changes sexes yet.
From Rebecca: In the "Mystery of the Midnight Marauder" the one with the oval picture and cream colored front.Published by Golden Press 1980. On page 105 it says, "Patch, Jim's little black and white cocker spaniel, disciplined too late to be the hunting dog his master had wanted him to be....." I am just rereading all my Trixie books after a good 15 year absence (I'm 30 now) and in all previous books Patch has been the disciplined dog doing whatever his master told him. Reddy is the undisciplined or backwards dog not Patch. It's amazing how much that annoyed me.
From Lee: (In response to Seabrooke) - Just because they are jumping, doesn't mean they are riding English. I've ridden Western all my life and also done jumping. And I guess I'm not in my right mind because I've never worn a hard hat (as the majority of Western riders don't). Now the statement that their "right hands are tough from riding but their left hands are sissys" still bothers me - because riding Western the reins are in your left hand, not the right. It leaves your right hand free for throwing a lasso or closing a fence. I also can't see allowing an unexperienced rider out of the ring on their first day. Probably not even in the first week or two. As for keeping the tack & stalls clean, I would guess it's easier to make kids follow orders than clients. I know growing up we had to keep the stalls cleaned out and clean the tack after every time we rode (we had 3 horses). If we didn't my Dad would have sold our horses out from under us or grounded us from riding them. I hadn't caught that bit about Strawberry. I'm rereading the series so I'll have to keep an eye out for it.
From Vikki: In chapter 7 of The Mysterious Code, (Deluxe version, pp. 88-103), there appears to be a lost day. On page 91, we are told it is morning, right after breakfast, when Mrs. Belden asks Trixie to take Bobby to Mrs. Vanderpoel's house to deliver a book. Trixie and Bobby go to Mrs. Vanderpoel's, eat cookies, visit with Old Brom, and look at antiques; Mrs. Vanderpoel donates an oak lap desk for the antique show. So far, so good. But when they leave, it is almost dark! Now, I've always been under the impression that the day started early at Crabapple Farm, and even in the dead of winter it doesn't get dark before 5 p.m. So, are we supposed to assume they spent the whole morning and afternoon at Mrs. Vanderpoel's, skipping lunch in the process? When did a Belden ever skip a meal? You know, I can understand a ghostwriter making a small error and contradicting something written by another writer in a different book. But a mistake like this really stymies me! This writer apparently forgot what time of day it was right in the middle of his own chapter. Gleeps!
From Adrienne: In the 50's or late 40's kids didn't get much allowence. If Trixie and all them get 5 dollars a week they are certainly not "poor as church mice". (Mystery in Arizona) The most they would probably get is like a dollar or something.
When Honey or Di or somebody has this idea to go horseback riding or go for a swim all the time when does Trixie get all her work done. it always says in like every book that "Since you've been working so hard you deserve a day off". That just really bugs me and they [get] 5 dollars allowance!!!!!
Also see Nit-Picks Page 2 From Debbie
From Michelle: In the Mystery of the Castaway Children, in the cream edition with the pictures of the two cars colliding, there is a paragraph that says, "She (Trixie) was familiar with the nursery routine in the Lynch mansion. Although they were no longer infants, Trixie remembered how those privileged Lynch babies had squirmed with energy."p 53.
First of all, Diana and Trixie had been friends when younger, but drifted apart before her father made his millions. In book #4, it says that Di's father made his money a couple of years ago. Therefore, the Lynch twins would not have been "privileged" infants, unless she is referring to the mysterious girl twins with no names and no ages. Even so, Trixie has not spent time in the Lynch nursery since Di joined the BWGs. She may have seen Di's siblings as babies, but they were not rich yet.
From Michelle: About Honey (Re:Laurie) and her past problems with grades. I seem to remember that the way Miss Trask becomes a member of the Wheeler household is as follows:
Honey is at the dreaded (and dreadful) boarding school where she meets Miss Trask her Math teacher, whom she gets to know really well since Honey has trouble with math and needs one-on-one tutoring. In these sessions,
Miss Trask reveals that she is supporting an invalid sister (more about that in "The Blinking Eye"--Miss Trask is always visiting the invalid sister instead of chaperoning her multitude of charges!).
From Meghann: I don't know if this bugs anybody else but I hate how everyone in the BWG's grows older (Well, until around book #16), but Bobby is 6 the whole time. If this is the case, then Bobby didn't have a birthday for AT LEAST a year and a half, because Trixie is 13 in book 1. In #10 she turns 14, and around #30 they have started school again, so Trixie is, like, 14 1/2!!!
Another thing that bugs me is that the characters always say that Brian is so noble, honest, and responsible. If that's true then WHY does he break the speed limit chasing robbers in "The Mystery on the Mississippi" and "The Happy Valley Mystery???" The only noble thing I can think of is helping Trix with the dishes and horses and choosing to give his $50 to the club for the clubhouse instead of getting the car. Oh! and maybe he held the door open for Honey a few times...
If the BWG's are supposed to earn everything themselves, then why do they accept trips, treats, money for movies and restaurants, and breaks from their chores ALL THE TIME!!! They are even given money for souveniers on their trips!!! Come on, they could dip into the BWG fund sometimes!!! Is the club money just sitting in a jar on the shelf collecting dust???
If Trixie gets paid for looking after Bobby, then she should stop leaving him with Regan or Miss Trask. How come they aren't getting an extra $5 a week??? Trixie rarely does the job. She's usually off sluething with Honey!!!
Why are the Beldens paid $5 a week if they are so poor??? Gosh, I get $5 a week now, and it's 2001!!! My father grew up in the 50's and the most he ever got was 25 cents per week! And he worked SO much more than the BWG's. They pay Trixie, Brian, and Mart, and even Honey (for darning socks and sewing)!!!
Honey's parents don't seem to like kids much, what with leaving
Honey to be taken care of by Miss Trask and Regan, so WHY did they adopt Jim??? Okay, so
they thought she could use a brother because her father is never around. He's got millions
of dollars, so why doesn't he stop buying land for his preserve, keep his millions of
dollars (which was worth more in the 50's) and retire early??? They could spend more
quality time together as a family and maybe could show Mrs. Wheeler directions to the
kitchen!!!
The Wheelers didn't even know Jim... well, they may have known that he was a runaway...
uhhh...
If Honey needed friends her own age that would be a good influence on her they should have
they should have thought of the Beldens and the Lynches!!!
The BWG's leave out Dan and Di a lot... WHY???
The Wheelers say they practically LIVE at the Beldens and the Beldens say they practically LIVE at the Wheelers... huh? If that was true then they would hardly ever see each other. When are they going to move their furniture to the other's house??
I don't get why Trixie never met Mr. Maypenny until she was 13. Maypenny would have come up in conversations some time, since both families lived in their houses for many generations!!! They would have met somewhere, since Maypenny lived about a mile away on a big path.. Trixie would have explored that area of woods before she was 13!!!
I don't understand why Dan is introduced in #8 but is totally left out in #9 and #10!!! Gosh, we'll have forgotten about him by the time #11 comes along!!!
Trixie says in one of the books (sorry, forgot which one) that they had all had problems before they met each other... Okay, so Honey was lonely and stuck in boarding schools, Jim was treated badly, Dan was in a gang, Diana was losing friends from being rich... but what was the problem with the Beldens??? They always say how lucky they are for having the cosiest house and the best parents, and they all love each other... they have yummy food and good clothes, many things to do in town, a lot of friends (even before the BWG's came along), their health... COUNTLESS THINGS to be thankful for!!! What was their problem???
I hate how the Beldens are always saying that they formed thier club because they live "so far" out of town and can't do the extra-cirricular activities that others can... Yeah, right!!! They live 2 miles from Sleepyside... That's about a 20 minute walk, plus they have their ever-so-precious bikes that they rarely use.... I noticed that Tom, the chauffer, always seems to show up at the dial of a telephone... Hey, aren't the boys involved in sports and the girls with candystripers??? Isn't that extra-cirricular???
From Cheryl: My nit-pick occurs in all books where the Belden's are referred to as "poor". In Mystery in Arizona, Uncle Monty refers to Trixie as being "poor as a church mouse" (page 142 - ancient hardcover version). All the trips the Belden children went on were usually paid for by the Wheelers, Lynchs or Uncle Andrew.
I just realized tonight that calling them poor is rather silly when you take into consideration that Mr. Belden is a Bank Manager. As I work in the banking industry, I know that the branch manager is usually paid a nice chuck of change. Granted the Beldens have 4 children to support, but when you think that the house has been in their family for generations they probably never had to make a mortgage payment. Also, with their huge vegetable garden and chicken coop, their grocery bill would be much lower than mine.
Only in comparison to the Wheelers and Lynchs would they be poor. But I will allow for the fact if the Belden's weren't portrayed as poor, the stories wouldn't have the same appeal.
From Kate: RE: Judith and
the six generations.
I believe it was #16 or #17 where it was mentioned that the guest room was originally used
as a bedroom for Peter and Helen before the deaths of Peter's parents. I always got
the impression that Peter and Helen lived in the city when they were first married, then
returned to Crabapple Farm to take care of one or both of Peter's aged parents. It's also
mentioned in Phantom Grasshopper, Midnight Marauder, and Unseen Treasure that Helen
definitely grew up in Sleepyside, and Peter mentions in #14 that he can remember his
grandfather talking about the Civil War - but that the crawl space above the kitchen was
never mentioned.
From Judith: SieraMarie refers to "6 generations of Beldens at CF? (what happened to Peter and Helen moving from the city as referenced in book 1) p 11)" -- as mentioned in the Mystery of the Emeralds -- page reference is to Deluxe edition. However, this gaffe is made earlier in The Black Jacket mystery -- oval paperback, pg. 22, where Mrs. Belden is described as wearing an old-fashioned apron, "because the Belden women before her had worn them in that very kitchen. There had been Beldens at Crabapple Farm for six generations, and there was even a rumor that Washington Irving had boarded with them while he was writing 'Rip Van Winkle.'"
As SieraMarie notes, this pretty much contradicts Mrs. Belden's comments in the Secret
of the Mansion - that Mr. Frayne (Jim's Uncle) and his wife "were very kind to your
father and me when we moved up here from the city." (oval
paperback, pg. 19).
The only thing I can figure is possibly, just possibly, Trixie's parents moved to
Crabapple Farm and took up residence when a previous Belden died or moved out. Seems
like a stretch, though.
From Vanessa: In answer to Kathy J's question: If Regan came to work for the Wheelers straight from the orphanage, then how did he end up in Saratoga at the age sixteen?
Well, that's simple, once you look at it as a plot point and not editing errors; Regan lied through his teeth to Mr Wheeler at his job interview, so Wheeler didn't *know* about Saratoga!
It goes something like this; Regan leaves the orphanage, goes to Saratoga (probably the nearest big horse-fan town) and gets a job in the racing stables. Six months or so later (was the length of time Regan was in Saratoga ever mentioned?) he has to leave, and somehow hooks up with Mr Wheeler, getting the job as a groom, maybe even on the road. Remember, Regan was with the Wheelers for years before they bought Manor House, but no one's ever mentioned wherethey did live, or kept their horses. (Could this be another nit pick?)
Regan left Saratoga after being suspected of poisoning Gadfly-if not under threat of arrest! He'd hardly tell Mr Wheeler that he was suspected of poisoning horses, and if he'd mentioned Saratoga at all, Wheeler would have checked with his acquaintances there for background, and the man who used to employ Regan (Washington? Carl Stinson's boss, I mean) was the man who Wheeler went to see in the first place! Can we say 'sprung like a matress'?
From Kathy J.:
This is sort of in response to Sarah H.'s nitpick. I have the cello version and the Deluxe versions of #8, The Black Jacket Mystery. The same mistakes are in the cello version of the book, but thankfully, in the Deluxe version, someone corrected them, somewhat. But it's no less confusing.
In reference to the passage about Regan having five thousand dollars, the Deluxe version now reads, "Five thousand? Where would he get that much money? Your dad told mine that when Regan started to work for him a few years ago, he was just out of an orphanage. He couldn't have saved that much?" (says Trixie)
"I guess not, at that. I heard him tell Miss Trask once a long time ago that he had to send his sister money to help make ends meet." (says Honey)
--Deluxe version, p. 34
In reference to the part where Trixie reads the letter, it now reads, "'--but Judge Armen is willing to let you try. Your sister felt it is probably the last hope left to straighten--'" (p. 56, Deluxe version). Now it's in the past tense.
In the talk Trixie had with Mr. Maypenny, it now says that "Tim Mangan was killed in a car accident and she raised the boy alone." It also goes on to say that "Regan lost track of his sister till the day he got word that she was dead and her boy was in a street gang fight and headed for reform school." (p. 201). Korea is now a car accident, but there is no mention of Dan's father being an invalid here or anywhere else.
Even though those mistakes were fixed, Di is still not mentioned in the first chapter. But the confusion is still there.
It now sounds as if Dan was in trouble before his mother had died and she was having problems getting him straightened out. It also sounds as if she had been considering sending Dan to his uncle's anyway. Now if the judge was willing to let Regan "try", and Dan's mother felt it was the "last hope left", doesn't it sound like she might have known where Regan was all along? And going with this notion (especially since she was supposedly getting money from Regan), why wouldn't they had done something earlier?
It gets even more confusing. Earlier in the book, there was the mention of Regan sending her money to (in this edition) "help make ends meet", but when Mr. Maypenny is telling Trixie the backstory on Dan, he says that Regan lost track of his sister until he got word that she had died. So who was he sending the money to? Sarah H's imposter sister? Or does Regan have another sister somewhere? (There's a mystery Trixie could solve!)
Which leads me to another question. If Regan came to work for the Wheeler's straight from the orphanage, then how did he end up in Saratoga at the age sixteen?
Maybe a later edition clears some of this up? My head hurts.
I sent the first one, in reply to Sarah H.'s nitpick, then I started scrolling down the page and something caught my eye.
Sarah theorized that in the cameo version, Dan's father was an invalid who joined the army and was killed in Korea, or that maybe Dan's mother was married twice, once to Dan's father and the second time to an invalid. Going along with Sarah's second theory on this, maybe the invalid was the "mean step-father" who had Dan at his mercy in "The Memorial Day Fire"?
Just a thought.
From Sarah H. : I've been reading The Cameo version of #8
(Black Jacket) and there are a bunch of things in this version that bug me.
First off When they're listing the Bob-Whites in chapter one(pg 13&14) not
once is Di mentioned and is not mentioned at all until page 80. Poor thing is
already being left out.
Then this writer could not get his/her facts straight about Regan's sister and her
family.
On page 34 Trixie says "Five thousand! Regan? Where would he get that much
money? Your dad told mine that when Regan started to work for him a few years ago,
he was just out of an orphanage. He couldn't have saved that much."
and Honey replies "I guess not, at that. I heard him tell Miss Trask once
that he had to send his sister money every week because her husband was an invalid."
Then on page 60 when they find the letter and Trixie accidentally reads part of it it says
'"A page from a letter-" Trixie still stared at the paper. She read
,aloud," '-but Judge Armen is willing to let you try. Your sister feels it is
probably the last hope left to straighten-'..."'
Then several chapters later on page 223 When Trixie is talking with Mr.. Maypenny he tells
her '"Dan's mother was Regan's only sister. They were raised together in the
orphanage, and she ran off to get married. Tim Mangan was killed in Korea and she
had the boy to raise alone. Regan never knew where she was till the day he got word
his sister was dead and her boy was in a street gang fight and headed for reform
school."'
Ok so either she's married twice or else Dan's dad was both an invalid and killed in
Korea. And unless I'm mistaken if he's an invalid they won't be letting him near a
firing range much less be sending him over seas to fight.Then from the letter it
sounds like she's alive when Dan gets in trouble but on page 223 she's dead and
Dan's in trouble and it sounds like she was dead before the letter was written and
before Dan was in trouble.
Lastly Regan had been sending his sister money each week but for some reason
he's also lost contact with her until he finds out about her death. Maybe he's being
scammed they way the fake Uncle Monty tried to scam Di's family in Mysterious visitor.
Or else his sister is part of the Witness Protection Program and he's been sending
the money to a safe location.
From Judy: I found it fascinating that in one edition of "The Red Trailer Mystery"(sorry it's loaned to a friend so I don't have it handy for page reference but it's the cream colored one) that when Honey dives in to rescue Sally is says that Honey comes out of the water in her "wet bra and shorts"; in the '84 printing (page 47) it says her "wet shirt and shorts" and in the earliest version (on page 49) it says her "wet vest and shorts." Also in the earliest version on page 21, Trixie says, "I hicks the top bunk" - the other versions say "I'd like the top bunk."
From Janette: I'm not sure just how balmy summers are in New York, but in Blinking Eye (#12, deluxe), Trixie has damp curls on her forehead because of the midsummer heat (p. 9), yet the illustrations have the gang in long-sleeved shirts and jackets. They even go to a French restaurant that's burning real logs (p. 33), and Miss Trask turns on the fake wooden logs to add ambience to the magic show and singalong (p. 105). Why would you want to be reminded of the summer heat?
From Anne S. : My greatest gripe is the whole lack of aging thing going on in the books from #16 on--if they are to follow in sequence and you go by the seasons and the fact that Trixie's birthday is in May, she should be 19 or so by the time #34 rolls around. Maybe that sort of inconsistency doesn't bother some folks, but it drives me NUTS!
From Heather K: In regards to Barbara's nit pick about the Cadillac waiting for Diana in the driveway and later it being a limousine. She wondered whether there were two cars or if it was a mistake. Here is the explaination. My brother is in the RAAF and they have a contract with a limousine company. One day he was picked up from my place by one of these limousines to be taken to the airport. He later told me the limousine he was taken in was a Cadillac and he was just thrilled about it. So I guess there are Cadillacs out there that are actually limousines.
From Seabrooke: I'm a rider, and none of the Trixie authors checked their facts. In the Mystery Off Glen Road, Trixie or Honey (I'd have to check) mentions that their "right hands are tough from riding but their left hands are sissys". English riders ride with a rein in each hand - and since they are jumping in several books, I assume they are riding English. Even in the first book, when Trixie learns to ride - well, no rider in their right mind would get on without a hard hat. If Regan is a professional groom (I have 22 horses, and I wish I could get my clients to clean the stalls and tack the way he does) well, he would never allow Trixie to get on horse for the first time in an unfenced field. Also, Stawberry is sometimes a gelding and sometimes a mare.
From Laurie: On page 11 of the cream paperback version of
_Mystery of the Memorial Day
Fire_, it says, "Dan Mangan, too, had once been at the mercy of a mean
stepfather." Not exactly. In the cello version of _The Black Jacket
Mystery_, Dan's situation is described this way: " Tim Mangan was killed in Korea and
she [Dan's mother] had the boy to raise alone." No mention of a stepfather,
mean or otherwise.
On p 18 of the cream pb of _Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire_, it says: "[Diana's]
slim figure, violet eyes, and black hair were always the envy of Trixie and
Honey." There are repeated mentions throughout the series of the fact
that *Trixie* is jealous of Di's looks, but I believe this is the first mention of
*Honey's* jealousy.
On p 54 of the cream pb of _Memorial Day Fire_, it says, " 'Your grades aren't that
bad, Honey Wheeler,' Trixie said reprovingly. It was true that Honey once had
problems with her grades, as had Trixie." Was it true? In the cello version of
_Mystery in Arizona_, on pp10-11, it says, " Honey, who had earned her nickname
because of her golden-brown hair, was almost as pretty as Di [no cause for jealousy
then; see above nit-pick] and got the best marks in the class."
On p 51 of _Memorial Day Fire_: When the BWGs are discussing how to get the money needed
for clubhouse repairs, Trixie gives the usual speech about how they need to earn their own
money and not accept handouts from anyone. Then Honey whips out a huge picnic basket that
"Miss Trask had Celia pack." (p 52). Just thought it was funny--the BWGs
are always getting tons of handouts--free food, and lots of it--from Celia and Mrs.
Belden.
On p 156 of _Memorial Day Fire_, there is a glaringly obvious nit pick: "The sergeant
[Molinson] was usually good-natured."
On p 174 of the cream pb of _Mystery of the Antique Doll_, it says, " 'It is
absolutely freezing here [the clubhouse],' Mart said." And on p 181: "With
the help of Dan Mangan, Brian had installed a small wood-burning stove in the
clubhouse...Now thanks to Mrs. De Keyser, they could meet in their clubhouse during the
winter."
What happened to the oil burner Mr. Lynch gave the BWGs in _The Mysterious Code_ so that
they could work o the antiques in the clubhouse during the winter?
On p 25 of the cream pb of _Mystery of the Antique Doll_, it says, "Although he
[Mart] was the smartest of the Beldens..." What about Brian? It's Brian (and Jim) who
tutors Trixie in Arizona, and in fact, doesn't Mart brag in that book that he
"achieved the giddy height of an 80%" due to *Brian*'s tutoring?
This is just a general nit pick from _Mystery of the Antique Doll_. This Kathryn
Kenny has Trixie, who hates writing English compositions and couldn't write a sentence in
Arizona without misspelling two words (I know, she was distracted, but still)as a spelling
bee finalist *and* a
newspaper reporter. The author also has Trixie, who hates to sew and who said she
couldn't learn to tat (whatever that is) in _The Gatheouse Mystery_, knitting everyone
scarves for Christmas.
From Christine: Regarding Heather M's nit-pick about
"Third, in #7, the kids dig around for money to buy dinner ...But directly
thereafter, they then come up with enough cash to go to the movies! I don't care what era
you're in, that's odd. Costs nearly as much to eat as to go to the movies. Is this some
sort of 50s money warp that I don't understand?"
They were trying to determine whether or not they had enough money to do BOTH when Jim
explained that Mr. Wheeler had set up a charge account at Wimpy's, therefore, all cash
could be used for movies.
There are quite a few nit-picks relating to the fact that in #7, Mysterious Code, the kids have qualms about accepting an oil burner from Di's Dad, but then accept money for Wimpy's from Honey and Jim's.
Two points:
1.) I always found it quite clear that the "make the money ourselves" rule
applied only to club charity work
and
2.) Even if it does apply to all club functions, are these not still there children when
it comes time to be fed? Not to mention, who do we think buys all of the skis,
skates, horses, etc.? These kids ARE only teenagers.
I think some people are taking it too literally.
From Melinda: Just a quick one. On page 16 of the Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper (oval paperback), it says "Once, Trixie had helped capture a gang of sheep rustlers in Arizona."
Um...Arizona??? Wasn't that Iowa?
From Hannah: I found an error in the Mystery of the Midnight
Marauder. It has the oval picture on the front and is a soft cover cream colored
edition. Well, about my Nit-pick. It's located on page 25. Or at the beginning
of the 9th chapter. Everyone knows that Jim has a pet springer spaniel,
right? Well, somebody obviously doesn't. Here's my nit-pick: "The two
dogs on their sides facing each other. Patch, Jim's little black and white *cocker*
spaniel, disiplined too late to be the hunting dog his master had wanted him to be, now
lay with his tail stretched
straight out behind him."
Someone doesn't know their Trixie books too well.
From Maanika: In #21 (Castaway Children), toward the end of the
book, when Roger Higgins
and Sax Jenner have taken everyone but Jim hostage at Crabapple Farm (pages 196-197 cream
oval), why does Trixie think Jim will ride his bike to the Glen Road Inn to use the
telephone, or ride one of the horses or drive Brian's jalopy to town to alert the
police??? Am I missing something? Throughout the first 20 books, the
Beldens and the Wheelers are FREQUENTLY
mentioned walking or running on the path between their houses. Why would Jim
not just run HOME to call the police? Just curious! :)
From Stefanie: In #34 The Mystery of the Missing
Millionaire,the opening line of the book
is..."'Whoa, Lady!'"Trixie Belden called, pulling back on the reins of the small
black mare she was riding." Is Lady now black instead of Dappled Gray? What
color is Susie???
From Tina: First of all, my earlier nit-pick about JFK Airport
being in Brooklyn was wrong, as someone pointed out. But if you look at a map, it
sure seems to be in Brooklyn. Sorry about that guys!
Secondly, there is a nit-pick aways down there from Barbara about #21 Castaway Children.
She states that Di left to go home for dinner, and then later Di is there on the
porch with the Lynch limo in the driveway. Well, on page #76, it does say that Di is
on the porch, but it also states that Trixie answered the doorbell. I think
we are to assume that Di was ringing the bell, so that's why she is standing out on
the porch, with the Lynch limo in the driveway.
Also in #21 Castaway Children (oval), on page #35 it states "Honey's hazel eyes
welled with sympathetic tears," but on page #59, it says She'd (Honey) earned her
nickname for her golden brown hair and melting brown eyes...etc.." Now,
I'm wondering, did Honey have colored contacts, or what? Geeze, which is it, guys!
:)
From Danielle: I have a question about the time that #11 (Bob-White Cave) and #12 (Blinking Eye) are supposed to take place. In #13 (Cobbett's Island), the Bob-Whites are celebrating the beginning of summer:
"'Anyway, the Bob-Whites were all up at the clubhouse this afternoon, trying to think of something to do now that school is out.'" --beige oval p.14
"Only yesterday.all seven members of the B.W.G.'s, as they called themselves, had
stopped at Crabapple Farm on their way home from their last day at school before
vacation." --beige oval p.15
We know that #9 (Happy Valley) took place during Easter/Spring Break and that #10
(Marshland) took place during school, so when did #11 and #12 take place? Did
the Bob-Whites really take off a week for a trip to Missouri and another week for a New
York
City trip during school? I cannot imagine that the same Beldens that almost didn't
let Trixie go to
Arizona at Christmas (#6) because she had to study for her notoriously bad grades would
let her take off for several weeks at the end of the school year!
From Hannah:
In the Trixie Belden book, The Mystery of the Whispering witch, (#32) page #67, yellow cover with ovel illitration, (I don't know if my spelling's right) published by Golden Press, it says: 'One of these days, Trixie Belden, she thought gloomily, you're going to realize that you're not nearly as smart as you think you are. Next time Mart calls you pea-brain, don't be so quick to disagree with him. He might be right!'
Then, on page #92, it says: ' "I'd rather be called Five-by Five than Two-by-Four," Mart said blandly. As his brother and sister raised their eyebrows, puzzled, he added, "That's the size of Trixie's brain-in centimeters, that is."
'Furious, Trixie was about to snap back at him, when she remebered her resolution of the night before. Instead, Trixie was contented with giving him a superior, tolerant look. "At the height of last night's-uh-confusion," she said at last, "I made up my my mind that the next time you called me pea-brain, Mart, I would agree with you." '
Is it just me, or is Mart calling Trixie eight-peas-brain. A pea is almost as big as a centiemeter, Mart said Trixie's brain was eight centimeters big. So that's the same thing as calling her eight-peas-brain!
From HeatherM. : When we first meet Mart, we find out he looks
a lot like Trixie but he's taller- a little, anyway. In #8 he grows so that his arms stick
out of his BWG jacket my two inches, and Honey makes him another... then in #10, Mart is
"an inch" taller than Trixie. First of all this can't be. He's either taller
than trixie and grows two inches and is now 3-4 inches taller, or Trixie has grown three
inches, inches that don't seem to make her clothes to small or make her taller than Di or
Honey. If Trixie's had a growth spurt Honey'd have to make her a jacket, too. And if her
height
relationship to the others hasn't changed, then everyone must have grown... does everyone
need a new jacket?
Second, Trixie's the smallest of the girls... Is Diana dancing with her chin on Mart's
head, or what?
Third, in #7, the kids dig around for money to buy dinner when they are waiting in town
for the decision of the principal. We've already discussed Jim's sudden, easy acceptance
of money from Mr Wheeler for the club (though later on they all make a big deal out of
Diana's dad giving
them an old heater). But directly thereafter, they then come up with enough cash to go to
the movies! I don't care what era you're in, that's odd. Costs nearly as much to eat as to
go to the movies. Is this some sort of 50s money warp that I don't understand?
From Barbara:
'Someone has to take me home, or else I'll have to stay all night',announced Di," So either Di suddenly became like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and she can click her heels together to go anywhere and the author left out that "little fact" or there is a mistake. Also on pg.110 it states that " a limousine" came to pick Di up. So do the Lynch's have 2 cars or what???
From Sieramarie: Just recently reread Emeralds-- it and Cobbett's are by the
same author
and are two of my favorite Trixie stories, but I'm noticing this time around how
many inconsistencies this particular author adds to the mix. All comments are from
Emeralds (page #'s refer to the Deluxe edition):
Crabapple Farm/ Manor House a FEW miles from Sleepyside (used to be 2 miles?) p11
6 generations of Beldens at CF? (what happened to Peter and Helen moving from the city as referenced in book 1) p 11
Suddenly gardening is no trouble at all for Mrs. Belden p 11-12
The Wheeler's swimming pool-- now you see it, now you don't (odd the Bob-Whites have never been in it, IF it really exists) p 12
Turns out ill health can simply be forgotten about p 12 (also described this
way in Cobbett's)
Was Uncle James an uncle or a great uncle? p 13
Men get all the credit-- JIM organized the BWG's??? p 14
Jim, in a wild growth spurt, becomes the oldest p 25
Do the Bob- Whites REALLY keep minutes of their meetings? p 30 and what's with roll call? Can't they just look around and see who's missing (usually Dan!)!!! p 30
Could have sworn all the boys used to hunt, but look at this updated sensibility-- Brian wants the little woods creatures to live without fear of man or dog p 36
Mart has belatedly joined Jim Trix and Brian in getting lost in the woods a few books ago p 36
What sort of idiotic robin would build a nest on a window sill? Haven't they ever heard of cats? p 30
Trixie pretends Di is an important BWG? p 33 and p 67
"Becoming a Civil War fan"-- don't wars usually have buffs, not fans? p 39
The importance of Cliveden: Why would a town this tiny be pictured in a
geography book-- a really detailed atlas, MAYBE p 60
What is Brian doing with medical books, he's 17, isn't he (or 16? or 18?) p 65
No wonder poor Dan never makes the meetings-- they at least call Di, but why bother Dan, after all he'll be working anyway, right? p 65
No wonder nothing seems to advance between Trixie and Jim-- the poor guy wanders around with dried food stuck to his lips!! p 66
Mrs. Belden calls Mr Belden "Dad"??? Ugh!!! (If this is tradition in this family, yucky a practice as it is, why have we not seen it before book 14?) p 72 Evidently it is contagious, as Mr. Lynch later calls Mrs. Lynch "Mother" p 79 Fortunately they never seem to do it again!!!
Amazing!-- both Brian and Jim (after taking driver's ed) are better drivers
than either Mr. or Mrs. Lynch, who presumably have driven cars for years p. 75 &
79
Now you see us, now you don't-- the group will be changing their seating in the two cars as they go so everyone gets to ride in the new car, and yet Mr. Lynch tells Mrs. Lynch not to try to follow him (perhaps he has decided to kidnap the Beldens, foreshadowing the theme line of virtually every later book where Trixie and some or all of the gang get kidnapped/ tied up) Why is it too late to pursue the mystery at 3 o'clock in the afternoon? p 116
"From the look on their [Brian and Jim's] faces she knew the situation was serious"-- oh, come now-- isn't the appearance of Mr. Carver a better clue to the seriousness of the situation-- he's lying unconscious and covered with blood!!!! p 149
I'm going to have to go back to school-- I must have missed the part where they taught Adjustment of Pillows with Professional Skill 101" p 150
THIS IS THE SLOPPIEST THING IN THE WHOLE SERIES, I THINK-- the notion that an operation could cure a spinal cord injury of 50-60 years duration-- very irresponsible even to suggest it and to make it central to the story is outrageous p 160
Now they're here, now they're not-- going home in 3 days, going home day after
tomorrow-- they finally seem to settle in on three days for some reason pp 146, 166
Too picky? I don't think so. The authors could make a more pleasant read by
paying attention to both the small and large details in the series!
From Cathy B.:
Jeepers creepers, what’s with the Wheeler/Frayne peepers? I only recently got my hands on a #17 Uninvited Guest, and caught this line where the girls are making plans for their bridesmaid dresses: "Honey’s blue eyes sparkled with interest." (tan oval, page 114.) Do you suppose our hazel-eyed gal borrowed her brother Jim’s blue lenses from the Bob-White Cave? Or maybe there’s something in the water at Manor House! =)
From Sandra Dee:
Not really a nitpick but I've always thought it strange that the Wheelers' employed a groom who doesn't seem to do much work. He complains if he has to exercise the horses and all the kids are expected to clean the tack and groom the horses after riding. Not being rich myself or employing a groom to oversee a stable of horses I may not have a clear understanding of a groom's job but I would think he would be in charge of cleaning and exercising when needed!
To Sandra Dee:
In the minds of many New York/ New England types even Pennsylvania is "out west". Iowa? Definitely!!! Evidently this author is of this particular bent. Oh, by the way, the Bob- Whites had also been to Uncle Andrew's other "place" in the Ozarks. I guess Missouri is out west, too!
Regards,
Sieramarie
From Dorothy:
In response to Tina: Both Kennedy and La Guardia are in Queens.
From Tina:
In the short-uglies version of #12, Blinking Eye, 1971, on page 209
it says "The cabs sped quickly out the crowded expressway toward Kennedy
International Airport in the borough of Queens."
Kennedy is in the borough of Brooklyn, not Queens. LaGuardia is in Queens.
From Marsha:
From page 78: "'Yes,' one of the firefighters said as they went out with the remains of the mattress."
But, page 83 reads: "With everyone gone, Trixie couldn't resist glancing around Mr. Appleton's room for one last look. Her puzzled gaze lingered on the charred mattress on the floor." (How did the mattress get back into the room???)
To Marsha:
I'm glad that you, too, noticed the mattress. Too bad it wasn't that annoying dummy
that burned!
Sieramarie
From Molly and Debbie:
#14, p. 13- "The large bedroom shared by two of her three brothers.
#16- Mart and Brian have their own rooms, and then suddenly they share! p. 179 & 214
#17 p. 180- Mart's and Brian's rooms were above the kitchen area.
#32 p. 91- "To say nothing of throwing pebbles up at OUR window," Mart added.
#34 pp. 114-115- Mart has his own room.
(these are all from the ovals, btw.)
From Lori N.: I was reading "Unseen Treasure" and discovered this "oops!"
#2 - The Red Trailer Mystery (cream colored pb): "Bud sat down on his haunches mournfully, as though undecided as to whether he should follow Mrs. Darnell or his mistress. Honey bit her lip. "I love that little black nuisance," she said more to herself than to Trixie, "but I think he'd be happier with a family of children than with me, all alone in that big old house. Wait," she told Trixie. "I won't be a minute, but I want to give him to Sally right now and get it over and done with." (pg.216)
#19 - The Secret of the Unseen Treasure (cream colored pb): "Their arrival at Manor House was announced noisly by Honey's fat black cocker, Bud." (pg.18)