amyreadsbooks16's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
halfcentreader's review against another edition
4.0
Less mystery more mini geography lesson. I think this one of the better of the first 10. Waiting to see better character development, but I remember 12 year old me filling in the blanks and wishing I belonged to a club like the Bob Whites.
imzadirose's review against another edition
2.0
One of my least favorite of the whole series. If I didn't know better, I would have thought it was written by one of the other authors, instead of a Julie Campbell original. I felt half the book was a very very very boring history report. It was way too much and the story too dull.
msmandrake's review against another edition
3.0
Haven't read this in ages and ages. Quite nostalgic, but wow are these books dated. Written in the 50's , I originally read them in the 60's when they weren't so much. Like this:
"The stewardess stopped beside their seats then and introduced herself. "I'm a full blooded Apache Indian" she told them. "Barbara Slater is my American name and I was educated in public schools." She slipped into the empty seat beside Di. "My Indian name is too long to remember. So won't you please just call me Babs?"
"You look divine in that trim navy blue uniform", said Di enviously. "When I'm old enough I'm going to try to get a job as an airline hostess."
Babs smiled back at her. "This particular airline hires only full-blooded Indian girls for the New York to Tucson run. Some of us are Papagos and Pimas, and a great many of us are Navajos and Apaches. All of us, of course, have to be high school graduates."
Wow.
"The stewardess stopped beside their seats then and introduced herself. "I'm a full blooded Apache Indian" she told them. "Barbara Slater is my American name and I was educated in public schools." She slipped into the empty seat beside Di. "My Indian name is too long to remember. So won't you please just call me Babs?"
"You look divine in that trim navy blue uniform", said Di enviously. "When I'm old enough I'm going to try to get a job as an airline hostess."
Babs smiled back at her. "This particular airline hires only full-blooded Indian girls for the New York to Tucson run. Some of us are Papagos and Pimas, and a great many of us are Navajos and Apaches. All of us, of course, have to be high school graduates."
Wow.
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
3.0
Trixie and the Bob Whites have just put the finishing touches on their clubhouse when a nasty fall storm hits Sleepyside. It brings strong winds and cold air and downs trees on the Belden and Wheeler properties (as well as the neighboring area). This includes a big spruce that knocks out the rear wall of the clubhouse and makes a hole in the roof. The Bob Whites had spent the last of their club savings on the previous work done to make the old gatehouse into a clubhouse. How will they be able to make the repairs before the predicted next storm?
Brian, Trixie's eldest brother, had been saving up for a car and decides to donate that money to the cause. His friends hate to see him give up the dream of a car, so they ask to work as temporary gamekeeper for the Wheeler's huge estate until Honey and Jim's dad can get a full-time man on the job. While doing their rounds, Honey and Trixie stumble upon evidence of a poacher and the Bob Whites have another little mystery to solve.
I have to emphasize the word "little" from that last sentence. While this is a very pleasant read and it was nice to visit with my childhood friends again, I realize now (as an adult) that this one just doesn't have much of a mystery to it. Trixie makes a mystery out of the possible poacher, but it is more her lack of information and a tendency to make assumptions from what little she does know than the fact that there is a mystery to solve. Some of the stories do have real mysteries and sometimes they have downright villainous characters, but this one...not as much.
But that's okay--it's still a nice adventure and we get a good family and friendship story. It's nice to see the lengths that Trixie will go to in order to make sure her big brother is able to have the used car of his dreams.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
Brian, Trixie's eldest brother, had been saving up for a car and decides to donate that money to the cause. His friends hate to see him give up the dream of a car, so they ask to work as temporary gamekeeper for the Wheeler's huge estate until Honey and Jim's dad can get a full-time man on the job. While doing their rounds, Honey and Trixie stumble upon evidence of a poacher and the Bob Whites have another little mystery to solve.
I have to emphasize the word "little" from that last sentence. While this is a very pleasant read and it was nice to visit with my childhood friends again, I realize now (as an adult) that this one just doesn't have much of a mystery to it. Trixie makes a mystery out of the possible poacher, but it is more her lack of information and a tendency to make assumptions from what little she does know than the fact that there is a mystery to solve. Some of the stories do have real mysteries and sometimes they have downright villainous characters, but this one...not as much.
But that's okay--it's still a nice adventure and we get a good family and friendship story. It's nice to see the lengths that Trixie will go to in order to make sure her big brother is able to have the used car of his dreams.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
markmeavery's review
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
nday's review against another edition
2.0
The sixth book in the Trixie Belden series. I actually remembered this book quite vividly from what must have been my last reread of the series. I remember it because I was pretty unimpressed with the screeds of “facts” in large blocks that the author had inserted into the book, rather than adding it as atmosphere.
Most of the plane ride read like the authors “facts I learned about Arizona before writing this book.” It was pretty dull reading for the most part, adding little to the plot and really was a big chunk of slowing the pace of the book.
As for the actual story, I quite enjoyed the actual mystery, but there was a whole lot of awful behaviour from the BWG’s and the ranch guests. I didn’t much enjoy some of the personalities and behaviour in this book, and that definitely bought things down a bit for me.
Most of the plane ride read like the authors “facts I learned about Arizona before writing this book.” It was pretty dull reading for the most part, adding little to the plot and really was a big chunk of slowing the pace of the book.
As for the actual story, I quite enjoyed the actual mystery, but there was a whole lot of awful behaviour from the BWG’s and the ranch guests. I didn’t much enjoy some of the personalities and behaviour in this book, and that definitely bought things down a bit for me.
satyridae's review
1.0
This book is so bad I have a hard time articulating the ways in which it sucks. Let's hit the easy targets first, heap big stereotypum, ugh. Completely offensive, on every level. Also easy to complain about; the didactic and horribly stilted writing. It sounds like a travelogue about Arizona written by aliens. This book reads as though it was written by a corporate committee. The characters, completely unreal, completely stereotypical.
There's just nothing about this book to like.
There's just nothing about this book to like.
imzadirose's review against another edition
2.0
One of my least favorite of the whole series. If I didn't know better, I would have thought it was written by one of the other authors, instead of a Julie Campbell original. I felt half the book was a very very very boring history report. It was way too much and the story too dull.
More...