Trixie Belden

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Trixie Belden is the title character in a series of 'girl detective' mysteries written between 1948 and 1986. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell, who also wrote the Ginny Gordon series, then continued by various in-house writers from Western Publishing under the pseudonym Kathryn Kenny. Today the rights to the series are owned by Random House. The series was completely out of print for a number of years, but Random House began releasing a new edition of the books in summer of 2003. As of summer, 2006, volumes 1-15 have been reissued. Fans of the series hope to see all thirty-nine volumes reprinted, especially the hard-to-find volumes 35-39.

Trixie was a young teen living just outside the fictional town of Sleepyside-on-Hudson, in the Hudson River Valley area of New York. She lived at Crabapple Farm, which had been in her family for either three or six generations (this varies between books), with her parents and three brothers, Brian, Mart, and Bobby. The first book establishes her friendship with lonely, sheltered rich girl Honey Wheeler whose family has just moved into the Manor House next door and soon the girls are embroiled in their first case.

Throughout the series, the two girls solved mysteries that baffled authorities and, along with brothers and friends, formed a club called the Bob-Whites of the Glen, had adventures, traveled (though not as extensively as Nancy Drew, an older and more sophisticated girl sleuth), and struggled with school. Trixie had particular difficulties with math.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Main characters

The ages indicated refer to each character's age at the beginning of the series.

Trixie Belden: Thirteen-year-old Beatrix 'Trixie' Belden is one of the two co-presidents of the Bob-Whites of the Glen. She has a tendency to jump to conclusions, but her hunches often prove to be correct. One of Trixie's chores is to take care of six-year-old Bobby and, while she loves her little brother, she often loses patience with the mischievous child. She and Honey plan to one day open their own business: The Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency.

Honey Wheeler: Depending on the book, thirteen-year old Madeleine G. 'Honey' Wheeler is either vice-president or secretary of the Bob-Whites of the Glen. Until moving to Sleepyside, she spent her life in boarding schools and summer camps barely knowing her own parents. Her friendship with Trixie and the Bob-Whites has given her more confidence and helped her to forge a relationship with her parents and adopted brother. She now attends Sleepyside Junior-Senior High School with the rest of the Bob-Whites.

Brian Belden: Brian Belden, sixteen, is the oldest of the four Belden children. He is by far the most level-headed of the seven Bob-Whites and plans to become a doctor after finishing school. In the fifth book, Brian got his first car: an old jalopy which he purchased from Mr. Lytell, a storekeeper, for fifty dollars.

Mart Belden: Exactly eleven months older than Trixie, fourteen-year-old Martin Belden is often described as Trixie's 'almost-twin'. Mart is a self-proclaimed genius and lazybones and is most well-known for his love of eating and his out-sized vocabulary. He has a fondness for Cosmo McNaught space adventures books and constantly bickers with Trixie that Cosmo is better than Lucy from the Lucy Radcliff books Trixie likes so much. He plans to become a farmer, although the Pet Show Mystery gave him an interest in computers. Despite his frequent arguments with his sister, the two are quite close.

Jim Frayne: Fifteen-year-old James Winthrop Frayne II is the other co-president of the Bob-Whites of the Glen. The focus of the first two books, he is adopted by the Wheelers at the end of "The Red Trailer Mystery," after successfully running away from his abusive step-father. He has a Springer spaniel named Patch. Jim is an expert horseman and 'rides like a centaur'. He and Trixie have a fondness for one another and Jim gives Trixie an orchid and later his ID bracelet; however, the romantic angle is downplayed in later volumes. His goal is to one day use his inheritance to build a school for orphaned boys.

Diana "Di" Lynch: Beautiful and newly wealthy, thirteen-year-old Diana Lynch has both a set of twin brothers and a set of twin sisters. She joins the Bob-Whites in the Mysterious Visitor, while inadvertently providing them with another mystery. She shows great artistic ability in later books and can be a bit gullible at times.

Dan Mangan: Orphaned in New York City, Dan Mangan, left to his own devices, became mixed up in a street gang called ‘The Cowhands’. The juvenile court sends him to live with his uncle Regan, the Wheeler's groom, in Sleepyside, although he actually lives and works for Mr. Maypenny, the gamekeeper. After a rough start in Sleepyside, Dan reformed and became the seventh and final Bob-White in the Black Jacket Mystery. His age is unknown; he begins school in Mart's homeroom, but later must study during vacations to keep up with classes he takes with Brian and Jim. He intends to be a policeman in New York City.