Hardy Boys Books

Hardy Boys starter set (Hardy Boys)

Franklin W. Dixon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Still good after so many years 4 out of 5 stars.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

We purchased the Hardy Boys starter set after my 5th grade son had read the first book. He had to read a mystery book for school. He liked it so much we purchased the others.
He just finished the second book in record reading time. Even though these books were written quite some time ago, they still can appeal to kids today.

Non stop action 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

My 12 year old son loved this series..He was given these as a gift and has read one after the other..The decades old technology, motorcycles, speed boats kept him very interested..The Hardys are a classic that never fails to satisfy..

Hardy Boys starter set 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Books are wonderful. Grandkids are truely enjoying being introduced to these classics. Fast service during the holidays, too.

Great gift set 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This was a great gift for my teenage nephew. At least I think so, he appreciated it but would have prefered a game but he is now forced to read more.

Editorial Review:

It's 6 books about the legendary Hardy Boys! This boxed set - just right for any kid who hasn't yet discovered these mystery classics - contains: The Tower Treasure, The House on the Cliff, The Secret of the Old Mill, The Missing Chums, Hunting for Hidden Gold, The Shore Road Mystery

Spy Set (Boxed Set): Extreme Danger; Running on Fumes; Boardwalk Bust; Thrill Ride (Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers)

Franklin W. Dixon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

fun for young boys - updated from old versions 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

My ten-year-old son eats these books up. They've all been updated since we were kids to include modern gizmos & technology today's kids find cool. Even the personalities of the Hardy Boys are more modern, yet still positive. HIGHLY recommend!

New Hardy Boys Rocks 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I bought these for my son who has been reading the original Hardy Boys books. He really likes the new version as well.

Hardy Boys Spy Set 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I bought this group of books for my 2nd grade grandson. He loved the series. At first he thought they were too hard to read and mom was reading them to him. He found he could read them. He reads every night and mom said he would come down stairs laughing and giggling, telling them what occurred in the story. Not only was he reading, but he was retaining what he read. Mom said that they were updated Hardy Boy's books. They had ipods etc. in them. Thank you for making these available. Grandma

Editorial Review:

Four cases. Two brothers.

One mission:

Justice.

Follow Frank and Joe Hardy through their first four cases working as undercover agents for ATAC (American Teens Against Crime) as they crack cases and catch criminals left and right.

But be forewarned:

The road to justice is anything but smooth.

Books in this set include:

Extreme Danger

Running on Fumes

Boardwalk Bust

Thrill Ride

The Mystery of Cabin Island (Hardy Boys, Book 8)

Franklin W. Dixon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

one of the best of the Hardy Boys 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

"The Mystery of Cabin Island" is the 8th book in the Hardy Boys Mystery Series. After successfully solving "The Shore Road Mystery" (book 6), Old Mr. Jefferson allows Frank and Joe to use the cabin on Cabin Island for a vacation during the winter. The brothers jump at the chance and invite their friends Chet Morton and Biff Hooper along as well. Mr. Jefferson isn't completely altruistic, however. He gives the Hardys a mystery to solve, though one he hopes will be completely devoid of danger and excitement: his grandson is missing as well as his collection of rare medals.

When the brothers travel on their ice boat to Cabin Island they are chased off by a stranger, one who later turns out to be trying to buy the island from Mr Jefferson. Might he be also searching for the medals and where is Mr Jefferson's grandson?

This really is one of the better Hardy Boys stories. The biggest positive here is just that the book keeps focus very well into the main mystery and the chapters move along at a fast pace. While there is a formula at work here, the author does a good job and telling a good story that is interesting with a decent puzzle midway through.

This review is of the 1966 Revised Edition.

-Joe Sherry

Editorial Review:

The Hardy boys find themselves in a winter adventure on a rock-bound island.

The Great Airport Mystery (Hardy Boys, Book 9)

Franklin W. Dixon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Best Hardy Boy 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This exciting and adventurous novel was the best one out all the Hardy Boy mysteries!!!! This is a must read!

What? Another Cave? 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

The Hardy Boys have an adventure that takes place partially in the air this time. Someone is stealing parts containing platinum from Stanwide Mining Equipment Company. The problem is that no one can seem to figure out how it is happening. The Hardy Boys get involved when they are taking a short cut through the country and a plane almost crashes on the roof of their car. Soon the Hardy Boys are trying to learn the source of ghostly whistling and voices.

The Hardy Boys' investigation takes them to an island in the Caribbean Sea, a cave with multiple secrets, and a cabin in Montana. This adventure also contains some of the most dangerous villains the Hardy Boys have encountered yet.

The author continued the use of caves as an integral part of the story. This book is the eighth that uses a cave. In this story the cave is quite large. I am imagining that the United States is filled with caves, at least as far as this author is concerned.

The author paced the last couple of stories nicely, keeping the action going and with sufficient mystery to make a reader want to continue onward. I am impressed with the author's ability to write ever more interesting stories as this series has progressed. I am looking forward to the next novel, "What Happened at Midnight."

Though the Hardy Boys series is written in a relatively archaic fashion, as reading material for an increasingly younger audience they are excellent. The stories were once recommended for children ages 10 to 14. As children are exposed to more violence and seem to require greater levels of stimulation, the recommended age range has move to 9 to 12. I think any child capable of reading some of the challenging words in these books will enjoy them, regardless of how tame most of the action may be. Once a child has reached age 12 or so the stories may be of less interest, but given the combination of mystery and action, these books remain good safe choices for parents who want to know what their children are reading.

Editorial Review:

HARDY BOYS MYSTERY

The Secret of the Caves (Hardy Boys, Book 7)

Franklin W. Dixon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Cool! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Triggered by the disappearance of a young professor, this mystery takes the Hardy Boys to kenworthy college, where they find a puzzling message.

Starts Strong/Peters Out 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.

As usual, the H. Boys take every opportunity to "out-brain" everyone in the room, and it is simply a joy for the reader. I really don't know how they do it. Those young men are sharp.

For Example (and don't worry, I won't ruin the book for you):
In chapter 16, "The Gerbil, Unaware", I thought the entire pet shop sequence was simply a tool to provide some comic relief following Dick's maming. I had no idea those furry rascals would play such an integral role in solving the mystery.

And who knew Johnny Nitro moonlighted as a PVC salesman?!

Secret of the caves 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book takes place in a town just south of the Hardy Boys home town Bayport, in a town called Rockaway. The Problem starts when the town police ask the Hardy Boys (Two young tetectives in there upper teens, Frank and Joe Hardy) to help them solve the case of two missing people. When they begin Solving the mystery they find out theat the missing people are not missing, they just left their town to become terrorists, and they plan to take over Rockaway so they can smuggle in drugs a Rockaway point. Find out just how the Hardy Boys solve this mystery by reading this book.

This book is a great mystery book. The author, Franklin W. Dixson does a good job of keeping a fast pace by keeping the action going. Teenagers who want to go into the criminology field would enjoy reading this book.

These books are often compared te the Nancy Drew books, which are the same books just for girls. This is a very good book. There is always somethingk going to keep you interested. I often had to go back and reread some of the book, so I could remember everything that was happening. The auther did a good job of writing this book the way teenagers woud talk. I would really enjoy reading more books in this series.

Editorial Review:

When the Hardy boys reached the caves, they came unexpectedly upon a queer old hermit.

What Happened at Midnight (Hardy Boys, Book 10)

Franklin W. Dixon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Return to the Caves! 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

The Hardy Boys find themselves in an unusual situation. Their father asked them to break into someone's home to retrieve a mysterious package. The boys find a way into the house, but almost as quickly as they have entered the house they see car headlights. Soon another set of thieves enter the house. After a tussle with the thieves the Hardy Boys are able to locate the mysterious package in a secret hiding place.

Soon the Hardy Boys are in the midst of one of their most dangerous cases. One of the boys is kidnapped. The boys tail a criminal to New York City and are nearly run down in a subway. Later the boys are in a plane that develops serious engine trouble, threatening the boys with death! Even with all the danger the boys face, there is yet more to come when the boys learn what is in the mysterious package and why the crooks want the package.

The author seems to be hooked on caves. The caves that appeared in "The Shore Road Mystery" appear prominently in this book. I think that once crooks find a good set of caves they must pass the location on to their friends.

I noticed a couple of rough spots where it appeared the more recent authors who revised the story may have eliminated some prose and struggled to smooth out transitions. I also thought the description of the electronics was a bit weak. Why were the electronics so valuable? Of course, today we expect electronics to be inexpensive. In another update perhaps the author will describe the electronics as the only prototype of a new video game in existence, or something similar.

This story moved along briskly, with a lot of action. This story is reasonably well written and held my attention from beginning to end. I think this story is one of the better stories in the series.

Though the Hardy Boys series is written in a relatively archaic fashion, as reading material for an increasingly younger audience they are excellent. The stories were once recommended for children ages 10 to 14. As children are exposed to more violence and seem to require greater levels of stimulation, the recommended age range has move to 9 to 12. I think any child capable of reading some of the challenging words in these books will enjoy them, regardless of how tame most of the action may be. Once a child has reached age 12 or so the stories may be of less interest, but given the combination of mystery and action, these books remain good safe choices for parents who want to know what their children are reading.

Editorial Review:

When their detective father asks them to play burglar in order to protect a client's valuable invention from thieves, the Hardy boys find themselves involved in a large and dangerous conspiracy.

The Secret of Skull Mountain (Hardy Boys, Book 27)

Franklin W. Dixon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Action Mystery 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

After several of the previous books in this series were somewhat disappointing, this book was a welcome improvement. The author paced the action better and formulated the mystery better than in the books just prior to this book. While I rated this book at four stars, when I compare this book with other books in the series I think it is one of the better books in this series.

Frank and Joe Hardy become involved in a mystery surrounding a new reservoir for Bayport. The reservoir is complete, but the water level is not rising. To be more specific, the water level rises during the daytime, but then drops during the night. If authorities are unable to solve the mystery, Bayport may soon be out of water.

Some of the Hardy Boys mysteries are very convoluted and complicated. This story has a much simpler, focused story. The story still has multiple facets, but everything revolves around why the reservoir will not fill. Because the story has focus, it is easier to follow, and I think it is also more interesting. I also think that because of the focus, the main story line has more detail than many of the previous books in this series, particularly those with multiple overlapping mysteries that the author often explains minimally.

This story also has fewer science elements, which many of the previous books handle poorly. This story focuses on the mystery and uses as little science as possible to establish the story and the mystery. Because of the focus and the minimal reliance on science, this story is easier to read and easier to believe. Because the author focused this story more tightly focused than previous stories, it is also more enjoyable. I look forward to the next mysteries in this series to see if the author maintained the quality of the story line exhibited by this book.

The Hardy Boys series is recommended for ages 8 to 12 because the series is relatively tame for the previous target audience of ages 10 to 14. However, the series still contains some interesting moments and will keep most readers guessing the answers to the mysteries until the final solution is revealed.

The Tower Treasure (Hardy Boys, Book 1)

Franklin W Dixon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 72 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Swell fun for young fellows, chaps, and chums! 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Frank and Joe Hardy, teenage sons of a famous detective, find a mystery to solve on their own when the Tower Mansion is robbed of a fortune in jewels and bonds. The caretaker is arrested, but the boys don't believe he's guilty.

I read the original 1927 edition and it is quite a trip back in time. By today's standards, the language is antiseptic and bland ("No slang please, not in Tower Mansion!"), but it's perfect for boys aged 8-10 who are just beginning to read chapter books. There's no danger, violence, or even much action to speak of; the emphasis is on the boys' resourcefulness and determination. Joe and Frank Hardy are relentlessly optimistic and straight-arrow good guys; in fact everyone in the story is wholesome and uncomplicated. Although the Hardys clearly obstruct justice by hiding clues from the police (who are portrayed as bumbling idiots), they emerge as real teen heroes.

The story was serialized (and made more exciting) on TV in the fifties in The Hardy Boys. The book's simplicity is reminiscent of "The Boxcar Children," another kids-know-best children's novel.

Editorial Review:

A dying criminal confesses that his loot has been secreted "in the tower." Both towers of the looted mansion are searched in vain. It remains for the Hardy boys to make an astonishing discovery that clears up the mystery.

While the Clock Ticked (Hardy Boys, Book 11)

Franklin W. Dixon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Author of Everyday Miracles 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A wonderful and excitng read for all who love adaventure and intrigue.Teens will espescially benefeit drom this book. Full of healthy , honest role models.

The Depression-Era Version was Awesome 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Edward Stratemeyer had just died when one of his "stringers" wrote this great episode.

All the Stratemeyer "factory" books would be written under a pseudonym. So Edward Stratemeyer might die, but "Arthur M. Winfield" didn't have to -- and "Carolyn Keene" and "Franklin W. Dixon" were then still alive, too.

All the books would look as much like contemporary adult books as possible -- same bindings, same type-faces.

The books would be of predictable length - all just over 200 pages in hardcover.

Chapters should end mid-situation, and pages too as far as possible, to increase the reader's desire to turn pages -- and thus his reading speed. Of course, one volume finished, one would want to turn to the next, assured it would be the same kind of thing. It was great reading training.

Each book would begin with a quick recap of all previous books in that series. Cross-selling is not new.

This is a fun story told well...but the original was the best.

Editorial Review:

Frank and Joe solve the mystery of the secret locked room in the spooky Dalrymple Mansion.

The Disappearing Floor (Hardy Boys, Book 19)

Franklin W. Dixon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

pretty good book 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Personally, I enjoyed this book. It was pretty exciting. There are many exciting things that happen, like a car chase, a smoke screen, a dying man, mysterious robberies, a hidden tunnel, an errie ghost, a disappearing floor, a plane crash, a sabotaged boat, and a strange message. All in all it was a pretty good book.

Highly Imaginative, But Not Well Written 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This review concerns the original 1940 edition. Frank and Joe help their father track down a gang of vicious bank robbers and stumble upon a crazy man's mysterious, old mansion filled with his strange inventions. This is easily the most imaginative of all of the Hardy Boys books, with all of the interesting gadgets that the author included in the book; however, it is not a very well written book. There are a number of cases of people meeting in the most unlikely of areas, plot points that are totally irrelevant to the book and never explained (Frank and Joe find an envelope with a $100 bill in it at the beginning of the book, it is never mentioned again until the end of the book and it is never explained to whom the money belongs) and, at one point, Frank, Joe and Chet are at the mansion, Chet becomes frightened, runs off and is not mentioned again until Frank and Joe return to Bayport. The whole side of the book that concerns the mansion is not that important to the story, even though it is the most interesting part. It seems as though the author had a great idea for this weird house and then had to write in the bank robbers to provide bad guys for the story, because the first 80, or so, pages, until Frank and Joe first arrive at the mansion, drag on a bit. From that point on the book is pretty good. If nothing else, though, the book is interesting enough because of the strange gadgets and most Hardy Boy's fans would not think the book a waste of their time.

Editorial Review:

The original Hardy Boys -Just as You Remember Them! Number 19 in Applewood Books's series of facsimile reprints.