The Mystery Of The Ivory Charm (1974) - Plot & Excerpts
The Mystery of the Ivory Charm is a children's story by Carolyn Keene (pseudonym) and the 13th book in the Nancy Drew series. While discovering the secret of an ivory elephant charm, Nancy and her friends work to reunite a boy from India with his true father.I’ve always been a voracious reader. So, as a child, one of my favorite things about summer was the frequent trips to our local library, which was less than a mile from our house. Like most young girls of a certain age (ahem), my love for mysteries started with Nancy Drew—there simply was no mystery too baffling that she couldn’t solve. And as I would read her most current adventure, I would imagine myself following in her footsteps … taking charge and plunging ahead, getting into mischief, chasing down culprits and solving the mystery. Even though I haven’t re-read any of these books since I was a child, I still think that Nancy is a great character—her courage, confidence and fierce independence, makes her an iconic source of inspiration for young girls everywhere. A must-read children's book, The Mystery of the Ivory Charm is another wonderful Nancy Drew mystery.
One of those Nancy Drew Mystery Stories with a really bizarre, surreal setting. This time it's a mysterious abandoned house with no floors tricked out with a bunch of trapeze equipment and secret passages. The mystery this time involves a little boy from India kidnapped and forced to join the circus, and it's pretty racist in a "it was 1936 and they didn't know any better but it's still gross and disappointing" way, which drags down the story a lot. I don't know how I would deal with kids who want to read the original Nancy Drew books because the revisions can be really stupid and pat but the original 30s & 40s books can be appallingly racist.
What do You think about The Mystery Of The Ivory Charm (1974)?
ivory charm *mystery*Nancy went to the circus and found a Indian boy named Rishi who was not really supposed to be there because he was really the son of the mahrahja and never knew but most everyone did.(except Nancy who really should feel frusterated that no tells her anything because she's an *amauter*)in the end the bad guy (not saying who) tries to kill(gasp) Rishi using strong words in hindu.(he succeeds for a second which confused me.how do words kill?) then the marahja cracks the ivory c
—Emily W
What a stupid book! Yes I understand that books cant be stupid but everything about this story was stupid. I was eager to read it because of the Indian angle but everything about it made no sense. Its one thing to bring orphan girls to stay at your home after getting to know them a bit but she just let Rishi stay,the very same day that she met him!And Mr Drew just picking up the phone and calling someone and asking for clothes which they get in an hours time delivered by the kind soul. Its mental!
—Ambika ɀסּϛסּ
This may be my least favorite of the early series, at least those I've re-read as an adult. But most of those I've read as an adult have been the 1960s revisions (and it's very possible that when I read and re-read and re-read the whole series as a kid, that I was often reading even later contemporizations), while I own a 1930s original of this volume. I bet the later revisions tone down the gentle, ingrained racism inherent in this story.Truly, though, it's the evolution of this series over time and its relation to history and context that interests me more than any individual book. I really value what this book offers in terms of helping understand the whole series, but it wasn't as fun to read as some others.
—Lisa
