Nancy Drew's Guide to Life

If the ceiling collapses, breathe through a handkerchief to avoid inhaling dust.
-- The Hidden Staircase

Moxie and a good sense of balance are essential when crawling on a roof.
-- The Hidden Staircase

Never sleuth on an empty stomach.
-- The Hidden Staircase

Don't force your date to go to a ballet or another activity that may not be to his liking if he was knocked unconscious earlier in the day.
-- The Double Jinx Mystery

After receiving electrical shock to the system, find as many men as possible to vigorously massage you.
--Mystery of the Glowing Eye

Making thugs turn on each other is always a delicious thing to watch.
-- The Whispering Statue

When trying to investigate a property that's off limits, consider putting your flying lessons to good use and fly over the area.
--The Clue in the Crumbling Wall


When forging a letter to nab a perp, be sure to use grammar and spelling appropriate to the education level of the person you're impersonating.
-- The Ghost of Blackwood Hall

Convertibles are swell but they sure do call attention to your comings and goings.
-- The Haunted Showboat

Don't say "well" all the time. It's far from well.
-- Nancy's Mysterious Letter

Beware the stranger on the plane who grills you for personal information.
-- The Message in the Hollow Oak


it's okay to accept free trips from your friends parents, but only if they are exceedingly rich.
-- The Clue in the Crossword Cipher

If grilling a salesperson or shop owner for information, it's only proper to buy a few articles from the establishment.
-- The Strange Message in the Parchment

If you see something resembling a shark in the river, don't fret. It's more likely to be a small submarine operated by thieves.
-- The Mystery of Lilac Inn


When the lights suddenly go out, hold onto your diamonds for dear life.
-- The Mystery of Lilac Inn

If you can at all prevent it, do not chase after thieves when you are clad only in a leotard. It's unseemly.
-- The Scarlet Slipper Mystery

I am a huge Nancy Drew fan. How wonderful it is to be reminded of words like moxie!

Growing up, I had the entire collection in hardback. Sadly, my mom donated them to Goodwill when I went off to college. I'm still trying to recover from that. It wasn't in malice though as she did save my rock collection which I hold onto these days. At any rate, these are funny, sometimes useful, and always good fun. It makes me want to revisit one of them some thundery afternoon this summer. While I keep a running tab of ND advice, these are from a darling little book of quotes and excerpts from the books called, "Nancy Drew's Guide to Life." I found this years ago but was thrilled to see it yesterday when birthday shopping for friend(s).