Missing Millie Benson - (Biographies for Young Readers) by Julie K Rubini (Paperback)

About the Book

"Missing Millie Benson is as lively and compelling as a Nancy Drew Mystery Story. For anyone who loves Nancy, getting to know the woman who first brought her to life in this wonderful biography is not just a treat but a necessity an inspiration to young writers and sleuths alike!" Melanie Rehak, author of Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created HerGrowing up in Ladora, Iowa, Mildred "Millie" Benson had ample time to develop her imagination, sense of adventure, and independence. Millie left her small hometown to attend the University of Iowa, where she became the first person to earn a master's degree from the school of journalism. While still a graduate student, Millie began writing for the Stratemeyer Syndicate, which published the phenomenally popular Hardy Boys series, among many others. Soon, Edward Stratemeyer tapped Millie for a new series starring amateur sleuth Nancy Drew, a young, independent woman not unlike Millie herself. The syndicate paid its writers a flat fee for their work and published the books under pseudonyms. Under the pen name Carolyn Keene, Millie went on to write twenty-three of the first thirty books of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. In all, Millie wrote more than a hundred novels for young people under her own name and under pseudonyms. Millie was also a journalist for the Toledo (Ohio) Times and The Blade. At the age of sixty-two she obtained her pilot's license and combined her love of aviation with her passion for writing, sharing her travels and adventures with readers. Follow the clues throughout Missing Millie to solve the mysteries of this ghostwriter, journalist, and adventurer. "--

Book Synopsis

Growing up in Ladora, Iowa, Mildred "Millie" Benson had ample time to develop her imagination and sense of adventure. While still a journalism graduate student at the University of Iowa, Millie began writing for the Stratemeyer Syndicate, which published the phenomenally popular Hardy Boys series, among others. Soon, Millie was tapped for a new series starring amateur sleuth Nancy Drew, a young, independent woman not unlike Millie herself. Under the pen name Carolyn Keene, Millie wrote the first book, The Secret of the Old Clock, and twenty-two other Nancy Drew Mystery Stories. In all, Millie wrote more than a hundred novels for young people.

Millie was also a journalist for the Toledo Times and the Toledo Blade. At sixty-two, she obtained her pilot's license. Follow the clues throughout Missing Millie to discover the story of this ghostwriter, journalist, and adventurer.

Review Quotes

"There are several helpful appendices, including a glossary of the key terms that have been presented in bold face in the earlier text. From 'alma mater' to 'writing credits, ' and including 'Gallup Polls, ' 'penchants, ' and 'ratified, ' this list delighted me with its obvious respect for children's capacity to understand complex matters. ... In sum, this is a delightfully quirky read. ... The book has the potential to develop a new generation of literary scholars." --International Research Society for Children's Literature

"Though this biography is written for young adults, there's plenty to interest adult readers, especially the successful, albeit formulaic, system Edward Stratemeyer used to create so many young adult series. Rubini also brings Millie's world to life." -- Cedar Rapids Gazette

"Digging into archives and the memories of surviving acquaintances as well as published histories, Rubini spins an account of Benson's long and active life that throws a strong light on the source of Nancy Drew's own admirably intrepid and independent spirit....An enlightening peek behind the curtain for Nancy Drew fans."--Kirkus Reviews

"Missing Millie Benson is as lively and compelling as a Nancy Drew Mystery Story. For anyone who loves Nancy, getting to know the woman who first brought her to life in this wonderful biography is not just a treat but a necessity--an inspiration to young writers and sleuths alike!" --Melanie Rehak, author of Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her

"Rubini frames the story as a mystery, asking why, despite Nancy Drew's fame, most people have never heard of Benson and tracking down clues and evidence to uncover more information about the life of this little-known author.... VERDICT A solid option for those interested in the 'Nancy Drew' mysteries."--School Library Journal

"The biography is eminently readable and well organized...Appended with an impressive wealth of back matter ('Extra Clues') including a timeline, a chronological list of Millie's books, a glossary, source notes, and an extensive bibliography."--Horn Book Magazine

About the Author

Julie K. Rubini is the founder of Claire's Day, a children's book festival in honor of her late daughter. She is the author of Hidden Ohio, Missing Millie Benson: The Secret Case of the Nancy Drew Ghostwriter and Journalist, and Virginia Hamilton: America's Storyteller. But most of all, she cherishes her roles as wife to Brad and mother to daughter Kyle and son Ian.