Mark Connelly (1) (1951–)

Joe raised a sandwich to his lips absently, essayed a bite and missed the sandwich altogether. (Hardyism from The Tower Treasure). This Hardy Boys mystery, published in 1927, was the first in a series that continues in popularity with young readers over eighty years later. Connelly, an English instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and author of several books, has compiled an engaging and thorough history of the Hardy Boys, the Stratemeyer Syndicate and serial publishing. Edward Stratemeyer founded the syndicate in 1905, changing the field of children’s reading by creating 125 series; among them the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Tom Swift, the Bobbsey Twins and the Rover Boys. Stratemeyer managed the series by developing plot outlines for each and hiring contract authors to write the individual books. The syndicate published formulaic stories with a set length of twenty-five chapters and two hundred and sixteen pages with publication aimed for volume and profit. The stories were and continue to be successful because young readers relate to the characters; their age, their daily lives, difficulties, and independence and strength in solving mysteries. Connelly examines the evolution of the stories beginning with the late 1920’s, through the Depression, World War II, the McCarthy era and the 1950’s, into the disco age and then to the present tracing how cultural influences, race, class, gender, and values vary in the stories as they reflect the social and historical changes of the times in which they were written. The book is visually enticing, beginning with a cover reminiscent of the original Hardy Boys books. Illustrations throughout the book show the evolution of the mysteries through time. A cover picture of What Happened At Midnight, 1931, shows Frank and Joe Hardy as young men in business suits. By 1993, Frank and Joe are shown on the cover of the Hardy Boys Casefiles No. 73 Bad Rap, as part of a rap band performing on stage. This text is highly recommended for general use by school and public librarians and all who are interested in the history and evolution of series publications.… (mehr)