Ginny Gordon
Encyclopedia
Ginny Gordon is the central character in a series of books for adolescent girls published by the Whitman Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Western Publishing
of Racine, Wisconsin
, in the 1950s. The books were written by Julie Campbell Tatham
, writing as Julie Campbell; she also wrote the original volumes of the Trixie Belden
series (beginning in 1948) for Whitman.
The Ginny Gordon series is very similar to the Trixie Belden books--apparently Whitman wanted a second series to appeal to the same audience as the first. In many ways, the Ginny Gordon books can be seen as less-well developed versions of the Trixie Belden series, but the books still have a good bit of charm in their depictions of youth culture of post-World War II
, but still pre-Baby Boom
, young teenagers.
. While Trixie is a farm girl, living two miles outside the small town of Sleepside, Ginny lives in Harristown, a suburb of New York City
, but one that is still a small town with surrounding farmland. Her father is the publisher of the local newspaper.
The initial volumes of the Trixie Belden series provide a developing story arc (in the first book, Trixie Belden has no close friends, but meets new-girl-in-town Honey Wheeler, and they both meet Jim Frayne, a runaway; in the second book, Trixie and Honey trace Jim, who has run to upstate New York looking for a job at a boys' summer camp; in the third book, Trixie, Honey, and Jim are all safely at home--Honey's parents have adopted Jim--when Trixie's brothers Brian and Mart come home from camp; the five young people decide to start a secret club). The Ginny Gordon, books, though, begin in medias res
, beginning in the fall of the year after school has started. Ginny's best friend is Lucy Tryon, who, like Honey Wheeler, was a new girl in town, but her arrival took place before the first book opened. At some date before the opening of the series, Ginny, Lucy, and John Blaketon--Ginny's love interest--and his thirteen-year-old twin cousins Whiz and Babs Reilly formed a secret club, the Hustlers. Like Trixie, Ginny loves a mystery, although Lucy is a much more reluctant partner than Honey Wheeler. John Blaketon stands in for both Jim Frayne and Brian Belden, as the older (at fifteen), more mature, and cautious voice of reason, trying to keep Ginny out of trouble. Whiz Reilly is very similar to Mart Belden, mostly making fun of Ginny.
Western Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
of Racine, Wisconsin
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
, in the 1950s. The books were written by Julie Campbell Tatham
Julie Campbell Tatham
Julie Campbell Tatham was a US Children's novels writer, who also wrote for adults, especially on Christian Science. As Julie Campbell was the creator of the Trixie Belden series and the Ginny Gordon series...
, writing as Julie Campbell; she also wrote the original volumes of the Trixie Belden
Trixie Belden
Trixie Belden is the title character in a series of 'girl detective' mysteries written between 1948 and 1986. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell Tatham, who also wrote the Ginny Gordon series, then continued by various in-house writers from Western Publishing under the pseudonym...
series (beginning in 1948) for Whitman.
The Ginny Gordon series is very similar to the Trixie Belden books--apparently Whitman wanted a second series to appeal to the same audience as the first. In many ways, the Ginny Gordon books can be seen as less-well developed versions of the Trixie Belden series, but the books still have a good bit of charm in their depictions of youth culture of post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but still pre-Baby Boom
Baby boom
A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...
, young teenagers.
Characters
Similar to Trixie, Ginny is fourteen years old and lives in Westchester County, New YorkWestchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
. While Trixie is a farm girl, living two miles outside the small town of Sleepside, Ginny lives in Harristown, a suburb of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, but one that is still a small town with surrounding farmland. Her father is the publisher of the local newspaper.
The initial volumes of the Trixie Belden series provide a developing story arc (in the first book, Trixie Belden has no close friends, but meets new-girl-in-town Honey Wheeler, and they both meet Jim Frayne, a runaway; in the second book, Trixie and Honey trace Jim, who has run to upstate New York looking for a job at a boys' summer camp; in the third book, Trixie, Honey, and Jim are all safely at home--Honey's parents have adopted Jim--when Trixie's brothers Brian and Mart come home from camp; the five young people decide to start a secret club). The Ginny Gordon, books, though, begin in medias res
In medias res
In medias res or medias in res is a Latin phrase denoting the literary and artistic narrative technique wherein the relation of a story begins either at the mid-point or at the conclusion, rather than at the beginning In medias res or medias in res (into the middle of things) is a Latin phrase...
, beginning in the fall of the year after school has started. Ginny's best friend is Lucy Tryon, who, like Honey Wheeler, was a new girl in town, but her arrival took place before the first book opened. At some date before the opening of the series, Ginny, Lucy, and John Blaketon--Ginny's love interest--and his thirteen-year-old twin cousins Whiz and Babs Reilly formed a secret club, the Hustlers. Like Trixie, Ginny loves a mystery, although Lucy is a much more reluctant partner than Honey Wheeler. John Blaketon stands in for both Jim Frayne and Brian Belden, as the older (at fifteen), more mature, and cautious voice of reason, trying to keep Ginny out of trouble. Whiz Reilly is very similar to Mart Belden, mostly making fun of Ginny.
List of titles
- Ginny Gordon and the Mystery of the Disappearing Candlesticks (1948). The Hustlers start a swap shop as a money-making project, but have to deal with the disappearance of Ginny's Great-Aunt Betsy's heirloom silver candlesticks, and along the way tackle a jewel thief.
- Ginny Gordon and the Missing Heirloom (1950). The Hustlers still have the swap shop, but now it is old Mrs. Arnold's pendant that is missing. Ginny finds that the plot is not just about a pendant, but a scheming woman's plan to take over all of Mrs. Arnold's estate.
- Ginny Gordon and the Mystery of the Old Barn (1951). The Hustlers have sold the swap shop to Joe Dakor, and their new project is a snack barn as a hangout for young people. The plot here, dealing with two criminals who had a falling out, is similar to the third Trixie Belden book, The Gatehouse Mystery. Here, though, it is not a diamond, but cash money that is left behind. One sub-plot deals with the arrival of "Lochinvar," a "hillbilly" (not yet rock and rollRock and rollRock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
or country and western) singer who performs at the Harristown Inn (drawing the teen-aged crowd away from the Hustlers' snack barn). - Ginny Gordon and the Lending Library (1954). The Hustlers latest project is a subscription lending library. Mystery develops as someone keeps trying to steal a popular novel.
- Ginny Gordon and the Broadcast Mystery (1956). There are several plots in this, but no real criminal activity. The Hustlers are having a used book sale at their lending library when a rare and valuable book of Mrs. Arnold's is mistakenly donated. When Mrs. Arnold attempts to recover the book, all the Hustlers are certain they did not sell it, but it cannot be found. Ginny tries to solve the mystery of the missing book, while other mysteries abound: the identity of a bitter young woman who moves to Harristown, all the pranks and confusion at the lending library. The whole time, Ginny is trying to organize a radio book-chat for teenagers that the local radio station asks her to do. A subplot deals with a popular novel, "My Heart's in the City," that everyone is sure is a roman a clefRoman à clefRoman à clef or roman à clé , French for "novel with a key", is a phrase used to describe a novel about real life, overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people, and the "key" is the relationship between the nonfiction and the fiction...
based on their own Harristown. This is perhaps based on the real furor that followed the publication of Peyton PlacePeyton Place (novel)Peyton Place is a 1956 novel by Grace Metalious. It sold 60,000 copies within the first ten days of its release and remained on the New York Times best seller list for 59 weeks. It was adapted as both a 1957 film and a 1964–69 television series....
, which many people in New England felt was based on a real town.