Thanks -- very helpful and will have him try one. Was thinking of gifting him the beginner's set for Christmas.

A boy asks to read a book with a female lead and we are debating whether to "let" him? What is the very worse thing that could happen? He gets bored and stops reading?

Let him try. There is no downside. Maybe check one out of the library before you get him a collection for Christmad.

My 5 year old DC loves both. His dad reads him the Hardy Boys and I read him Nancy Drew. Exposing your kids to strong female characters is a good thing.

Anonymous wrote:You could also try Encyclopedia Brown

Good call. I loved him when I was a kid.

Brixton Brothers books are also good. And the Superstition Mountain series.

DC also liked the Field Trip mysteries and the Ballpark mysteries.

You could also try Encyclopedia Brown

Unless you're looking at buying the complete set right now, why not let him read one and see if he likes it? And then maybe he'd want to try a Hardy Boys and see if he likes that. And...go from there. I don't understand the dilemma. Seriously.

My 9/10 year old loved the Hardy Boys...though the first book started slow for him and DH urged him to continue. He did and then was eager for more.

Get one from the library and see. What's the downside?

My 9 year old son likes The Hardy Boys - though he had to be coaxed into trying them at first - I don't think they grab as quickly as today's books do - slower intro. But, I'd tell him to read 5 pages and see how he liked it. Now, he reads them on his own. I read both series as a girl - think boys could like Nancy Drew too. Though I hate all the references to Ned in it

If he's interested in trying them, what is the harm? Do you have the older versions? Those are better written anyway. Or get them from the library. He may migrate to Hardy Boys or he may not.

Just get them both from the library.

The Trixie Belden mystery series has a female lead, but also has strong male characters -- Trixie has a brother and her best friend has an adopted brother.

Let him try one of the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys crossovers first? Then maybe he can decide which characters appeal more

I read Nancy Drew books when I was younger and my 8 year old son wants to read them. He is generally into the Wimpy Kid series and A to Z mysteries. I am inclined to get them for him but wonder if he would enjoy the Hardy Boys series more since he's a boy. While I like the idea of strong women protagonists, I wonder if he'll lose interest. I can't really remember the books but I remember loving them. Thoughts?