Book Talk #1

The Nancy Drew Notebooks - The Lost Locket by Carolyn Keene is a story about an argument between Nancy Drew's two best friends. Nancy's friend Bess trusted her other friend George (Georgia) to keep her locket safe during recess while she jumped rope. George put the locket in her backpack. After recess, Bess asked for her locket back but George couldn't find it anywhere, the locket in her backpack was replaced with a peanut butter, mustard, ketchup and relish sandwich. Bess was upset because her aunt gave her this special locket. She was convinced someone stole it.


Bess then ripped up a newspaper article of George's soccer team to get back at her. Bess told Nancy Drew what happened and Nancy decides to help solve the mystery of Bess' lost locket not only to help, but to also reunite her friends. Nancy begins to make a list of suspects and goes through each person trying to find out where they were at recess and what they ate for lunch, in case they just so happen to eat peanut butter, mustard, ketchup and relish sandwiches.


Days go by and Nancy still can't find out who stole the locket. The girls go on a field trip the next Monday and at lunch a student from a table across yells out "Nancy, I think you have my lunch". Nancy trades lunches with her and then realizes maybe the same thing happened with George's backpack. They go back to the school bus and find out that George's backpack was mixed up with another students. When they trade back their backpacks, George find the locket right where she left it.The mystery was solved.


'Today I solved another mystery- the Case of the Lost Locket. And I helped Bess get her locket back. But the best thing about being a detective is that you can help people find things they lose- even if the thing they lose is a friend." says Nancy Drew. The meaning behind this story was meant to first, teach children that you can't assume the worst. Sometimes the answer is right in front of you. Second, that you can't look for someone else to blame, think of what mistake you might have made first before accusing others. Third, that friendship is more important than an object, at the end of the day, you have to remember what matters most.


I relate to this story even at twenty years old, by remembering that a conflict with a friend isn't worth the loss of a friendship. This book is great for children who are beginning to read chapter books. It is short, to the point and has a great message.