The Tower Treasure
Large Print
The Original Hardy Boys Mystery Stories
by Franklin W. Dixon
This quality large print edition includes the complete text of the original classic tale that launched the world’s most successful series of books for young readers, the “Hardy Boys Mystery Stories.” This freshly edited and formatted edition was prepared entirely by human editors and is not a machine scanned facsimile of an older version. Printed on heavyweight bright white paper, it features a fully laminated cover with a new full color design.
The Tower Treasure…
While out running an errand for their father, detective Fenton Hardy, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy barely avoiding being hit by a speeding car driven recklessly by a man with bright red hair. After discovering the vehicle abandoned on the side of the road they learn of a local attempted robbery and the theft of a car belonging to their friend, Chet Morton.
Beginning to suspect that the same man might be involved in all of these incidents, they learn of the theft of securities and jewels from the Tower Mansion. Realizing that the man accused of the robbery is the father of a classmate, they become involved in the case, working to prove that the crimes are connected.
When a dying man injured in a railroad accident confesses that he committed the Tower Mansion robbery and put the loot “in the old tower” the search is on for “The Tower Treasure.”
About the Author…
“Franklin W. Dixon” was the name used by the publisher as the author of the Hardy Boys mysteries, which were actually written by several different authors over the years. Most of the early books, generally considered the best of the series, were written by Canadian author Leslie McFarlane, and his work on the Hardy Boys is widely agreed to have brought about a new era in young readers books, with detailed characters and plots instead of simple stories split into chapters.
The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories…
Launched in 1927, the Hardy Boys mysteries effectively launched a new era in books intended for younger readers, until then collectively regarded as “children’s books.”
The original ghostwriter, Canadian newspaper writer Leslie McFarlane once remarked that he thought the Hardy Boys “deserved better than the slap-dash treatment” given the characters in most books intended for young readers at the time. The detailed treatment he gave characters, plots and story lines in the early Hardy Boys mystery stories set a new standard for “children’s books,” moving beyond the established practice of just dividing a story into chapters and popularizing a class of book aimed specifically at an older age group.
The original 58 stories were extensively rewritten and “updated” throughout the 1960’s and 70’s, to conform to the new books being produced in that era, but many Hardy Boys fans and collectors believe that the updated versions were effectively “dumbed down”, as they were shortened, rewritten to target a younger age group, and swaths of dialog were replaced with narrative paragraphs to provide more “action” in an effort to “compete with television”.
The Hardy Boys themselves were depicted as much more deferential to authority and conformist, and less adventurous and free-wheeling. Additional characters were written in, most of which were little more than “window dressing” and did nothing to advance the plots, and the stories bacame less adventurous and more standardized.
Product details
Publisher: S.M. Holden, Independently published (June 5, 2024)
Language: English
Paperback: 257 pages
ISBN: 979-8327589124
Reading age: 9 – 12 years, from customers
Item Weight: 1 pounds
Dimensions: 6 x 0.58 x 9 inches
List Price: $11.97
