80 years ago, the first Nancy Drew book was published. The Secret of the Old Clock introduced readers to a young sleuth by the name of Nancy who was intrepid and curious and regularly got herself embroiled in the most appalling intrigues. It also spawned a series that would stand the test of time, appealing to new generations of readers, female and male alike, who followed Nancy (and George and Bess) wherever her adventures took her. I come from two devoted Nancy Drew readers. Both my mother and my father read her growing up. My dad would bike to the library with his little sister Claudia and they would each check out a stack of five Nancy Drews and five Hardy Boys, read them, exchange, read the second stack, and then return them for more. I never get tired of that story. They both grew up to be such avid readers and I know where it all started. My dad still re-reads them from time to time, when nothing else is grabbing his fancy. I vividly remember reading my first Nan...