I grew up reading the Trixie Belden series. Trixie, her brothers and their friends solve mysteries, have adventures and help others around their home in Sleepyside, NY. I remember doing yard work and babysitting my nephew to earn money to buy new Trixie books. And I was really happy when some new books came out in the 80s. This was by far my favorite book series when I was 12 or so....I ended up with the entire series in matching covers (the beige 1980s versions). Before I left for college, I sold them all to a neighbor girl at a garage sale. I hope she enjoyed them as much as I did!

The Mystery at Bob-White Cave is the 11th book in the series. Trixie and the gang travel to the Ozarks to visit her Uncle Andrew. The kids' club, The Bob-Whites, want to do some cave exploration during the trip. A magazine has offered a $500 reward for anyone who can locate several different types of cave fish -- ones that have no eyes and are all white in color. Trixie is really determined to find the fish because the club wants to donate the $500 to help buy a station wagon to transport handicapped kids to school in Sleepyside. As usual the kids find themselves in the middle of mysterious goings on -- stolen fish, arson and a strange ghost man in the woods. Will the kids find the fish and get the money? And who is the strange man in the woods?

While this isn't one of the best books in the series, it is an enjoyable story. Trixie is a bit high-strung in this adventure. Let's chalk it up to teenage angst and give her a break. :) There were some exciting moments in this book involving wildcats, flash floods and a strange man lurking in the woods.

There are 39 books in the Trixie Belden series, written from 1948 to 1986. The stories are a bit dated, but still very enjoyable and readable. Since I absolutely adored this book series as a kid, I decided to reread all the books. I'm glad I did! I'm really enjoying revisiting my favorite group of fictional teens from NY state! I smile every time Trixie exclaims "Gleeps!'' ha ha ( )

Good old Uncle Andrew provides yet another place for the Bob-Whites to get into trouble: his hunting lodge in the Ozarks. When they get there Trixie reads about a reward in a magazine for specimens of a rare "ghost" fish. She's convinced she can find them in the nearby caves and drags her friends along to go spelunking. They discover a cave with lots of the fish, and Trixie almost drowns when she goes down a well and a sudden rainstorm comes up. After that Uncle Andrew is reluctant to let her out of his sight, but that of course doesn't stop Trixie. ( )

I didn't like Trixie in this book. She was obsessed with finding the fish and earning the reward. It was all she could think about.

It seems incredibly irresponsible to let a group of teenagers go cave exploring alone. There short term "guide" was a local with a bad rep, whose only recommendation was knowing the area.

Poor Honey was dragged into situations she found terrifying.

There was a mystery going on, but Trixie showed no interest in figuring it out. She as all about the fish. ( )

A childhood favorite re-visited.

Is the story as good as I remember? – Yes

What ages would I recommend it too? – Ten and up.

Length? – Most of a day’s read.

Characters? – Memorable, several characters.

Setting? – Real world, pre - computer pre - air conditioning, pre - cell phone.

Written approximately? – 1963.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? Yes. A slight mention of the time frame of the story - as the teens are given far more freedom to come and go as they please than would be safe today. Also, the absence of computers, cell phones, and air conditioning in homes, especially the mansion.

Short storyline: Trixie Belden, Honey, Jim, and her brothers attempt amateur cave research to find cave fish in the three stages of blindness. Their guide doesn't last long, and the man everyone fears as a ghost has a tale much like a ghost himself. Plenty of geological science blends with politics and psychology to make for a confounding story.


Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No violence (only referred to from the past), no murder. ( )

The adventure in Bob-White Cave is pretty fun, but Trixie exhibits some pod character in this book. She is somewhat cranky and whiny even when the other characters try to cajole her into a better mood. Still, even with Jim's changing eye color (in some editions), the gang has some fun at a party where they get to meet other Ozark families and as always, come through in the end to help someone less fortunate than themselves. ( )