Nancy Drew, Facts and Feminism, 05 Jul 2008
If you're looking for behind-the-scenes info on Nancy Drew, this is a pretty good source. It's fairly light-reading while still being informative on Edward Stratemeyer (the force behind the book series syndicate that brought us "The Bobsey Twins", "The Hardy Boys", "Nancy Drew", etc), on his daughter Harriet (who, along with her sister, took over the syndicate after his death), and on the feisty ghost writer behind the creation of Nancy Drew, Mildred Wirt Benson. The author presents the two women, as well as the fictional Nancy Drew, as feminist icons (sometimes, straining mightly against the facts). Still, a great deal of research seems to have gone into this book which makes the turbid wade thru feminist waters worth it

(For another perspective on the Syndicate, see THE SECRET OF THE HARDY BOYS: LESLIE McFARLANE AND THE STRATEMEYER SYNDICATE.)