Animal, Vegetable or Mineral Trivia Quiz

Answer: Animal

"The Mystery of the Jade Tiger" published in 1991, is a case involving Terry Kirkland, a friend of Carson Drew, Nancy's father. Terry was a Vietnam vet who owned a mysterious trunk packed with memories of past times in the jungle. Terry is also an accomplished artist specializing in glasswork.
The plot is full of curious twists and turns along "the path of the jade tiger".

Would it surprise you to know that the Nancy Drew mystery books were written by different authors or teams of authors? The books were published under the fictitious name of Carolyn Keene. Ellen Steiber was actually responsible for the outline and manuscript for "The Mystery of the Jade Tiger".

A tiger can be a symbol of strength, endurance, courage etc. all of which can be found in a Nancy Drew mystery!

Answer: Mineral

"The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk", originally published in 1940, was written by Mildred A Wirt Benson/Mildred Wirt (under the Carolyn Keene pseudonym) and it was revised in 1972.

In the 1940 version Nancy and her two best friends, cousins George (Georgia) and Bess, join a trip conducted by an exclusive girls' school to South America. The mystery quickly unfolds as Nancy discovers there are questions concerning the quality of certain trunks made by the Trenton Trunk Company, which happens to be the same maker of the trunk Nancy has taken on her trip. A shy, withdrawn young lady, the willful mother of a student along with a mysterious red-headed man all kickoff this South American adventure.

In the 1972 version, on a return ocean liner from the Netherlands to New York Nancy, Bess and George, along with their new friend Nelda Detweiler, share some strange warnings concerning a mysterious trunk. When Nelda is accused of stealing a diamond bracelet, Nancy wonders if she is really a thief or is she a victim and Nancy certainly doesn't hesitate to dig right in and find the answer!

Opera singer Jenny Lind, known as "the Swedish Nightingale" came to America in the 1850s on a tour. Her trunks, which were made in London, became very popular and were copied by American trunk makers. Usually they were covered in leather with brass bands, fasteners and studs. They were curved at the top and were sometimes called "bread loaf trunks". The models which were made with the brass banding became known as "brass bound Jenny Linds". Brass, an alloy of zinc and copper, has a great resistance to sea water corrosion and is easy to form. Eventually the trunks began to evolve into "flap-tops" in the 1870s. No doubt the brass was helpful as these trunks were kept in the storage cabins of "steamers" or steam ships.

Answer: Vegetable

Originally published in 1941, "The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion" was ghostwritten by Mildred Benson, who wrote many of the earlier Nancy Drew mysteries. Benson was largely responsible for creating Nancy Drew's daring persona (character). The book was retitled "The Mystery of the Moss-Covered Mansion" and the plot revised in 1971.

In the original version Nancy, Bess and George stumble upon a mysterious mansion covered in moss while trying to track down a missing heiress. The story is full of dubious and colorful characters, from a needy elderly lady to gypsies!

In the later version the story centers around a friend of Carson Drew (Nancy's father) who is arrested. Nancy and her dad set out to prove his innocence. In this version Nancy discovers a creepy old mansion behind a fence which also encloses African animals roaming about the property. The newer more modern storyline involved the Kennedy Space Center, spies, exploding oranges and other changes to the original plot.

Did you know that moss are ancient plants that don't have roots? They attach themselves to the surfaces where they grow using small, clinging structures called rhizoids.

Answer: Vegetable

In the original version of "The Password to Larkspur Lane" published in 1933, the mystery opens when Nancy spots a mysterious carrier pigeon in her yard while tending her delphiniums (commonly called larkspurs). While she attempts to get information about the pigeon, the family physician, Dr. Spires relates a strange event to Nancy and Carson Drew. He was blindfolded and taken by car to a mysterious location for the purpose of treating an elderly woman with a shoulder injury. Dr. Spires thought the woman was being held against her will. The only clue to the woman's identity is a bracelet with a family insignia.

Tracking the origin of the homing pigeon while tracing the owner of the mysterious bracelet lead Nancy, Bess and George on an adventure involving the bewildering "L.S. Lane", sinister property and delphiniums, disguises and more.

The 1966 version was condensed and packed with more action involving Bess and George while including one or two more "colorful" characters.

Delphiniums are commonly called larkspurs and are known for their beautiful vibrant pink, blue, purple and white varieties. Planting them in the garden attracts butterflies and hummingbirds too!

Answer: Vegetable

"The Mystery at the Lilac Inn" was originally published in 1930 with a later edition in 1961. In the original version Nancy sets out to help a friend, Emily, recover family heirloom jewels. Emily's Aunt believes they were stolen from her handbag while she was having lunch at Lilac Inn. Nancy is also preoccupied with hiring a temporary replacement for the Drew family housekeeper, Hannah Gruen.

In the updated 1966 version Nancy and George stay at the Inn while attending Emily's wedding. While there Nancy discovers someone is impersonating her (Nancy) and running up costly bills in her name. She encounters a ring of crooks, a "ghostly apparition" and an actress with a dubious past, just to name a few.

Reading a Nancy Drew mystery can almost be like a trip back in time! It's very interesting to note the descriptions of fashions of the day, year and model of cars (or rather "snappy roadsters", as they were usually described in the Carolyn Keene series) and the cost of clothes, a car or even lunch at restaurant --quite a difference from today's prices!

Lilac are shrubs that can grow 12 to 15 feet high. The fragrant blooms can be pink, white, or various pastel shades of purple, and they only bloom for about three weeks each Spring.

Answer: Mineral

"The Clue on the Silver Screen" was published in 1995. The story begins when Nancy and her two friends Bess and George (Georgia) attend a film festival on Martha's Vineyard. They meet Bill Zeldin, who works for a major film critic, and seems to know "who's who" in the industry. The festival was honoring a deceased director and was attended by one of his actresses, Velma Ford. Velma had long since retired and became somewhat reclusive. Nancy and her companions overhear a rather menacing conversation involving Velma and of course, Nancy's interest is piqued. When a priceless film masterpiece, whose ending had never been seen, goes missing, someone will go to any length to keep the ending a secret --even murder!

Silver (Ag - atomic number 47) is a soft, white, lustrous metal. The term "silver screen" originates as far back as the 1910s when screens in theaters were coated with silver metallic paint which enabled the images on the screen to be more visible to the audience.

Answer: Animal

"The Mystery of the Winged Lion", published in 1982, was ghostwritten by Nancy Axelrad. When Nancy, Bess and George vacation in Venice with their friends Ned, Burt and Dave a series of "unfortunate events" quickly occurs. "The boys", suspected of smuggling, are held by local police.

Nancy receives a cryptic note asking for help, signed only with the initials "D.D." and Carson Drew, Nancy's father, makes an expected trip to Venice. Nancy's investigation leads her to a desperate Duchess, St. Mark's Basilica, villainous hotel employees and a talented glass artisan who has been kidnapped.

Nancy Axelrad started out editing Nancy Drew books and later wrote several and described the Nancy Drew character as "the essence of girl power"!

In ancient Greek and Roman culture, winged lions were symbols of symbol of power, royalty, bravery, wisdom and prosperity.

Answer: Mineral

"The Clue of the Gold Doubloons" was ghostwritten by Alison Hart and published in 1999. Hart has said that writing Nancy Drew books is largely responsible for perfecting her writing skills. She enjoys writing about strong characters involved in suspenseful situations and that certainly describes Nancy Drew!

The story begins when twin brothers Andrew and Daniel Wagner ask Nancy and George to help with a low-budget film they are producing (Nancy as director and George playing a female pirate). Unfortunately the project does not go as smoothly as planned. The cast and crew become prime suspects in a series of robberies at the hotel where they are staying. Are the gold doubloons found at each crime scene just a publicity stunt? Could a "disgruntled" actor be responsible? In order to find the culprit Nancy must place her own safety in jeopardy!

Gold doubloons were Spanish gold coins which got their name from the Spanish word for "double" since they were worth twice as much as the Spanish "escudo" coins. The coins were used during the 16th to mid-19th centuries. In historical fiction "doubloons" are often associated with pirates and their chests filled with gold coins.

Gold (Au) is an orange-yellow metal with the atomic number 79 and has been used for coins, jewelry and art throughout history.

Answer: Animal

"The Mystery of the Mother Wolf", published in 2002, was edited by Anne Greenberg with manuscript and outline credit simply given as Carolyn Keene. Various publishers of Nancy Drew mysteries changed over the years. In 1987 Greenberg was assigned to oversee and perhaps "update" the series by adding or eliminating certain characters. Bess, George, Ned, Carson Drew and Hannah Gruen remained characters while Burt and Dave were dropped. Under Greenberg's guidance Nancy Drew became more "modern".
(Source: "The New York Times" - October 9, 1988 - Section 7, Page 47, "Nancy Drew Gets Real" by James Hirsch)

As the story unfolds, Nancy, Bess and George are vacationing at Elk River Ranch in Wyoming. They meet the owners, Alice and John, their daughter Jenny and Jenny's fiance Paul. As a zoology student, Paul has plans to build a wolf sanctuary on the grounds of the lodge where Rainbow, the lodge's tame pet wolf has just had puppies.

When Rainbow suddenly disappears, abandoning the newborn pups Nancy begins to "smell a rat"! Not all the neighbors are happy about plans for a wolf sanctuary so close to their livestock! Before Nancy can solve the mystery, she encounters some hostile neighbors and a suspicious ranch hand, gets lost in an unexpected blizzard and is stuck on a ski lift. Not the ideal vacation she thought it would be!

Wolf mothers (sometimes called "she-wolves") are extremely protective and nurturing but, since wolves are pack animals, sometimes other members of the pack or even siblings help with caring for the pups. Although some wolves can be trained, it's important to remember wolves are not as easily "persuaded" or as flexible as dogs when being trained and much more time, patience and even caution would be necessary.

Answer: Animal

In "The Haunting of Horse Island" (published in 1990 with outline and manuscript by Carol Gorman) we once again find Nancy and her pals Bess and George ready to enjoy a vacation, this time at the Steadman Resort on Triple Tree Lake.

The beautiful resort, owned by friends of George's dad, has recently become the subject of old rumours claiming Horse Island in the center of a lake is haunted. Recent pranks (a harmless snake planted in a tackle box, cottages being ransacked) are responsible for guests packing up and cutting their vacations short. Events rapidly escalate to danger when the girls' canoe is missing leaving them trapped on the haunted island. When a fire is started in their cottage Nancy's camera and photos of the island are destroyed. This can't be just an unfortunate coincidence and Nancy is determined to find the culprit!

Did you know that horses have a special "stay apparatus" that enables them to remain upright on their hooves while sleeping? It's a series of ligaments and tendons that run through the front and hind legs of the horse. When a horse relaxes the stay apparatus stabilizes the shoulder, knee and ankle joints so the horse stands without having to keep their leg muscles tense.