Penny Parker

For the MacGyver character, see Penny Parker (MacGyver).

Penny Parker was a series of 17 books written by Mildred A. Wirt Benson and published from 1939 through 1947. Penny was a high school sleuth who also occasionally moonlighted as a reporter for her father's newspaper.

There are extant notes for an 18th book, which was never completed. The first four books were lightly revised and reprinted in 1951; the project went no further, and Benson decided not to do Nancy-Drew-like updates on her own series.

Benson favored Penny Parker over all the other books she wrote, including Nancy Drew. Her obituary quoted her as saying, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is,' Mrs. Benson said in 1993." [1]

The series (title and publication date): [2]

1. Tale of the Witch Doll 1939
2. The Vanishing Houseboat 1939
3. Danger at the Drawbridge 1940
4. Behind the Green Door 1940
5. Clue of the Silken Ladder 1941
6. The Secret Pact 1941
7. The Clock Strikes Thirteen 1942
8. The Wishing Well 1942
9. Ghost Beyond the Gate 1943
10. Saboteurs on the River 1943
11. Hoofbeats on the Turnpike 1944
12. Voice from the Cave 1944
13. The Guilt of the Brass Thieves 1945
14. Signal in the Dark 1946
15. Whispering Walls 1946
16. Swamp Island 1947
17. The Cry at Midnight 1947

References

[1] Zaborney, Mark (2002-05-29). "Blade columnist, Nancy Drew author Millie Benson dies at age 96". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 2007-04-03.

[2] "The Mildred A. Wirt Benson Website". Retrieved 2007-04-03.

External links

• The Penny Parker Mystery Stories, Series Books for Girls
• The Newsworthy Tales of Penny Parker, The Mildred A. Wirt Benson Website
• Mildred A. Wirt at Project Gutenberg, contains e-texts of all 17 books.