Nancy Drew, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, and Mildred Wirt Benson

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is not the only well-known woman who was influenced by the Nancy Drew mystery series. The media release from the White House about the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court states, “After her father’s death [when she was nine years old], Sotomayor turned to books for solace, and it was her new found love of Nancy Drew that inspired a love of reading and learning, a path that ultimately led her to the law.”

Mildred Wirt Benson and Nancy Drew had a great deal in common, including very long and active lives. Like Nancy Drew, Mildred Wirt Benson was independent, intelligent, resourceful and a great favorite of all who knew her. Mildred Wirt Benson wrote the text of 23 of the first 25 Nancy Drew books under the direction of Edward Stratemeyer, head of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Nancy Drew books, in one form or another, have been popular for more than 70 years. How do you feel about the Nancy Drew series of children's books? Click on "Comments" below and share your opinion.