Edward Stratemeyer wrote the first book in the Bobbsey Twins series in 1904 under the pseudonym “Laura Lee Hope.” The rest of the series was written by ghostwriters under the outlines of the Stratemeyer Syndicate.

The books follow the adventures of two fraternal sets of twins: Bert and Nan (12 years old in most books) and Flossie and Freddie (6 years old in most books).

Initially the books are about home life and travel adventures. Around 1961 the stories began to focus on mysteries. Some older stories were revised to take on this new theme. Hence The Bobbsey Twins; or, Merry Days Indoors and Out (1904) eventually became The Bobbsey Twins and the Lakeport Mystery (1961), using the name of their home town in the title.


Another revision, The Bobbsey Twins and Baby May, kept the same basic title but instead of being about a foundling child that could be adopted (1924), it was about a baby elephant (1968) because of changes in adoption laws over the intervening years.

Although the plots appealed to young children, say from ages 5 to 8 as expressed on some dust jackets, the reading level was usually higher. This meant that the stories were often read to the younger children by older siblings or adults. Therefore, the Bobbsey Twins does not have the same nostalgic attraction experienced by series like Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Tom Swift where the reading and interest ages were aligned and readers feel a more personal connection to the series.
MORE ON THE BOBBSEY TWINS:
Bobbsey Twins Formats
Bobbsey Twins in Purple Format
Blog Posts About the Bobbsey Twins

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