Books From the Basement

Send us Fan Mail What are the BWGs doing on a sheep farm in Iowa? Find out as Lisa and Amy discuss Part 1 of “The Happy Valley Mystery.” There’s lots of sheep stuff to translate and the information about caring for the fluffy animals is plentiful. A lost calf, an upside-down sheep, a snowstorm, a great escape, and a gully rescue keep the BWGs busy. There’s also lots of information about birds and...

Send us Fan Mail In the conclusion of "The Black Jacket Mystery," Lisa and Amy comb through the action packed final third of the book. Brian practices his doctor skills like he’s seen on TV, Bobby runs away (again) and must be rescued (again), and Dan Mangan is still acting like a NYC gang member (sort of). Questions to ponder during this episode are: Will the catamount ever make an appe...

Send us Fan Mail Lisa and Amy continue their analysis of “The Black Jacket Mystery” in this fun-filled episode. There’s a new boy in town, and he is dangerous with a capital D! A former member of the feared “Cowhands” gang of NYC, Dan Mangan immediately sparks Trixie’s suspicious nature when he shows up in Sleepyside wearing a black leather jacket and black cowboy boots. Di makes a delayed appeara...

Send us Fan Mail In this jam-packed episode, Lisa and Amy maneuver their way through the first four chapters of "The Black Jacket Mystery." There are so many questions without answers in this book: When did Jim join a biology group? Why are Brian and Mart changing into "snazzy" or "sharp" sweaters (depending on which version you're reading) just to carry Honey&ap...

Send us Fan Mail Chaos and danger surround Trixie and the BWGs as they work to save their secret (or not secret) club. Once again, a blizzard's slowing them down, Reddy's running away, and no one is correcting Bobby's vocabulary. Plus, Trixie transforms into a "girl," Jim and Trixie share some romantic moments (or maybe a date), a dinner party at the Belden's turns we...

Send us Fan Mail No more BWGs?! That's what Principal Stratton tells Trixie when  gang-related activity starts to plague Sleepyside Junior/Senior High. In a quest to prove their worth to the school board, the BWGs embark on a UNICEF fundraiser, only to find themselves waist deep in another series of mysteries. Lisa and Amy peel back the layers of part 1 of The Mysterious Code . It's a ne...

Send us Fan Mail Lisa and Amy finish up their discussion of The Mystery in Arizona . Trixie is homesick for Bobby, but luckily there’s a stand-in named Petey. He’s on the loose with his own nonsensical babble about a giant “g’rilla," creepy dancing people, and skeleton eating. Also, Jim cracks down hard on Trixie over homework, the ranch guests are demanding jobs, potential BWGs are in the mi...

Send us Fan Mail The Bob-Whites head to Arizona to spend their Christmas vacation on a dude ranch. Immediately upon arrival, they find themselves filling in for the ranch staff who have mysteriously and abruptly disappeared. Trixie is happy to pitch in, but the remaining BWGs reluctantly take on the roles of the missing employees. If working during her vacation weren’t enough, Trixie is being tuto...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Lisa and Amy break down the second half of the Mystery Off Glen Road. The Bob-Whites have become temporary gamekeepers for the Wheeler estate, and when Trixie and Honey find clues that a poacher is in their midst, they take it upon themselves to catch the culprit. Is the poacher a crazy unicyclist on the loose from the circus, or are their two trespassers in the g...

Send us Fan Mail Trixie Belden and the Mystery Off Glen Road   is on tap for this week’s episode. Amy and Lisa discuss the first half of the book and try to decipher yet another series of perplexing problems. After a storm blows through town, a new set of difficulties emerge for the Bob-Whites to overcome. In side stories, Trixie transforms herself into a girly girl,  "squaw" is the word...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Amy and Lisa tackle the second half of Trixie Belden and the Mysterious Visitor . Topic discussed are: Trixie's visit to the seedy part of town, the start of Honey's curtain making career and the result of Bobby making his own orange juice. Plus, Lisa's ender is all about teenage fashion in the 1950's. 

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Amy and Lisa take on Trixie Belden and The Mysterious Visitor . Diana Lynch, a new (and sometimes visible) member of the BWGs comes on the scene and brings with her a family mystery. Uncle Monty has come to visit, providing Trixie with yet another person to peak her suspicious nature. Is this the beginning of Mart's intense vocabulary? Should Diana be evaluat...

Send us Fan Mail Lisa and Amy thoroughly enjoy their final discussion of The Gatehouse Mystery .  Listen as they  try to answer questions about another chaotic Trixe caper: How was the secret group formed?  Why is Trixie thinking about taking pills, and more importantly, are they the right ones? Who's supposed to be watching Bobby? How is Honey able to interview and hire a new employee in und...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Amy and Lisa discuss the first half of Trixie Belden and the Gatehouse Mystery . Join them as they dive into the twists and turns of a plot involving jewel thieves and the search for a lost diamond. Trixie has multiple theories (which constantly change) as she and Honey hunt for clues while working together with Jim, Brian and Mart to solve the mystery.  Some of th...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Lisa and Amy continue their discussion of the Red Trailer Mystery. Will Trixie and Honey find Jim Frayne? Will Mr. Darnell search for the 11-year-old runaway daughter he left behind at the Autoville trailer park? Will the girls hunt down Buddy? Will the police locate the trailer fixture thieves?  It's a bunch of people looking for another bunch of people. Lis...

Send us Fan Mail This week, Amy and Lisa discuss the continuing story of Trixie Belden and Honey Wheeler, who embark on a trailer trip in pursuit of Jim Frayne.  On this new adventure, the girls face a family in trouble,  an unhinged waiter, and a farmer's wife that loves to bake! And, don't forget the mayhem caused by the two unmanageable dogs they decided to bring along.

Send us Fan Mail For their debut podcast, Lisa and Amy break out the first book in Lisa's favorite series. Trixie Belden has been a staple for kids (and even adults) all over the world since the 1950's. Up first is The Secret of the Mansion which was written in 1948 by Julie Campbell. Join Lisa and Amy as they discuss new insights into the first book of a beloved childhood series. Be sur...