Penny Parker

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

Penny Parker was the heroine of a series of 17 books written by Mildred Wirt and published from 1939 through 1947. Penny was a high school student turned sleuth who also sporadically worked as a reporter for her father's newspaper, The Riverview Star. Her mother, similar to Nancy Drew's, had died some years before, so she was raised by the Parker housekeeper, Mrs. Weems. On her cases she is sometimes aided by her close friend, brunette Louise Sidell, and occasionally Jerry Livingston or Salt Sommers who were, respectively, a reporter and photographer for her father's paper.

Benson's Reaction and Similarities to her life

Benson, who was a newspaper reporter herself, 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]

Titles

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)

Unreleased title

There are extant notes for an 18th book, which was never completed.

Revisions

The first four books were lightly revised and reprinted in 1958; the project went no further, and Benson decided not to do Nancy-Drew-like updates on her own series.

Characters

Penny Parker- a high-school student with a skill at reporting and getting involved in mystery. Her impulsiveness can get her into hot water. She is the daughter of Anthony Parker. Penny has blonde hair and blue eyes.

Anthony Parker- Penny's father and the owner of The Riverview Star. He gives her much freedom but rather disapproves of her sleuthing.

Mrs. Maude Weems- the Parker family housekeeper; since the death of Mrs. Parker, she has cared for Penny as her own. Like Penny's father, she disapproves of the girl's sleuthing.

Louise Sidell- Penny's "closest friend", Louise is more cautious and less athletic than her chum. Occasionally she is portrayed as being a bit clumsy. In Saboteurs on the River she said she was going to be a nurse when she grew up. Though often reluctant to join Penny, she never wishes to be left alone and always gives in.

Jerry Livingston- a "crack reporter" on The Riverview Star, Jerry serves as a love interest for Penny. He was absent for several books while serving in the Army.

Salt Sommers- an unattractive but skilled photographer on the The Riverview Star, he is a good friend of Penny's.

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 most of the books.