The Best Happy Hollisters Adventures for Valentine’s Day
Not too long after this year’s Valentine’s Day, we looked on our shelf filled with The Happy Hollisters books and realized that we had missed a golden opportunity to discuss why these popular children’s mystery books fit that particular holiday so well. In fact, since these books were all written by a single person – Andrew E. Svenson – and published in 1953, they’re filled with the same types of themes that you’ll find in many Valentine’s Day stories. Before we get into that, however, let’s take a look at our picks for the best Happy Hollisters mystery stories for the holiday:
The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip
This isn’t your normal river excursion, that’s for sure. The mystery begins with two events – a mysterious tag found on a fish after it’s caught in a lake and a friend who disappears in a leaky old boat. It doesn’t take long before the Hollister family sets off for a trip on the Muskane River to figure out what’s going on. Along the way, a series of false clues and disappointments rear are their ugly head before the mystery can be solved by our young detectives!
The Happy Hollisters at Circus Island
Any adventure involving the circus is bound to be a whole lot of fun. The story begins at Mr. Hollister’s store The Trading Post just after the purchase of a houseboat, which sends the Happy Hollisters to Circus Island, home of the Sunshine Circus. After experiencing a theft at the local dog show, the family is thrust into an adventure of mystery and quickly realizes that the world of the circus is unlike any other place they’ve encountered before.
The Happy Hollisters at Pony Hill Farm
Farms are definitely not foreign to the Hollister family, but this one will prove to be very different indeed. It all begins when they purchase a hobbyhorse at a local auction and realize that it holds the key to a sizable inheritance. If that isn’t enough, a trip to the Pony Hill Farm uncovers a beautiful Appaloosa pony that seems to appear out of thin air. Between learning how to perform tricks with horses so that they can enter the County Fair Horse Show and solving the mystery, the Hollisters certainly have their work cut out for them!
The Happy Hollisters at Sea Gull Beach
Beaches are always romantic, which makes this story one of the very best Valentine’s Day stories. After putting on a play about pirates and American soldiers at Seagull Beach, the Happy Hollisters are presented with a mystery of the origins of a real emerald found inside their uncle’s lighthouse lamp. Between Pete entering a kite contest and Holly and Sue getting caught on a sandbar, this rousing adventure is filled with fun and excitement.
The Happy Hollisters and the Cowboy Mystery
The Tumbling K Ranch has a mystery on its hands and only the Happy Hollisters can solve it! The Hollister family is drawn to a series of lights atop the mountain located at the ranch, which sends them down the road to adventure. Leaping onto the backs of horses like the cowboys of yore, the family must deal with antelope poachers, rumors of buried gold, and other mysterious elements.
The Happy Hollisters at Lizard Cove
What do you get with the arrival of a crate of pineapples and a strange pet at the Hollister household? A new adventure, that’s what! The delivery leads the Hollisters to Lizard Cove in Puerto Rico where the sender of the pineapples resides. What starts out as a sightseeing tour quickly turns into another mysterious romp thanks to a stone that winds up being a clue to a pirate’s treasure. Along the way, they’ll learn new customs and a different language as they solve the mystery.
The Happy Hollisters and the Secret Fort
This Hollister mystery harkens back into the annals of history as the whereabouts to a stockade that disappeared after the Revolutionary War are questioned. Never one to shy away from such an intriguing mystery, the Happy Hollisters are soon setting out for a family adventure. They’re on the trail of a missing letter that holds the key to the stockade’s location and they’ll stop at nothing in this fast-paced story.
Why the Happy Hollisters Are Great for All Holidays
Whether you’re interested in the Happy Hollisters as a source of Valentine’s Day stories, a different holiday, or everyday reading pleasure, there are many attributes of these books that you’ll find endearing for young readers. Here are four of our favorites:
Family Togetherness
Although each Happy Hollisters adventure is based on some type of big mystery, the overreaching theme is always about family. The Hollisters are very loving and caring toward each other, which is evident in both their successes and disappointments. You can also find plenty of humor and good clean fun in every story about this amazing family.
Promotes Teamwork
Another running theme throughout all of the Happy Hollisters stories is one of teamwork. By working together, there is no mystery too big or too small for this family of sleuths to solve. They’re great as individuals, but really come into their own when they’re working together on yet another mystery.
Broadens Knowledge
It’s impossible for a child to read a Happy Hollisters story without learning. Whether it’s new cultures or new experiences, these tales will help broaden a child’s knowledge. Since each story involves some type of mystery, they’ll be able to exercise their problem solving skills as well.
Each Story Teaches Good Moral Lessons
Each Happy Hollisters story has some kind of positive moral lesson to learn. In the end, the resilience pays off and right wins over wrong every single time. In our often difficult world, this is a big reason why this book series is the perfect gift for the young generation who have many struggles in their lives.
Order Your Copies of The Happy Hollisters for Great Valentine’s Day Stories
The Happy Hollisters has plenty of Valentine’s Day stories, but each of their mysteries is great all year round. If you have any questions about the series or our book club membership and hardcover options by checking out the Happy Hollisters store today!