The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip (The Happy Hollisters, No. 2)

It is increasingly difficult to find the Happy Hollisters series of books. There were 33 books in this series, written between approximately 1953 and 1970. This particular edition is the second book in the series. The Happy Hollisters are somewhat of a relic of an era gone by. The family consists of five children, Pete, Pam (Pamela), Ricky, Holly, and Sue, and their parents Mr. and Mrs. Hollister. There are also Zip, a collie, and White Nose, a cat, who has five kittens in this book. Mr. Hollister runs a store called The Trading Post, which sounds similar to general stores in days gone by. Throughout the series the children solve mysteries, usually as a family. In this book the children befriend a boy named Bobby. Bobby is living with Farmer Gillis, as his mother went out West to earn money. She had promised that as soon as she had earned some money she would return for Bobby. Farmer Gillis was mean to Bobby, making him sell cookies and vegetables. When Bobby wanted to have a little fun, Farmer Gillis was yelling at Bobby that he was ungrateful. The Hollister children learn that Bobby's grandfather, Moses Twigg, had disappeared and that Bobby and his mother were unable to find him. The children also learn from a local banker that Moses Twigg had money in the bank that had been there for 19 years, and if it remained in the bank one more year it would have to go to the state. It is not long before Bobby disappears, and everyone, the police and the Hollisters included, are out looking for Bobby. The Hollisters travel in their Uncle Russ's new boat on the Muskong River (which seems to be an imaginary place to see if they can locate Bobby. The adventures they have will delight younger children. The Happy Hollisters series remains a reasonably good, if somewhat outdated, read for younger children, perhaps from ages 4 to 9. I suspect that by age 9 most children are entranced by more modern pursuits. Also, many children may consider families of five children to be somewhat unusual and that may take some explaining. These books may be an excellent way to introduce children to the changes that have taken place in our society over the past half century. One last word of caution. These books are becoming very difficult to find, and thus their price varies substantially. If you are interested in reading this series you may find editions without covers that sell for less than editions with covers. I hope you enjoy The Happy Hollisters. They are a reminder of a simpler age.

As with all the Happy Hollister books ,I loved reading it over and over. All the children are always included in the mysteries. Their personalities complement each other and each play a part in solving the mystery ( some times one or more have a larger part -- Pete plays a larger part in this one ). The people involved in the mystery are well developed and seem as "real" as the Hollisters. The descriptions of the trip , the island and the clues aid in "being there". The conclusion fits perfectly with all the clues. Happy Hollisters on a River Trip has long been added to my collection.