The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Totem Faces

The Happy Hollisters by Jerry West (a.k.a. Andrew Svenson)
As the Hollisters move to Shoreham, many mysteries follow them on their way. On the way to their new home, they meet a boy named Joey Brill who tells them, "We don't need any more kids in Shoreham. You'll be sorry if you move there." Thus, the Happy Hollisters are presented with their first mystery. Who is this boy, and why is he so mean? Next, they find out that the moving van that contained their toys is missing! The missing van also contains one of their father's inventions. Not only that, but something strange and mysterious is going on at their new house. Not only do neighbors say that their new house is haunted, but they also say that there's a treasure!
Pete, Pam, Ricky, Holly and Sue must solve these mysteries, and many more. They have the help of their parents and their faithful Collie dog named Zip. In the midst of meeting new friends and exploring their new home, the Happy Hollisters find themselves in the middle of one adventure after another. In the process of solving these mysteries, they explore their town, meet neighbors, find new friends and discover clues that help them solve the many mysteries. The brave Hollisters must also face many new dangers in their new home. The family's adventures will keep you turning the page and it will be difficult to put the book down.
If your children are not yet acquainted with the books, The Happy Hollisters is a good book to introduce the series. While the series can be picked up with nearly any of the books, the first one introduces the characters and gives a lot of details that will make reading the other books more enjoyable. It's also a hard book to put down and will help to pique your children's interest in the other books in the series.

Enter a simpler and happier time with Jerry West's classic book "The Happy Hollisters,"the first installation in the eponymous series. First published in 1953, the quaint story features the charming Hollisters, a traditional family comprised of five children--Pete, Pam, Holly, Rick, and Sue--their parents, and their faithful collie, Zip. The premise of the narrative is a simple, rather mundane mystery. The Hollisters move to Shoreham, and somewhere en route the moving van goes missing, along with the children's toys and Mr. Hollister's inventions. As the family settles into their new home and opens the Trading Post store for business, some light and rather benign trouble concerns them. A mysterious man is seen in their attic and basement, and a local boy named Joey Brill is determined to cause mayhem. Furthermore, rumors circulate about a possible treasure hidden somewhere in the house, and it is up to the Hollister children to puzzle out the mystery.

"The Happy Hollisters" presents the idyllic white-picket-fence family characteristic of the 1950s. Devoted fans of such memorable shows as "Leave it to Beaver" will enjoy taking a trip down memory lane with this book. The nostalgic blue, black, and white illustrations enhance the classic feel of the story. If noticeably lacking in exciting plot structure, "The Happy Hollisters" nevertheless evokes fond reminiscences of halcyon days gone by for older readers, while a younger audience can enjoy a happy resolution to the story while learning about life during their parents' and grandparents' generations.

This is more than "memory lane" but a series that has children learning right from wrong and to accept responsibility for their actions not to mention learning from mistakes. You will even find them doing things they are responsible for before continuing their sleuthing (prioritizing). The stories end in the '60's, not '50's (yet, they are timeless). The titles are "safe" to give children / grandchildren unlike some so called modern children's titles out there that have crass content, at best, but are not previewed by parents / grandparents. The Happy Hollister's series are stories that contain good character examples with children learning to work for things and not just expect things without personal and honest effort. They also exhibit self sacrifice for the benefit of others. I am glad that the titles are being reprinted without editing to include Kindle versions by the late author's family.

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 sixth book in the series, and was written in 1954.

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. 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. This time the mystery involves their teacher Miss Nelson and her brother Traver Nelson. When the Hollister children's school starts a pet club, the children notice that each time huskies or sled dogs are mentioned that Miss Nelson become sad. Eventually the children learn that Miss Nelson's brother is missing.

The children also watch a television show where they glimpse their grandparents. In the same show they see a beautiful dog named Fluff fall during a sled race. Much later the children learn that Fluff belonged to Miss Nelson's brother. The children also learn that Fluff fell because someone deliberately caused Fluff to fall.

After watching the show the children ask if they can travel to Canada to visit their grandparents at Snowflake Camp, which their grandparents operate. As happens so often in this series, events happen that allow the children to leave school during a big dog sled race near Thanksgiving. The Hollister family is able to stay at Snowflake Camp because of a last minute cancellation, which makes their trip more enjoyable since they are able to be close to their grandparents.

While at Snowflake Camp the children learn that Traver Nelson's disappearance is a big mystery, and the same dog sled race in which Fluff fell is about to be held again. The puppies of the winning dog are highly valued by the Mounties, so winning the race is very important. But where is Traver? Two men are also looking for Traver, and the men appear to be untrustworthy.

How will this mystery end? Will Traver be found? Will Fluff have a chance to redeem herself in the next dog sled race? What about the two sinister-looking men? Will they be thwarted in their attempts to steal Fluff? Will the Hollisters be able to overcome the difficulties thrown in their path and change these adversities to advantages? You will have to read this book to find out!

While portions of this book were even more coincidental than usual, I enjoyed this book. There was a good mystery and I enjoyed the trip to Canada. Dog sled races are still held in Canada and the puppies of winning dogs are highly valued. Places like Snowflake Camp still exist. One portion of this story also features a one-room school house heated by coal. I believe that most or all one-room school houses are now gone, but there could still some in very isolated locations. With the interesting story and the continued relevance of the background in this story, this Happy Hollister book is a good read, particularly for younger children.

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.

This is more than "memory lane" but a series that has children learning right from wrong and to accept responsibility for their actions not to mention learning from mistakes. You will even find them doing things they are responsible for before continuing their sleuthing (prioritizing). The stories end in the '60's, not '50's (yet, they are timeless). The titles are "safe" to give children / grandchildren unlike some so called modern children's titles out there that have crass content, at best, but are not previewed by parents / grandparents. The Happy Hollister's series are stories that contain good character examples with children learning to work for things and not just expect things without personal and honest effort. They also exhibit self sacrifice for the benefit of others. I am glad that the titles are being reprinted without editing to include Kindle versions by the late author's family.

This is more than "memory lane" as one reviewer put it but a series that has children learning right from wrong and to accept responsibility for their actions not to mention learning from mistakes. You will even find them doing things they are responsible for before continuing their sleuthing (prioritizing). The stories end in the late '60's, not '50's as someone claimed (yet, they are timeless). The titles are "safe" to give children / grandchildren unlike some so called modern children's titles out there that have crass content, at best, but are not previewed by parents / grandparents. The Happy Hollister's series are stories that contain good character examples with children learning to work for things and not just expect things without personal and honest effort. They also exhibit self sacrifice for the benefit of others. I am glad that the titles are being reprinted without editing to include Kindle versions by the late author's family.

This is more than "memory lane" but a series that has children learning right from wrong and to accept responsibility for their actions not to mention learning from mistakes. You will even find them doing things they are responsible for before continuing their sleuthing (prioritizing). The stories end in the '60's, not '50's (yet, they are timeless). The titles are "safe" to give children / grandchildren unlike some so called modern children's titles out there that have crass content, at best, but are not previewed by parents / grandparents. The Happy Hollister's series are stories that contain good character examples with children learning to work for things and not just expect things without personal and honest effort. They also exhibit self sacrifice for the benefit of others. I am glad that the titles are being reprinted without editing to include Kindle versions by the late author's family.

This is more than "memory lane" but a series that has children learning right from wrong and to accept responsibility for their actions not to mention learning from mistakes. You will even find them doing things they are responsible for before continuing their sleuthing (prioritizing). The stories end in the '60's, not '50's (yet, they are timeless). The titles are "safe" to give children / grandchildren unlike some so called modern children's titles out there that have crass content, at best, but are not previewed by parents / grandparents. The Happy Hollister's series are stories that contain good character examples with children learning to work for things and not just expect things without personal and honest effort. They also exhibit self sacrifice for the benefit of others. I am glad that the titles are being reprinted without editing to include Kindle versions by the late author's family.

The Happy Hollisters series entered my life via the US Mail. The boxes arrived for my brother (who is six years older) and lay ignored. It would be eight years before they would be handed down to the little sister and finally receive the appreciation they deserved. They lived in my reading nook- my closet floor (with it's pillows and flashlights the mysteries became more thrilling and intense for me). Many moves later the books departed from life via a yardsale. Forward my life to the arrival of my own kids. I began finding these books online. I completed collecting the entire collection sharing them with my kids only to receive news that we were to move across country to WA state. This collection is still in a box waiting to ship to me; and after five years my patience is wore out. Last summer I was at a yard sale and saw 30 Happy Hollister books with dust jackets in like-new condition. Most had never been read. My treasure! I now own the first 30 books with jackets for less than ten dollars. My kids have read all of the books. This is a treasury of stories that will be enjoyed by many generations. I also owned the Bobbsey Twins; and prefer the Happy Hollisters! Happy reading to all!

It is increasingly difficult to find The Happy Hollisters series of books. There were 33 books in the series, written between approximately 1953 and 1970. This particular edition is book #32 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 also had five kittens in the first book. Mr. Hollister owns a store called The Trading Post, that sounds similar to general stores in days gone by.

Throughout the series the children solve mysteries, usually as a family, including mom and dad. In this book the children find a mysterious looking little man looking in their basement window, and soon discover a host of other mysterious individuals in their home town of Shoreham. Mixed into this stew of mysterious individuals is the appearance of a flying saucer, and rumors of a monster at a nearby lake.

As the story unfolds constant nemesis Joey Brill is implicated in at least one portion of the mystery, while misbehaving as he normally does.

Ultimately the children discover a mystery that begins in a foreign land, only to end up practically in their back yard. The children are able to not only help solve the mystery, but show a sort of ecologicaly awareness. Note, however, that their awareness is slightly skewed as they discuss ownership of an endangered species.

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 will be more entranced by relatively 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, even with all its flaws.

Very disappointing to see how these books didn't fare well in 2017. Very sexist...even scary for younger kids...lots of talk of prowlers at night.. Found myself rewriting as a I was reading to my grandsons.

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 fifteenth book in the series, written by a man named Andrew E. Svenson in 1958. Mr. Svenson was a ghostwriter for the Stratemeyer Syndicate with the fictional Jerry West receiving the credit. This book follows "The Happy Hollisters and the Scarecrow Mystery" and precedes "The Happy Hollisters and the Ice Carnival Mystery."

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. Mr. Hollister runs a store called The Trading Post, which is similar to what was once called a general store in days gone by.

Throughout the series the children solve mysteries, usually as a family. This mystery begins with a totem pole in a neighbor's yard. The children learn of the origin of totem poles and find that there is a mystery involving their neighbor and his experiences as a prospector in Alaska.

The Hollisters soon find themselves in Alaska with their cartoonist uncle. The mystery deepens when the children encounter Native American children and shortly after meeting the Native American children criminals rob the Native Americans of their boat. The mystery continues to deepen when the children find another totem pole and that totem pole may lead them to a fabulous treasure!

The mystery in this book takes off a little slowly. However, the pace picks up as the story proceeds and eventually I was unable to put the book down. I think this story is better than average for this series and I recommend this book as a possible starting point for someone interested in appreciating the Happy Hollister series.

The Happy Hollisters series remains a reasonably good, if somewhat outdated, series 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 that was only a short time ago.

Enjoy!

This is more than "memory lane" as one reviewer put it but a series that has children learning right from wrong and to accept responsibility for their actions not to mention learning from mistakes. You will even find them doing things they are responsible for before continuing their sleuthing (prioritizing). The stories end in the late '60's, not '50's as someone claimed (yet, they are timeless). The titles are "safe" to give children / grandchildren unlike some so called modern children's titles out there that have crass content, at best, but are not previewed by parents / grandparents. The Happy Hollister's series are stories that contain good character examples with children learning to work for things and not just expect things without personal and honest effort. They also exhibit self sacrifice for the benefit of others. I am glad that the titles are being reprinted without editing to include Kindle versions by the late author's family.

I grew up with an incomplete set of Happy Hollister books and will now be on the search to get the whole set. These were books that I remember reading at every opportunity that I could find. It was so easy to just become involved with the story and most times sorry that the book ended. My boys were not interested in reading the stories, but I have kept them in my bookcase and occassionally pull one out to reread myself. As you will see with the other reviews, you will find that these are good wholesome books that any parent would be happy to have their child read.

I had a similar experience with the Happy Hollisters, but I had only 2 H.H. books as a child. I thought that was all there were. Imagine my surprise and delight at discovering there are 33 total! I've done some research, and have found out that Jerry West was a pen name only. Most of the books were written by the same person, a couple of them were not. The books came from the same publisher as Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and other children's series books. Quite a bit of information about the Happy Hollisters is available on the internet, including a full list of all H.H. books published. I'm determined to have the whole collection eventually!!

I credit this series of books as beginning lifetime of reading. When I was in 3rd grade, my teacher encourage my parents to help me find any book that interested me. I was not reading at my grade level. As an only child, the Hollesters provided me a family. I couldn't read them fast enough. Now at 52, I have a continued to read and have read hundereds of books. thanks for the memories

I challenge anybody out there to give The Happy Hollister series a rating of less than a five star! Anybody? I thought not. I know no one today can top this type of writing (good, clean, moral) for families to enjoy together. Turn the TV off, the video machines off, and enjoy togetherness.

After all these years, to finally find these books, I am so Happy.

The official website lists this as a limited time FREE download. The only issue is you have to buy into the store Unlimited to get it for free. It have never liked "free as long as you buy something else" deals and feel this is unfair. Also unfair is a single star rating but it is the only way I figure to get anyone's attention. I only hope the review police let this go through.

The story is fairly short, and it is clever setting up each of the main characters int he Hollister family very well. It also provides a good look into the basic formula for the ensuing stories. There is a little bit of mystery and a little bit of family fun and adventure along with both some tense moments as well as some humorous ones. The family is close and they back each other up in all situations, although there is one boy who seems to get himself into trouble in this and most other books. But, that's what young boys do, right?

I have the original release of this book and only wanted the freebie for my Kindle. So, I guess it is back to the paper format for me.

I loved these books growing up and unfortunatly they were left in the shed outside and mildewed. My dad threw them out. I've been giving him grief ever since. He collects antiques and keeps an eye out for the collection, but he has yet to find any. I would love to have this series to share with today's kids. There don't seem to be any wholesome stories like these any more. I would love to see them republished. I would give them to all sorts of childrens as gifts to treasure forever.

I recently located my collection of my Happy Hollister books. I was thrilled to have them all back, and in perfect condition. This collection of books brings back great memories of all the time I spent reading and pretending I was part of the Happy Hollister family. I am the youngest of 6 children, and our family was so much like The Hollisters'. I always would petend I was Sue Hollister. These are great books and such a pleasure to have for my two sons to read.

My father and I love the Happy Hollisters, we are trying to get the entire collection. When I was younger he used to read them to me every night. I think that they are very exciting and fun to read, wouldn't it be great if they were updated and rereleased, like the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Books.

How exciting to see my favorite childhood books republished! I can't believe it, and what makes it even better is they are using the original covers and illustrations, not updated ones. I cherish my 33 original books, and will be getting the new paperbacks to support getting them out to new generations. It was beautiful to see the tribute to Mr. Svenson inside the new book. I hope his family fully realizes how much these books mean to us. I still reread them at 50 years old to escape to my wonderful childhood years. I love The Happy Hollisters!

Loved the whole series of these books growing up . . . I was in a book club where I would get one per month . . . I was always so excited to see which one was coming next . . . all of my books were destroyed in storage and I was so disappointed . . . I searched and looked high and low for copies for my two daughters growing up but they were out of print . . . I am so delighted that the store have these available now in paperback and for the Kindle . . . I highly recommend these books.

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.

How exciting to see my favorite childhood books republished! I can't believe it, and what makes it even better is they are using the original covers and illustrations, not updated ones. I cherish my 33 original books, and will be getting the new paperbacks to support getting them out to new generations. It was beautiful to see the tribute to Mr. Svenson inside the new book. I hope his family fully realizes how much these books mean to us. I still reread them at 50 years old to escape to my wonderful childhood years. I love The Happy Hollisters!

Loved the whole series of these books growing up . . . I was in a book club where I would get one per month . . . I was always so excited to see which one was coming next . . . all of my books were destroyed in storage and I was so disappointed . . . I searched and looked high and low for copies for my two daughters growing up but they were out of print . . . I am so delighted that the store have these available now in paperback and for the Kindle . . . I highly recommend these books.

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.

The Happy Hollisters are the best children's books in my opinion. I read them all as a child and then my own kids and grandkids enjoyed them as well. Extremely entertaining - NOT boring! The mystery to be solved is always fascinating and keeps the pages turning! I highly recommend them to children of all ages. The new paperback versions will surely appeal to today's youth! There are many pictures to keep young readers engaged. Come meet the Happy Hollisters - you won't be disappointed!

Although written for younger folks, it was written during a much more innocent and safer time. A window into how Americans USED enjoy life before all the negeative aspects of current life came into society.

I loved these books. I collected the entire set of the Happy Hollister series one at at time. I recall that I had about 33 of them. I gave the entire set away to our housekeeper for her kids (now I wish I loaned them). I remember reading them again and again and I'd love to find an entire set for my daughter. If you have one or a set please feel free to contact me.

Like many of the other reviwers have commented, I read these as a child. I had the first 32 books of the series and was never able to locate book 33. I am 42 years old now and am enjoying reading those books of the series that (miraculously) did not get lost with my children. I have between 10 and 15 of the books now.