This series was out of print for awhile, but has recently come back into print. It is best to read these books in order because the events in them build on each other, and it would be confusing and would spoil the plots of some of the mysteries to skip ahead. It was originally created by Julie Campbell and continued by others under the pen name of Kathryn Kenny.
Trixie and her friends live in a small town in New York called Sleepyside. They call themselves the Bob-Whites, after the bird and use the bird’s call as a signal to each other. Living in a mostly rural area, the kids enjoy outdoor sports and have wilderness skills. They have a clubhouse where they like to spend time, and they generally like to have fun in simple, casual ways. They prefer to handle their problems with as little adult help as possible, and they’re not afraid of hard work when there’s something they want to accomplish (although Trixie is human enough to gripe about her chores now and then). They support a number of good causes and raise money for them.
Main Characters (Members of the Bob-Whites):
Trixie Belden
A blond, curly-haired girl who’s a bit of a tomboy, having only brothers. She lives with her family on a farm. She’s good at sports but not so good at her studies at school. Trixie is a nickname for Beatrix.
Honey Wheeler
Trixie’s best friend. She’s an only child from a wealthy family. Although her parents love her, Honey doesn’t get to spend much time with them because they travel and are away on business a lot. They bought a mansion in the country because Honey’s health is delicate, and they thought living in the country would help her. Honey spends most of her time with her governess, Miss Trask. Her real first name is Madeleine, after her mother, but most people call her Honey because of the color of her hair.
Jim Frayne
An orphan Trixie and Honey befriended in the first book, when he was running away from his abusive stepfather. He is heir to a fortune left to him by his uncle. Honey’s parents later adopt him, giving Honey a brother. Some day, he wants to start a camp for disadvantaged youths. Jim and Trixie have a mutual crush.
Brian Belden
Trixie’s eldest brother. He wants to be a doctor when he grows up. He and Honey like each other.
Mart Belden
One of Trixie’s brothers. Mart is short for Martin. He and Trixie are very close in age, less than a year apart, although they’re not twins. He has a sense of humor and likes to tease Trixie frequently. He loves eating and using big words. He wants to be a farmer someday. He and Diana like each other.
Diana Lynch
Her family didn’t always have money, but when her father became wealthy, her family had trouble adjusting to their new social status. Her mother and the new servants that she hired made Diana’s life difficult by pressuring her to always keep up the right image until she became friends with Trixie and Honey, who help her convince her parents to allow her to relax and have fun and not let social “obligations” rule their lives. People sometimes call her Di.
Dan Mangan
The only Bob-White to be added after the original books written by Julie Campbell. An orphan from New York City who came to live with his Uncle Reagan, who works in the Wheelers’ stables. He got into trouble by joining a gang in New York City, but he settles into life in the small town of Sleepyside after making friends with the Bob-Whites.
Books by Julie Campbell:
The Secret of the MansionTrixie makes a new friend, Honey, a wealthy young girl who has moved to the country with her governess to recover her health. While Trixie helps Honey by getting her outside to play and build up her strength, the two girls end up meeting a runaway orphan and helping him to find the inheritance left to him by his wealthy and reclusive uncle.
The Red Trailer MysteryTrixie and Honey search for their missing friend and uncover a mystery involving stolen trailers.
The Gatehouse MysteryTrixie and Honey discover a diamond and signs of a struggled in the disused gatehouse at Honey’s mansion. They investigate the possibility of a gang of thieves along with Trixie’s brothers and Honey’s new adopted brother, Jim.
The Mysterious VisitorA friend at school, Diana, is upset with what has been happening lately in her family. Could her uncle be an imposter?
The Mystery Off Glen RoadThe Bob-Whites set out to catch a poacher in the woods near Honey’s home.
Trixie and the other Bob-Whites discover a series of mysteries while visiting Di’s real uncle on his ranch in Arizona.
Books by Kathryn Kenny:
The Mysterious CodeWhen the local school threatens to crack down on all clubs not specifically controlled by the school or serving a particular cause to curb vandalism in the area, the Bob-Whites have to prove that their club serves a useful purpose. Their philanthropic activity requires them to solve a series of thefts aimed at ruining their antiques sale.
The Black Jacket MysteryA trouble youth moves to Sleepyside. Is he guilty of the recent thefts there, or is someone else responsible?
The Happy Valley MysteryThe Bob-Whites visit Trixie’s uncle’s sheep ranch and investigate missing sheep. Trixie’s relationship with Jim changes.
The Marshland Mystery
The Mystery at Bob-White Cave
The Mystery of the Blinking Eye
The Mystery on Cobbett’s Island
The Mystery of the Emeralds
The Mystery on the Mississippi
The Mystery of the Missing Heiress
The Mystery of the Uninvited Guest
The Mystery of the Phantom Grasshopper
The Mystery of the Unseen Treasure
The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road
The Mystery of the Castaway Children
The Mystery at Mead’s Mountain
The Mystery of the Queen’s Necklace
The Mystery at Saratoga
The Sasquatch Mystery
The Mystery of the Headless Horseman
The Mystery of the Ghostly Galleon
The Hudson River Mystery
The Mystery of the Velvet Gown
The Mystery of the Midnight Marauder
The Mystery at Maypenny’s
The Mystery of the Whispering Witch
The Mystery of the Vanishing Victim
The Mystery of the Missing Millionaire
The Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire
The Mystery of the Antique Doll
The Pet Show Mystery
The Indian Burial Ground Mystery
The Mystery of the Galloping Ghost
Jestress's Forgotten Books and Stories 