Beverly Gray at the World's Fair

This is it. Book number 6 and the only book in the series I have not read yet.
I have been enjoying starting the series at book 1 in preparation for this books arrival and will be happy to read on in order after this is finished in order to piece things together as they happened. The first time around I read the series in whatever order I could get them off eBay with a good condition dust jacket, this time I am reading to link the entire story together.
I decided to read one chapter as is was real late when I finished reading Beverly Grays Career and ended up reading 5 chapters. This is pretty much how this book read. Never a chapter alone as perhaps intended but like with any great compelling book in large digestible chunks, each time looking and thinking " I only have so many chapters left." it brought back memories as how I felt each time a Beverly Gray book arrived the first time I read the series. Even for me a inn tube person I considered getting a camera out to capture the arrival of this rare prize. It is great to find a series you can get really excited about. For me that excitement has come from Beverly Gray and Trixie Belden mainly now and The Secret Seven and Famous Five growing up.
Reading the series in order has also put the characters in better order for me. I can understand now why ypuu would have 12 Alpha Deltas, as it allows Beverly to travel but still be with friends in adventures and mysteries. I do wish that Clair Blank as an author spent more time describing her characters. Most I would not have the faintest idea as to their facial features, hair color etc. Some Alpha Deltas I barely know anything about, where I grew up on Enid Blyton books where the characters seemed to be defined in a lot greater detail.


The story starts with Lois leaving on a ship for Paris to study art for a year. Ralf Mathews, Larry Owens and Paul Benson, all suitors in Beverly Gray's Career are all present.
Connie has arrived and we learn her name is really Constance Elwood and Connie is for short. Connie and Kathleen Ryan move in with Lenora and Beverly just after Lois leaves.

Lenora, Connie and Beverly leave for Chicago and Beverly runs into Shirley ( not a long time till they saw Shirley again as was stated would be the case in Career ) Kathleen Ryan stays in New York and Jim Stanton turns up. Kathleen raves about how good looking Jim is and I can't remember anyone carrying on about Larry being as good looking. Would of been good to have seen a movie and have them side by side to see who they picked for the actors to play Larry and Jim.

Beverly and Virginia become involved in a murder at the world's fair. When Lenora becomes a part of the investigating team, Lenora shows a spunk and prowess that Beverly seems to drift in and out of. Lenora states she loves detectecting and again I think here is a girl who doesn't know what she wants to do for a career but she knows exactly what she loves doing. I then start to thinking is detective work that different to reporting? Why doesn't Beverly show more passion for pursuing the bad guys like Lenora does? Would a good reporter really hold off on a scoop story to get a fuller story later? Lenora spends a long time convincing Beverly that they should break into someones room to investigate. Lenora has a sense of urgency and gunho whilst Beverly is more contemplative.

The ending to the story was superb and again a great lead into the next adventure. The main mystery finished some time earlier and poor Beverly was attacked by a tiger and suffered yet another marriage proposal from poor Jiim. You think he would get fed up of being shot down. We also learn of Shirley's fate. If the world fair hadn't of dated this book then the new invention showcased at the world fair of television definitely did. Funny to see Lenora scared of a cable car too considering they are so tame by today's standards.

Reading the books in order has done a lot to fill in gaps of who's who and learn more about the Alpha Deltas.

Beverly Gray's Career

Picture: Beverly, Lenora and Lois loooking at the crystal with Omar El Hamel.







Beverly is not content at home in Renville. She has been home 3 months and has not been inspired to write anything of worth.
Shirley and Lenora turn up the same day. Lenora has inherited a lot of money.
Rosalie we learn very quickly is engaged and set to marry in spring, Shirley was correct about Anne and Rosalie it seems. After 4 books I still don't think I know enough about Rosalie to fill two sentences. For the frost 4 books she seemed to just say things in conversation, she never had a truly identifiable personality. She was simply referred to as quiet.
Lenora decides to go to New York and asks Beverly and Lois to join her. Lenora's motto for New York is " watch our smoke, and learn"
Beverly, Lois and Lenora share a one bedroom apartment. They have a large lounge room, kitchenettes, bathroom and bedroom. They get one double bed and one studio couch that opens to a full size bed.

I love the contemplation by Beverly in the early chapters as she often spends the evenings looking out the apartment windows. Looking at the skyscrapers in New York ( p59-60)
" Didn't the desire to better oneself, the love of friends, didn't these things count for something? Did one always loose idealism in the scramble for existence in the working world?" (p60)
" If she could and would refuse to see the sordid, unpleasant side of everyday living she could be just as happy as she had been at Vernon."(p61)

" There was something somewhere in the world that she wanted- needed. There was a great lack in her life."(p61)
Does Beverly find that something? I don't think so in " Career" Does she find it in the series and what is it? I'll have to ask myself as I re- read the series.

Hope Rodgers is a new character that is introduced that lives upstairs. During the story she opens a shop with Lenora to sell the latest fashions.
The girls play Bridge for entertainment.
Larry Owens turns up and we learn that although we gave not seen him since the night he proposed to Beverly in Junior, they have both sent a few letters but neither was a studious correspondent so the letters laxed. Funny how we know that Jim and Beverly also have written letters throughout the series but the pair manage to keep up their correspondence. It is even mentioned that Jim has asked Beverly again to marry him in one of his letters.

Again in Career we are entertained by Lenora's prowess as a would be detective, she really did miss her calling. A shop owner is too pedestrian for Lenora.
" Lenora was of the opinion that the detective didn't know much of this murder - or of anything. For one thing she didn't like the angle at which he wore his derby. And why did he have to wear a derby?" ( p115)

Beverly does a good charitable deed one Christmas eve helping two poor boys with a good meal and Christmas gifts.
Beverly starts to get short stories published and thinks of writing a play or novel.

Roger Garrett is introduced as a new suitor for Beverly after meeting him at Shirley's new years party she went to with Larry. Lois gets a new date called Paul Benson for the party and Lenora dates Ralph Mathew. Lucky for Larry his competition Roger is called away on business so Larry is able to step in to take Beverly out to see Shirley's play.

Lois is the first girl slotted for international travel as she wins an art competition with a years study in Paris. Shirley is also set to travel ( to Chicago) as a part of a play she has a minor role in.

"Why wish the past back again?" murmured Beverly. "The present is exciting and the future - well, we can make the future exciting if we want to." ( p214-215)

As the girls return to Vernon a new mystery starts with only 3 chapters to go. We also hear of the plans for the second generation of Alpha Deltas. Virginia is going to medical school, (Chicago) Ada to the conservatory of music, (Chicago) Connie school of design, (New York) Kathleen studying to be an interior decorator (New York), Evelyn to business school to be a secretary. ( Philadelphia) and Phyllis to do commercial art. (Philadelphia)

It is mentioned in the last chapter that the girls would not see Shirley again for some time and with Lois going to Paris for a year, Connie and Kathleen are slotted into the story with a move to New York after graduation.
And of course the next book in the series is the ever illusive Beverly Gray at the World's fair.