Juvenile Detectives Collection at Graham (NC) Public Library

Upper portion of the "Junior Detectives" exhibit at the Graham Public Library. 

Sometimes archiving, curating, and exhibit design stay on a creator's mind long after the 9-5 shift has ended. Until the end of September 2026 the the mini exhibit "Junior Detectives: An Exhibit of Classic Kid and Teen Sleuths" will be on display in the lobby of the Graham (NC) Public Library. 

This display is based on years of research about juvenile detectives in literature and mass media as part of a larger study on the history of children's mass media. To date, I have gathered over 150 books, movies and TV programs with kid detectives for a "Juvenile Detectives Collections". This also includes mystery books geared toward young readers, but with an adult or animal hero, like Sherlock Holmes audio learning kits from the 1970s. 

This research started for fun, but also to solve some interesting mysteries about the genre itself. What was the first kids detective program on radio or TV? It may have been the "Junior Detectives" program from 1931. Who was the first fictional African American juvenile detective? Still investigating that one. What kind of games, lesson plans, or media can a teacher or instructional designer invent with this history as an inspiration? I want to experiment with this one day using these beloved fictional characters as an example.

Materials in the case include rare first and second edition copies of Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown, Trixie Beldin, Robin Kane and other book series. There are also nods to media adaptations or made for TV sleuths like Shelby Woo. I wish I had more artifacts (badges, detective toys), but I did include a rare 1966 Batman and Robin plate (the Boy Wonder is definitely a "junior detective"). So if you grew up with Encyclopedia Brown, The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, or Shelby Woo, and if you commute East or West in the Piedmont or Central North Carolina areas, please check out this display for a limited time. 

This is only the 3rd public exhibit attempted from research and collection done based on the theme of this blog, which is understanding the history of media produced for and consumed by children across the 20th century.