Jean and Louise Dana

Q: "Who are Jean and Louise Dana?"

"Jean and Louise Dana are teenage sisters and the protagonists of the Dana Girls Mystery Stories. Published by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, they solve mysteries at their boarding school and in locations around the world."

Q: "How many Dana Girls books are there?"

"There are 30 books in the Dana Girls Mystery Stories, published between 1936 and 1979."

Q: "How are Jean and Louise Dana different from Nancy Drew?"

"While both series were published under the Carolyn Keene pen name, the Dana Girls work as a team rather than a solo detective. Jean is the more impulsive sister, while Louise tends to be more cautious and analytical."

Jean and Louise Dana are the sister detectives at the center of the Dana Girls Mystery Stories, a 30-book series published between 1936 and 1979. Like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, the series was produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate using ghostwriters under the pen name Carolyn Keene.

The two sisters attend Starhurst School, where they have a habit of stumbling into mysteries. Jean is the bolder of the two, quick to act and sometimes reckless. Louise is more careful and thinks things through before jumping in. Together they balance each other out, and that dynamic is what separates the books from other juvenile mystery series of the same era.

The Dana Girls never reached the fame of Nancy Drew, but the series has its own loyal readership. The books are breezy, fun mysteries aimed at younger readers, with the sisters traveling to locations from Swiss chalets to haunted lagoons as they chase down clues and crack cases.

Reading Order

See the complete Dana Girls Mystery Stories reading order for all books in the series.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are Jean and Louise Dana?

Jean and Louise Dana are teenage sisters and the protagonists of the Dana Girls Mystery Stories. Published by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, they solve mysteries at their boarding school and in locations around the world.

How many Dana Girls books are there?

There are 30 books in the Dana Girls Mystery Stories, published between 1936 and 1979.

How are Jean and Louise Dana different from Nancy Drew?

While both series were published under the Carolyn Keene pen name, the Dana Girls work as a team rather than a solo detective. Jean is the more impulsive sister, while Louise tends to be more cautious and analytical.

Reading Order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading Order