Common Sense Media Review
By Patricia Tauzer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Super sleuths turn matchmakers in fun Valentine caper.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Valentine's Day is drawing near and romance is in the air. Super sleuth Nancy Clancy and her friend Bree have no mysteries to solve, so they use their detective talents to create one of their own. They try their hand at matchmaking, working to pair up Nancy's babysitter with her guitar teacher by leaving flowers and mysterious notes from a "secret admirer," hoping to draw them into a magical Valentine's date. Of course, using fancy words is all part of the deal. Along the way, the two girls learn a little about themselves, their own friendships, and that love sometimes has a mind of its own. /search/Jane%20O%27Connor
Is It Any Good?
Nancy Clancy and her friend Bree are the kind of exhuberant kids that make life fun, and happy. They are good-hearted, and creative enough to live on the edge of mischief but never step over the line. In their stories, author Jane O'Connor continues to emphasize that using fancy words is fun, dreaming of mystery and romance exciting, and developing strong friendships essential. And, Robin Glasser's sketched illustrations add even more life to the story. If that isn't enough, this NANCY CLANCY: SECRET ADMIRER is a terrific Valentine's Day book, especially for young readers beginning to enjoy chapter books.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the human heart, both the physical and emotional aspects, and talk about all the heart words Nancy found fascinating. Can a heart break? What does it mean to be kindhearted? Or heartless?
How do the Nancy Clancy chapter books compare with the Fancy Nancy picture book series?
When Nancy and Bree try to create a romance between Annie and Andy, why does Nancy say "platonic" is the first fancy word she doesn't like?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Robin Preiss Glasser
- Genre : Friendship
- Topics : Book Characters , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Children's Books
- Publication date : January 2, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 7 - 10
- Number of pages : 128
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate