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The History of Happy-Hollisters.com
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Andrew Svenson Information
The following obituary for Andrew E. Svenson is quoted from "Something About the Author", Vol. 26. Born May 8, 1910 in Belleville, N.J.; died of cancer, August 21, 1975 in Livingston, N.J. Formerly a Newark, N.J. newspaperman, Svenson joined the writers of the Stratemeyer Syndicate in 1948 and became a partner in 1961. The syndicate was founded in 1910 by Edward Stratemeyer, the originator of the "Nancy Drew" and other adventure series. After his death, the business was carried on and expanded by Stratemeyer's daughter, Harriet Adams, with whom Svenson worked closely. During his tenure at the syndicate, Svenson published under a number of pseudonyms which he shared with other writers. He contributed titles to the "Hardy Boys" and "Bobbsey Twins" series, and also initiated three major series himself: "The Happy Hollisters," "The Tolliver Family," and "Brett King." In later years, Svenson turned to generating plot outlines used by assistants to create stories, which he would then edit. At the time of Svenson's death, the syndicate had produced over twelve hundred books, averaging a dozen per year. Svenson denied the allegation of certain critics that the syndicate was a "book factory," but openly discussed the element of formula involved in his writing. He insisted that the first page of any story should plunge the reader into danger and excitement, and that each chapter should have a suspenseful ending that would "force the kid to turn the page."
Best Wishes,
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