Power Boys
Encyclopedia
The Power Boys are two fictional brothers in a series of 6 children's novels by Mel Lyle, published in the mid 1960s by Whitman Publishing
.
, Blaze, live with their photojournalist
father Thomas, their mother having died before the events in the first book. Jack and Chip travel with Mr. Power, and get involved in various adventures in which they act as detectives, track down criminals and end up in various dangerous situations.
The books feature brief descriptions of the characters' appearance. Jack is described as tall and slender, with reddish-brown hair cut short, and he has green eyes and freckles; Chip is slim, almost as tall as Jack, has blond hair with reddish glints, and his eyes are blue. Jack is portrayed as more serious and dependable, and Chip is more impulsive - sometimes his eyes or face are described as mischievous. Thomas Power is about as tall as Jack, but looks shorter because he is of heavier build. His hair is black and streaked with premature grey. The boys and their father are portrayed as very close to each other.
Three of the books are set in New York City
(nos. 1, 5, and 6), but it is clear in the first two of these that they are merely visiting the city, and do not live there; in the third of these New York books, which is the last in the series, the family has come to live there, because Barry Donovan, a wealthy man who appeared in book five, could supply Thomas Power with a lot of future work. The first paragraph of this last book tells how much the brothers love their new eight room apartment. We also learn that Mrs. Donovan helped with the decorating. There is a single brief mention in the series of their home being or having been in Chicago
, but no scene anywhere in the series is set there.
The boys do not appear to have an extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents; or if they do, they are never mentioned even in passing. But Detective James Wilson of the New York Police Department
appears or is mentioned in several of the books, not only in his capacity as a police officer dealing with crimes in the books, but is also mentioned as one of Thomas Power's oldest and dearest friends. Detective Wilson plays a role in the boys' lives similar to that of a favourite uncle.
The boys do not seem to have many long-lasting friends in their own age-group (or at least not ones that are mentioned), but do make friendships which last for the duration of a single book. The single exception to this is that the boys do make friends with Dick Donovan, the son of the aforementioned Barry Donovan, in the fifth book (in which Dick plays a prominent role), and the friendship is shown as continuing in the sixth book, although Dick's role in that book is less prominent.
The six books in the series are as follows:
under the name Arthur Benwood in the 1950s, they antedate Lyle's books. The brothers referred to are different characters (Ted and Steve Power instead of Jack and Chip Power), and Gelman's books would appear to be completely unrelated. Whether Lyle was influenced by this earlier series in his choice of his Power Boys' surname is unknown.
Western Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
.
The characters
The two boys, Jack and Chip Power, aged 17 and 15 respectively, with their DalmatianDalmatian (dog)
The Dalmatian is a breed of dog whose roots are often said to trace back to Dalmatia, a region of Croatia where the first illustrations of the dog have been found. The Dalmatian is noted for its unique black- or brown-spotted coat and was mainly used as a carriage dog in its early days...
, Blaze, live with their photojournalist
Photojournalism
Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
father Thomas, their mother having died before the events in the first book. Jack and Chip travel with Mr. Power, and get involved in various adventures in which they act as detectives, track down criminals and end up in various dangerous situations.
The books feature brief descriptions of the characters' appearance. Jack is described as tall and slender, with reddish-brown hair cut short, and he has green eyes and freckles; Chip is slim, almost as tall as Jack, has blond hair with reddish glints, and his eyes are blue. Jack is portrayed as more serious and dependable, and Chip is more impulsive - sometimes his eyes or face are described as mischievous. Thomas Power is about as tall as Jack, but looks shorter because he is of heavier build. His hair is black and streaked with premature grey. The boys and their father are portrayed as very close to each other.
The stories
For most of the series it is not clear where the family's regular home is, since the books are set in a wide variety of locations within the U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Three of the books are set in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(nos. 1, 5, and 6), but it is clear in the first two of these that they are merely visiting the city, and do not live there; in the third of these New York books, which is the last in the series, the family has come to live there, because Barry Donovan, a wealthy man who appeared in book five, could supply Thomas Power with a lot of future work. The first paragraph of this last book tells how much the brothers love their new eight room apartment. We also learn that Mrs. Donovan helped with the decorating. There is a single brief mention in the series of their home being or having been in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, but no scene anywhere in the series is set there.
The boys do not appear to have an extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents; or if they do, they are never mentioned even in passing. But Detective James Wilson of the New York Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
appears or is mentioned in several of the books, not only in his capacity as a police officer dealing with crimes in the books, but is also mentioned as one of Thomas Power's oldest and dearest friends. Detective Wilson plays a role in the boys' lives similar to that of a favourite uncle.
The boys do not seem to have many long-lasting friends in their own age-group (or at least not ones that are mentioned), but do make friendships which last for the duration of a single book. The single exception to this is that the boys do make friends with Dick Donovan, the son of the aforementioned Barry Donovan, in the fifth book (in which Dick plays a prominent role), and the friendship is shown as continuing in the sixth book, although Dick's role in that book is less prominent.
The six books in the series are as follows:
- 1. The Mystery of the Haunted Skyscraper (1964)
- 2. The Mystery of the Flying Skeleton (1964)
- 3. The Mystery of the Burning Ocean (1965)
- 4. The Mystery of the Million-Dollar Penny (1965)
- 5. The Mystery of the Double Kidnapping (1966)
- 6. The Mystery of the Vanishing Lady (1967)
Editions
The books were published with illustrated hard covers, but no dust jackets. Raymond Burns' line illustrations were done in a single colour, which varies from book to book. At one time Whitman published paperback (plus paperback-sized hardback "library edition") formats of some of their book series. It is not certain whether or not Power Boys mysteries were available in these smaller formats.The author
Nothing is known about Mel Lyle. It is unknown whether this is his real name, a pseudonym for a single author, or even a house name for different writers - nor is it known whether he is still alive.Other Power Boys books
There is another series of children's adventure books referred to as "Power Boys" books. Written by Woody GelmanWoody Gelman
Woodrow Gelman , better known as Woody Gelman, was a publisher, a cartoonist, a novelist and an artist-writer for animation and comic books. As the publisher of Nostalgia Press, he pioneered the reprinting of vintage comic strips in quality hardcovers and trade paperbacks...
under the name Arthur Benwood in the 1950s, they antedate Lyle's books. The brothers referred to are different characters (Ted and Steve Power instead of Jack and Chip Power), and Gelman's books would appear to be completely unrelated. Whether Lyle was influenced by this earlier series in his choice of his Power Boys' surname is unknown.
External links
- http://www.foxall.com.au/users/mje/PowrBoys.htm
- Dharma Pancakes: Meet the Power Boys
- Dharma Pancakes: The Mystery of the Haunted Skyscraper
- Dharma Pancakes: The Mystery of the Flying Skeleton