Books with author Clay Blair

The Adventure Girls books were written by Clair Blank, author of the Beverly Gray books. Not surprisingly, the books flow much like the Beverly Gray books. The protagonists are a group of girls who have named themselves the Adventure Girls, just as Beverly Gray and her friends are the Alpha Deltas. The main character is Gale Howard who has reddish brown hair like Beverly Gray and has a romance with a pilot, also like Beverly Gray.Gale Howard, Valerie Wallace, Phyllis Elton, Janet Gordon, Madge Reynolds, and Carol Carter visit Gale's cousin Virginia Wilson in her home on her father's Arizona ranch. The girls have named themselves the Adventure Girls and plan to live up to the name during their vacation. After the girls learn to ride horseback, they take a long camping trip through very rough country. Gradually the girls become experts at roping and horseback riding, and thoroughly enjoy their vacation.During their time in the west, the girls endure attacks by a snake and a cougar, get lost in a cave, and are kidnapped more than once by cattle rustlers. Their thrill-packed Arizona vacation ends after a final confrontation with the cattle rustlers. The girls help capture the bandits, collect a reward, and give the reward to a needy person.

The Adventure Girls at Happiness House by Clair BlankWith a final chug and screech of brakes the train slid to a halt before the two story frame building that did duty for a railway station in the little college town of Briarhurst.A group of girls proceeded with much hilarity and little speed to transport themselves and their luggage from the railway coach to the station platform. From there they viewed the rusty bus that was to transport them up the hill to the college grounds.“It will never hold all of us and our luggage,” Carol Carter declared with firm conviction. “Perhaps we had better walk.”Janet Gordon looked at the dusty road winding up the hill behind the station and then at the bus. “You can walk,” she said. “I’ll take a chance on this antiquated vehicle.”“Are you the six young ladies goin’ to Briarhurst?”The girls turned to see a wizened old man approaching from the station. “If ye are, climb aboard. I’m the bus driver.”“I’ll wager the bus is even older than he is,” Madge Reynolds murmured to Valerie Wallace.“Will the contraption hold together?” Carol wanted to know.“It’s been a-runnin’ for nigh onto twenty years and ain’t fell apart yet,” the driver said, climbing into his seat and waiting for the girls to get aboard.“That isn’t saying it never will,” Phyllis Elton commented.After much dickering the girls got into the bus, their luggage for the most part piled on the roof, and the ancient vehicle with its ancient driver started with a roar.“It reminds me of a peanut roaster,” Carol murmured. “The way the radiator is steaming and the noise it makes.”“Everything but the peanuts,” agreed Janet. “Which reminds me, I hope dinner is early.”“Dinner is at seven,” the driver informed them conversationally.