The Outdoor Girls is a series of books for young girls produced by the Stratemeyer Syndicate and were published from 1913 to 1933.  

 

Laura Lee Hope is a pseudonym which actually represents nine different authors, each of whom wrote some of the books in the series.  The pseudonym was first used in 1904 for the debut of the Bobbsey Twins.

 

Elizabeth Duffield Ward (1895-1983)

"The Outdoor Girls on a Canoe Trip" was book number 20 in the series, written in 1930 by Elizabeth Duffield Ward.  Ward also wrote many of the Bobbsey Twins books, and authored a total of 71 books for the Stratemeyer Syndicate.

 

The series focuses on the various activities of a group of girls who form a Camping and Tramping Club.  As a result of the girls' outdoor activities they become known as the "Outdoor Girls" in their fictional city of Deepdale, a town of 15,000 residents located on the Argono River in New York.

 

Here's a synopsis of the plot of "The Outdoor Girls on a Canoe Trip":

The Outdoor Girls' latest adventure is a canoe trip to all of the area lakes, which are connected by rivers and streams. Soon after the girls begin their trip, Carolyn learns that Hal Duckworth has been accused of swindling people by selling fake razor blades. Carolyn wishes she could somehow exonerate Hal.

The girls depart on their trip and have several harrowing experiences due to fierce storms. During one of the storms, the girls seek shelter with an old trapper who warns them away from Tonk Lake. When pressed for details, the man reveals that an old brown mill located at the lake is haunted!

The old trapper's warning only serves to whet the girls' curiosity. After the girls arrive at Tonk Lake, unfriendly people warn them away at the point of a gun. Undaunted, the girls investigate, discover the secret of the old mill, and prove Hal's innocence.

That story sounds exciting!

 

Here are some more of the Outdoor Girls book covers featuring the young ladies in canoes:

Shockingly, a search of Harris County Public Library catalog does not show any of the Outdoor Girls book series available.  However, they can be found for sale at very reasonable prices online, at sites like Amazon and Ebay.

 

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The author, John Rich