Lisa here, with exclusive life updates on 8 bratty but beloved characters from kid lit classics. Many of them grew up to be (spoiler!) bona fide members of the mystery community. Did your childhood literary idols make the list?

How about a fun virtual parlor game to kick off your week? Tell us where your favorite childhood character (any genre) is now, and what they’re up to.  Award 5 points if they became sleuths or mystery authors. Subtract 1 point for villains and 2 for brats. (Trivia factoid: 7 of the 8 characters from Lisa’s list below are blondes.) In no particular order:

~Flossie Bobbsey, The Bobbsey Twins Series by Laura Lee Hope

At 6, Flossie Bobbsey charmed even the most hardened thieves and kidnappers. Set up for the job by her siblings, she talked suspects half to death so they were exhausted by the time the cops arrived. In her 30s she moved from fictional Lakeport to real Lakeport, NH, where she narrates audio books and writes domestic suspense. And hides from her family. AUTHOR/VOICEOVER ARTIST

~Bess Marvin, The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene

Bess was 10 years older than Flossie Bobbsey, but they shared the same skill set. Bess was prone to getting distracted and locked in closets, but she kept her sense of humor.  You’ll find Bess still in River Heights, running a PI business with her cousin George. She answers the phone and interviews clients while George does all the action stuff. (Nancy is the River Heights DA.) Oh, and Bess also owns a lucrative fleet of gourmet-donut food trucks. (SORT-OF) SLEUTH/ENTREPRENEUR

~Ramona Quimby (AKA “The Pest”), the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary

Still nosy and… outgoing, Ramona works for a (now-online) Northwest newspaper. Her off-beat stories are often featured on Portland TV. Several of her quirky mystery series have made it to the small screen as well. Or at least they’ve been optioned, which really helps with cash flow. She still throws the occasional tantrum. AUTHOR/BRAT

~ Eloise, from the Eloise books by Kay Thompson (ill. Hilary Knight)

Eloise is doing raaawther well. She’s still brat-in-residence at the Plaza Hotel with her dog Weenie the 4th, turtle Skipperdee the 12th, and her still-spry, long-suffering nanny. Eloise retained the entire tippity-top floor despite the late Ivana and the latest coop board’s efforts to evict her. That’s because she’s rich, rich, rich. She wrote a celebrity tell-all about her ever-absent mother that will soon run on Netflix.  Zut alors! AUTHOR/BRAT

~Alice Liddel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Thanks to her connections to questionable royalty, Alice abandoned her Oxford studies in English Language and Literature to become a British tabloid informant. Easily bored and short on cash to maintain her crumbling family estate, Alice joined the pro poker circuit in Vegas. She wears disguises at tournaments because the Mob thinks she asks too many questions. Alice is still in therapy for disturbing dreams. BRAT

~Amy March-Lawrence, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Amy is doing just fine, merci. Sadly, her sister Jo never forgave her for burning her precious WIP, so Amy and her husband (Jo’s ex) live abroad. While Jo struggled to complete her literary masterpiece in a cramped and drafty New England attic, Amy wrote a très successful novel about sisters, loss, and revenge. Next on deck (of the Queen Mary 4): Amy’s surefire bestseller, Rich Author, Poor Author.  VILLAIN/AUTHOR

~Lizzie McGuire, Disney (& the Lizzie McGuire Mysteries by Lisa Banim)

Lizzie lives in a Jersey suburb with her husband Gordo (they reconnected at their 15th-year high school reunion) and their triplet sons, who are dead ringers for Lizzie’s annoying younger brother. Miranda is a single corporate exec in the city, and as soon as their schedules allow, she and Lizzie will do lunch. As a busy mom, PTA president, drop-off monitor and social media scroller, Lizzie has zero extra time, but this year she’s vowed to write an animated kid-sleuth series AND her debut mystery novel. On New Year’s Day she joined SCBWI, SinC, and an online jumpstart group. She hasn’t actually started writing yet, but she will. Soon. (ASPIRING) AUTHOR/MOM

~Harriet M. Welch, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Whereabouts currently unknown. Her spy thrillers regularly hit bestseller lists and Imax theaters. Harriet’s editor accepts prestigious literary awards on her behalf at publishing industry banquets. According to unconfirmed rumors, Harriet may actually be a CIA spy. Last known location: Upper East Side, Manhattan, where an UberEats guy claimed he delivered a large order of tomato sandwiches to the lobby of an undisclosed location. AUTHOR/SPY?

Readers, any intel to add on these characters? Where is YOUR fave kid character today, and what’s their Jeopardy! category?