N is for — Nellie from The 39 Clues series

Nellie Gomez is not your typical au pair. Sporting a punk rocker style with colorful hair, glittery eye shadow, and a silver snake nose ring, she spends most of her time singing to the loud music on her iPod and reading exotic cookbooks. She drives like a maniac and isn’t above whacking someone upside the head if they deserve it.

She takes her job seriously, though, and accompanies Amy and Dan Cahill on their perilous quest to find the 39 clues that lead to a secret formula others are willing to kill for. As the series progresses, she becomes increasingly involved in the quest, and Amy and Dan discover she has other talents, like being a pilot, and other secrets that shock them and change their whole relationship.

I like quirky supporting characters, and Nellie is one of those that really adds another interesting dimension to the story. She’s smart, brave, and unpredictable and becomes like a big sister to the Cahill kids. Later, she becomes their guardian and is inducted into their branch of the Cahill family.

Photo Credit: the39clues.scholastic.com

Photo Credit: Ebay

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2015. All rights reserved.