Cherry Ames is the central character in a series of 27 mystery novels with hospital settings published by Grosset & Dunlap between 1943 and 1968.

The series generated a few spin-off items, including a Parker Brothers board game; some titles have been reprinted.

The series stars a job-hopping, mystery-solving nurse in the Nancy Drew mold, named Cherry Ames.

Cherry's training at the Spencer Hospital School of Nursing is chronicled in the first two books.

Whenever Cherry isn't working with the Visiting Nurse Service, Dr. Joe sends her on assignments in various parts of the country.

Unlike other nurses of girls' fiction, such as Sue Barton, Cherry remains unpartnered throughout her career, although an occasional beau will crop up, such as Dr. "Lex" Upham.

In these early adventures, Cherry solves problems and captures criminals when men in authority have failed to do so, "demonstrating that women can succeed in the public, working world.

"[2] The books were written by Helen Wells and Julie Tatham and published in the United States by Grosset & Dunlap between 1943 and 1968.

The genre was occasionally criticized for its formulaic plots and the poor construction of the books themselves.

[4] Beginning in 2005, the Cherry Ames series was licensed to the Springer Publishing Company and are currently being re-printed.