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It's my own query, but I now wonder whether this was an edition of Ransome's Old Peter's Russian Tales. Anyone recognize it?
I don't know this, but just to be sure, you do mean "snow maiden," right? Because that Russian(?) story - about a childless couple that builds a child of snow which comes to life - is very different from The Ice Maiden, which is a long Hans Christian Andersen story about a spirit of the Swiss glaciers who furiously pursues Rudy, a handsome young man saved from her three deadly kisses as an infant. (Sounds like "The Snow Queen," doesn't it? Given the portrait of Rudy's shallow, fickle fiancee, you can't help but wonder if Andersen thought of the ending as a "happy" one, even though it was supposedly based on a true story at Lake Geneva.)
Zvorykin Boris, ill.. Boris Zvoriykin illustrated a book of russian fairytales, including the snow maiden. the book I am thinking of is too late to be yours, sometime in the 70s I think, but he may have done other editions. see if his illustrations look familiar.

There are several books about young boys, Indians, canoes and the Hudson's Bay Company. But I don't think any of them feature popcorn because corn doesn't grow anywhere the HBC operated and canoes were used. Could the requester be mixing two books together? Possibles - Olive Knox Little Giant (Miss-top-ashish): the story of Henry Kelsey illustrated by Clarence Tillenius, published Toronto, Ryerson, 1951 "Historical novel for young readers about an English boy who came to Canada in 1684 where he joined the Hudson's Bay Company, exploring Northern America, making friends with the Indians." Ronald Syme Bay of the North: the story of Pierre Radisson published London, Hodder, 1951, 125 pages "Pierre Radisson was captured by Iroquois Indians when he was a boy and became a great explorer and hero of the Canadian wilds."William O. Steele  The Far Frontier published New York, Harcourt 1961 (Weekly Reader) "Story of a young white boy from Philadelphia who is taught the ways of the Indians and living off the land." Olive Knox (again) Black Falcon published Toronto, Ryerson 1954, 192 pages "Story of a boy kidnapped by Indians in Ohio in 1789 who went on to become the first white boy to live on the prairies of Manitoba."
On the corn side of the story, there's Runner in the Sun: a story of Indian maize by D'Arcy McNickle, illustrated by Allan C. Houser, published Winston 1954, 234 pages, Land of the Free series. "The story of Salt, a teen-age boy being groomed to lead his people, who as he grows into manhood, is accepted into the tribe and makes a life-and-death trek to the opulent cities of the ancient Aztecs in search of a hardier kind of Indian maize."  Also, more on the Hominy story cited elsewhere - Hominy and his Blunt-Nosed Arrow by George and Doris Hauman, published Macmillan 1950, 145 pages "... and whose skill won him a real reputation with the tribes and a beautiful silver arrow. Almost best of all - he discovers popcorn!" (Children's Catalog 1956 ed.) Actually, that sounds like a good possibility.

I8 may be the following: "I made you look, you dirty crook, you stole your mother's pocket book.  You turned it in, you turned it out, you turned it in to sauerkraut."
My dad always said -"Made you look, made you look, made you buy a penny book."
Iona and Peter Opie's Lore and Language of Schoolchildren (Oxford University Press, 1959) includes several variants of an English children's rhyme, "Made you look; made you stare"; the commonest seemed to be:  Made you look, made you stare, Made the barber cut your hair, Cut it long, cut it short, Cut it with a knife and fork.
I always knew this one as 'Made you look, made you stare, made you lose your underwear'.
When I was growing up, the rhyme was "made you look, made you stare, made you lose your underwear"!

Keeko, written and illustrated by Charles Thorson.  The illustrations are wonderful-a charming picture book from the early 50's.
#I19--Indian boy plucks eagle's tailfeather:  Not Indian Two Feet and His Eagle Feather, by Margaret Friskey, to save you the trouble of even trying that one.
On #I19, Indian boy plucks eagle's tailfeather, by far your best bet is Eagle Feather, by Clyde Robert Bulla.  Originally published by Thomas Y. Crowell in 1953, it went through a gazillion Scholastic printings and is by
far the most common of such titles.  Here, however, are some other possibilities:  "Eagle's Feather," by Emily Post.  Dodd, Mead, 1910. "The Eagle Feather Prize," by Lyla Hoffine.  McKay, 1962. "The Eagle Feather," by Clide Hollmann.  Hastings House, 1963. "Eagle Feather for a Crow," by Alice Durland Ryniker.  Persimmon Hill, 1980. "Eagle Feather--an Honour," by Ferguson Plain.  Pemmican Publications,  Winnipeg, 1989. "Quest for the Eagle Feather," by John Duncklee.  Rising Moon, Arizona,  1997. "Eagle Feather," by Sonia Gardner.  Writers Press, 1997.
Thanks so much for the reply about the book about the little Indian boy and the eagle feather.  I am forwarding the email to her and will let you know if that is the book she was looking for.  I can't tell you how much I enjoy visiting your website.
#I19--Indian Boy plucks eagle's tailfeather: Running Fox, The Eagle Hunter.  Shannon, Terry, Illustrated by Charles Payzant.  Chicago:  Albert Whitman & Co., 1957.  Hard Cover.  ISBN:  57-7755.  48 pages.  This story of a Hopi Indian boy in Arizona is not the one described.  In this, the boy steals an eaglet from the nest, not a tailfeather.

Clifford Lindsey Alderman, The Vengeance of Abel Wright. It's eerie that I happened upon your quest for this particular book. I read it when I was very young and I decided that I wanted it for my sons, so I did a search and tripped over your plea. Is this the book that you are looking for?
Not a solution, but a comment: Death Wind was the Indian name given to Indian fighter/killer Lewis Wetzel, who was an ancestor of mine. His story has been fictionalized many times. The poster can do a google search for Lewis Wetzel and will come up with several good web sites about him, including several that list books about him. Wetzel was from just outside of Wheeling, West Virginia, where his remains are now buried. However, Wetzel's family wasn't massacred--though several were killed over the years by Indians. He and his brother Jacob were abducted by Indians when Lewis was thirteen. He was shot, but survived, and the boys later escaped. From that day on, he dedicated himself to revenge. Later his father and brother were killed by Indians on the Ohio river. Hope this is helpful.

I remember something just like that...
I've seen a book by Enid Blyton which seems similar, a large-ish book like a children's annual, called something like Stories of Famous Heroes, with a coloured picture on the cover. Unfortunately I haven't been able to pin down that title or a date for it.
C85 El Cid sounds like I26 stories of heroes

Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are.  Couldn't possibly be? Max sails away and becomes King of All Wild Things. But he is the only child among them.
Where the Wild Things Are has really never gone out of print...
My Father's Dragon. This may be it, there's 3 of them, I ordered them for my daughter in paperback from Scholastic last fall. I can't remember the author's name, but she wrote them and her daughter illustrated them. I hope this is it.
William Steig, Rotten Island (AKA The Bad Island), 1969 & 1984 (revised). Summary:  (from Library of Congress)  Rotten Island has always been a paradise for nasty creatures, until one awful day a beautiful flower begins to grow, threatening to spoil the island forever.

Henry Gregor Felsen?, Hot Rod?  This is only some information that may help you get further along.  It sounds as if you're certain your book *isn't* one of Felsen's, and I'm not sure either.  (I read several, 35 years ago, but they were always too graphic and gory to read more than once!)  But I checked Google using search words "Henry Gregor Felsen" and "hot rods", and on a website called thecarplace, in a safety discussion of a 2001 car,  I found an extremely grisly description from one of Felsen's books (or so says the discusser) of just such an accident, including dripping battery acid (no info on type of car) and names of victims.  If you recognize the excerpt, that could help.  Then, at another site,  is a description, with photos, of the actual area in Iowa where the accident supposedly took place, and the names match.  (Frustratingly, neither site gives an exact book title (unless it is Hot Rod), and I can't quite tell whether the second one is fact or some kind of "fan fiction", but it clearly relates to Felsen's novel.)  Finally, another writer of similar stuff was William Campbell Gault, if that's any help.
Henry Gregor Felson, Crash Club, late 50's.  The cover of theis book had cars painted with Playing Card synbols  I read it in high school in Virginia years ago.  I have looked for a copy for years  would love to have one someday.  Hope this helps someone else.
Felsen, Hot Rod.  This is DEFINATELY Hot Rod!  I have never forgotten the horrifying image of battery acid dripping into the dead girl's eyes after the crash.

C225/I48: Same book perhaps?

Bennett Wilson, The Magic Feather.  A possibility.
The Magic Feather is not the book; the one I remember had to have been written no later than 1964, and probably before that.

I54 I found it but it is dark red, not white, and I am afraid the emphasis IS on the victim: Meiselman, Karin C Incest; a psychological study of causes and effects with treament recommendations   Jossy-Bass c1978
Revised/Expanded Stumper Description:
I saw this book in paperback at a bookstore. It was in a psychology/self help section. I only got to browse it a little bit. It was a book about incest, but it treated the subject in a very clinical, non-judgemental, and objective way. It went into the history of incest,  the psychology of incest,  the multitude of different legal positions on incest,  the multitude of different social attitudes about incest, etc.  I think that the solution presented is not the book I am searching for.  I clearly recall that the book was NOT about the victim but a dispassionate clinical study of incest as a social condition.
Could this be Robin Fox's The Red Lamp? I read it a few years ago while  working on a paper about the Westermarck effect, and it certainly meets the description ("dispassionate and clinical"). Fox, Robin.  The red lamp of incest. New York: Dutton, 1980.
I am the original submitter of this request.  I browsed the Red Lamp of Incest, and it did not appear  that this book was the one I was searching for.  In the original book, the author explores incest as, in some cases, natural and normal and acceptable.  It also goes into great depth as  to how different societies treat incest and in many cases encourages it.
Hamer, Mary, INCEST, A NEW PERSPECTIVE, 2002, copyright. This is a great book!  It explores among other things, the cultural and taboo aspect of incest.  The cover is not white, though. It's of a black and white still from the 1959 film "Suddenly Last Summer", with Elizabeth Taylor, with purple lettering.  If this isn't the book, I would still recommend it to anyone interested in the subject

Hendrich Paula, Who says so?, c. 1972.  GK Hall, Boston.  Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. A girl loses her best friend, an imaginary creature, at the end of a fun-filled summer but gains a new flesh-and blood friend who seems very familiar
The book was a short book...  Who Says So is 176 pages but thanks anyway.  I think I remember the book being smaller like the size of a Junior or Tiny Elf book.  The book was purchased at a discount store in Memphis, TN in the late 1970's.  I sort of remember the monster had spots???
I've read Who Says So? and I don't think it's a match with what the reader describes.  Some of it is vaguely reminiscent of A Birthday for Frances by Russell & Lillian Hoban, but there is too much that doesn't match for that to be right...
Lystad, Mary, Millicent the monster, 1968. Doesn't fit exactly but as the requester was only four at the time...it does not
actually have a monster, Millicent is the one who is the monster.  There is a swing in it which is why I thought of it, she has a little baby brother, and she decides to be a monster. Cute story even if it isn't the right one.
I don't think it is Who Says So.  When I looked that book up it's main characters were animals as far as I could tell.  Thanks for trying.  It would be so nice to find this book as I would love to get it for my children.  The one thing that I am sure of is that a character in the book was named Geraldine.
Francis and Zenobia has several elements that are the same as the I64 query: a little girl, a birthday, an unusual friend. Her friend is an owl, so the feathers may have been spotted.  The publication timeframe of mid-1970s is the same. The girl's birthday may have been forgotten also.  There is a birthday cake in the story. At least part of the action takes place in a tree or on a tree limb. This book is out of print and I think it was written by Edward Gorey, but it was not illustrated by him. I know the name Geraldine is missing, but so many other elements were similar that I thought I'd make the suggestion.
I am still looking for this book if anyone has suggestions please post.  Perhaps it was a Tell-A-Tale book if anyone is familar with those books during the 1970's.
John McInnes, Have You  Ever Seen A Monster?  I remember the book, she was sitting in a swing on the cover. I think this is it, one of the lines is Have You ever seen a monster? I have. My monster is... All the copies I could find on various sites had no photo and just condition descriptions.
This sounds like the book I am looking for, except I thought the girl's name was Gertrude.  It was about a little girl, with a friend who was a monster, and I remember a tree on the front but I thought her and the monster were near a forest. It had a picture that filled most of the cover and then an orange or yellow border.
I am looking for the very same book.  That was my favorite book.  Her name was Geraldine.  She loved to swing and one day a yellow and orange monster came out of the woods to swing on her swing because he loved to swing too.  In the end they learned to share the swing and her mom was looking out the back door at Geraldine swinging with the monster.  The sad thing is - I don'\''t remember the name either!  Somebody please help!
I am searching for this book also!  My dad used to read it to me as a child.  I do remember this line from the book and I believe it was repeated several times:"I love to run. I love to swing, but most of all I love to sing." I can still hear my dad singing this line from when he read it to me as a child and yes, the girl's name is Geraldine.
Carolyn Joyce, The Marvelous Monster. This was my favorite book as a child. I'm glad I fianlly remembered the name.

Coombs, Patricia, Dorrie and the Witch's Imp, 1975.  That's just a guess, but it's the only book I could think of with an imp.
I66 It's too cold and dark to check this now in storage to see if if matches: Will and Nicolas, pseud of William Lipkind    Perry the imp.   illlus by William Lipkind    Harcourt    1956 

Vague possibilities:  Montgomery, Rutherford. Amikuk.  illus by Marie Nonnast.  World, 1955.  polar regions; Aleutian Islands; sea otters; Alaska.  Finney, Gertrude E.  Stormy winter. illus by Don Lambo.  Longmans, 1959. San Juan Islands - Canadian- American border dispute; Haida Indians.  McCracken, Harold.  Caribou traveler. illus by Rod Ruth.  Lippincott, 1949.  polar regions; caribou; Barren Grounds, Arctic Islands. Catherall, Arthur.  The strange intruder [former title The strange invader]  Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1965.  Faroe Islands; Faroes; polar bears; rescues.

Lavinia R. Davis, Buttonwood Island.  I'm not sure if this is the correct book, but there are some similaries - finding arrowheads, finding an untouched indian mound, and a big storm at the end. The children involved are all interested in horses and have a riding club on Buttonwood Island, which is near the farms where they live in Connecticut. The father of one of the boys trains horses for a living.
Hi!  I am the original poster of this stumper and appreciate the suggestion I received that the book might be Buttonwood Island.  I have purchased this book and read it and although it is somewhat similar, it is not the book I am looking for.  Any further suggestions would be so helpful, I have been trying to find this book for over 20 years.  Thank you!
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I am the original poster and wanted to thank you for the suggestion but the book I am looking for is not Buttonwood Island I read the book and it was similar but not them same story.  Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated, this has been bugging me for over 20 years.....   The book seemed very like a Trixie Belden story but it is definitely not one of that series, I don't think it was a series book at all, just the style reminds me of Trixie Belden.

This sounds like it could be Fairy Tales and Fables by Gyo Fujikawa, or one of his other books.
The book you describe is definitely NOT Fairy Tales and Fables by Gyo Fujikawa.  Rip Van Winkle is not in the Fujikawa book.  The edition that I have (c. 1970) does not have the rich illustrations you describe (e.g., I saw not one mouse peeking out from a tree in the book).
Did you look at the Ponsot/Segur The Golden Book of Fairy Tales?  There's a reprint available.  See the Anthologies Page.
I don't think the book described is The Golden Book of Fairy Tales, translated by Marie Ponsot and illustrated by Adrienne Segur, original copyright 1958 (reprint available).  In the Ponsot book, Rip Van Winkle does not appear.  The illustrations are beautiful and detailed, but not exactly as described.  Some of the illustrations are in black/white/pinkish tones, rather than color and even so there are not pictures on every page. I searched through my (reprinted) copy and never saw scenes with as much detail as described.

Constant, Alberta, Those Miller Girls, The Motoring Millers and Does Anybody Care About Lou Emma Miller, c.1979.  These take place around the turn of the century and are about Lou Emma and Maddie Miller who live with their father in Gloriosa Kansas. I know in one of them one of the girls starts a lending library, and their father has a romance with a woman he later marries. I believe she owns a hat shop though.
No, I am sure this is not it. The period is too early, and they didn't really live anywhere, which is part of why she was so unhappy. She was hoping they could settle down and have a home. They traveled, picking other farmers crops, etc. I don't believe the main character had a sister, and the woman his father has an interest in is either a librarian, or one of the girls teachers.
Doris Gates, Blue Willow.  This is a longshot as there was no romance involved but it does tell the story of a little girl who is living the life of an itinerant farm worker during the dust bowl.  She travels with her father and stepmother from farm to farm.  They stay in one place until the work runs out then they move on.  The title refers to a blue willow plate that used to belong to her mother.  There is something about a school teacher and a librarian but no romance with the dad.  You might check it out as it should be very easy to find, even if only to rule it out.
Zilpha Keatley Snyder, The Velvet Room, late 60s/early 70s.  I think the mother in this book was alive, but the girl (who's family are migrant workers) finds an abandoned mansion with a library, where she goes to hide out.  There is some kind of puzzle about who owns the home, and I think a semi-romantic resolution.  Not involving the parents though, but the home owners.  Maybe something to check out?
It's neither Blue Willow nor The Velvet Room. Written for an older audience than Blue Willow. I'm sure the main character is at least 13--she' coming of age. I'm pretty sure she experiences a kiss with a boy around her age, with all that angst and joy stuff. I think he was also an itinerant worker.  Definitely a bit more bitter and cynical than Blue Willow. She really wants better for herself. I think her father's meeting with the teacher/librarian has to do with that--perhaps getting her more schooling, or into a special program, something like that.
Sue Ellen Bridgers, Home Before Dark.  A long shot- Teen girl (Stella) and migrant family return to father's family farm (tobacco). She longs for a permanent home, family moves into cropper's house. Mother(Mae?)dies and father begins to court spinster lady (Maggie?) who owns a clothing store. Stella refuses to leave her first real home when father marries Maggie. Stella dates rich Rodney, but is also courted by poor boy.  Link to excerpt.
Lois Lenski, Judy's Journey. (1947) I haven't read this book, but found the following summary here and was struck by the possible similarities:  Ten-year-old Judy longs for a permanent home as her family goes from sharecropping in Alabama to Florida, where they become migrant workers. The family follows the crops north up the coast to New Jersey. The hardships of the lives of migrant workers and their children are realistically portrayed.  Ten seems a little young for a first kiss, but I don'\''t know how much time the book covers, so maybe she gets old enough during it?

Eulalie Osgood Grover, The Sun-Bonnet Babies Collection, 1900s.  " The inside cover of the books shows three small babies beside a huge ink- well, while two more are carrying an immense quill pen." I found this info on the web. Its the closest I could find to ink-well babies and since they are the size of one it sounded like it may be it. Its also about the right time frame. Hope this helps.
Ruth Dyer, Adventures of the Ink Spots, 1916.This might be the one your uncle is seeking. The ink spot people are drawn in red and black. Cute stuff. I hope this helps.
You might try The Adventures of the Ink Spots by Ruth O. Dyer (Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1923). The characters are ink spots, and the illustrations are in red and black.
I too remember reading that book.  I'm 54, but we had the book in our house in the late 50s/early60s .  The title is "the Ink Bottle Babies" and the babies were fat drops of ink.  I don't know the author though, and I'm still searching
Laura roundtree Smith, Farie Babies, 1924.  This book has ink bottle babies "We all farie babies what do you think we came out of a bottle of ink"- very cute and sweet. several stories seems to be part of a series but I am no expert.

Sounds a lot like The Golden Compass, except that it was published in the 90's, not the 80's. Here is the synopsis: In this first part of the "Dark Materials" trilogy, Lyra's friend Roger disappears. She and her daemon, Pantalaimon, determine to find him. Their quest leads them to the bleak splendour of the North where a team of scientists are conducting unspeakably horrible experiments. This book is readily available in bookstores and libraries if you want to check it out.
Sorry, The Golden Compass is not correct.  I am positive I read it during the 80�s, because I was still in school at the time. But thanks for the suggestion.

Phyllis Krasilovsky, The Very Little Girl.  There's at least 2 editions, with slight updating.  There's also The Very Little Boy.  It's about a little girl who is getting older, just in time to take care of a new baby brother.  She does sit at her own little table in the book.
Can't be The Very Little Girl because that was written in third person, not first person. "But one day, she could reach the doorknob," and so on.
Not much help, but I've seen somewhere a series of books I Am Three, I Am Four, and so on.  Could it be one of those?

Margaret Storey, Timothy and the Two Witches, 1966.  It sounds like this one. Lots of people seem to remember this book! See the Solved Mysteries for more info.

Ray Bradbury, Jack-In-the-Box.  Sounds a lot like this short story by Bradbury, which is included in his anthology The October Country.  A boy lives in an isolated castle and abides by very strict rules, until one day he discovers that all the people in his life (his tutor, etc.) are really an elaborate series of costumes donned by his mother.  She dies and he gets released into the outside world for the first time.
Ray Bradbury, Jack-In-The-Box.  I suggest this one- it can be found in the collection "The October Country"
William Pene Du Bois, Lazy Tommy Pumpkinhead. (1966)  Amazon did not have a review or a description, but the stumper's question sounded like good old Lazy Tommy. I was always fascinated by this character's inability to dress himself and comb his hair. The illustrations only add to the weirdness - definately a classic!
Regarding I87, they sounded like they might be the story (and are clearly very entertaining in themselves) but, alas, neither are the one I seek.
H. G. Wells, Love and Mr. Lewisham, 1900, copyright.  Could it be the novel Love and Mr. Lewisham by H. G. Wells?  It's not a children's book, but the first chapter of the book describes the 18 year old Mr. Lewisham is his attic room at the school in England where he is an assistant master and his life is completely ordered by two lists he has taped to his wall: a Schema and a Time-Table.  You can read the first chapter on this website http://www.online-literature.com/wellshg/love-and-mr-lewisham/1/ .  Ever since I read this book I have never forgotten the description of the schema and sometimes whenever I get very romantic about how I'm going to get all organized, I'll title whatever I write down on paper as my schema (just like Mr. Lewisham did!).

Stirling, S.M., Island in the Sea of Time.  I haven't read it, but possibly this first book in a trilogy about the island of Nantucket that gets sent back 3,000 years?
S.M. Stirling, Island in the Sea of Time.  A cosmic disturbance transports the island of Nantucket and its inhabitants ovewr three thousand years back in time to the shores of stone age America. In addition to coping with the day-to-day problems of survival and the trouble with losing all connection with the modern world, the residents of the time-stranded island find their lives complicated by the presence of native tribes across the water.
I don't think this is it...Island in the Sea of Time seems to have been written in the 80s or 90s. I'm looking for a book I read in the 60s or 70s.

Edith Lambert Sharp, Nkwala.
Parker, Red Streak of the Iroquois.  This is a comming of age novel of a young Iroquois boy named Red Streak because of a streak of color in his hair I think.  It was set in a pre-european contact time I think, and had a lot of detail of the manhood initiation rites, and daily life of the people who lived in long houses.
I didn't dig out my copy of Nkwalato check the story because my  computer record says it has illustrations.

That story appeared in either Projection in Literature or  Counterpoint in Literature (Scott, Foresman: America Reads series) in the 1970s. This is back when junior high and high school English textbooks had some substance and presented stories which dealt with adult themes, inviting thoughtful discussion. My copy is in storage, and I can't remember the name of the story, but I remember it vividly.
Flack, Ambrose, The Strangers That Came to Town.  I think this may be the one.  It dates from the '50s.  I'm pretty sure "The Strangers That Came to Town" was also dramatized for a 1959 episode of "The Loretta Young Show."

Interpreting Condition  Grades

Cunningham, Julia.   Dorp dead.   illus by James Spanfeller.   Pantheon, 1965.  exlibrary; glossy heavy boards, missing ffep.  G [AQ11628]  $6

Is this a picture book or a chapter book?  If it's a chapter book, you might be thinking of The Ice Cream Heroes by Judy Corbalis." Delivering an ice pick to his mountaineering mother in the Himalayas, Oskar and his friend Henrietta (a girl dressed as a gorilla-gram) meet a tribe of abominable snowmen and find themselves captives in a palace made of ice cream."  There's no rhino in it that I remember though.

Brewster, Patience, Nobody, 1982.  Whenever something happened and mom asked who did it, 'Nobody' always got blamed.  "Although Sarah frequently claims "Nobody did it," no one is more surprised than she when Nobody is finally revealed to be somebody."  I don't remember it being pink, I remember the pages as mostly white.  I think Nobody resembled a stick figure with curls - but I could be remembering incorrectly - so this may not be the right book.
Greenfield, Eloise, Me and Neesie, 1975.  While I cannot find any references to sticks of butter, I believe this is the book.  The child's imaginary friend is constantly getting her into trouble  the copy I have is "squarish" and red which could easily have faded to pink in the copy you remember.  A sample of the dust jacket blurb:  "Neesie was Janell's best friend and they had fun all the time.  Before Neesie came, Janell didn't have anybody to play with.  Neesie got Janell into trouble, too--especially when Aunt Bea arrived."  I hope this helps.
Zolotow, Charlotte, Three Funny Friends, 1961, 2003.  I am positive that this is the book you are looking for.
Zolotow, Charlotte, Three Funny Friends, 1961.  It is the 1961 edition of this book, illustrated by Mary Chalmers."A little girl moved to a new town. She didn't know any children there, but she wasn't lonely because she had three funny friends. Guy-guy, Bickerina, and Mr. Dobie."   (and its Guy-guy who puts the butter on top of the stove where it melts)

Beatrice Schenck de Regniers, How Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse Got Together.
Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, How Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse Got Together. I'm pretty sure this is the book.  I've seen a couple of versions as far as illustrations go, but the text matches your description.

Alan Nourse, The Bladerunner,1974. I think this may be Nourse's The Bladerunner, from memory of reviews I'd seen (I've not read it).  At least Nourse's premise is the same -- idealist fights against system in a future where medical care has been forbidden.  The Nourse novel should not be confused with the movie "The Bladerunner," which was based on a Philip K. Dick novel (though as I recall the film company did buy rights to Nourse's novel, just so they could use the title).
Unknown, POSSIBLY Deathwatch or Death Watch.  I know EXACTLY the book you are talking about, but am unsure of the title. I remember it being "Deathwatch" but can't find any book by that title that fits my memory (I came across this stumper whilst searching for it by keywords). The plot summaries for the suggested match, Bladerunner, do not match. I do recall that it was in the juvenile fiction section of my library, that it was already old when I read it probably in the early 1990s, and that the illegal doctors borrowed names from mythology, such as a varient on Asclepius, Greek god of medicine.  I also recall the dark, sealed water-filled room scene - but I think that is actually a scene from Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein.

 The Little Golden ABC, 1951. I have a 1951 Little Golden Book version.  The picture for the letter "I" is of an Indian sitting on an iceberg eating ice cream.  The cover of the book features a dancing alligator, bear and clown.  Originally, inside the back cover there was a jig saw puzzle of a zoo.
That's not it, but thanks.  It's definitely like the picture I described.
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Someone told me that it could be a Rand McNally book by Dean Shirley.
Faustina H Lucero, Little Indians' ABC, 1974, approximate.  Could it be Little Indians' ABC?  I don't have a copy of the book, but Indian children from different native American tribes use different items for every letter of the alphabet.
Hilary Knight, Hilary Knight's ABC, 1961, copyright.  I found it!  Thanks for everyone who took the time to look.

1970. Many details are different, but this sounds a little like Molly Weir's three volumes of memoirs of growing up in Glasgow titled Shoes Were for Sunday,  Best Foot Forward, and A Toe on the Ladder.
I looked up Molly Weir's books and it is not what I am looking for.

I read this book, too, and now I need to know the name of it!  I was thinking it was a Phyllis A. Whitney book, but I couldn't find one that fit the description.  I seem to remember it having the word "sea" in the title.  I believe it was a sea town they lived in.

Graham, Bob, "Let's Get a Pup" Said Kate, 2000, approximate.  A long shot, but Graham's picture book is done in colorful, cartoon style and the mother has tattoos and piercings.  The book is about a family (Kate and her parents) adopting a puppy and a large older dog.

Mary Tannen, The Wizard Children of Finn.  This is a book about Fiona and her brother Bran who go back in time and meet Finn McCool and the Fianna.  There's a mysterious family connection- perhaps their father is out of the past?  There's a sequel- "The Lost Legend of Finn".
Mary Tannen, The Wizard Children of Finn.  Possibly The Wizard Children of Finn? A brother and sister go back to the time of the legendary Irish hero Finn MacCool, and discover he was an ancestor of theirs.
Nancy Bond, The String in the Harp.  This is probably The String in the Harp, by Nancy Bond, which was a Newbery Medal honor book in 1977. There were a couple sequels though, so it could be one of those.
Tannen, Mary, The Lost Legend of Finn, 1982. New York : Knopf : Distributed by Random House, ISBN: 0394852117 / Determined to find out the truth about their father, Bran and Fiona use their uncle's magic book and go back in time to ninth-century Ireland. Sequel to "The Wizard Children of Finn."

Ottenheimer Publishers, Inc., My Giant Storybook, 1972,1973, copyright.  This might be the book.  It is on the found pages (my original post : ) ).  It has Snow White and Rose Red and Beauty and The Beast but not The Swan Prince.  But it has a lot of other common fairy tales from Grimm and Anderson, etc.

Glenn Balch, Spotted Horse.  The solution to stumper #I118 is, without a doubt, Glenn Balch's Spotted Horse.  I read this book over and over again when I was young (although I don't recall the Native American putting the stallion's skin on the mare), checking it out many times from the school library.  I loved every single Glenn Balch book I could get my hands on- oh, the thrill of discovering new Glenn Balch books at the library!  Simply terrific writing.  Many happy hours spent reading them, many happy memories.
Glenn Balch, Horse of two Colors.  Hi, I'm the person who sent in the solution to Stumper # I118 as being Glenn Balch's Spotted Horse.  But after deciding to do a Google search on Balch as a trip down memory lane, I have found out my own memory was not as good as I thought it was.  Apologies... it turns out that the book is called Horse of Two Colors, not Spotted Horse, as I thought.  Apologies to the poster!

Field, Eugene, Winkin Blinkin and Nod.  It sounds like it could be an illustration for Field's poem--there have been so many illustrators:  Cooney, Dutton, Johnson, Westerman, Jeffers, Berg, Parrish...
Gertrude Elliott, illustrator, The Golden Book of Poetry.  I think this is from my mother, Gertrude Elliott's illustration for the Land of Nod, probably in the Golden Book of Poetry.  I always loved it too.  I'm unable to find my copy, perhaps someone else can check this.  I seem to remember it was on the endpapers.  A deep blue sky-sea with a big golden fish, night clothes, a sail, perhaps.  It's one of the illustrations I would love to have in the original.  I have so few - the Oh Ball, The Gold Fairy Book, Jamie and the Fire Engine, her first book, in 1940.
Gertrude Elliott, illustrator, The Big Golden Book of Poetry, 1940's.  You may mean Wynken Blinken and Nod, by Eugene Field, in the Big Golden Book of Poetry.  The illustration is a wooden shoe afloat in a skylike sea, with three children in nightdress, and a big golden fish.

I145: Iris and Rose (is this the title?) - A UK novel about two women
Solved: Iris and the Ruby

 I146: Interactive Little Indian Children's Book Hardcover

This is a longshot, but could it be one of the books by John Rowe Townsend? He had stories about British children in a run-down, gritty urban setting. In one of the books, the kids got together and cleaned up the neighborhood where they lived. I don't remember them having a bed and breakfast, but I also read them a long time ago, and people remember different details.  :)
As an addition to the comment I just sent--the reason I thought of John Rowe Townsend was that the title of the book is Trouble in the Jungle-and looking it up online, the cover is purple.

I150: Insect families tucking their kids into bed
Perhaps a cricket family, grasshopper family, and another one.  They all lived in the same little building (perhaps a mushroom?) and sometimes they would hear one of the other families dropping their shoes on the floor as they prepared for bed. Very cute illustrations, smallish sized book, maybe purples and greens.  I was reading it in the early 80s as a child; it didn't seem much older than that. That is all I can remember, but I'd love to find it.  Thanks for your help!

Infant marooned on island grows up alone people come to find him and he hides from them to stay on island

Don't recall the title, but the plot sounds familar. The "infant" is a boy whose very wealthy parents have no time or attention for him  when the family yacht sinks he is marooned on a deserted island along with several trunks of theater costumes. Once he settles down on the island, the boy befriends the local animals, learns to enjoy his peaceful life. He fools people searching for him by dressing up in the various costumes, the story ends with him and his animals happy on his island. Hope this helps.

Tomie de Paola, Nicholas Bentley Stoningpot III , 1982, copyright. A bored little rich boy is shipwrecked on a faraway island where he is happier than he has ever been before.From the Horn Book..."amusing, fanciful tale of a poor little rich boy happily cast ashore on a desert island when the cruise ship he is vacationing on sinks in a storm. Also washed ashore are interesting bits of flotsam and jetsam, which keep him occupied and provide him with disguises to fool possible rescuers, as he is determined not to leave until he is good and ready"
Possibly Rosalie K. Fry's The Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry (the basis for the movie "The Secret of Roan Inish").  First American ed. 1959. Previously published as Child of the Western Isles in the UK, 1957.

1970s book.  Kid sleuths in London solve mysteries.  Reader sees full page illustrations and looks for clues.  For one, sleuths must find a secret entrance and careful reader can see a manhole cover was slightly raised and eyes were peering out from under it

Hans Jurgen Press, The Black Hand Gang, 1975, approximate. Could you be looking for The Black Hand Gang?  They're translated from the German, so I don't think they took place in London, but I think the police are drawn to look like bobbies, so someone might remember it that way.  I think there were several titles, most included the word "adventure".

Helen Mather-Smith Mindlin, Dangerous Island. I'll try again since my previous answer didn't appear after the last two updates.
Helen Mindlin, Dangerous Island.
Mindlin, Helen Mather-Smith, Dangerous Island, 1956, copyright. This Weekly Reader Book Club selection is the one you're looking for.  It has illustrations throughout, and a map at the beginning.  Frank, his sister Dorothy, and their new-found friend Pug build a raft, and then get swept out to sea.  They discover the island that sinks and then reappears, and yes, there are gold bars hidden there.
Helen Mather-Smith Mindlin, Dangerous Island.This one was a Weekly Reader Book Club selection in the late 50's or early 60's, and still gets asked about fairly frequently!

I157: Immigrant House

Solved: Mabell Shippie Clarke Smith, Ethel Morton at Rose House.

There was a young prince who did not like to study and preferred to spend his days wandering around the forest.  As a result of these bad habits, he never learned how to read.  One day while walking in the forest, he meets a beautiful girl named Ola.  He quickly falls in love with her and meets her every day in the forest.  However, she doesn�t approve of his not having learned to read.  She tells him that if they are going to spend time together, she will teach him how to read.  She begins to teach him the alphabet. At some point, for reasons I can�t remember, an evil witch abducts Ola.  The prince sees the witch running off with Ola, and pursues them.  The witch tries to thwart the prince by throwing obstacles in his way.  She creates a river or a sea of melted butter, but the prince courageously crosses it.  I think (but am not certain) that the second obstacle is a giant mountain of whipped cream or ice cream.  In any event, the witch uses her magical powers to create a number of these colorful obstacles, but the prince overcomes each one. Finally, the witch, exhausted from the chase, confronts him and makes him the following offer:  She will create two rooms.  In one room will be Ola.  In the second room will be a ferocious tiger (or lion).  All the prince has to do is pick the door leading to Ola and the witch will let them both go and never bother them again.  However, if the prince picks the room with the tiger (or lion), he will be devoured, and Ola will remain the witch�s prisoner forever.  The witch sweetens the offer by promising to put a sign on the door to each room indicating what lies behind it.  The prince agrees, but then has to figure out how to select the right door, even though he only knows a few letters in the alphabet.  This children�s story has elements similar to the famous short story �The Lady and the Tiger� but it is very different both in the backstory and the conclusion.  If anyone can identify this story and its author, I would be very, very grateful.

J12 jason and fleece variation: perhaps The Dawn Palace: the Story of Medea, by H.M. Hoover, published Dutton 1988, 244 pages. It's a novel about Medea and Jason.
J12 jason and medea: there's Strangers Dark and Gold, by Norma Johnston, published Atheneum 1975, but it looks like more the complete Argonaut story "Jason, Medea, the Argonauts, the quest for the golden fleece, and the final tragedy that rose from the unequal love between Jason and Medea. 12 up." Another possible is Witch Princess, by Dorothy Johnson, illustrated by Carolyn Cather, published Houghton 1967. "Told from the point of view of Daphne, a handmaiden to Princess Medea, the author takes her turn at interpreting the mystery and legend of the Witch Princess. Ages 12-up." (HB Oct/67 p.535 pub ad) Was the novelization for young adults or for adults? For instance, did it include or hint at Medea's murder of her young brother while escaping with Jason (throwing his body into the sea to delay her father's ships pursuing them) or at Medea's later murder of her own children by Jason?

J15: One of my all-time favorites. It's The Case of the Marble Monster by I.G. Edmonds, 1950s, originally
known as "Ooka the Wise". BTW, the proper pronunciation is "oh-oh-ka"! There are 17 stories about the cases undertaken by the clever but unconventional early 18th-century Japanese judge. Back cover:   "If you were a judge, would you: -punish a man for stealing a SMELL? -call in a WILLOW TREE as a witness to a crime? -order a barber to give an OX a shave?  "Judge Ooka does all these things. And when Ooka commands, let the thief and the cheat beware!"
The Case of the Marble Monster and Other Stories is the version I have which is a Scholastic paperback that I got from a school book order in '67-'68 and does have the illustration described. The judge is named Ooka and
always makes wise and fair judgements.  This version is not a complete collection; I saw a large hardback at a bookstore which contained more stories.
I checked my copy of The Case Of the Marble Monster and the author is I. G. Edmonds and Ooka the Wise is listed as the original title.
This sounds like I.G. Edmonds The Case of the Marble Monster and Other Stories (original title: Ooka the Wise), illustrated by Sanae Yamazaki, published by Scholastic in 1967. I have the Scholastic edition and it does
have a picture of a green statue in front, of a lion-dog, if I remember rightly.
One further note: For those who like accuracy, the stories in COTMM are taken from two older collections of the 1950s - Solomon in Kimono and Ooka: More Tales of Solomon in Kimono. Each book has at least a dozen stories in it. The afterwords make it clear that many stories the Japanese attribute to Ooka are actually fictional Japanese folk tales - or sometimes not even Japanese, as in the Aesop-derived tale of the Stronger Stick! However, the stories in COTMM which DO seem to have a direct connection to Ooka are: Marble Monster,
Terrible-Tempered Tradesman, Tosuke's Tax, Willow Witness, Wasted Wisdom, Suspect Statue, First Two
Sons, and Death Decree.

J16 julie and time: a long shot, and I haven't read the book, but perhaps The Day and the Way We Met, by Mary Stolz, published Harper 1956, 250 pages. It's a sequel to Ready or Not, and the main character is Julie Connor. "The book opens with Morgan's marriage and it is Julie's turn to take over. Far less successful than her sister at homemaking and mothering, Julie has to struggle with problems that never bothered Morgan. ... at first in her own dreamy  adolescent world, in love with Geoff, her much older brother-in-law; and breaking away at last toward maturity and a realization of the world around her." (HB Aug/56 p.274) On the other hand, this is a fairly well-known book, so if it were correct someone would probably have already suggested it.
Craig, Margaret Maze, Julie, (1950's). Same as J73 which I answered. I own the book and read it recently. :)

This isn't much help, but there are several stories from the Apocryphal Gospels (the writings removed from the official King James Bible) about the childhood of Jesus. Two or three deal with him playing in the clay by the
river, either making dams or figures of birds etc. These stories were popular in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and some became carols (Withy Tree Carol, Cherry Tree Carol etc.) I have not heard of any being made into
modern children's books.
The Infancy Gospels or The Mysterious Stranger.  There are two possibilities. The first is the Infancy Gospels. Jesus is portrayed as innocently using his miraculous powers in play, also doing a lot of damage when he has a tantrum. He's a bit of a brat. This is online, and also in "The Lost Books of the Bible & the Forgotten Books of Eden" -- we had that in the house when I was real little, and I used to read the Infancy Gospels all the time. The second possibility is a wonderfully tragic book by Mark Twain, "The Mysterious Stranger". In medieval days, a child angel (named Lucifer, after his Uncle Satan) comes to earth and plays with human boys. He makes birds, animals and people out of clay and brings them to life. When his clay people make too much noise he squashes them. A girl asks him to make her father happy and he makes him a lunatic, because only crazy people are really happy. Shows Mark Twain'\''s sour view of God! I'd recommend it for older kids, maybe 11+ as I read it at that age and loved it. Hope this helps.

Jelly Beans for Breakfast?

I had some further memories surface about the stumper I had sent to you a few weeks ago.   It is a thin, children's picture story book.  I believe that the doll in the story (Jenny) first encounters the mailman and gets a lift with him in his mail sack.  She then wanders along and I think then meets up with forest creatures.  She finds herself in a bit of trouble in a bush of thistles and ends up getting a few cuts and bruises.  I also remember that Jenny meets a badger, who I think is not very kind to her.  I know that she gets home again safely - maybe by one of her friends from the forest or maybe on the back of a dog?  I can't quite remember.  I don't know if that is any more helpful - but the stumper has been on my mind since I sent it.   Thanks again.

A quick search at Bookfinder.com shows two books entitled Jenny's Adventure.  The most likely one is by Jean Gilder.  The other author is Ursula Ridley.
J24 jenny's adventure: more on the suggested book - Jenny's Adventure, written and illustrated by Jean Gilder, published Medici Society 1979. "The delightful adventures of a day in the life of a rag doll named Jenny. Illustrated beautifully by author with full page color illustrations on every second page as well as small black and white illustrations on the pages with writing."
Jenny's Adventure by Ursula Ridley is definitely not the one required. It concerns a girl in a middle-class family in Northumberland, England. With the help of her father and some old miners she opens up an old drift mine in a field near her home. The last few chapters concern her adventures with a boy on the run who chooses the mine to hide out in.

Theodore Taylor, The Cay.  This does not fit the "jungle" setting, but it is a survival story of a young British boy and an older black man.  The boy is shipwrecked, I believe, during WWII and the old man helps him to survive.  The boy eventually makes it home.
I certainly know the story - I thought it was a short story not a book. The boy (no name I can remember) is taken by a old family retainer into the jungle (India?, Burma?), against the mothers wishes. They make a bow - which the boy uses to shoot the monkey. The rest is as posted.
Sherman D.R., Old Mali and the Boy.  Jeffrey, a 12-year- old fatherless boy, loves listening to the stories told by his mother's gardener, Old Mali.

J28: Jennifer never cleaned her room
Solved: The Big Tidy-Up

Lionel Blue.  Rabbi Blue has written many books of thoughts and inspirations  it could be one of his.
When Bad Things Happen To Good People by Harold S. Kushner

john cotton, Tommy's Trip to the Moon,1950s.This sounds like Tommy's trip to the moon with original illustrations by Elisabeth Halfdaner and english text by john cotton. Printed by helsingborgs litografisks ab, sweden. Really rare book with beautiful illustrations. 

This is just to eliminate a possibility -- EVERY GIRL'S MYSTERY AND ADVENTURE STORIES is "a thick red book" in the right time period (1935), and since it contains MIMI AT CAMP by Anne Pence Davis, I thought that might be the story asked about.  But I've just skimmed it and find no downpour, no Dutch oven, no canning scenes, and no Jody.  Mimi (who is described as a tomboy) lives with her parents also.  (And the book contains only three stories in all, not four.) So I'm sending this message to indicate this is not the book sought, and perhaps save someone's else time.
Agnes Miller, Mystery stories for girls, 1934.  A possibility for J52.  four books in 1 volume:  Titles include The mystery house, The valley feud, Their golden quest, and The Whispering Charm.  The title, date, and the four stories all seem about right.
Just a thought that maybe you are mixing up the Jody story with part of  Elizabeth Enright's Then There Were Five.  There is a chapter in that book where the oldest sister, Mona, goes on a canning spree while their housekeeper Cuffy is away.  She gets into some trouble but their neighbour Mr. Titus shows up to help, and they end up making all kinds of jams and relishes in time for Cuffy's return.
A couple of comments have been made about my stumper but I don't think any of them are what I am looking for.  I would like to find out what the stories are about in the Agnes Miller Book (again I don't think it is the one).  How do i do that? Thank you.

J55 Thought  I had it- I had just learned abt the Jack and Jill legend from this book, but it isn't fiction about a family:  Branley, Franklyn M.   The moon; Jack and Jill and other legends.  illus by Jane Teiko. Oka:  Ginn c1972.  explanation of old beliefs about the moon; legends; Jack and Jill; juvenile nonfiction picturebook by an award-winning author; many colorful illustrations by Jane Teiko Oka.

Altsheler, Joseph A.  Could it be Henry rather than John?  I found this on the solved pages -- "The protagonist is Henry Ware, who was captured and brought up by Indians but returned to an English settlement to warn of an impending Shawnee attack and later became a renowned scout and fighter.  (In fact, the full name of the book is Kentucky Frontiersman: The Adventures of Henry Ware, Hunter and Border Fighter).  I read a bunch of these when I was young
I think there were a total of eight in this series.  I remember in particular a passage from one of the books describing how, just after being captured 9or recaptured) by Indians, Henry was forced to run single-file with members of the tribe with his hands tied behind his back.  At the conclusion of a several-hours run, Henry and the Indian chief were the only ones who had never broken a sweat."
Altsheler, Joseph A., Kentucky Frontiersman, 1989.  I bet this is one of the books in the series.  I think there wree a total of eight.  The protagonist's name was Henry Ware, not John Ware, but this otherwise fits.  See Solved Mysteries.

Margaret Maze Craig, Julie, 1952.  J73 might be Julie by Margaret Maze Craig.  She wrote several books with girls' names as the titles:  Marsha, Trish, and she also wrote Now That I'm Sixteen.
craig, margaret maze, Julie.  Just confirming that this is definitely the right title since I own a copy. The college is Briarton and her roommate is Fran.If you like that one, try Marsha by the same author. It's equally wonderful! Julie is pretty expensive unless you get lucky, so I recommend talking to your library about an interlibrary loan.
Afraid I don't have a solution for you, just a suggestion. If all else fails, and you're SURE the book was set at Bryn Mawr, try e-mailing the college and asking nicely if they can help. There's a chance the school may have a list of fictional works set at the college. It's sort of thing a PR, admissions, alumni, or student life office, or maybe even the library, might keep for fun - especially at a tradition-conscious place like Bryn Mawr.  Can't hurt! 

Robbie Branscum, The Adventures of Johnny May. Could possibly be this or the sequel Johnny May Grows Up?
Robbie Branscum, Johnny May, 1976.  This is alost certainly Johnny May. There are two other books by the same author, The Adventures of Johnny May and Johnny May Grows Up, which I haven't read but which appear to be sequels (search reveals that they were published in 1984).  I still have my copy of the original title, if you have any more questions to narrow it down.

A.L. Burt, New York, NY (publisher), Jack the Giant Killer and Other Stories, 1927, copyright.  There are probably lots of old books with this (or similar) title.  The 1927 edition published by A.L. Burt has a blue cover, with "Jack the Giant Killer" in big green letters at the top, "and other stories" in smaller black print at the bottom.  Left center of cover shows a black-and-green art deco floral motif atop a green circle which contains a black line-drawing of the giant, club on his shoulder, wading knee-deep in a lake or ocean.  To the right of this is a full-color illustration of the giant, wearing a red coat and holding a spiked club, leaping over some large boulders in pursuit of Jack, who is in the foreground, wearing a purple coat, green tights, and a red hat. 118 pages with many illustrations. I've found other copies online listed as published in 1905 or 1918, so it may have been reprinted several times. On some of the older editions, the cover is brownish instead of blue, though the lettering and pictures remain the same. Henry Altemus also published an edition around 1900, but I haven't been able to find a picture of the cover online.
Richard Doyle, Jack the Giant Killer, 1850, approximate.  This version of Jack the Giant Killer has been reprinted in an Everyman's Edition, so shouldn't be difficult to find to check.  In some stories, Jack uses various items to help him overcome the giants, including Shoes of Swiftness, Cap of Knowledge, invisibility cloak, etc.  He also meets King Arthur towards the end.  I haven't looked at it for a few years, but maybe this fits...good luck!

Bertrand Brinley, The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club, 1968, copyright. It sounds like the short story The Cool Cavern in this collection. The 7 boys in the club buy a midget Japanese submarine from WWII at an auction to explore Strawberry Lake. Check out www.madscientistsclub.com and see if the series looks familiar.
Bertrand R. Brinley, The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club, 1968, copyright. You are almost certainly thinking of "The Cool Cavern," a short story in "The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists� Club," a sequel to "The Mad Scientists'Club."  The stories are rather dated now, but were way cool back in the 1960s when I read them.  They're about seven junior geniuses and their crazy ideas:  outwitting the grownups by haunting a house, creating a lake monster, competing in a balloon race, adding a lot of laughs to the Founders' Day ceremony, and lots more.  The grownups come across as awfully dumb, but no one gets hurt, and you can't help cheering the little maniacs on.  Also see "The Big Chunk of Ice" and "The Big Kerplop" by the same author.  Not as good, but still worth reading

Jane Flory, One hundred and eight bells. This was suggested to me as I searched for something similar on another site.  I remembered different things but I bet it is the same book.

J99: Japanese girl wants to be modern
SOLVED: Thank you so much! The book I was trying to remember is Myeko�s Gift by Kay Haugaard. 

J100: Journey for group of kids that might involve the Olympics
Set in ancient times, I think. Two kids are supposed to get married. They find a mirrored shard and it lights a sacred torch, so instead of getting married they run away on a journey to take the torch someplace (Olympics?). Other kids join them, including a really fast runner. Narrator is a girl. Updated More information about the book: During the journey the kids come across a storytelling contest, with people from many different cultures participating. There is an old man there who is sad because he is the last of his people, no one left speaks or understands his language. The kids sit down around him and listen to his storytelling anyway, and the man becomes happy again. At a couple points during the journey the torch goes out. One of the kids figures out that doing good and heartfelt things for others (or maybe spreading happiness) is what makes the torch re-light itself.

Jill Paton Walsh, Torch, 1987. Book description from jacket: "The parents of young Cal and Dio have decided the two will marry. When they visit the Old Man for his blessing, he reveals a secret: that he was the guardian of the last Olympic torch, and now Dio must be the guardian in his stead. Cal and Dio set off on a journey, along with their friends, to take the torch to its home. As they travel they learn about the past, when wonderful inventions were obliterated by a catastrophe that has sent the world back to ancient ways."

J102: Jars of pickles, old woman, elephant
SOLVED: Jerry Smath, But No Elephants, 1979.

J103: Jane rides train alone
My mother (born in 1931) remembers a book when she was "little" (6? 7?) about a girl named Jane who goes for a train ride alone. She remembers an African American "Redcap" helping her on the train.  Any idea what book that might be?

Lawrence, Josephine, Adventures of Elizabeth Ann, 1923, approximate. It's a long shot, but if there's a chance the girl's name is Elizabeth Ann instead of Jane, The Adventures of Elizabeth Ann begins with seven-year-old Elizabeth Ann taking a long train ride to her aunt's.  On the train, she's befriended by several of the African-American attendants -- and by the president of the raiload company.  (The opening chapters, which include part of the train ride, are online at http://readseries.com/joslaw/adv-ea1.html )
It is NOT Adventures of Elizabeth Ann - my mother's name is Jane and that was one of the reasons the book stuck with her - thanks for the try, but this one is still unsolved!!
Helen Daringer, Adopted Jane, 1947. Could the book your mom remembers be Helen Daringer's classic "Adopted Jane"?  Jane has been in an orphanage for many years and finally one summer she is chosen to visit two prospective homes whose inhabitants might adopt her.  I remember that she goes on a train by herself to visit one of the homes and is befriended by a redcap. This book is an all-time favorite.
Date: 1936-37, approximate. Oh, I wish it were "Adopted Jane"!  It was definitely 1936-37 and it was a large picture book with a title something like "Jane Rides A Train". She had her dog with her on the train  slept in an upper berth and the Redcap helped her onto the train and closed the curtains for her so she could go to sleep... ANY other ideas?!?!
Clara Ingram Judson, Mary Jane--Her Visit. This is a really old book about a train trip, not a picture book, but if it could be a "Mary" Jane, there definitely is a porter in the story.  Here's an excerpt:
Mary Jane put on the rest of her clothes  then she took her little bag, just as her mother had told her to, and went into the dressing room and washed her face and made herself neat and tidy. She got back in time to see the porter make up her bed and she was glad of that because bed-unmaking on a train by daylight seemed even more wonderful and interesting than bed-making the night before.She sat down on the seat across the aisle while he worked, so she could see everything he did.

"My mother and I don't make beds that way at home," she announced suddenly.
"Sure not," agreed the porter, and then by way of keeping up the conversation, he added, "Like to ride on a train?"
"Deed I do," said Mary Jane happily, "and I like to go see my grandmother�it's my Great-grandmother Hodges I'm going to see, you know. And my mother isn't going and my daddah isn't going because he works and my sister Alice isn't going because she's in school and anybody isn't going but just my Dr. Smith and me 'cause I'm five and that's a big girl.""Well!" exclaimed the porter, and he actually stopped making beds to look at such a big little girl. Mary Jane liked him and started to tell him about Doris and the birthday party and the pretty things in her trunk, but Dr. Smith came back just then and there was no more time for talk.
"Got your coat?" he asked, "and your hat and your�everything?"
"He put 'em there," said Mary Jane, pointing to the next seat where she had seen the porter put her things, "and my gloves are in my pocket and my bag's all shut." "That's good." said Dr. Smith. "You'd better put your things on now. Here, I'll hold your...

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