Loganberry Books
Stump the Bookseller: MN
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M8:
Monkey, really cranky
Solved: Monkey Trouble
M16: Mole and Car
Solved: How Mole Got His Car
M17:
Moon made of cheese
Solved: Squawk to the Moon, Little
Goose
M18:
Mouse housework
I am looking for a book that I used to check out from the library
in the early 80s. The pictures were cartoonish and I
think the main characters were mice. I think the book was
about how to do different things around the house, but all I can
remember for sure is that one of the mice learns to make balls out
of socks when they come out of the dryer.
It's from '88, but Harriet Ziefert's
A Clean House for Mole & Mouse does have a
mouse (& a mole) doing housework. Don't remember whether
they do laundry.
I am pretty sure that this is not the book because I read it
when I was young (late 70s to early 80s) and I was 13 in
1988. But thank you for trying! I have been looking
for the book for so long and I am glad I found your website to
help me out.
Enid Blyton , Mary Mouse
series. These were somewhat
'comic-strip-like' books about a mouse who was a
sort of nanny/ housekeeper in a dolls house.
There are many other possibilities: Alison Uttley's Little
Brown Mouse books; Rosalind Vallance's Tittymouse
and Tattymouse books; Jessie Howe's The
Mouse Family at Home and Michelle
Cartlidge's Mouse House and Mousework.
Your website is absolutely fantastic! I've been looking
through it to see if I knew any of the books and it's so much
fun to do it! I was very excited that I knew three of
them. I'm also the person who posted "M18 Mouse Housework"
quite a while ago and unfortunately, none of the listed
suggestions, except for Jessie Howe's The Mouse Family at
Home, have turned out to be the right one. I can't
find a copy of Jessie Howe's book to see if it is the right
one. I think she may also have written books under "Jessie
Howe Clark," but I am not sure. I'll keep checking back
and see if anyone else has listed any new suggestions!
The Tale of Two Bad Mice
by Beatrix Potter is a book where
two mice decide to raid a dollhouse while the dolls are
away. Later on they feel bad and clean up the house for
the dolls. See the last page here.
M20:
Monkey did it
Solved: Seaview Secret
M24: Matching Triplets
Solved: Roweena, Teena,
and Tot
Fannie Burgheim Blumberg, Rowena, Teena, Tot and the
Blackberries, 1930,
approximate. I'm not certain this is the book as the version cover
photo does not match my memory. I believe my quest is the
same as the original requester. I remember this as a favorite from
the library about 1943. The colored illustrations were more
prominent than the text. I remember different colors for parasols,
hats and dresses for the little girls (pickaninnies?) with I
believe one picture walking or riding in a surrey to church. I was
enchanted with the beautiful pictures. Maybe this was an updated
take on the original story. I don't have the foggiest idea about
the story. It was the pictures that drew me back again and again.
M26: Mr. Pinky's Button Factory
Just found your wonderful site. I
would like to have a copy of Mr Pinky's Button factory. It was a
large format picture/story book that I saw at the library in the
mid-50's. It featured a rotund Mr. Pinky (I think that's
his name) who had a button factory on the roof of a city
building..The factory gave off a lovely glow at night. My
recollection is that this was delightful mostly for the
pictures. I could have the name wrong, but I don;t think
so...Any thoughts/help/copies available would be most welcome!!
There is a book called 1 O'Clock in
the Button Factory by Beatty, but I don't
know if it's the same one referred to. It is blurbed as
"if you don't know what the title means you have and
overdeveloped misery gap!" The cast of characters includes Alvin
Karpis, a Russian newsman, Haterhton Allen who does business in
a bikini, and Dr. Stookey who is studying humor. It is
published by Macmillan.
Maybe Marie Hall Ets' first Mr
Penny book? He works in a safety pin factory to
support his animals, who eventually take up farming to help pay
their way. First published by Viking in 1935, with 2 sequels at
least. I
couldn't find much on the first one, though.
Well, the title of this sounds good, too bad
there's no plot description: Heal, Edith, Mr.
Pink and the House on the Roof illustrated by
Cay Ferry, published New York, Julian Messner, 1941 (ad Horn
Book Sep-Oct/41 p.338)
Only because of the title - Mr.
Pingle and Mr. Buttonhouse, by Ellen MacGregor,
illustrated by Paul Galdone, published Whittlesey House 1957, 32
pages "Wonderful things happen when Mr. Pingle decides to
visit Mr. Buttonhouse - and vice versa!" (Horn Book Dec/57
p.439 pub ad) The Heal title sounds like a better bet.
Edith Heal, Mr. Pink and the House on
the Roof, 1941. There's
a copy of this book for sale on ebay right now,
#7041522279. The synopsis the seller gives is "A very
charming story about a rotund Mr. Pink and his button factory
that gave off a lovely glow at night." The book ends with
Mr. Pink's realization that zippers were good for some things,
and buttons were good for others, and that sometimes people
wanted new things, but sometimes the old things are best.
M30: Merry mushroom
I'm looking for a children's book which I
had in the early 70's. The main protagonist was called Merry
Mushroom, a young mushroom who liked to wander away from home.
He got lost in the forest and was nearly at the mercy of an evil
red and white spotted toadstool. Some creatures with flames on
their heads saved him though, and guided him through the forest
to a place where he could sleep until morning when he was able
to return to his worried family.
Title sounds right, pity there's no real
plot description: Merry Mushroom, A Lore Book,
translated from the Dutch, Wendy Wilkin, Sandle Bros,
1972 [22]pp, hb, 8 x 10 inches. A woodland story about mushrooms
and toadstools, with pretty coloured illustrations"
Anon, Merry Mushroom.
M32: Middle Button
Solved: Little Rhody
M33:
Mythology lite
In late 1950's, early 60's, I read a book
from the Young Adult section of the library. It had a dust
jacket that I recall as darkish, perhaps blue or purple with
people, maybe the children of the story. The story was
about a boy and girl (siblings?) who spied a wooden door in a
culvert as they were passing by in a (carriage?). They
return on foot and upon entering, find Vulcan at his
forge. Reluctantly, he directs them to Pegasus. They
climb upon Pegasus' back, and he flies to the Elysian
Fields. There is an illustration of Pegasus stretching out
his dainty hoof to land gently with the children on his
back. I believe they meet other gods and goddesses also,
but I do not recollect the specific incidents. I learned of your
site through a visitor to the University of Calgary's The
Children's Literature Web Guide, who saw me post this several
times with no luck. I certainly am enjoying your site and I was
able to contribute information on the Elizabeth Enright book,
Tatsinda. I have collected her complete bibliography.
Thank you for any assistance you and your readers can share.
Elizabeth Goudge, The Valley of
Song,1951. This
might well be the one. Though the main character is a
little girl, not a girl and a boy, the adult characters keep
turning into children, and at one point the girl and her father
as a boy go through a wooden door to meet Vulcan. They
follow this up by a meeting with Taurus, not Pegasus, but it
still sounds plausible.
Donahey, Mary Dickerson, Peter
and Prue, pictures by Harold Gaze. Chicago,
Rand McNally 1934. I wonder if it could be this one? The
cover pastedown shows a chariot with Mercury leading it. "This
story really began when Peter was only six months old, and
rolled away, and was lost under a sofa for two hours.." A funny
story about two little runaways with magical illustrations by
Harold Gaze. Unlike many children's books from this era,
Donahey's text still reads well and paired with Gaze's magical
illustrations, this book has classic appeal." There's a bit more
description on the Solved Page, but the children visit the Moon,
and Olympus, and Valhalla, apparently. Gaze's illustration may
strike a chord.
M35: Mouse and truck driver
Solved: Big Rig
M37:
Mouse in the moon
I am looking for a story that was read to
me from a collection around the years 1978-80. I am 99%
sure that the title of the book was The Mouse in the Moon. I don't remember much about the
collection that it was in except that the artwork was not real
colorful, and that there was not alot of it. The story was
about a mouse who thought that the moon was made of green cheese
and somehow crawled up to it and ate it all. He realized
that there was no more light for them to see by at night and
tried to put the moon back. I can't tell you if the mouse had a
name, but I do know that I have been searching for this for a
VERY long time. I know that the title of the book is not Moon Mouse (everyone always tells me they have found it and
give me this book title). Thank you in advance for anyone
who tries to help with this. If you can tell me what it
is, I would also be very interested in finding out how to
purchase a copy.
I wanted to let you know that I found the
subject content for Mouse in
the Moon, and the mouse
doesn't eat the moon in that story, so it can't be the one I am
looking for. I believe it will be a hard find because I
think it was in a story collection. The story that I read was
around 1978-1981.
M37 long shot, since I've never seen the
book - Ryerson Johnson "The Mouse and the Moon"
E.M. Hale & Co, 1968 Lignell, Lois, Illustrator ? Or
(still not likely) "Merry Mouse And His Trip To The Moon",
a "Jolly Book". L Miller & Son, London and Ayer & James
Pty. Melbourne & Sydney. 1953, A mouse and his friends
travel to the moon in a space rocket. Or (rather
old) HOLLEYMAN Jo MOUSE IN THE MOON
Sandle Brothers 1st edn 1947
As for a mouse on the moon, I've been
surprised how many books I've seen with mice and rocketships,
etc., both in the Little Golden/Rand McNally/Tell-a-Tale/Wonder
Books variety, as well as others.
I had this book as a child and I still think
the title is Moon Mouse. It was about a young
meadow mouse who is fascinated by the moon and sits and looks at
it every night from the opening of his burrow where he lives
with his mother. His mother tells him the moon is made of green
cheese. One night he decides to make a journey to find the moon,
and he travels until he sees the moon seemingly on top of a
building. He climbs to the top of the building and looking in a
window, sees an enormous wheel of cheese upon a table which he
believes is the moon. He eats and eats and eats, and finally
climbs down and returns home. Then he and his mother sit at the
opening of their burrow the next night and look up at the sky
and the moon is a crescent. The little mouse believes it is that
way because he ate it very nearly all up. The illustrations were
nice black and white drawings...
Yet another possibility - Gordon,
Elizabeth: THE TALE OF JOHNNY MOUSE ; Volland,
1920. Paper Covered Boards, 12mo Little Johnny Mouse, who lives
in the attic with the rest of the Gray Mouse family, decides to
travel to the moon and sample the green cheese there. Another
lovely fantasy with superb color illustrations by the sister of
Frank Lloyd Wright (Volland's "Sunny Book" series). Maginel
Wright Enright, illustrator.
Evers, Helen and Alf, Moonymouse, 1956, copyright. I
too have been looking for the same book as the poster - where
the mouse eats the moon and it's made of cheese and the next
night there is a crescent. Today I came across the name of
the Moonymouse. The cover looks so familiar but I am not
able to find out what the inside of the book is about.
Maybe this will help the original poster. The book the OP
is talking about was my absolute favorite when I was 2 and 3.
M39:
Magic glasses
Hi! I don't know if you can help or
not, but I thought I'd give it a try! I'm looking for a
book, possibly by Ruth Chew??? All I remember is that the
age range for reading this book is probably early
elementary school (1st or 2nd grade), and
the book was about a girl that had magic glasses. I seem
to
recall she turned her brother into a
squirrel.
This could be Miss Osborne-the-Mop
by Wilson Gage. Jody and Dill, cousins who originally
aren't fond of each other, spend the summer together. They
discover Jody has magical powers when she says "Oh, shut up and
be a squirrel" and Dill turns into a squirrel. They make the mop
come to life and spend the summer hiding the mop-lady and
keeping her happy. At the end, Jody no longer needs the
temporary glasses she has been wearing and they discover that's
where her magical power came from. However, this is not a first
or second grade book. This a chapter book, probably upper
elementary.
M39: there was a book about magic glasses by
Ruth Chew from the 50's...the housekeeper/nanny had a
magic bag and could pull things out of it, stare at the object
with the magic glasses, and bring the thing to life.
"glasses" were in the title, I'm pretty sure.
I wouldn't say that Ruth Chew is
really at a grade 1 or 2 reading level, any more than the Wilson
Gage book is. The Gage book does have a boy turned into a
squirrel, at least. At the right reading level is Katie's
Magic Glasses, by Jane Goodsell, illustrated
by Barbara Cooney, published Houghton Mifflin 1965, 42 pages. "When
Katie put on her first pair of glasses, 'She could see magic!
She really could, just as the doctor said she would.' A story
that almost makes you wish that you needed glasses too. Ages
5-8." (HB Apr/65 p.134 pub ad) The story is told in rhyme.
No decent plot info, though.
M41:
Moon path
Solved: Garden Behind
the Moon
M42: Moose, can control the flow of time
I read this book in the early 1970s as
grade school student. I don't remember the author or title
but Charles Geer illustrated it (I know his style!) and it was a
science fiction book about a moose who could slow down time who
was looking for something (Moose unsure what) and asks a bunch
of people (some human some not) to help him look. Two
earth children help him.
could this be one of the Miss
Pickerell stories, by Ellen MacGregor? They
were illustrated by Charles Geerand often had
science-fiction elements.
M44: Mother Goose
When I was young in the 50s I had a dear
Mother Goose book, cardboard cover, I think, with color
illustrations of big-cheeked children in middle-ages
costumes. I have vivid memories of the illustrations and I
woudl recognize the book immediately if I saw it! I have
searched ebay and I have seen the pictures of Little Golden
Books and Elf books from that time, but I don't think any of
them are "it." Were there any other inexpensive series of
children's books in those days? I have been looking for
years and would pay a lot for another copy of that dear
book. Thanks!
There was another series of books in the
1950's that was similar to the Little Golden Books and Elf Books
called Jolly Books put out by Avon Publishing. One of
their titles was The Jolly Book of Mother Goose.
A recently solved book stumper, The Magic Key, that was
thought to be a Little Golden Book or Elf Book turned out to be
a Jolly Book so this may be worth a try as well.
A number of choices: Wonder Books- #501- Mother
Goose illustrated by Joseph Hirsh(1946). This was
produced with several different covers over the years. Also, Wonder
Book of Favorite Nursery Tales #730-illustrated by
Peller. These were produced by Grosset&Dunlap. This company
also produced Treasure Books. They share some titles.The
Treasure Book of Favorite Nursery Tales #856 illus.
by Peller. Tell-a Tale books by Whitman has The Bedtime
Book # 2475-32 by Mabel Watts (1963). Also: Cradle
Rhymes #894 by Gladys Horn (1949) Humpty
Dumpty and Other Nursery Rhymes #2610- by Rod Ruth
(197?) Jolly Jingles # 899-by Florence
Alexander(1959) Little Folks in Mother Goose
#863- illus. by Rachel (1946) Mother Goose #2572-
illus. by Charles Clement (1955): Mother Goose
#925 illus.by Ellen Fox Vaughn (1950) Mother Goose
# 2511-illus. by Lucille Wallace (1958) Nursery Rhymes
#857-illus by Louise Altson (1945). Sure hope something in there
helps!!
Marguirite de Angeli, Book of Nursery
and Mother Goose Rhymes, 1953. I, too, was young in the 50's and
had a Mother Goose Book I treasured. I have since
identified the book as Marguerite de Angeli's Book of Nursery
and Mother Goose Rhymes. It had a cardboard cover which
showed many of the nursery rhyme characters including children
in period costume. Each page includes black & white
illustrations (such as a cow on hind legs dancing with a bagpipe
player or each of the birds of "Who Killed Cock Robin"). As well
there are occasional full-page color illustrations.
M46:
Mail-order bride--NOT Lady Betty Across the
Water
I am cheating a little here, but I read
this probably adult novel at the age of ca 13 and loved it. It
belonged to a very old neighbor of my parents, in England, and
I've been searching for it ever since. It is the first-person
account of a British society girl who takes her maid's place and
goes to Canada to marry an unknown prairie farmer, who wants a
"mail-order" bride. The book describes the growing relationship,
the farmer's new breed of wheat, and ends with the farmer
carving a cradle for their first child. I would guess it to have
been written between 1910 and maybe 1930--certainly no later.
(It is not "Lady Betty Across the Water"!)
Benedict & Nancy Freedman, Mrs. Mike, 1947, copyright. I
read this book years ago and hope that this is the one you are
looking for. It is about Katherine Mary who falls in love and
moves to the rugged terrain of northern Canada. The ISBN
number is 0425103285.
M48:
Mother Goose with bubbles
Solved: Lots of Stories
M51: Manners
Solved: Rotten
Kidphabets
M55:
Magic geranium
Solved: Read Aloud
Funny Stories
M56: Marshmallow cheesecake with raspberry fudge sauce
Solved: The Island of
the Skog
M57: Mr. Wicker's Window
Solved: Mr. Wicker's Window
M58: Mother dies
I have a stumper that I hope you can help me with. It is a
children's book that I read probably 10 years ago. I don't
know the title or the author of the book, so here's what I do
remember: I *think* the story begins with a woman who is
about to die, she is a new mother. The book describes her as
writing a note by the light of the full moon and I think she then
hides it somewhere for her child to find when he grows up...This
part is not very clear, so this may not be from the actual book I
want... All I can really remember other than that (and
these details I know for certain are in the book) is there were 3
children, a chubby boy who wore a propellor beanie, a skinny, tall
girl whom I think had glasses and buck teeth, and another boy--a
bully who beats up on the other two. This book was probably
written in the late '70s, and it is illustrated in black and
white. For a children's book, it contains a lot of swear words. I
think the author's last name may have started with an "A."
Sorry to be so vague, but that's all I remember. I really
hope you might recognize this book, and that it wasn't something I
dreamed up. ;o)
M58 mother dies: the same query is on the
Alibris list, with no success yet, but suggesting that the boy
may have been named Beanie as well as wearing one. So, probably
not Beany Malone by Lenora Mattingly Weber,
published Crowell 1948, which is about a girl, though in the
first book, Meet the Malones, the mother has been
dead for three years. It doesn't really sound like Ruth and
Latrobe Carroll's Beanie, published Walck 1953
either, with Beanie and his dog Tough Enough on a bear hunt in
the mountains. There's another Beanie, by Susan
B. Consky, published by the Moody Bible Institute, 1951,
but that's about Beanie and his dog Scamp on Grandpa's farm.
Ray Bradbury, I Sing The Body
Electric, 1969. See
Twilight Zone website. It's a long shot, but I think
you may be looking for "I Sing The Body Electric", a short story
by Ray Bradbury in a book by the same name. Nine year old
Timothy, ten year old Agatha and thirteen year old Thomas are
left without maternal care until their father buys them an
Electric Grandmother. There was another TV version
in 1982 starring Maureen Stapleton. Agatha resists
bonding with the electrical grandma because she fears grandma
will leave just like her mother did. Even if it's not the
story you're looking for, it's well worth reading it's a
wonderful story of coming to terms with grief and loss.
There's a very cool part of the story when the electric grandma
flies a kite with the kids using "silk" that she emits from a
fingertip the same way a spider ejects its web. Also has
references to a poem by Walt Whitman by the same name.
Bradbury borrowed the title and then makes the story his
own. Highly recommended!
John Bellairs, The Figure in the
Shadows. (1985, approximate) I submitted this
stumper ages ago. I now know that I was describing two
separate books. Unfortunately, I still don't know what
the first book was (the one about the mother writing a letter
by the moon), but the second book is definitely The Figure in
the Shadows.
M59: Mark and Kathy King
Solved: Living in America Today and
Yesterday
M61: Maggie B.
Solved: The Maggie B.
M62: Music and ghosts
I remembered another book...oh no! This was about a pianist
who lived in a grand house. He asks a very talented student
to come and study with him for a while, and she soon starts acting
strangely. It turns out that his wife had died, and her
spirit was trying to take over the girl's body. Music and
ghosts and mixed up together. I read it when I was around 12
or 13, I think. Maybe called "Music in the Halls" or
something like that? Many thanks....
Is there any chance this is Down a Dark Hallway
by Lois Duncan? A young girl successfully applies to a
very select boarding school (five students, or so) and the
teachers are using the students to channel great works
by dead artists. The protagonist sleepwalks and channels
piano concertos, which the teachers record and then pass on to the
public as "discovered."
Oh, that sounds very neat! I can't believe I haven't read
that one - I'm a musician and love spooky stuff, so you'd think
I'd have found it by now! But, I don't think it's this
one. I specifically remember this girl - she's about 16-18
proclaiming her love for the teacher and actually trying, in a
fairly innocent way, to seduce him, wearing the dead wife's
flowing robes (a la Rebecca, I guess...). He's chivalrous
and clever enough to realize what's going on and rejects her
advances. Is there a love subplot going on in Lois'
book? I can't remember other students being there in my
book - this girl was just there to practice for 8 hours a day
and have constant lessons with him. But I'm going to look
for the book you mentioned and see if that might be it. I
remember it was a paperback, and the mystery title was written
in the script reserved for romance novels - all flowy and
cascading down the page.
The Inheritor, Marion Zimmer-Bradly, 1980's. This is a similar story. About a
psychologist who has a young 17 yo sister called Emily(?)who is
training to be concert pianist.They move to a new house in San
Francisco which wis haunted.They meet Simon Anstey, godson of
the former owner and famous pianist. He becomes romantically
involved with the elder sister. There are lots of bits about
witch craft, the occult and sacrifices
M63: Montreal series
I read a series of books when I was about 10 - early '60s.
It was a series of mysteries involving a family living in Montreal
or Quebec. I believe there were 3 or 4 children in the
family. I remember stories about narrow streets and the
quaint, old-fashioned streetlights - actually ones lit by a match,
not electric. They seemed old to me then so may have been
published several years earlier. Can anyone provide a clue
as to the title of this series?
There's A Treasure Ship of Old
Quebec by Ethel Hume Bennett, published by
Macmillan in the 1930s. "Four children with a natural bent
for history spend a happy summer holiday exploring old Quebec,
their adventures being given a slight background of mystery
and excitement by the existence of certain long-lost
heirlooms." But no indication that it was a series.
#M63--Montreal Series: Just picked up
"Mystery in Old Quebec," by Mary C. Jane,
Lippincott, 1955. Doubtful this is it. The two
children, Mark and Kerry, travel to Canada with their
father. Their mother stays home with their little brother,
Tim, and they don't figure in the story at all. With two
boys, Louis and Edgar, whom Mark and Kerry befriend, it does add
up to four.
Thanks so much for the personal
reply! I haven't checked back on the site for awhile to
see if there were any responses. I don't think
that title is right - this was definitely a series, and there
was a mystery in each one. The heirloom part sounds
familiar though - I may try to get a synopsis of that book and
see if some other parts of it fit the bill.
M63 Montreal series: more of a description
of one suggestion, but doesn't pin it down much! Mystery
of Old Quebec, by Mary C. Jane, illustrated
by Ray Abel, published Lippincott 1955. A 1956 Selection of the
Weekly Reader Children's Book Club. Hardcover, 123 pages, 8 1/4"
x 5 1/2", Contents: A Room with a Fireplace; The missing
Jacket; A strange Message; A daring decision; Rue Sous Le Cap;
The French Evening; An exciting Rescue; A New Friend; Voices
in the Next Room; At the Foot of the Elevator; The Big Dog;
But They are Indians. (The whole story deals with a trip
to Quebec City and the adventures following in this ancient
city.)
Hilda Van Stockum?, Canadian Summer,
Friendly Gables? late
'40s, early '50s. This is quite a long shot, since I don't
remember the mystery part (seems to me the Mitchell children's
problems revolved around school and family, but in one book one
of Peter's classmates was stealing or cheating or something, and
he and his sister Patsy had to find out who it was because Peter
was being blamed), but there is a lot of description and
atmosphere. A
sample of one book is here.
Hello -- A Google search led me to your
site. I'm trying to track down a book that sounds
like it could be the same one as M63. Unfortunately, I
don't have any additional clues about the text to offer,
but I do remember it had wonderful black-and-white line
drawings. I think there was one of a sleigh taking
everyone home in the snow. I hope this provides an
additional lead. I absolutely loved this book--I checked
it out of my school library almost every year while in
elementary school during the second half of the 1960s. I
never remembered the title, then, either--I had to go find it on
the shelf. Thanks for providing an opportunity to finally track
it down again.
How about the Canadian -Secret Circle
Mysteries from the 1960's? I have never read them,
just came upon a reference and thought it might be worth a look!
Hello -- A Google search led me to your
site. I'm trying to track down a book that sounds
like it could be the same one as M63. Unfortunately, I
don't have any additional clues about the text to offer,
but I do remember it had wonderful black-and-white line
drawings. I think there was one of a sleigh taking
everyone home in the snow. I hope this provides an
additional lead. I absolutely loved this book--I
checked it out of my school library almost every year
while in elementary school during the second half of the
1960s. I never remembered the title, then, either--I
had to go find it on the shelf. Thanks for providing an
opportunity to finally track it down again.
I've checked out all the titles suggested but none of them fit.
M65: Messy, really really messy
Solved: The Big Tidy-Up
M67: Maria in the meadow
Solved: A Visit
to Flower-land
M68: Margot plays violin
There's a book I remember borrowing from the library when I was
in grade school (late '60s, early '70s). I don't remember the
title (it may have had the word "bells" in it), and the main
character's name may or may not have been Margot. It concerned a
young girl who played violin. She was preparing for a competition,
and either desperately wanted a new violin so that she could play
well in the competition, or desperately wanted to win the
competition because the prize was a new violin. Eventually she did
get the violin. Does this ring a bell? I would be amazed and
grateful if you could give me the name of this book.
M-68 may be A Dream To Touch
by Anne Emery. In that book the main
character--Marya--plays a violin and is involved in great
competition for first chair.
This looks like the same book as G 48: The
Maggie B by Irene Haas. It's recently
been reprinted and is an adorable book.
This is apparently not The Maggie B, which is
described on the Solved page.
M70: Marly
Solved: The Special Year
M72:
Moon Man
Solved: Moon Man
M73: Moonface
I would appreciate any information you
might have on a story, possibly a native indian legend about a
girl called Moonface. It is possible that it might be a legend
from another culture aswell. I don't know if it was
published in a book or an anthology.Thanks for any help you
might give.
Is this Moonface by Jack
London?
M73 moonface: maybe this one? The
Angry Moon, by William Sleator, illustrated
by Blair Lent, published Atlantic-Little 1970. "Tlingit
motifs and an economy of text tell this legend of an Indian
boy who, assisted by a grandmother's magic, rescues an Indian
girl being held prisoner by the angry moon because she laughed
at his ugly face. Ages 7-10." (Picture Books for Children,
Patricia Cianciolo, ALA 1973 p.91) There is a children's book
called Moonface, by Gerda Marie Scheidl and
Antoni Boratynski, translated from the German by Richard
Sadler, published Sadler 1971, 31 pages, but I don't have a plot
description yet. The library databases only have a subject
tracing under Painting - Fiction and Moon - Fiction, if that's
any help.
There is not a chance that Jack London's
Moonface is the one required. It's a revenge story
involving two men, a dog and a stick of dynamite.
Martin Rafe, the Rough-face Girl. (1992) Could the name be wrong? This is
an Algonquin version of Cinderella.
Little Scarface. I
wonder if M73 might be the old Indian legend of Scarface which
is told by the Blackfoot, Mi'qmah and many other northern Indian
people. It's kind of like Cinderella. There's a great hunter who
is invisible, but very nice and all the girls want to marry him.
His sister Patience vets possible brides by asking if they can
see his bowstring or the shoulder strap on his carry-bag (or the
cord on his sled). (In some versions he's called Big Moose, in
others he's just the Hidden One). Scarface is called that
because her cruel sister throws burning twigs at her when their
father is away. Dad believes all the sister's lies why Scarface
is burnt, how she lost her hair, etc. Sis has a try at Big
Moose, makes something up and loses. Scarface goes in her
tattered rags and helps Patience make dinner. When Big Moose
comes home she cries out that his bowstring is a rainbow and the
shoulder strap on his bag is made of stars. This proves she is
pure of heart, and Big Moose becomes visible and warmly greets
her as his fiancee. Patience washes her in magic water, curing
her injuries, and renames her Beautiful.
M77: Maria can talk
Solved: Maria, Everybody Has a Name
M78: Mystery excavation
Also, I recall a story (more of a middle school reader, or
chapter book) about a brother and sister who go on an excavation
with their father, and it involves finding dinosaur bones -- I'm
pretty sure "mystery" is in the title.
This one is a bit of a stretch, but I have
The Mystery of the Flying Skeleton, A Power Boys
Mystery. The brothers help discover mastodon bones during
the constuction of a motel in Florida. Their photographer
father is along to take photos. This one is probably late '60s.
Maybe, The Mystery of the Dinosaur
Bones, by Mary Adrian, illustrated by Lloyd
Coe, published New York, Hastings House 1965 "An
easy-reading mystery about two boys and a girl on a fossil
hunt in Utah. Information on prehistoric animals is woven into
the text, plus a factual supplement. Ages 9-12, grades 4-6,
128 pages." 'Chris and Ken were twins, They had blue eyes,
freckles, and bright red hair. This Friday morning, they were
cleaning the house and looking forward to a letter from Marty
Taylor, their friend down the street, who had gone on a
camping trip with his parents to dinosaur country in Utah.'
another possible title is Dinosaur
Dilemma, by Lois Breitmeyer and Gladys
Leithauser, illustrated by Lois Malloy, published
Golden Gate Junior Books 1964, "Mark Speer and Tommy Coleman
intended to spend their summer vacation rock hunting until the
unearthed what proved to be a huge dinosaur bone."
Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin, Danny
Dunn and the Fossil Cave.
This is probably far out in left field. But Danny Dunn and
his friends go on an expedition in a cave with the Professor and
they find a large intact skeleton of a dinosaur. At one
point, they use an x-ray machine to see through walls and they
think the Professor is in a cage when really he was standing in
the middle of the rib cage of the dinosaur skeleton.
How about Stolen Bones by Joan
Carris?
M79: Mouse in a museum
Solved: Norman the
Doorman
M81: Mrs. Rigby's Pipe
Solved: Mother Rigby's
Pipe
M85: Mickey's Marker
My dad, who isn't in the best of health,
asked me to find a copy of a poem he recited as a young boy in
the early 1930's called "Mickey's Marker." It's about a
boy whose mother dies, and his efforts to earn the money for a
marker for her grave. It would mean a great deal to him if
I could come up with an anthology that contained this
poem. Thanks so much.
According to a page I have bookmarked, American
Women Playwrights 1900-1950, something called Mickey's
Marker was published in 1930 by a Leota Hulse
Black. Sorry that it doesn't give any more
information, but it might be a clue.
Leota Hulse Black, Mickey's Marker.
Like the requester's father, I also recited
Mickey's Marker. In my case, it was for a
high school prize speaking contest in 1958. The author is
Leota Hulse Black and the piece is a short story, as I recall,
not a poem. A real tearjerker. But who is Leota
Hulse Black? Have found very little about her on line.'
M86: Mouse defends house from cat
Solved: Mouse's House
M87: My side of the room
Solved: This Room Is Mine
M88: Melissa
Solved: Melissa
M90: Miss Bickerton's Boarding House
The other day someone told me of a book she had loved since
childhood...she is probably close to 60. All she could tell
me that the book was entitled something like "Miss Bickerton's
Boarding House", or "....Boarding School", or something like
that. No author, and no other information about the
book. I would imagine that this might have been from the
40's or earlier. Thanks for any clues you might have..or even a
title. Bickerton may be an approximation of that name...she was
not sure.
Not that I supppose it has much bearing,
but Miss Bickerton is a character in Jane Austen's Emma.
She is a boarder at Mrs. Goddard's (along with Harriet Smith).
Couldn't find anything involving bickerton,
but there's Miss Slimmens' Boarding House, by Metta
Victoria Fuller Victor, published New York, Ogilvie, 1882.
No plot description available though. Less likely is Jenny
Wren's Boarding House: a Story of Newsboy Life in New York
by James Otis, illustrated by W.S. rogers, published
Boston, Estes & Lauriat 1893, still no plot description but
the subtitle gives a hint. And just perhaps - Mrs.
Leicester's school; or, the history of several young ladies
related by themselves by Charles and Mary Lamb,
published by Dent, 1920s? "The experiences of Mrs.
Leicester's ten pupils herein related differ largely. Miss
Louisa Manners, aged seven, tells of a memorable visit to her
grandmother's farm, while Miss Ann Withers recounts the
dramatic story of how she was changed for the baby of a noble
family and how she herself brought about her own downfall. The
immaculateness of the telling throughout does Mrs. Leicester
great credit." (Books for Boys and Girls, 1927 Toronto
Public Library)
Also possible - Becky's Boarding
House: a Brownie Scout Story, by Eleanor Thomas,
illustrated by Gertrude Howe, published Scribner 1952, 119 pages
"Brownie Scouts and their doings make up this story book for
girls of 9 to 10." (Book Review Digest 1952)
Metta Victoria Victor, Miss Slimmens'
Boarding House, 1887.
Sounds the most likely. Other possibilities include L.T.
Meade's The Girls of Mrs. Pritchard's School
(1904 also others by this author) Evelyn Everett
Green's Miss Greyshott's Girls (1907) or Mabel
Tyrrell's Miss Pike and Her Pupils (1928).
M91: Mystery of Skull Cave
Solved: Skeleton Cave
M92: Mrs. Santa Claus
Solved: Number Two Joy Street
M93: Mrs. Pickerel's Upside Down House
Solved: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
M94: Magic Stove Dial Invisible Siblings
Solved: M is for Mischief
M95:
Mud bath
Solved: Karoleena
M96: Mail-eating monsters
Solved: One Monster After Another
M97: Mystery and Monsters???
SCHOLASTIC PUT IT OUT I THINK, MID 70'S? HAD VARIOUS
STORIES OF HORROR THEMED STUFF! REMEBER THE COVER HAVING A
DINOSAUR AND BIGFOOT DRAWINGS ON IT! THE REASON I'M LOOKING
WAS WA STORY OF ABOUT ''THE ELEVATOR OPERATOR''! THERE'S A
PIC OF THE 'GHOST' IN THE STORY TOO! BLACK AND WHITE PIC AT THAT!
REMEMBER IT BEING POCKET SIZE AS WELL!!!! I'M GOING NUTS FOR
ALL THESE YEARS LOOKING! THANKS.
I vividly remember the "Elevator Operator"
story from a mid-1970's Scholastic paperback called Strange
but True: (some number) Amazing Stories. The
black-and-white illustration of the operator terrified me.
This sounds like it could be an answer
someone gave for another stumper, STRANGE BUT TRUE; 22
Amazing Stories by Donald J. Sobol
~from a librarian
c.b. colby, strangely enough! I remember a Scholastic paperback
of this in my 2nd grade classroom. Intended for older than 2nd
grade obviously. Lots of ghost stories, some factual (the "Mary
Celeste" incident), some rumor-y (Loch Ness monster) Definite
"Twilight Zone"/"Ripley's Believe it or Not" feel. Colby was
also the author of books about military hardware for budding
warriors -- many titles of which "Arms and armor of Our Fighting
Men" is the only one I can remember.
I am also looking for a
book that seems close to this description... The only thing I
can recall is the cover; a painting version of the Bigfoot film
taken by Roger Patterson, and other monsters. I also recall that
a number of the stories inside were of legendary beasts and
animals, including the hoop snake, a weird beast that had legs
shorter on one side, and always had to run on the hillsides;
& the Jersey Devil. also "strange being" stories like
Springheel Jack and the Mad Gasser of Matoon. If this
seems to be the same book, I am crazy to find it as it was one
of my favorites between 7th and 9th grades, when I lost it in a
move.
M98: Maggie goes to camp
Solved: Just Plain Maggie
M99: Medieval adventure romance
I do not know whether you can help me or
not as I can remember very little about the book. It is
definitely fantasy/adventure type set in mediaeval type
ages. There are horses in it somewhere. The part I
remember is that there is this couple, a man and a woman--they
are betrothed or something--but don't know the first thing about
each other. They have to sleep in the same bed but don't
trust each other. They are both warrior types. He
places his sword down the middle of the bed and after they have
become friends and been through various adventures the sword is
placed at the door.
David Eddings, Belgariad
(series of 5), 1980s. Some
similarities in this series to what is remembered by the poster
- they are not technically children's books, but when I worked
in public libraries (until 1990) the series was bought for
'young adult' as well as 'adult fiction' sections of the
library. Can't remember the individual titles, and there was a
second series called the Malloreon which too the
story further. There is certainly a sword that in the last book
of the first series (the Belgariad) 'blushes' when put at or
outside the door of the nuptial chamber when Garath and C'nedra
finally consumate their marriage.
Eddings, David, Belgariad/ Mallorean,
1980s. Further info on the two series
mentioned: Belgariad: Pawn of Prophecy, Queen
of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit, Castle of Wizardry, Enchanter's
Endgame. Mallorean: Guardians of the West, King of the
Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda, Sorceress of Darshiva, Seeress
of Kell
Rosemary Sutcliffe, The Mark of the
Horse Lord. Don't
remember about the sword in the bed, but definitely a
warrior-like and warring hero and heroine in the medieval The
Mark of the Horse Lord. Marketed to teens, but
really bordering on adult rather than young adult. The two
were betrothed, but as a ritual the man had to hunt the woman on
horseback in the beginning. Odds are placed in his favor
by mounting her on a tired horse and (???) binding her
hands??? Anyway, he catches her and she tries to knife
him, but he disarms her . . . but that's just how they get
together. They are betrothed as an alliance of clans,
etc. The focus of the book is on the warring over the
kingdoms, etc. Sound like your book?
Sorry, this one is NOT David
Eddings. I know those books backwards and
forwards. The relationship sounds a little similar to
the main characters, but those two are never allowed to sleep
in the same tent, let alone the same bed.
Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, Rose
of the Prophet trilogy, 1989. I'm not sure if
these are the books the poster is looking for.They're definitely
NOT for children...I would put them in the mature category, but
the two main (human) characters are a man and a woman who are
betrothed to each other, even though their families are enemies.
They spend the three books going on a Great Quest, and they not
only start off sleeping with a naked sword between the two of
them, but Zohra (the girl) tries to kill Khardan...more than
once. The pantheon of the Gods is involved, as well as Angels,
Wizards, Djin (one of whom is named Pukah) and demons.
This person might also be remembering a portion of one in Piers
Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality
series. I think in the book about Mars, the man who becomes Mars
is initially betrothed to a woman he doesn't know, and they are
sent to a honeymoon palace, but spend the first number of nights
in the same bed with an unsheathed sword between the two of
them I think they both loved someone else. Of course, they
end up falling madly in love. I can't remember what
happens next, I do know that he becomes the god of War...
This person is definitely NOT talking the Belgariad or
the Mallorean (although those series certainly merit a
reading...or twelve), as Garion and Ce'Nedra never actually hate
each other.
Tamora Pierce, Alanna.
I don't remember the exact episode
described, but could this be one of the books in the Alanna
series by Tamora Pierce? She wants to be a knight so
originally poses as a boy. of course as she grows up in
later books her cover is blown. After that romance does
come into her relationship with her male companion.
Tamora Pierce, Song of the Lioness
(Alanna) series. This is NOT the
answer to this stumper - I just read the Alanna series and she
isn't betrothed to anyone, nor does she sleep with a sword
between her and soneome else.
Jennifer Roberson, Sword
Dancer.Might this be the first book of Jennifer
Roberson's Sword Dancer series? The
plot involves a female sword dancer (warrior/duelist) who hires
a male sword dancer to travel with her in search of her
brother. She doesn''t trust him in the beginning of the
story but eventually they fall in love. The sword in the
middle of the bed rings a bell with me, and this is the first
book I thought of upon reading that detail in the summary
submitted by the original poster...hopefully I''m not mixing it
up with some other book!
Rosemary Sutcliff, Song for a
Dark Queen, 1979. Song for a Dark Queen
by Rosemary Sutcliff doesn't fit this description
terribly well, except for the fact that Boudicca (Boadicea),
married unwillingly, puts her father's sword on the bed between
herself and her new husband. Eventually, when she finds
that she loves him, the sword is put outside the door.
Perhaps the searcher is mixing this episode with the story from
another book (or not - it may well be in the other book, but I
thought it couldn't hurt to submit this)
M100: Marine Biology
Solved: "Minnow" Vail
M101: Magic pencil
Solved: Humpty Dumpty's
Bedtime Stories
M102:
Multiplication tables
I am trying to remember a poem we used to
recite in school. It was about a little girl who studied
her tables over and over and couldn't remember the answer to 6
times 9, so her sister told her to call her favorite doll
(Maryann) her dear little 54 to help her remember the answer.
Next day at school Elizabeth Wigglesworth answered teacher's
questions re the problem of 6 x 9 incorrectly, so when teacher
asked Dorothy, she thought of her doll and anwered "Maryann".I
would love to find the author's name and, of course, the correct
language in the poem. I am 71 years old and it's a chore
to force my memory back that far. Would sincerely
appreciate your help.
Right on the tip of my tongue.
Wonderful poem.
Anna Maria Pratt, "A Mortifying Mistake"
from Little Rhymes for Little People, 1896.
I studied my tables over and over, / and
backward and forward, too / But I couldn't remember six times
nine, / and I didn't know what to do, / Till sister told me to
play with my doll, / and not to bother my head. / "If you call
her `Fifty-four' for a while, / you'll learn it by heart," she
said. / So I took my favorite, Mary Ann / though I thought
'twas a dreadful shame / To give such a perfectly lovely child
/ such a perfectly horrid name), / And I called her my dear
little "Fifty-four" / a hundred times, till I knew / The
answer of six times nine as well / as the answer of two times
two. / Next day Elizabeth Wigglesworth, / who always acts so
proud, / Said, "Six times nine is fifty-two," / and I nearly
laughed aloud! / But I wished I hadn't when teacher said, /
"Now, Dorothy, tell if you can." / For I thought of my doll
and / --sakes alive!--I answer, "Mary Ann!"
M103: A mystery involving a girl named Kit
Solved: Mystery of the
Pirate's Ghost
M104: My little chipmunk
This was my mom's "only book" when she was
little. After she learned to read she "read it every day."
This was in the early 1940's. If possible I would like to
find a copy. Thanks so much.
Well, the date's right, anyway, maybe - Chipper,
by Hortense Flexner, illustrated by Wyncie King,
published Stokes 1941. "Though a real chipmunk sat for his
picture in this realistic story, it is written with charm and
a pleasant turn of fancy. Chipper was the member of a family
who believed in giants and did not trouble to store up
supplies for winter. That is, until he had tamed his giant
animal who gave him sunflower seeds to carry away in his
pouches. While Chipper was sure he had tamed his giant friend,
the human giants felt the same way about him. An entertaining
story for pet lovers, well illustrated." (Horn Book Sep/41
p.369)
M104 my little chipmunk: another possible
title is Cheeky Chipmunk by Helen & Alf
Evers, published Chicago, Rand-McNally 1945. "The tale of
a chimpmunk who loves to tease but becomes the victim of one of
his own pranks."
Could be Scatter the Chipmunk,
by Catherine Cate Coblentz, illustrated by Berta
Schwartz, published Chicago Childrens Press 1946, with
four color illustrations and illustrated endpapers. "Story of
the adventures of three young chipmunks and how old Grey Cat
tries to catch them on their forays for food. Scatter, the baby
in the chipmunk family, is always in trouble. However, a little
girl looks after him."
This may be too late into the 1940's (1947),
but as a child I had a beautiful book written and illustrated by
Marjorie Torrey called Three Little Chipmunks.
Chuffy, Chirpy and Cheeky get into trouble for frightening Mr.
Wren's chicks. Cheeky is wrongly accused and is sent to
bed without supper. When the truth is learned, Cheeky's
mother brings him a big bowl of ice cream, and he is later asked
to "babysit" the Wren chicks.
McElroy and Younge (American Book Co.), Toby Chipmunk,
1937, copyright. Hope this helps! Toby Chipmunk is
an early reader which I read in a Wisconsin one-room schoolhouse
in the late forties - it's extremely difficult to find (I
finally did get a copy) and not cheap! It's about talking,
clothes-wearing chipmunk children who live with Grandma Chipmunk
in her house in a hollow tree trunk. A delightful little
book.
M105: Mothman, old mose
I ordered a book in elementary school, around 1975, from a school
program. The book was probably Scholastic. I thought the title was
Mythical Monsters, or something similar. It was a
collection of short encounters with 'real' monsters. Stories I
remember: Old Mose (a giant bear), Devil's Footprints,
and The Mothman. The book was illustrated. The cover was a
depiction of The Mothman. I have been unable to track it down. I
would appreciate any help you could provide. Thanks
Daniel Cohen, mid-late 70's. I had that book
also. Can't recall the title offhand, but Daniel Cohen
wrote several similar books during this period and they often
appear on eBay. I can tell you it is NOT Supermonsters.
If M105 is indeed a Daniel Cohen
book, it's probably his Monsters, Giants and Little Men
from Mars -- the date (1975) is right, and
apparently this one does cover Mothman; not sure about the other
beasties listed in question.
M106: Marnie sea ghost girl
Solved: When Marnie Was There
M107: Millowner's daughter's diary
I recall a children's/teenage book from the early eighties or
thereabouts about a girl of around thirteen, an only child, who
moves house to the North of England- I think somewhere in
Manchester. She finds something under the floorboards of her new
bedroom- some sort of diary or document connecting her to a story
from the past. The past story, which is possibly told in parallel
chapters, concerns the progressive and kind daughter of an
exploitative millowner. She tries to assist the workers in some
sort of political or charitable endeavour. This story ends sadly.
I can't remember the title or author, although the latter's name
may have begun with "M". Grateful for any clues.
Mabel Esther Allan, The Mills Down
Below, 1980.
It's a while since I read this, but the girl's age & the
place would be right. It was set just before the First
World War & she was the daughter of a mill-owner who fought
for the mill workers' & womens' rights. I do have
vague memories of it starting with finding a diary.
M108: Mouse wears red
Solved: Friends and Neighbors
M109: Mabel
Solved: The Adventures of Mabel
M110: Musical notation characters
The characters were named for musical notations, i.e. G Clef,
Allegro. This book was probably aimed at grade
schoolers. Not much to go on, but thanks for trying.
M110 musical notation characters: this is
probably too early and too long, but just in case, Prince
Melody of Music Land, written by Elizabeth
Simpson, illustrated by Mary Virginia Martin, published by
Knopf 1921, 183
pages, hardbound book that measures 5.5" by
8.25", pictorial binding. I have seen one illustration from
this, the picture shows a witchy type with caption: "My name is
Treble Clef" she piped.
M111: Miles, a character in an enchanting book
Solved: The Ghost of
Dibble Hollow
M112: Mystery about the Lost Dauphin of France
Solved: Mystery of the Other
House
M113: Magical Island
I have been hunting for a book that I read in the mid-late
1970's. It was a story about a magical island (perhaps a wishing
island). I remember it as being a beautiful place. I'm not sure
how the main character got to the island. I remember where
in the school library it was, it was light green (I think), hard
covered, and around a 1/2 inch thick. I wish I could remember
more. Perhaps you have the answer. Thank You.
M113: Sounds like The Green Isle
(1974) by Philip Burton, adoptive father of Richard
Burton! It's a
romantic fairy tale that takes place in
Wales in the 11th century (the Norman invasion). Two lovers seek
a place of permanent refuge and there's a beautiful island that
they can only see from a certain point on the mainland - when
they move, the isle magically disappears. A clever servant
figures out that the only way to keep the isle in sight and thus
reach it is to take the "vantage point" with them!
M113 This is just a guess, but could it be EVER-AFTER
ISLAND by Elizabeth Starr Hill, 1977. A
scientific expedition goes to an island (with some of the
children of the scientists) and all the stuff of fairytales -
elves, mermaids, etc. exist on this island. I have the
hardcover, and it has a pale blue cover. ~from a librarian
Maybe - Fairwater, by Alastair
Reid, illustrated by Walter Lorraine, published Houghton
1957. "Fairwater was a small island shaped like a sea horse
... a legend, a place too good to be true, too gay, too green,
too
neat, too lovely for anyone in the Seven
Kingdoms to risk a visit, lest they never come back. The most
remarkable thing about it was that it was always Today on
Fairwater. Scarcely less remarkable was its Princess Tiran who
had suddenly appeared when Lorn the old magician was
experimenting with a spell called 'How to Make Girls out of
Air.' This is the story of the lovely Tiran with silky hair
the color of wind, of Garth who loved her, and what happened
when Phooph the glassblower of Croam put a strange glass curse
upon Fairwater. The imaginative pictures make it a lovely
book." (Horn Book Jun/57 p.222)
M113 magical island: More on one suggested -
Ever-after Island, by Elizabeth Starr Hill,
published 1977, 119 Pages. "Ryan and Sara Finney were used
to exploring remote parts of the world; since their mother
died, their fish-expert father had taken them on a number of
expeditions. But never to an island that was only a dot marked
with an X on a hand-drawn map. And certainly never with as
secretive a leader as Dr. Moody Murk, who had already found
the bones of a little manlike creature, unknown to science,
and who was fanatically looking for the discovery of a
lifetime. Ryan was especially curious about Dr. Murk's
hoped-for scientific coup when he saw the ship the old man had
chartered---strangely like a pirate vessel. And even more
curious were the scientist's carefully guarded research
souces---strangely like fairy tale volumes!" (from the
dustjacket)
M113 magical island: also worth looking at
is the Patricia Gordon / Joan Howard book The
Oldest Secret, published Viking 1953. The boy in
that goes to a magical island with a sunken forest, where he
meets Robin Goodfellow and Pan, as well as dangers of various
kinds.
M113 magic island: another possible is Children's
Island, written and illustrated by Richard G.
Robinson, published Dent 1971, 160 pages. "Darley has
marigold coloured hair which seems on fire and an imagination
which is on fire. His teacher puzzles but his mother accepts.
In the tool shed his mind takes him on a journey to the island
of tigers and children where realism is confined to the
crotchety old Grumkin who is as far away as can be and where
the evil monster Vambatta awaits destruction at his hands."
(Children's Book Review Jun/71 p.91)
Could this one be Dean Marshall's The
Invisible Island?
Definitely not Dean Marshall - The
Invisible Island was about children in Connecticut,
not a fantasy story.
M114: Mirror is gate into another land
Solved: The Winter of Enchantment
M115: Melinda lived in a little white
house
Solved: The Tale of Custard the Dragon
M116:Magic Boots
Solved: What the Witch Left
M117: Magic book
I remember reading a fantasy story in the mid to late 70's
about a man who buys either an illustrated book or a picture which
transports him to a fantasy fairytale land but I cannot recall the
title or the author.
The plot sounds like The
Never-ending Story by Michael Ende, but the
main character in that is a young boy, Bastien, and it was first
published in the US in 1983. It's a common enough plot device,
though.
Donaldson, Stephen, The
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever, 1977.
Could it be the Thomas Covenant series by Stephen Donaldson?
The protagonist is a leper shunned by his neighbors, cast off by
his wife who takes their baby son with her. He falls and
hits his head and wakes up in "The Land" -- a beautiful country
with giants and magic, but loomed over by evil Lord Foul, whom
Thomas is summoned to conquer -- his white gold wedding ring
plays a large part in the series.
M118:Mrs. +cats
Solved: Miss Lollipop's Lion
M119: My Africa
About 15 years ago, CBS had a 1 hour weekly series that summer
called "The CBS Summer Playhouse". One of the episodes was based
on the memoirs of the little girl in the story. She and her
younger brother were sent to live with their estranged father, who
was a doctor in Africa, after their mother's death. They were from
England, so I assume the book was probably published there. I'm
almost positive that the title of the book the episode was based
on was called "My Africa". I've had no luck in finding out
anything about this book, or who wrote it. If the book is anything
like the 1 hour episode, it would be a great read!
A similar story, though perhaps not the one
wanted is The Toe-Rags: a Story of a Strange Bringing-up
in Southern Rhodesia, by Daphne Anderson,
published London, Methuen 1989, 373 pages. The narrator and her
young brother are taken in by their estranged father's family
after their mother vanishes. The brother is favoured, but Daphne
is never accepted and is brought up largely by the black
servants. Like most Rhodesians of the time, the family is more
English than the English, and they reject her partly because
they think she may have native blood. It may be too recent,
though.
M119 sounds awfully familiar...could it be
something by Isak Dinesen? Do we know what the
time period is?
Thank you for your prompt response! I really appreciate your
help. The two possible answers given aren't correct. If I
remember correctly, the time period the book was set in would
probably be the 1930's, or there about. I even emailed CBS, but
of course they never responded to my query. I'll keep checking
back. Thank you again for your wonderful service!
Elspeth Huxley, The Flame Trees of
Thika, 1959.
This might be it! Memories of an Africa Childhood by Elspeth
Huxley. A famous book I believe.This was made into a movie in
recent times, I remember catching a glimpse of it. I thought it
was on PBS. Haley Mills, an adult, had a part.
This isn't The Flame Trees of Thika.
In that memoir, the entire family goes to Africa (one parent is
not dead) to run a coffee plantation.
This is not a solution, but does offer some
more data on the TV episode. I found a description in
UNSOLD TELEVISION PILOTS: 1955 THROUGH 1988 by Lee Goldberg
(McFarland, 1990) it's entry #2248 there. The saliant
bits: TWO WORLDS (a.k.a. MY AFRICA). 60
minutes. Airdate: 6/21/88. . . Writer: Blanche Hanalis. .
. Aired as a segment of CBS SUMMER PLAYHOUSE. This pilot,
set in 1952, stars Carl Weintraub as Dr. Charles Marston, the
son of British and American parents, raised in Africa and
educated in America, where he marries and raises a family.
When his wife dies, he brings his two children (Jaime McEnnan
and Gennie James) to Kenya, where he opens a jungle clinic,
aided by his Maasai friend (Joseph Mydell) and a woman doctor
from an aristocratic British family (Jenifer Landor). Shot
on location in Kenya. . . Note that the entry in the
Goldberg book doesn't make any mention of a book from which the
show (the unsold pilot) was derived, if any. Looking at other
entries, he usually seems to do so when appropriate, at least
for well-known sources, but I did spot at least one other case
where they missed a book I know, and one or two in which they
get such a citation wrong in some way, so that's not Goldberg's
chief focus. Maybe there's an ultimate book behind this
one and maybe not, but it looks like the odds are against
it. Blanche Hanalis wrote a lot of screenplays, some
adapted from books and some apparently original stories. I
can'\''t find her credited in WorldCat with a book under either
the MY AFRICA or TWO WORLDS title, nor do I find a book called
TWO WORLDS that seems to match the premise described. Hope
this helps a bit, at least.
M120: Mannequin as a Doll
Solved: Bad Times of Irma Baumlein
M121:
Mannequins Abandoned Children
Solved: Secrets of the Shopping Mall
M123:
Miranda World War II
Solved: Four Story
Mistake
M124:
Machine peanut butte navy
The book was about a boy who goes on a ?navy ship to build a
machine or something. He is hidden under a big cover while he
builds and everyone wonders what he is up to. I specifically
remember he gives them a needed supplies list that includes peanut
butter and jelly among the wood/nails, etc. When he is done,
he has a great --invention or machine--I think?
M125: Miss Pitty Pat?
Solved: Pitty Pat, the Fuzzy Cat
M126:
Mr. or Dr. Snell
Solved: Mother Goose
M127: Mother Goose / poetry collection
Solved: Better Homes
and Gardens Story Book
M128a: Mockingbird Flight
Solved: Mockingbird Flight
M129: mythology books
There was a series of books at my public library in the early
1960s with different stories in them - one, say, on Greek myths,
another of other mythology-type stories, several of these. From
what I remember, they were gray (this is the main memory, other
than some of the stories), and I believe they had pictures in
black on the cover, and the titles in black on the spine
there were at least 4 or 5 of them, maybe more. Any ideas?
Try Patrick Collum....
Oxford Myths and Legends Series?
1950s. Oxford University Press published a series of books
like this in the '50's: here's one example: Picard,
Barbara Leonie FRENCH LEGENDS, TALES & FAIRY STORIES
1st edition 1955, Oxford University Press,
in the Myths & Legends series. 5th volume in the series. 216
pages. Striking full page colour and black & white
illustrations by Joan Kiddell-Monroe. Stone coloured cloth.
Spine gilt, slightly bumped at tail. (Is "stone coloured
cloth" close enough?)
I think you may be thinking of The
Young Folks' Shelf of Books put out by P. F. Collier
and Sons. The set may consist of 10 volumes(?). Each dealing
with a different theme. Vol 3- Myths and Legends, vol 4-Hero
Tales, vol 5- Stories That Never Grow Old.etc. May be worth a
look!
Ingri D'aulaire, Edgar D'aulaire, D'Aulaires
Book of Greek Myths.
I remember reading a grey book of greek myths with the drawings
on the front being sort of black lineart. I found it but the
cover is different. The one I read was a big hardcover.
There seems to be another one on Norse myths
so maybe its the series you're looking for?
M130a: Mystery
Solved: Meg and the
Ghost of Hidden Springs
M130b: magic
Solved: Magic Bonbons
M131:
Mortimer
Solved: Ghosts Who Went to School
M132:
Make-believe bear and a boy
I think this book might have been published
as a Whitman Tell-A Tale" book. It was one of the favorite
books that I read to my boys. We called in the "Me Bear"
book but I cannot recall the real name of the book. The
little boy went for a walk and came back with a bear. It seems
that maybe the bear could only be seen by the little boy and not
his mother. We lost this book in a move many years later
an all our grown sons have asked about the book because they
would like to share it with their sons.
#M122--Make-believe bear and a boy: A
story about a boy bringing a bear home is Benny and the
Bear, by Barbee Oliver Carleton, but there
is no mother in that and the bear is quite real! Stories
about a boy, his mother, and an imaginary bear are the Blackboard
Bear series.
Joan Walsh Anglund, Cowboy and His
Friend. This the story
of a little boy and his imaginary bear friend.
Knoche, Norma and Daly, Eileen, A
Story About Me.
(1966) I am sure that the book you are looking for is A
Story About Me, by Norma Knoche and Eileen Daly. This is a
Whitman Big Tell-a-Tale book, and the plot is just as you
described: a little boy finds a bear in the woods and brings him
home, only the boy's mother is unable to see the bear.
This was a childhood favorite of mine also, and I enjoy reading
it to my children.
A Story About Me. The book is definitely A Story Bout Me. It
is my all-time favorite children's book and I still have my
original copy. I especially enjoyed the part where Mom
gives them milk and cookies and Me Bear is so shy that he
doesn'\''t wave to her until he is at the gate at the end of the
walk. I remember reading this to myself, my younger
sister, my two girls and now I look forward to reading it to my
Grandchildren someday. Although I think I could recite it
from memory, I am glad I have the book. The illustrations
are priceles.
M133: Merry uses disguises
Solved: The New Moon
with the Old
M134:
Mexican Family makes soup or stew
Solved: Mexicali Soup
M135:
Mrs. ?'s Garden
Solved: Miss Jaster's Garden
M136: Mad about horses
Solved: The Midnight
Horse
M137: Marjorie
Solved: Marjorie
and Co.
M138a:
Mystery series with children at summer house
This is a group of books, dark purple
hardbacks. A mystery series about children who went to
stay for the summer at a house at the end of a boardwalk by the
ocean. At the other end was an old rundown house with
thick vines and trees in its backyard and the children thought
it was haunted. And old woman with a cane and a dog.
The children were afraid of the old woman, she lost her dog
during a storm, the haunted house was cleaned up and a big party
was given there by the new owners, and also a captain had a boat
moored off of the boardwalk. This series had nothing to do
with boxcar series. Was always located at this boardwalk.
Jerry West, Happy Hollisters,
1960s?? Could the series be the Happy
Hollisters by Jerry West? There are so many titles in that
collection-- HH and the Sea Gull Beach. HH and the Sea
Turtle Mystery, HH and the Old Clipper Ship are a
few. Or maybe the Bobbsey Twins by Laura
Lee Hope,(I think)! BT at the Seashore,BT at Lakeport,
BT at Lighthouse Point, and others. Honey Bunch
is another old series. I don't know much of this set.
M138 mystery series: this sounds a bit like
Captain Ghost (Solved List) but that wasn't a
series.
Could this be The Maida Books
by Inez Haynes Irwin from the 1940's? The poster gave no
indication when these books were read! There is Maida's
Little Lighthouse, Maida's Little Island, Maida's Little
Houseboat, etc. In M's Houseboat the boat
breaks from its dock during a sudden fierce storm and the boat
is adrift. It finally runs aground on the island and the
children are stranded there for several days. They stay in an
old stone house called Stonehenge and they discover a stray dog
marooned on the island as well. Many of the stories in this
series take place on the large property owned by Maida's father:
the Big House where he lives, the Girls House and the Boy's
House where the children live--they are on the coast of
Massachusetts. There is a dock with the houseboat and the island
offshore.The endsheets are illustrated to depict the Westabrook
property and the story settings. As a kid I always loved maps
and diagrams where I could track the actions as they unfolded!
Could this be the Hilda Boden books
about the Marlows? Several titles: Marlows at Castle
Cliff, Marlows at the Regatta, Marlows at Newgate, The Two
Emeralds. She has other stories but I don't know if
the Marlow children are in them- House by the Sea,
Treasure Trove, Mystery of the Island Keep. I am not
familiar with these books but I came upon them recently- since
they were a series I thought I'd give it a shot!
John and Nancy Rambeau, The Mystery
of Morgan Castle, 1962.
This is the first book in the series of dark purple books called
the morgan bay mysteries. They are about children who live
in morgan bay along the boardwalk and think the morgan house is
haunted. However in it live an old lady with a cane and
she has a dog. Could be what you are looking for.
John and Nancy Rambeau, The Morgan
Bay Mysteries.
(1962-65) This sounds remarkably like the Morgan Bay
Mysteries, though you seem to be talking about scenes from
several of the books, not just one. These books were
hardcover with illustrations in shades of purple. The
first book, The Mystery of Morgan Castle, involves Gabby, Bill
and Vinny Summers who live in the seaside town of Morgan
Bay. There is a vine-covered castle at the end of the
boardwalk and old Mrs. Wellington lives right next door with her
dog (who runs away). In another book in the series, The
Mystery of the Midnight Visitor, the house is fixed up and is
the site of a Garden Club party.
M138b: Mac and Tilly fall in love at college
I remember reading this book in the early 1970's in middle
school. It was a paperback book that was probably published
in the 1950's-1906's and might have been purchased through a
school book club such as Scholastic or Troll. It was
classified as a young adult book similiar to the books that
Rosamond Du Jardin wrote. It was about two people, Mac and
Tilly (I think that was the girl's name). They were
next door neighbors and had a love-hate brother/sister like
relationship. The book started out with Mac already in college and
Tilly finishing up her Senior year in high school getting ready to
go the her spring prom. I remember that Tilly had brown hair
and I think Mac was described with red hair. After graduation,
Tilly ends up going to the same college that Mac attends and that
is when the problems begin. Mac does not like the boyfriend
that Tilly has at college and Mac's college girlfriend is very
jealous of Tilly. I also remember that Tilly lived in a door
room and she and her roommate had matching bedspeads and curtains
in their room. I also remember the girls being roused out of
bed in the middle of the night for a "Kangaroo Court" and Tilly
was ordered to stay away from Mac. There was also some
quirky think about the college having a superstition or saying
that when the college bell tower rang the next person you ran into
on campus was suppose to be your true love. The next person
that Tilly ran into the day the bells rang was Mac. There
was other types of boy-girl trouble on campus and both Mac and
Tilly went home for Christmas break very unhappy with their
lives. The book ended with Tilly going over to
Mac's house to take his family a Christmas present from her family
and she and Mac realized that they had fallen in love with one
another. I can remember eveything about this book except for
the Author and Title! I would love to track this book down
for my collection. I hope that someone will read this and be able
to help me. Thank you!
ARGH! I've read this one too - and
loved it. It was called something like To Find Your
Love, or I'll Find My Love - I
remember a little snatch of song that Mac sings at the end when
they realize they were - to quote Sleepless in Seattle -
MFEO (Meant for Each Other)! Maybe by Mary
Stolz? Maybe not? Now, you've got ME going crazy!!
Joan Dirksen, I'll Find My Love
(1957) I was not the original poster,
but when I read this I remembered the book perfectly. It
drove me crazy for months, but I rooted around in my 50+ years
of memory to finally remember a title. I ordered it ILL
and it is the one!! I got chills when I read the first
page! Yes, it is very 50's in tone, but it is really
well-written. I am so excited, all I can say is: "And now
we are so happy, we do the dance of joy!!!"
M139: Monster at beach eats people
Solved: The Hungry Sea Monster
2002
M140: mystery-adventure
Solved: Mystery of the Haunted Mine
M141: Mojo Swaptop
Solved: Mojo Swoptop
M142:
Mystery at Lookout Mountain
Solved: Lookout Mystery Series
M143:
the messy room
Solved: The Big Tidy-Up
M144: Mermaid
Solved: Clelia and the
Little Mermaid
M145: Mother Goose
Solved: Silver Pennies
M146:
Mother Goose Rhyme/Fairy Tale book
Solved: Annual Mammoth Story Books
M147:
mother with children who have individual
requests
Solved: Heckedy
Peg
M148: Mr. greens spaceship?
Solved: Wonderful
Flight to the Mushroom Planet
M149: Magic Boots
Solved: What the Witch
Left
M150: Magic Mirror
Solved: Little Witch
M151:
Mom, dad, little kid; a day in the life
This is a book from the late 60's early 70's. From what I recall
the whole book has an aqua hue and black and white sketching. It's
about a toddler aged child who throughout the course of his/her
day eats oatmeal with mom and dad, throws a tantrum, and it even
includes (and I quote) the child having a "BM" on the toilet. The
whole toilet thing really stands out in my memory. I want to say
that the book is about dealing with emotions but it's abstract.
2003
M152:
mystery at a girls' camp
Solved: Mystery at Laughing Water
M153: Me too cried little Davy
Solved: Snowman's
Christmas Present
M154: Moon will wane and wax again
This was a collection of stories that were
sort of like fairy tales, but not any of the familiar
ones. One story was about something that happened to the
moon, and the main thing I remember is that someone told the
moon that from now on, "You will wane, but you will wax again",
referring to the cycles of the moon. Another story in the
book was about a princess named Paz, which meant peace.
And from another story in the book, all I can remember is a
detail about rabbits growing "rabbit tobacco", which stuck in my
mind although it was not important to the story. Now, I
think in this same book there was Oscar Wilde's story, "The
Birthday of the Infanta". But I don't think the other
stories from the book are written by him, from what I've been
able to find out. I think this was just an eclectic mix of
stories, and I would dearly love to find it again.
This isn't a solution, but rabbit tobacco
(lavender) is mentioned in Beatrix Potter's stories.
Sally Patrick Johnson (editor), A
Book of Princesses
I sent this stumper in, and I just wanted
to note that the solution is NOT the Princesses book edited by
Sally Patrick Johnson. There are lots of wonderful
stories in there, but no story about a princess named Paz,
(actually, I wonder why it is not). Also, the story
about the moon waxing and waning is not in there. It
could be that the Infanta story wasn't really in the book I'm
trying to find - I may be remembering that wrong. And,
the rabbit tobacco detail was in a story about animals (maybe
rabbits, maybe not), but I don't think it was a Beatrix Potter
story. Thanks for the ideas though!
George Macdonald , Little Daylight. Could the 'waxing and waning of
the moon' refer to George Macdonald's short story "Little
Daylight" about a princess who is cursed by an evil hag at her
christening to 'wax and wane with the moon"? I read this as a
child in an anthology I thought it was the 'Princesses'
book that I suggested earlier, but could be wrong.
This is the original poster again.
Nope, it's not The Princesses. In my edition of
The Princesses (copyright 1962) edited by Sally Patrick
Johnson, the George Macdonald story is called The Light
Princess. Her evil aunt curses her to have no
gravity (both lack of physical weight and emotional
seriousness). Her Prince must allow himself to be
drowned to fill up a sinking lake that the Princess loves to
swim in. So, that is not it - nothing to do with the
moon
waxing and waning. Can you remember
which anthology it was where you might have read a different
version of the story? And really, I'm hoping that the
"princess named Paz" clue might ring a bell with
someone. As I remember it, the very first line of the
story gave her name and explained that Paz meant peace.
But I have had no success in searching for it. Does
anyone out there remember a princess named Paz?
Rina Singh, Moon tales : myths of the
moon from around the world, 1999. This is just a possibility, since I
don't actually have the book to check the details, but I thought
it was worth mentioning. It may be too recent. When
did you read it? The contents list includes stories about
rabbits, the moon, and a princess no Oscar Wilde,
though. "The greedy man (Chinese) -- The thieves of Chelm
(Jewish) -- Anansi (West African) -- Hina (Polynesian) -- The
daughter of the moon and the son of the sun (Siberian) -- The
rabbit and the moon man (Canadian) -- The sun, wind and the moon
(Indian) -- The buried moon (English) -- The moon princess
(Japanese) -- Why the moon waxes and wanes (Australian)"
No, it is not Moon Tales by Rina
Singh. Great suggestion, though! I checked through
it thoroughly. I also checked similar books of stories about
the moon like Sun, Moon and Stars by Mary Huffman and
Jane Ray, and The Buried Moon and Other Stories by
Molly Bang. No luck. I would have read this
collection of stories in the late 1960's to early
1970's. But I think even books with recent copyrights
might have old stories that ring a bell. But none of
these did.
THE BEDSIDE BOOK OF FAMOUS BRITISH
STORIES maybe? 1956
Elsie Spicer Eells, Tales of
enchantment from Spain,
1950, copyright. Paz is Spanish for peace, so perhaps at
least the princess story was a Spanish folktale. This collection
includes: White parrot -- Carnation youth -- Wood cutter's son
and the two turtles -- Luck fairies -- Bird which laid diamonds
-- Enchanted castle in the sea -- Princess who was dumb -- King
who slept -- Prince Fernando -- Lily and the bear -- Sun, moon,
and morning star -- Frog and his clothes -- White dove of the
city of the Swinging Gate -- Flower of beauty -- Magician
palermo.
M155:
Mrs. Hurry
Solved: Little Miss
Busy
M156: meatball's journey
I had a book as a child in the late 70's or very early 80's that
was about a meatball's journey. I believe it started out with the
meatball on someone's plate and then rolled off, down the hill and
began a strange rolling journey to strange places. The only place
I really remember was an underground town. I remember it as a
strange book, with strange detailed pictures that sometimes
frightened me a little bit. I am trying to obtain all the books I
had in my childhood library for my children and would love the
title for this book. Thanks.
Not quite, but worth a mention: Barrett, Judy. Cloudy
with a Chance of Meatballs. Illustrated by Ron
Barrett. Atheneum Books, 1978.
Tom Glazer, On Top of Spaghetti.
It sure sounds like the storyline, though I
can't vouch for the strange detailed pictures. Be sure to
check out the ones with illustrations by Art Seiden (1966), Tom
Garcia (1982), or Jackie Snider (1982) - which would be the ones
around in the time period you remember. Newer versions in
print have a different illustrator.
This one may be a long shot. Perhaps it was
not a meatball that rolled underground. Perhaps it was a rice
dumpling from the book THE FUNNY LITTLE WOMAN
retold by Arlene Mosel. A rice dumpling falls through a
crack in the old woman's house and leads her underground. It
definitely would seem scary to a child because there were
statues and monsters down there. ~from a librarian
On Top of Spaghetti sounds
like your best bet, since the song is a parody of "On Top
of Old Smokey" and generally starts "On top of spaghetti/All
covered with cheese/I lost my poor meatball/When somebody
sneezed." The meatball goes on rolling out the door
and I believe it eventually gets mushed or smushed.
I'm voting for The Funny Little Woman because of
the hill, the underground city and scariness. Versions I've
seen of On Top of Spaghetti don't have the
underground sequence or the frightening factor.
M157: Mr. Mouse with gray tuft which can be felt on each
page
Solved: Is This the House of Mistress Mouse?
M158: Maryjane and Sniffles
Solved: Mary Jane and
Sniffles
M159: Ms. jenkins hedgehog friend in garden
Solved: Miss Jaster's
Garden
M160: Mice Looking at Cow in Barn from Different
Perspectives
I recall it as a children's picture book in which field mice
describe (in line drawings) what they see in a barn -- and they've
all drawn a cow, but from different perspectives (front, side,
top, etc.) Thanks, everybody, for your help!!!
Sounds like a version of Seven Blind Mice, except
it's usually an elephant they're describing. There's a nice
modern version of that by Ed Young.
Thanks for the suggestion. Seven
Blind Mice is similar in theme, but it's not the book
I'm looking for.
M160 Have you tried consulting A to
Zoo? Most public & school libraries have
this reference book that lists picture books categorized by
animals. Worth a shot!
Thanks for the advice. Sadly, I've checked two different
directories of children's literature -- but to no avail.
Surely
SOMEONE must remember this book!?!
M161: MAGIC SHELL, WILLIAM & MARY?
Solved: William and
Mary: A Story
M162: manners
Solved: Manners Can Be
Fun
M163: Monty Monk's (monkey) Christmas story
Solved: Santa Claus and Lili Monk
M164: Magician in colonial America
Solved: Mr. Wicker's
Window
M165: MLQ Purple
Solved: The Mysterious
Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel)
M166: Merry Little Breezes, stories like Grimm's Fairy
Tales
Solved: Bedtime Stories (Burgess)
M167: moon for the princess
Solved: Many Moons
M168: Match Box girl
Solved: Poppy: The
Adventures of a Fairy
M169: The Man Who Wrote Dirty Books
Solved: The Man Who
Wrote Dirty Books
M170: Mahabharata for Children
I had this book in about 1964; The only way I can distinguish it
from the 12 zillion other Mahabharata's for children is as
follows: - About 8 1/2 x 11 inches - Hardcover - White cover with
pictures of the Pandavas on it - Long - 100 or more pages - Lots
of colored illustrations, usually the top 1/2 or 2/3 of the page,
with text at the bottom - Some full page illustrations
M171: merry little grig
Solved: The Merry Little Grig and His Good
Time
M172: Mexico-donkey- folk art
Solved: ...and Juan
M173: MYSTERY OF HAUNTED WOODS
Solved: Secret of
Turkeyfoot Mountain
M174: My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes
Solved: My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes
M175: the magic flying bus
Solved: The Magic Bus
M176: mouse hibernates in jack o'lantern
Solved: Mousekin's Golden House
M177: Mermaid living in sand castle
Solved: The Wishing Penny and Other Fantasy
Stories
M178: mouse couple / family in vegetable garden
Solved: The Vegetable Thieves
M179: Mrs. Goose
Solved: Mrs. Goose series
M181: Muggles and the Periods Family Tree
Solved: The Gammage Cup
M182: Mongolian boy regains family's honor
Solved: The Year of the
Horse
M183: Mrs. Grimsby Is a Witch
Solved: Miss Grimsbee
Is A Witch
M184: Mystery Motel
Solved: Motel of the
Mysteries
M185: Maine Woods' Winter
Solved: The Long White
Month
M186: Mouse who lost family
I read this book when I was 7 years old
which would have been in 1950. From what I remember, the
book was hard cover and green in color. It was a story
about a mouse family and one of the mice gets seperated from the
rest and goes through a struggle to get back home. The
story made me cry then and I would just love to read it again.
M186: Sounds like Walter the Lazy
Mouse by Marjorie Flack. See F72. It also
reminds me of the movie An American Tail, though
I never saw it.
The Grocery Mouse. The
plot involves a young mouse who lives in a grocery store with
his large family but is anxious to see the outside world.
His mother warns him of the dangers of the outside. He is
accidently swept outside and travels around searching for food
and a place to live. He meets a girl mouse and moves into a tree
eventually taking her back to see his family. This is a very
cute book-at one point they follow a trail of ants to find food.
It was very "vintage" when I received it in the mid-sixties. I
have it up in the attic somewhere-if this sounds right, let me
know and I will look for it to find the author.
I just found the book. It is not the one I am looking
for. Thanks.
Could this be Mouse House by
Rumer Godden??
Thanks, but it's not the Mouse House either.
Elsa Jane Werner, Patrick the
Fuzziest Bunny, 1946.
Could this be the book, it is about a rabbit though not a mouse
who gets separated from his family when they go on a picnic, he
gets lost and goes through many adventures. It is a fuzzy
wuzzy book? I had it as a child in the early 50's
Thank you very much, but Patrick The
Fuzziest Bunny is not the book I am searching for.
There were no fuzzies and I am sure it was a mouse that was
lost.
I seem to remember a series of 2in1 books
from 1954 that included My Mother is the Most Beautiful
Woman in the World, unfortunately the reverse side
of that is not the mouse book I am struggling to remember. There
is one about a mouse (I believe he is dressed russian style) and
he has to go out into the snow searching for something? Which
made me think of the description for M186. My memory of this
series gets alittle vague, perhaps someone else remembers this
series better?
I have THE DANDELION LIBRARY,which
includes My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the
World, as well as the Russian tale about Trubloff-the
Mouse Who Wanted to Play the Balalaika. The
watercolor illustrations of Trubloff traveling with a band of
musicians show him cross-country skiing against vast wintery
sunsets and starry night skies.There are many wonderfully moving
stories and pictures in this collection, including The
Three Little Horses, and Johnny Crow's Garden.
M187: Magic babysitter, born during a thunderstorm
Solved: The Peculiar
Miss Pickett
M188: Math infinity transcendental aleph null
Solved: Infinity
M189: Monsters are really ordinary objects
It's a wonderful book that flip flops from
showing a child going to bed in a dark bedroom--everything is a
shade of gray--and the child sees (and we do too) a monster in
the corner, like a fire-breathing dragon. On the next page, the
lights have been flicked on and we all see that it was just a
pile of clothes on a chair with a hockey stick (or something
along those lines). The whole book switches back and forth from
great gray drawings of the kid's room and the monsters he thinks
he sees, to lit rooms where the monsters are revealed to be
ordinary objects. I've asked every librarian I know about this
and they keep getting caught up in the whole Alligator Under
My Bed Mercer Mayer and also Maurice Sendak books. While
in my memory the illustrations are similar to those of those
men, I am pretty sure the book is not by one of them. I am eager
to share this book with my children. I really remember loving
it, and my sister has vague memories of it also.
Russell & Lillian Hoban, Bedtime
for Frances. Long
shot, but could be Bedtime for Frances. The illustrations
are in shades of grey (and green in *some* editions).
While the story does not center entirely around things looking
scary in the dark, there are parts about this, and then Frances
will turn on her light and see what they really are.
Hoellwarth, Cathryn, The Underbed,
'90's. Can't remember if this book
shows the entire bedroom.
Mercer Mayer, Nightmare in my Closet. Speaking of Mercer Mayer, could the scary
'thing' have been in his closet instead of under the bed
[alligator]
The book is definitely from the 70s--when I was a child.
And I do remember that the format was dark room monster, light
room objects, dark room monster, light room objects, etc.
I'm excited to see that people have read and considered my
entry--and am holding out hope that it will be solved. Thanks.
#M189--Monsters are really ordinary
objects: Could this be by Judith Viorst?
The Flat Man or The
Ankle Grabber. These are both very short books
about the fun of scaring yourself, but not to get to upset
because "I know that sound isn't really the flat man scratching
at my window to get in, it is just the branches from the tree
outside, but I like to pretend."
Ellen Raskin, Spectacles,
'70s. Not monsters in a room, but a
child who doesn't like to wear her glasses, but you see, in
grey, what she thinks she sees and then, in full color, what it
is that the things really are. A favorite of mine!
are you absolutely positive this was a book?
because I remember the same thing, except it was on television--
one of those educational kids shows. it was presented like a
book-- there was no motion, every camera shot was of a drawing,
like the page of a book. the child was afraid of the dark, and
made drawings of what all the "monsters" really were and put
them on her bedside table so that she could look at the drawings
at night.
Munro Leaf, Boo - Who Used to Be
Scared Of The Dark. (1948)
In this story illustrated by Frances Hunter, Boo is taught by
his cat Alexander to overcome his fear of the dark and other
things. When Boo is looking at things in the dark the
pictures are black and gray when he turns on his
flashlight they are colored. As a child I thought it was a
wonderful book perhaps because Boo looked like my little
brother!
Ann Hellie, Once I had a
Monster,1969.
Ellen
Raskin, Spectacles.
I think that the poster that
suggested Spectacles is on to something as I just recently found
that book for my daughter and read it again. There is a gray
picture tha looks like a dragon, but when she puts her
glassses on, she can see it is something else entirely and
the picture switches to color. Just try to find the book at the
library to see if it is what you remember.
M190: monkey banyan clipper
1955-1960. small picture book (approx
4-5" square) of poems. One poem included the words "a
little yellow monkey in a banyan tree." I think
another poem had "...the clipper came in" (about a clipper
ship). Seems like it was short -- maybe 20 pages?
Thank you.
Carolyn Ruth Eger, Rimskittle's Book(1926)
It was on your stumpers archives page, under
MN (for monkey, I assume). How I came across it, by the way, was
by googling the "little yellow monkey" etc. phrase, hoping to
find the complete poem. It was the unique hit, unfortunately.
But I can't imagine how the customer saw it in a 4-5" book in
the fifties--the original was a small folio. Maybe what he saw
was an anthology of some sort? I am awestruck by the number of
mysteries you solve, by the way; and your store looks
wonderful.
M191: Mystery of Missing Silver
Solved: Mystery of the
Corbett Family Silver
M192: Museum of Natural History Fiction
Solved: It Looks Alive
to Me!
M193: The M....... Family
Solved: The Melendy
Family
M194: Mushroom People
Solved: The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom
Planet
M195: Maggie Muggins
Solved: Maggie Muggins
M196: Man loses head
Solved: The Man Who
Lost His Head
M197: Murmansk
In the 1960s as a teenager, I read a book
about a boy from Murmansk, a city in Russia that is north of the
Artic Circle. The novel took place during World War
II. The boy was an orphan who led a group of
children who survived by taking the provisions off dead soldiers
during the Russo-Finish War. It was an incredible work,
but I can't remember the title or the author except that I think
the title begain with the word, "Children."
These are juvenile novels about the
Russo-Finnish War published before 1970. Do any of them
sound right? Sorry for all the choices, but I couldn't
find summaries for most of them. Dave Dawson on the
Russian Front, by Robert Sidney Bowen, 1943.
Comrades in the Snow, by Julian David
[a.k.a. David Loring MacKaye and Julia Josephine Gunther
MacKaye] 1941. Ski Patrol, by Roy J. Snell,
1940. I'll Know My Love, by Pearl
Bucklen Bentel, 1955. Summary: A story about
the courage of the Finns when Russia gobbled up a thick slice of
Finland. It is based on the experiences of a young Finnish
drama student at the Playhouse in Pittsburgh whom Mrs. Bentel
came to know.
Floyd Miller, Wild Children of the
Urals , 1965.
Could this be the same book as O26. It sounds very
similar.
M198: Mary's Scary House
Solved: Mary's Scary
House
M199: Mountains/Alps (Swiss?) Boy rescues friend from
mystic force
I'm looking for a book that is set in an
alpine, mountainous area that may have been the Alps. The story
is about a boy facing a great evil force or Bad Thing/monster.
He sets off to rescue his friend who is captured or endangered
by the evil. I seem to recall the main struggle in the book
revolving around the walk back from the enchanted mountain. The
protagonist must hold onto his friend's hand, but some
spell/force is testing his love for his friend. In the boy's
mind, his hand burns as he walks back, but he knows if he lets
go, his friend will be lost, taken by the enchanted evil power.
Persevering through, his love is strong enough and he saves his
friend.
#M199--Mountains/Alps (Swiss?) Boy rescues
friend from mystic force: There is a very similar
situation in the short story The Dead Valley, by
Ralph Adams Cram. There are two boys who are
friends, but nothing about holding hands, and you would
definitely remember the part about the dog. If you don't
remember any dog, this is not your story.
Mollie Hunter, The Haunted Mountain,
1972. This wasn't about two boys, but
about a boy and his father. It also wasn't set in the
Alps. The boy's father had been missing and the boy up the
mountain to save him from a magical force.
M200: Mystery of the Topaz Necklace
The title is something along those lines,
but I don't know the author and can't find the title anywhere.
The story is about a girl whose mother has remarried a
(wealthy?) guy. I think she's moved to a new town and she has a
stuffed tiger she's fond of. A lot of the story takes place in a
natural history type museum, like there's a party of some sort
among the dioramas of cavemen and animals and dinosaur bones.
The girl gets a job in the museum gift shop, selling peridots
and semi precious jewels. I'm not sure how the topaz necklace
fits in, except maybe the rich stepfather gives it to the mother
and it gets stolen or something. I'm thinking this book might
haven been written in the 50's, 60's, maybe even 40's.
#M200--Mysery of the Topaz Necklace:
Hmmm, doesn't seem to be this one: Secret of the Tiger's
Eye, by Phyllis A. Whitney. All
right, so tigers don't live in Africa. How can you explain
Benita Dustin's terrifying experience with one in the garden of
her aunt's house in Cape Town? Of course, this daughter of a
journalist has considerable imagination,
the kind you'd expect of a girl who likes to
read and aspires to authorship herself. It's not the kind
of imagination Joel Monroe appreciates. He's a fact-loving
soul, the last boy on earth probably to believe in ghosts or in
disappearing faces at the window, or to feel there's anything
odd in a man's thumb being blue. He's the last boy,
certainly, whom Benita wants as companion on the trip she and
her younger brother have made with their father, who is writing
a book about South Africa. Oh, once in a while Benita and
the guest, son of Mr. Dustin's editor back in New York, do see
eye to eye -- on the ugly
injustice of apartheid, for instance.
But when it comes to Aunt Persis' exciting house with its cave
and romantic towers and frightening prowlers, or to the mystery
surrounding the death of Aunt Persis' adopted son, why, then,
the sparks fly. Logical Joel scoffs at the "notions " of
imaginative Benita. He scoffs on the other side of his
face, so to speak, when her writer's
intuition turns out to be only too true
concerning the sinister intentions of Mr. Blue Thumb, otherwise
known in questionable quarters as Tom Kettle -- a grinning,
greasy-haired, sidling sailor whom sensible Joel wants to
befriend! Friendship, though, friendship, trust, and respect are
the clues to the really big secret in this book. Here,
against the breath-taking background of a highly dramatic
country, is a story full of drama as well as of meaning, with
scarcely a slack in the sleuthing thrills young mystery fans
love.
Possibilities -- Mystery of the
Missing Necklace by Enid Blyton (May Fair
Books, 1963), or Mystery of the Carrowell Necklace
by Eugenie C Reid, (Young Readers Press, 1967).
Betty Cavanna. It sounds like
the kind of plot she sometimes used, though I can't think of a
specific book.
How about Mystery in the Museum
by Betty Cavanna? I believe the young girl works in the
museum shop and I think the mystery revolves around a very
valuable missing bracelet. Might be worth a look!
Hi, I posted a stumper a while back called Mystery of the Topaz
Necklace. You guys solved it as Mystery in the Museum by
Betty Cavanna. I've read it, and while it was good, it's not the
book I'm looking for. Mine takes place in a natural history
museum in the 40's or 50's or so and is more of a teenage story,
Cavanna's is set in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (I'm from
Boston, so I especially enjoyed it) among college kids in the
70's. I think this book has fallen off the face of the earth
since I know Topaz Necklace is in the title and there are on
hits on that phrase anywhere (I wish I'd stolen it from my
library when I was reading it 10 years ago before it got weeded!
LOL) but if you get a chance at some point I'd appreciate it if
you could stick it back into the unsolved archive--hey, you
never know! :)
M201: mysteries
1948. A series of books I enjoyed in
the fourth or fifth grade. Mystery series wherein a brother and
sister (as I recall) would be transported into interesting,
sometimes scary mystery scenarios, with always a happy ending
back at home. Seems there were a few of them - 6-? Always wanted
to find them again for my kids - now grandchildren!
Might this be the Trixie Belden
series? As I recall, Trixie solved mysteries along with
her brother and her friend and her friend's brother. There
were also other siblings involved I believe, as well as
friends. I *think,* but am not sure, that these were
originally published in the 30's or 40's? And they did
always have happy endings, with Trixie (and company) returned
safely to her big loving family.
Laura Lee Hope, Bobbsey Twins
series. Perhaps another possibility
Old series?? Curly Tops by Howard
R. Garis, (1920-30?) Penny Nichols by
Joan Clark, (1930's), Honey Bunch and Norman
by Helen Louise Thorndyke, (1940-50's), Happy
Hollisters by Jerry West, (1950-60's)
M202: morning
Oops -- this is a repeat entry. Please
refer to S217.
M203: Mr. Grabbit Rabbit actual title golden book?
Solved: Mr. Grabbit the Rabbit
M204:
magic hands discern character
Solved: The Princess and the Curdie
M205: Merry-Go-Round Horse
Solved: Arabella of the
Merry-Go-Round
M206: messy woman cleans house
Solved: Read Aloud
Funny Stories
M207: Mystery with cockatoo
Solved: Adventure Series
M208: Musical seashell
Solved: The Adventures
of Idabell and Wakefield
M209: many animals maybe bears goes in spaceship / rocket
book from early to late 70's, hardcover, color, thick
pages. About I believe a bear who has a rocket ship and
there may have been many animals and children? who go into
space. Possibly a polar bear.
My first thought was Moon Bear
by Frank Asch but that wasn't published till 1978, maybe
a little late for your book. Here are two other
possibilities: #1- Bobby Bear's Rocket Ride by Marilyn
Olear Helmrath (1968) "Bobby Bear wants to fly like a
robin so he gets a ride on a rocket to the moon and other
planets in our solar system." #2- Lorenzo Bear
& Company by Jan Wahl (1971) "Lorenzo
Bear launches a space program for animals by building a moon
rocket."
This is a very long shot, but maybe the
reader is remembering Barbapapa's Ark that is on
the solved mysteries page. Barbapapas are blobby creatures
(one of them is rather hairy) who take animals into space in a
rocket-type vehicle. It's from the right time period, too.
Wildsmith, Brian, Professor Noah's
Spaceship, 1980,
copyright. Picture book with Wildsmith's characteristic
semi-abstract colorful pictures, maybe too recent.
M210: Man named Chloroform
Solved: Stars in my Crown
M211: Mother Pie
Solved: Honey
M212: Marooned, Pacific island, Thea
Solved: Baby Island
M213: Mouse adventure/real mice pictures
c.1970 I remember the plot as being
fairly simple-a mouse doing various "mousey" things like
building a house and meeting another mouse friend. The most
memorable feature of the book, though, is that the illustrations
are real photos of the mouse in various simple sets.
M213 I think this must be it. I haven't
located it yet, but now that I see it is only 24 pages, I'll
look again in the morning in the stacks of zoology. Watts,
Barrie. House mouse. photos.
Silver Burdett, 1990 [British] 1998 life cycle illustrated
with life-size color photos.
M213 No luck finding my copy of Mouse
House. In the search, I ran across 2 other
photographic mouse books: Burton The mouse in the
barn, Oxford Scientific Films in a series on Animal
habitats, and it shows all kind of mice around the world, so
that is not it. Mouse and Company by Lilo
Hess is closer: The photos show the life of a deer mouse,
including nest building and baby-raising. "and company "
apparently refers to all the other species discussed and
depicted.
M213 It might be THE MOUSE BOOK
by Helen Piers, published in England in 1966, published
by F.Watts in 1968, and by Scholastic in paperback in 1970. It
is divided into 3 chapters (and I may not have the chapter
headings 100% correct - I'll check my copy) "Mouse Finds a
House" "Mouse Finds a Friend" "Mouse Finds Food". If this is the
book you're thinking
of, than you may recall that the text goes
something like this - Mouse was looking for a house that was not
too hot, not too cold, not too dirty, not too wet...etc. And you
may recall that Mouse finds a dollhouse to live in, finds a
mouse friend, and when they run out of food, a human finds them
and puts them in a mouse house with plenty of good things for
mice. It is really adorable, and a fun read-aloud. Just be
careful that it's by Helen Piers - there's another book by the
same title. ~from a librarian
Mouse and Company- story and
photographs by Lili Hess. Charles Scribner's Sons (1972)
It was a Junior Literary Guild Selection. This might be it!
M214: Mouse lives in department store
Solved: The
Great Christmas Kidnaping Caper
M215: Moon path
Solved: The Garden Beyond the Moon
M216: Man changes to snake
Solved: The King With
Six Friends
M217: Mermaid made of found objects
An illustrated children's book that I read in the mid 1970's, but
suspect it was older than that (maybe 60's). A little girl
spends the summer at the seashore with her grandmother. I
think the little girl was lonely or bored; in any case, she starts
spending a lot of time on the beach by herself. She "makes"
a mermaid out of sand and other things (found objects) on the
beach. I think I remember shells and Queen Anne's Lace and
seaweed and maybe coral being used for the mermaid's hair and
clothes. The little girl works on the mermaid every day(?),
but at the end of the summer, the mermaid swims away. Or
something like that! Thanks for any information you or other
readers can provide--this was a lovely little story about letting
go when the time is right...
Check the description of Wishing
Penny and Other Fantasy Stories on the Solved
Mysteries pages to see if it sounds familiar.
I checked The Wishing Penny and the description of The
Sand Castle; it's close but not quite the story I'm
looking for...The little girl definitely constructs the mermaid
herself and decorates her with objects she finds on the beach
(no sand castle involvement). I don't think the mermaid
ever speaks, either. Queen Anne's Lace (the flower) is one
of the things the little girl uses to make her mermaid
beautiful. Thanks!
Eleanor Farjeon, Martin Pippin in the
Daisy Field. I
may be totally off base here, but I think this *might* be an
Eleanor Farjeon story, possibly 'The Mermaid of Ryle' in the
above book.
I haven't been able to find The Mermaid of Ryle, but I
managed to read some of Martin Pippin on-line; it
doesn't have the same feel as the mermaid story I
remember. The story was fairly contemporary (1960s or
70s). I know it's out there somewhere and somebody
remembers it...
Ainsworth, Ruth, The Talking Rock,
London, Deutsch 1979.
M218: millicent magic neighbor girl
Is about a girl who has a new neighbor that moves in named
Millicent that can do handstands and is "magical". That is
all my wife remembers. My wife is now 33 yars old and read
it when she was in grade school.
M218 The description made me think of MILLICENT
THE MONSTER by Mary lystad, illustrated by
Victoria Chess, 1968. It is a picture book, the illustrations
are distinctive, and are set in Victorian? time period.
Millicent is friends with her next door neighbor (I'm pretty
sure that they do handstands together) but she's sick of being a
good girl. She decides to become a monster and terrorizes
everyone with mean faces, words and behavior. But when her best
friend can't stand her, she decides to stop being a monster.
However, there's no magic involved. If this doesn't sound right,
then I did come across a listing for THE MAGIC OF MILLICENT
MUSGRAVE by Brinton Turkle, 1967. The summaries
say that Millicent wants a white rabbit but gets tricked by a
magician and gets a doll (named Melinda Melee) instead.
Millicent and her father travel the world to track down the
magician. So, the description doesn't really match, but just in
case... ~from a librarian
Sachs, Marilyn, Dorrie's Book.
Checked my copy of Millicent the
Monster, and the previous person posting on this was
right--Millicent does do handstands in the
book. If it's _not_ Millicent the Monster that
the requester is thinking of, it might be Dorrie's Book.
It is a quirky novel written in diary format, and I could swear
that Dorrie moves in next to a family with a bizarre daughter
named Millicent. Unofrtunately, I don't have a copy in
which to check it, and any of the bib records that I've looked
at don't mention the neighbor.
M218 Darn! I thought I had found it, but it
is NOT The magic of Millicent Musgrave by Brinton
Turkle.
M219: Mischievous Scandinavian boy with older sister
I read this children's book back in the
1970's. The main character was a young boy (under 10 years
old) and I believe it took place somewhere in Scandinavia.
The boy was always getting into mischief. He had an older
sister who was dating a local boy, and the little boy spied on
them coming home from a date at one point. Any help would be
great!
Astrid Lindgren, Emil
series
I do not think it is the Emil books by Lindgren, as
Emil only has a little sister and not an older one who could be
dating a boy. Thank you for the suggestion though.
Maybe Bill Bergson stories by
Lindgren!?
Edith Unnerstad, The Urchin. (Translated from Swedish 'Pysen'.) I
don't remember whether there was such a spying episode, but the
hero was a mischievous small Scandinavian boy, and did have
teenage sisters.
Gunilla Norris, A Time for
Watching, 1969. Could this be it? It takes
place in Sweden. Joachim's best friend is gone for the
summer, and Joachim gets into a lot of mischief and
trouble. He is fascinated by a neighbor who doesn't like
children, and is a watch and clock repairer. Near the end,
there is a Midsummer celebration, with a dance around a May
Day-type pole. Joachim did have an older sister who went
on a date. I hope this is it - it was one of my favorites
as a child. Good luck!
M220: Mantis
Solved: Knee-Deep in Thunder
M221: mothergooses bedtime stories
I am not sure that is the title but the book if I am remembering
correctly is gray with at least 10 different stories Hanzel and
gretal,little red riding hood,Hop on my thumb,the little
matchgirl,jack and the beanstalk,goldielocks and the three
bears,the three little pigs etc. I think the cover was hand
painted I know for sure it was a hardcover. I know where it was
purchased a place called Kings Castleland. Which was a park for
children with a train ride and giftshop it was mostly a picnic
area- in Abington Massachusetts which closed and reopened and
closed again. I really hope you can find this book for me now that
Iam grown I would like to read from the book that my mother read
to my brother and I everynight.
Illustrated by Janet and Anne Grahame
Johnstone, Dean's A Book of Fairytales,
1977. The 1977 edition of this book has a greyish blue
cover.
M222: Motherless boy in New York City
Solved: Portrait of Ivan
M223:
Malaysia/Tapirs
Picture book with color illustrations from
the 1960s or maybe 1970s. This may be misleading but my
mom thinks it was one of the book of the month club we had
subscribed to as Parents Magazine Press (but I don't recognize
any of the titles you have listed under that section, other than
the few I own still). My recollection of the story was
that it was "a day in the life of" or something about the life
of, a little boy who lived in a region where there were tapirs,
(maybe he was tending some?) but I believe there were only
tapirs illustrated on one page so that couldn't have been the
main theme. I think it was about Malaysia or the
Himalayas. It may have shown season changes or just
different angles of life there. Definitely a story, not a
science book. I remember it being rather large, and seemed
more square than rectangular. But who knows if memory
serves correctly. Incidentally, thanks for the
solution to my "red sun" search (R8; The Magician's
Nephew)! I have never posted a "stumper" that has not been
solved, and I have posted several! Thanks so much!
Any relation to T149? (Still unsolved).
Definitely not related to T149, but I confess that one
intrigued me when I was browsing the stumpers and I tried to
find it online. I have a copy of Futility the Tapir.
It is a very simple ink drawing picture book with only a few
lines. Cute art but not the answer to my M223 nor
T149. I'll not give up hope! thanks....
There are also tapirs in South America. I vaguely recall
there being something about crops and irrigation or watering of
the crops, too. Also a small building (house?) made of
natural materials. Maybe I have the setting wrong -
perhaps it is not Malaysia after all? This one is driving
me nuts because I have so little to go on. But this story
is completely responsible for me even knowing what tapirs are in
the first place. Today I try to help support tapir
preservation whenever I can. There are four species left,
all endangered.
On M223, I wonder if maybe it was a story in my childcraft
books. I have a set now, 1966 edition, and it is not in
that, but neither is Little Black Sambo, and I seem to
remember LBS being in my set as a child in the 1960s. Our
old family set was gray binding/different color stripes for each
volume, but may have been a couple of years older than
1966. Maybe your readers can look in their
childcrafts and check for a story with a tapir
illustration? If Little Black Sambo was removed,
maybe the editors removed and added other stories as
well...? Thanks!
M224: magic bridge, tunnel, castle, fairies
Solved: Loretta Mason
Potts
M225: Man locked outside high rise apartment in blizzard
Solved: Cornell Woolrich story
This is a short story; I read it as a teenager, it may have been
in a book of stories for teens/young adults. A man lives in a
high-rise apt. or penthouse--very high up. A man he knows is with
him in the apt.(perhaps a business rival?)The man locks him out of
his apt. on a small porch or balcony at night in freezing
temperatures and I'm pretty sure a blizzard too. The story goes on
to tell how the man is somehow able to get out of this predicament
and I think he actually gets back into his apt and confronts the
would-be killer (sort of like at the end of the story "The Most
Dangerous Game). I remember this was a very suspensful story, have
been trying to find the title & author for years.
M225: This isn't quite a match, but it
reminds me of the short spy story by The Three
Investigators author Robert Arthur - I
believe it's called The Midnight Visitor. I read
it in the middle-school textbook Impressions from the 1970s. It
takes place in a hotel in France and the man who goes onto the
balcony is a Russian spy. However, there is no blizzard - just a
very well set-up ending. I won't spoil it.
Additional note: The Midnight Visitor
is from Arthur's 1964 book: Mystery & More
Mystery.
king, stephen, collection of short
stories. this is
one of the stories from skeleton crew or another
of king's anthologies.
I couldn't help but think of Dean
Koontz' The Face of Fear when I read this
stumper. It is no short story, nor for children, but the
stumper poster may enjoy reading it, even if it's not what is
being searched for. There is a tall building, a killer, a
blizzard, and a chase. I won't spoil the ending of this
one either!
Stephen King, Night Shift
(collection of short stories). Thjs
should be easy to find at any library or used book store. I
don't know which story it is but I am sure it's one in this
collection. Neither the story nor the collection is for
children.
I checked out the story "The Ledge" in
Stephen King's NIGHT SHIFT, and that is definitely NOT
the story. In the Stephen King story, There's a bet involved
and the man is aware that his goal is to walk around the ledge
even before he goes out there. The story I read is definitely
about a man unexpectedly getting locked out of his apt. in a
murder attempt, simply to be left out there on his balcony to
die in freezing temps, and his need to survive the ordeal. The
King story is about a man agreeing ahead of time to walk
around the high ledge to win a bet. Any other ideas would be
appreciated, I haven't checked out any of the other
suggestions yet. Thanks!
William Irish (Cornell Woolrich),
Maybe in Phantom Lady collection. Very
definitely a Cornell Woolrich story written under the name
William Irish. It may be in the Phantom Lady collection which
was a book club selection. William Irish is a key figure in the
noir genre. Really fun stuff, scary and chilling. Most of his
settings are 30-50s Manhattan. He also wrote the short story
"Rear Window" upon which the Hitchcock movie is based.
william irish a.k.a. cornell
woolrich, story in AFTER-DINNER STORY
collection, 1944. I don't recall the story, but I agree
that it sounds like it could be Woolrich. One respondent
thought it was in PHANTOM LADY "omnibus," and the only Woolrich
omnibus to include his novel PHANTOM LADY is also one that
includes his novel DEADLINE AT DAWN and the contents of one of
his story collections, AFTER DINNER STORY. So, if the
story in question is in said omnibus, it should also be in any
edition of that story collection--the original, the omnibus,
and/or the pb reprint of the original collection, which was
retitled SIX TIMES DEATH. Unfortunately I don't have any
of those handy to check contents right now.
Thanks so much! I have done some research
now on Cornell Woolrich, and think the story I read may well
be his. Another story of his was described as being about a
man who knows that a bomb is going to go off in an apartment
building at a certain time however, he is trapped in the
basement of the building and can't warn anyone... I now
remember reading this story as well, around the same time I
read the one described in my stumper, so I really think that
it's cornell woolrich, I just need to find the collection of
stories and check it out, I understand that much of his work
is now out-of-print. Thanks again.
My high-school lit book had
something close to what you're talking about: there wasn't any
killer, the man crawled out onto the ledge to retreive some
vital business paper that had blown outside and accidentally
slams the window shut. His wife had gone off for the evening and
he wasn't sure he could wait for her to get home. Ending would
be as you remember.
Re: M225. The high school lit book
mentioned by one of the responders is probably "Adventures
in Appreciation," Harcourt, Brace and World. The short
story about the man on a ledge is almost certainly Jack
Finney's "An Untitled Story." I first read it freshman
year in high school. Heart-poundingly suspenseful; I
recommend it!
I just remembered
something else about M225. The way the hero got off
the apartment building roof -- was it by disconnecting
everyone's TV antenna so someone would come up and
investigate? If so, try searching issues of "Alfred
Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine" from the 1980's. I'm
sure I read a story like that, and that's most likely where.
M226: mirror, possession, young woman
Solved: Blood Red Roses
M227: Merry Mack?? Childrens book about a train
A childrens book my mom read to me before I can remember,
probably 1973-1978. All I know is, it has a train in it and
something to do with me yelling, "Merrymack" or "Merry Mac" or
some other spelling of the name. I'd love to get this book for my
Mom, for she has such fond memories of reading it to me. I
honestly can't believe someone can solve this but I figured
stranger things have happened. So prove me wrong, PLEASE!
M227 have you tried this spelling: Merrimac
Nursery Rhyme?, Mary Mack. Found a
nursery rhyme, nothing to do with a train, though: Miss
Mary Mack, Mack, Mack /
All dressed in black, black, black / With
silver buttons, buttons, buttons / All down her back, back,
back / She asked her mother, mother, mother / For fifty cents,
cents, cents / To see the elephant, elephant, elephant / Jump
over the fence, fence, fence / He jumped so high, high, high /
He reached the sky, sky, sky / And he never came back, back,
back / �Till the end of July, �ly, �ly.
Marian Potter, The Little Red Caboose,
1953. I'm not certain about this, but
it's a possibility. (It's part of the Little
Golden Book series.)
M228: Maxfield Parrish
I'm looking for a set of books. As I recall there were 4
that fit in holder which I seem to remember as red. The holder had
a picture on the outside of one or more of the books inside. The
books were very large, maybe 9"X12". The books themselves
were each a different color--blue, green, red? I received
them as a gift in the early 1950's. I believe some of the
illustrations were by Maxfield Parrish. The content of the
books were nursery rhythms, poems and stories. The
illustrations were very large and I recall being mezmerized by
their beauty. When I see Parrish illustrations such as the
Knave of Hearts, it brings me back to those books.
William Baring-Gould, The Annotated
Mother Goose.
This seems like a strong possibility some of the
illustrators included in this collection are Parrish, Caldecott,
Rackham and Greenaway.
M229: Man Finds Beautiful Fish Who's a Woman
The book I'm thinking of was a large-ish beautifully illustrated
hardcover storybook. It's about a poor man who catches a
fish that is so pretty he decides to keep it alive in his
pond. At night he finds that his house is being cleaned and
so he hides out to find that at night a woman steps out of the
fish's skin and does these things. One night he burns the
scales so she can't transform back. She informs him that she
has to go back to her father, who I think may have some kind of
magical powers, although I can't be sure. He says the man
can marry his daughter if he acomplishes certain tasks. Each
time the man completes a task, the father sends him out for
another. The man gets help do do impossible tasks (such as
making a gigantic feast I think and something about goats in eggs,
although I could remember it entirely wrong) from a genie who he
has to sail out into the ocean to meet. The genie appears to
be a large baby but can talk and do magic. Eventually the
genie comes back with the man and beats the father into submission
so the man gets the palace and the daughter and all that.
These details are the best I can remember (some of which just came
back to me!) so it could be a little off. The book I think
may have been based off of a foreign story and the artwork was
distinct too. Any help is greatly appreciated!
Well, this isn't a perfect fit, since Peter
Pauper Press books are pretty small, but it sounds like Turkish
Fairy Tales. That one story sounds like "The
Fish-Peri." When I searched in abebooks under TFT, I found at
least four different translations of such fairy tales, so maybe
one of them would fit!
Wow--this description sounds like a bunch of
fairy tales got in a train wreck! At any rate, the fish
(usually a seal) transforming into a woman is normally known as
a "selkie" in these tales, burning the selkie skin is
usually intended to keep the woman trapped in her human form.
M230: Oops --
double posting -- See M224
M231: men of Grimsby town
Solved: The Mindsweepers
M232: Mystery Solved Surrounding Great Plague
Solved: Blackbriar
M233:
Magical feathers found in Central Park
Looking for a book I read in the
70's. It was about a boy in New York City with an Indian
grandfather. The boy finds a couple of large white
feathers with symbols on them, a triangle and a circle(?).
The feathers have magical powers. One of the feathers
lands on the boy's shoulder, the other is found floating on a
pond in the park, and involved the concept of the boy being
chosen by the bird that dropped the feathers. The
illustrations were photographs rather than drawings if I
remember correctly. I believe the book was published in
the mid-late 60s, poss. early 70s.
Ivo Duka, Secret of the Two
Feathers. I only
vaguely remember this but it's possibly The Secret of the
Two Feathers, although I think it was published in
1954.
Secret of the Two Feathers.
I remember the first chapter from my grade-school reader,
sometime before 1973; the feathers were black with white
symbols on them. The feathers were symbols of rival pirates
who died in a duel; anybody who found both could make wishes.
M234: Modern teen transported to Revolutionary Boston
Solved: Mr. Wicker's
Window
M235: Man wrapped like mummy in 1940�s film
Solved: The Invisible Man
M236: Madame Snickersnee?
Solved: Little Witch
M237: Monthly Book Club
Solved: Parents Magazine Press
M238: Madame Lupino's Ice Cream Wagon
Solved: Garth Pig and
The Ice Cream Lady
M239: Magical Red Book
Solved: Seven-Day Magic
M240: marbles boys' school
Solved: The Richest Boy in the World
M241:
Manners oversized thin white canvas cover
Solved: White Gloves
and Party Manners
Manners - oversize, thin white canvas cover. Looking for a
book I remember about manners or how to behave, very general
golden rule-type stuff. approx mid 1950's. black & white
sketch drawings (I remember one little long-haired in dress
sitting down). Just a few lines per page, young reading
level. Thank you very much.
A long shot, but Munro Leaf did
etiquette books -- Manners Can Be Fun, How To Behave and
Why -- with very simple line drawings (almost stick
figures) and minimal text. They were published in the
1940s and 1950s and were still in libraries in the 1960s.
How to Behave has recently been reissued if the
person who posted the request wants to see Leaf's drawing style.
Sesyle Joslin, What Do You Say, Dear?
OR What Do You Do, Dear?
1960s. Could one of these classic children's books on
manners be what's meant? Without a dust jacket, one of
them could easily match the description, right down to to the
illustration of the "little long-haired in dress sitting down."
Marjabelle Young Stewart, White
Gloves and Party Manners. The description reminds me
of this book, including the illustrations. Good luck!
2004
M242: Monkey named Daniel gets lost and ends up at police
station.
My mother, born in 1935, remembers a book
from her childhood in which a monkey named Daniel gets lost and
ends up at the police station. She remembers something
about him sitting on the counter wearing lots of beads or
necklaces.
M243: Mrs. Peach and Mrs. Plum
Mrs. Peach and Mrs. Plum
Anything else to add on this memory? There are two books
featuring Chinese dolls by Eleanor Frances Lattimore
called Little Pear (1931) and Peachblossom
(1943) ...
Rumer Godden, Miss Happiness
and Miss Flower. and the little boy doll
called Little Plum, in the sequel? Just a thought.
Rumer Godden, Little Plum.
This book includes dolls called Little Plum
and Little Peach (not Mrs.)
Rumer Godden, Miss Happiness and Miss
Flower. England
is the last place Nona Fells wants to be. No one asked her if
she wanted to leave sunny India to live in a chilly English
village with her aunt's family -- and her cousin, Belinda, just
hates her! But when two dainty Japanese dolls arrive at Nona's
doorstep, everything begins to change. Like Nona, Miss Happiness
and Miss Flower are lonely and homesick, so Nona decides to
build them their own traditional Japanese house. Over time, not
only does Nona create a home for the dolls, but one for herself
as well.
There is also a sequel, Little Plum.
M243 Godden, Rumer. Miss
Happiness and Miss Flower. illus by Jean
Primrose. Viking, 1961. Japanese dolls, last pages
of book are dollhouse plans
M244: Merry the Irish Potato
Solved: Merry Muprhy,
the Irish Potato
M245: Manners book for Children - 1960's
Solved: Tut Tut Tales
M246: Manuel Images of Earth
Solved: Figures of
Earth
M247: Miniature people
Solved: Moominsummer
Madness
M248: mural in story
bright vivid colors, about a group of children who paint a mural,
the mural has a lion and a bunny and other things. probably
1970 or earlier - children may be ethnic - book about the size of
Where the Wild Things Are.
I wonder if M248 & C267 refer to the
same book?
M249:Men
in Black who steal time
Solved: Momo
M250: Magic key, young boy finds it
Solved: Adam's Key
M251: Mrs. Tinkle
Solved: Mrs.
Piggle-Wiggle's Magic
M252: Marco Comes Late
Solved: Marco Comes Late
M253: mystery series with Mr. McGooley's rule
I'm looking for a series of children's
books that had 3 kids solving "local" mysteries. There
were a brother and sister then another boy, a neighbor I
believe. Once they were housesitting for a guy with tons
of photos on the walls and in another book a circus or carnival
comes to town. Along the way they make up "rules" that they
apply in subsequent books. One was called Mr. McGooley's
rule or something like that. It meant not everything turns
out to be like is seems, don't always suspect the obvious. I
hope someone can help, I loved these as a kid and want to
introduce them to my children!!
Florence Parry Heide, Roxanne Heide
Pierce, Sylvia Worth Van Clief, The Spotlight Club
Series: The Mystery at Keyhole Carnival as
well as several others, 1977. I only read one of this
series, The Mystery of the Whispering Voice, by F.
P. Heide and Van Clief, published in 1983. There are
several titles, and the ones published in the 1970s were by
Heide and Heide Pierce. There are about 3 kids who form
the club, and even though they are such a small group, they are
very formal about club procedure, including, I believe, several
rules they recall from prior adventures. Other titles all follow
"The Mystery of the" formula, and are The Mystery of the
Forgotten Island (1983), Midnight Message
(1977), Bewitched Bookmobile (1975), and others.
E. W. Hildick, The McGurk Mysteriesseries
M254: Magic gloves seven league boots
Solved: What the Witch
Left
M255: Molly
Solved: Molly, Pete,
and Ginger
M256: Mr. Do and Mr. Don't
Solved: Pointers for Little Persons
M257: My Very Own Personal Cat Stumper
Solved: My Very Own Special Particular
Private and Personal Cat
M258: Mr and Mrs Mole.
Solved: Mrs. Mole's
House Warming
M259: Mouse and Rat Neighbors
Solved: Good Neighbors
M260: Miniature civilization in cave
A boy escapes the boarding school? where
he�s been deposited by walks in its woods. He finds a cave with
what looks like a little city in it. It is impossibly perfect to
be a model. Finally he figures out, or the teacher? that he
confides in tells him, that it must be a genuine civilization,
as suggested by the one thing that is not small--the giant
hearth in the middle of the circular city, because fire cannot
work on a small scale. The people, whom he maybe never connects
with, might have worshipped snakes, or decorated with snake
carvings (being so small, they would have been easy snake prey).
I read it in the early �90s and it�s probably not much earlier
than that. Early junior high age.
Wells, Rosemary, Through the Hidden
Door. NY, Dial Books
1987. "Two boys at a boarding school find and explore a
cave that contains some inexplicable artifacts - dollhouse-sized
remains of a large city. Are they what's left of a giant
hoax or could they be the remnants of a miniature race of
people? Suspense builds as they excavate the cave in secret and
try to solve the mystery of the artifacts." "Barney's life is a
mess. Everyone thinks he's a snitch. His former friends want to
kill him. Even the headmaster of his school wants him gone. No
one but secretive little Snowy Cobb will speak to him. But after
Snowy and Barney discover the hidden cave deep below the earth,
the promise of ancient treasures wipe away the threats from
above. And when they uncover strange artifacts untouched for
centuries, a web of unknowable danger begins to unravel-and
Snowy and Barney may not survive."
M261: Magical aunt with cat - not Carbonel
Story about a couple of children who go to
spend their summer holiday with an old aunt (poss grandma) who
turns out to be a witch. Think it's set in London and she
has a cat. Originally thought the story was Carbonel but
it's not.
Shot in the dark, but could this person be
thinking of the books by Mary Norton that were later
made into the Disney movie "Bedknobs and Broomsticks"? The books
were THE MAGIC BED-KNOB and BONFIRES AND
BROOMSTICKS and were also combined into BED-KNOB
AND BROOMSTICK. However, the witch is not related to
them.~from a librarian
M262: Mandy and Uncle John
Solved: Mandie and the
Secret Tunnel
M263: Missing Cargo
The Missing Cargo. I'm almost sure this was
the title. This was a little book (probably a school reader)
that I read in a Tasmanian school during the late 1960s. It was
almost certainly much older than that! It had a boy who came
across some missing cargo in a plane (maybe crashed) and it was
set somewhere in the south seas, I think. I do recall he was
very fond of pineapple and used to dig chunks out with his
knife, and that he found some tinned pineapple. Any suggestions?
Pease, Howard, The Secret Cargo, illustrated by Paul Forster. NY Dial
1931. Could be this one, from the title. Subtitle: the
Story of Larry Mathews and His Dog Sambo, Forecastle Mates on
the Tramp Steamer "creole trader", New Orleans To the South
Seas. {Blurb} A padlocked chest on a ship in the South Seas!
"Larry Mathews and his dog Sambo stow away and ship off to
Tahiti on the freighter Creole Trader. The tramp steamer carries
a mysterious padlocked chest that gives rise to Larry's
curiosity."
Thanks for that solution, but it isn't the right one. I don't
remember any tramp steamers. I'll pursue the Dolphin Readers for
the other one though - thanks!
Jean Bothwell, The Mystery Cargo
M264: Mystery on an island offshore
Solved: Adventure at
Black Rock Cave
M265: Mom Bunny is trying to find a nice bed for Baby
Bunny
Book is about a mom bunny and a baby bunny. Mom bunny is
placing baby bunny to sleep in a bed of grass for the
night. Along comes Badger and says you cannot let your baby
sleep there for the farmer cuts the grass in the morning.
Dig a hole and place your baby there, that is how I sleep and your
baby will be safe. Then along comes another animal and
states that that way of placing your baby to sleep is not safe do
it our way....and so on. Until the Mom Bunny realizes that
the safest place is in the bed of grass for Mom will always be
there to protect you from any harm. The illustrations remind me of
the bunnies in "Guess how much I love you".
Sheridan Cain, Good Night,
Little Hare. Baby's First Book Club, 1998. "Mother
Hare watches as Little Hare settles down to sleep. For his
blanket he has the sky, and for his bed he has the soft grass.
But Mole warns Mother Hare that Farmer Brown will cut the grass
at dawn, so she must find another bed for her baby. As she
searches for a safe place, she is warned by her friends of the
countryside's many dangers. Will she ever find a safe bed
for Little Hare?"
M266: miniaturized boys learning survival skills
Two boys are miniaturized, and the book deals with their learning
survival in the "jungle" of the yard. It is NOT The City
Under the Back Steps it was written for more mature
readers. The boys create weapons, harvest food, find
shelter, and domesticate "animals" for transportation. It's
a pretty serious book. I remember there is a spider in it --
although I don't remember whether it was an enemy, or was what
they rode for transport. Unfortunately my home town's
childhood library was flooded out, or I would quiz them about it.
John F. Carson, The Boys Who
Vanished
Williams, Jay & Raymond Abrashkin, Danny
Dunn and the Smallifying Machine, 1969. The timing is about right for this
to be a good candidate, though it's been a long time since I've
actually read the book. The "miniaturized people" plot has
been done fairly often (an even more serious treatment, though
with few insects that I recall, would be that done by Jane
Louise Curry in the series of which MINDY'S
MYSTERIOUS MINIATURE is a part).
Lucy Maria Boston, The castle
of Yew,1965.
M267: Michigan - cities of
This was a book I read in the 5th grade
(1952 or 1953) at the end of the year for fun. The teacher
passed out copies to all of us. I think it was a
relatively thin hard-back, about 8 in. by 8 in. with some
colorful pictures. Each chapter was about a different city
in Michigan. The history and important points of each city were
simply related, along for the reason behind the city's
name. This book turned me on to history and instilled in
me the desire to see more of Michigan.
Just a guess-- Origin of Michigan
City and Town Names, compiled by Frances Wood,
1952. "Scrapbooks consist of newspaper clippings, postmarked
envelopes addressed to Frances Wood of Grand Rapids, Michigan,
photographs of local postal buildings, and postcards of various
cities, towns, bridges, and wildlife in Michigan." (Also,
Michigan Place Names, Frances Wood, 1954.)
M269: Magic Feather
Solved: The Secret of
the Two Feathers
M270: Mummy, Blind newstand owner
Solved: Ghosts and More
Ghosts
M271: Mother as angel
Solved: The Blue-Eyed
Lady
M272: mystery set on an island
Solved: Adventure Series
M273: Man eats peas with knife
This was a children's picture book that my dad used to read
to me and I remember loving it (I'm not sure if I loved the book
or Dad reading to me...I just remember loving it). It would have
been about 1957, but the book could have been one my folks
got for my older brother, and if so that would put it about
1952-1954 or so. We lived in Germany at that time, but the book
was in English. The one memory that is clear is a man (a
fireman?...I'm not sure) eating peas with a knife. (Don't ask
me...that's what I remember). I also think I remember that the
plot had something to do with a circus or something and that there
was some sort of chaos involved. I may be combining two books
here, but I also seem to remember an elephant with big ears (who
flew?). I want to read this book to my two boys if you can help me
figure out what it is. Thanks...
Disney, Dumbo. The elephant with the giant ears who
flies is certainly Dumbo. The Disney movie was released in
1941, and there have been countless Disney book versions of the
story ever since. It does indeed take place at the circus,
and there is chaos when a stunt involving a burning tower that
the clowns (who are dressed as firemen) are performing goes
wrong and Dumbo has to save the day, so I wonder if this is not
the only story you are thinking of. Unfortunately, I don't
have a copy of any of the versions to look at, so I cannot say
if one of the characters eats peas with a knife.
Maud and Miska Petersham, The Circus
Baby. I know this
is a long shot...it's a picture book about a mother elephant in
the circus who wants her baby elephant to sit up on a chair and
eat like her favourite clown family. There are several mentions
of the mother's big floppy ears. The elephants go into the
clowns tent, mother elephant tries to get baby to eat a bowl of
beans with a spoon, and they end up destroying the place.
You might be remembering a drawing of the clown family
eating...just maybe the father clown might be your fireman?
I'm around the same age and can tell you the
rhyme. "I eat my peas with honey./ I've done it all my
life./It makes the peas taste funny,/But it keeps them on the
knife." I think (maybe) it was in one of those
children's hardcover digests that came every other month. I'll
look at the one's I still have and see if I can trace it
further. Anyway, maybe you can trace it with the whole rhyme.
I remember the poem too. I had it in a
book of rhymes and/or stories for kids. I can'\t remember
the name though. I think it was hardbound, maybe an inch
thick and had a pink cover. It also had the Fuzzy Wuzzy
was a bear rhyme, and another that started with "Peanut sitting
on a railroad track" and ended with "Toot toot peanut butter."
Hope this helps!
Golden Press, Golden
Funny Book, early 1950's, approximate.
My brother and I loved this book as children; several of the
poems in it are by Edward Lear, including the one about eating
peas with honey. There are also several TERRIBLY CORNY
jokes which we used to think were hilarious!! Your other
book is most likely a Golden Book also; in Disney's DUMBO there
is a frantic scene where baby Dumbo is dressed as a baby clown
and is to be rescued by clowns dressed as firemen who do all
sorts of outlandish things, e.g. spray gasoline on the flames
instead of water. Later on the baby elephant tries to fly,
trips over his ears, and upsets the pyramid of bigger
elephants. I think these must be the 2 books you are
looking for. I actually own 2 copies of the Golden Funny Book if you
are interested. DUMBO should not be that hard to
find. Good luck.
Maud and
Miska Petersham, The Rooster
Crows : A Book of American Rhymes and Jingles, 1945. This book has the poem
about eating peas and honey on a knife, as well as Miss Mary
Mack, with a picture of an elephant jumping. It sounds like the
book you remember. I hope this helped!
M274: Mermaid Baby, Fairy Bear, Ring Around the Moon
Solved: Elves
and Fairies
M275: multiplication tables taught in dream
Boy had to stay after school, fell asleep,
was taught multiplication tables in a dream. It taught me the
tricks of the nine times table. Beautiful illustrations, full
color on heavy stock paper (at least, the ones I remember-there
might have been others) black library binding? I read it in the
70's but think it was much older. NOT the recent book translated
from German, the Mathematics Demon or something like that.
M276: magic rabbit
Solved: The White Bunny
and his Magic Nose
M277: Movable Brick reveals something hidden behind it
I am looking for a book that is about a girl or it might have
been a boy who comes to live with his grandmother in a new
neighborhood. He or she meets new friends and while exploring the
outside of his or her grandmother's house they find a loose brick
in the front side of her house which is hiding something behind
it. The book has the kids on the cover with a red house behind
them. That is all i can remember but i know the book was made
before the 80's.
Dorothy Sterling, Secret of the
Old Post Box, 1961. This
is a Weekly Reader book with a plot similar to the
description-kids in ''Haven, NY'' searching for ''treasure''
behind fireplace bricks of Revolutionary War era house. Finally
find box containing letters from Geo Washington.
M278: Mid 70's kid's book; written in a "how to" style -
very funny!
Solved: How To Eat Like
A Child
M279: Missing Princes/Tower of London
I am looking for a book I read in
highschool in the late eighties. I thought the name of it was
"The Tudor Rose" but many searches have not turned up the right
book. The main character was a young girl, possibly a servant or
minor royalty serving as lady in waiting, who befriends the
young princes before their disappearance. May not be connected
with England at all though. Thanks for your help.
Marguerite Vance, Song for a Lute, 1958. This book has a similar plot --
the young noblewoman who befriends the two princes in the Tower.
Shirley Nagel
Shirley Nagel, Escape from the Tower, 1978. A description I found of this one
says it is fiction about a mistreated servant girl to the head
jailer of the Tower of London, and how she became involved in a
daring escape plan. But I could not find anything that
said who she helps escape, so I have no idea if this is about
the little princes or not. It may have been retitled
"Escape from the Tower of London" in a later edition.
Margaret Campbell Barnes, The
Tudor Rose, 1953. Margaret Campbell Barnes'The
Tudor Rose is about Elizabeth of York, who was the
sister of the two "Princes in the Tower," Edward V and Richard
Duke of York.
"The Tudor Rose"
by Barnes is unfortunately not the correct book. I was able to
check it out from the library to confirm that. The book I
remember was more of a YA book. Thank you!
2005
M280: mongoose and banana
Solved: Marie Louise's
Heyday
M281: Moon Crater People Book
Solved: The Matthew
Looney Series
M282: Misadventures of Decent Boy
Solved: Andrew the Big Deal
M283: mystery clues in mailboxes etc.
Solved: Spiderweb for
Two
M284: Mother Earth News Store
Solved: The Golden
Treasury of Children's Literature
M285: Mommy Store
I am looking for a book. Mommy Store /Bazaar/Swap? I
remember reading this book or short story when I was in grade
school (1970s). It was about two or three children who find
a store in which you can buy or trade Mommys. They end up
buying one and of course things don�t work out, so they trade her
in for a new one. They do this several times. It was a
humorous book. I talked to someone who vaguely remembered a
similar story. She said she thought it was an alley or
bazaar where the Mom�s were on display. This seems right but
I�m not sure. Someone else I talked to mentioned the
Movie �Electric Grandmother� which was an adaptation of a Ray
Bradbury story �I sing the Body Electric�, but I don�t think this
was it, although I guess the store could have been for
Grandmother�s instead of Mommy�s but this doesn�t sound right.
Nathaniel and Betty Jo Charnley, Martha
Ann and the Mother Store,
1973. Martha Ann thinks her mother is too bossy, so she
exchanges her at the Mother Store. Illustrated by Jerome
Snyder.
Nancy Burns Brelis, The Mommy Market, 1970. This book did have moms set
up in booths. The kids try several different moms before
realizing theirs was the best for them.
For some reason, I remember the kids singing
"ta-ra-ra boom de-ay" in this.
I believe The Mommy Market
was the Americanized title. Possibly published in the UK
as The Mummy Market.
Now there are three great possibilities... we need the
original stumper requester to confirm which one she remembers!
Nancy
Brelsis, The Mummy Market,1966.
I have seen the movie"Trading Moms" based on the book The
Mummy Market by Nancy Brelsis. It is
about three children (a girl and two boys) who talk to their
friend, who is an old lady, about how they think their mom is
too strict and they wish they had a new mom and she tells them
about this old place she remembers called the mommy market. The
kids go to find it and they go through an ally to get to it.
When they get there, moms of every kind are all over the place
like at little stations (cooking moms, singing moms ect.) and
the children get three coins and find out they have three
chances to get the mom that they want. They start out getting a
mom that loves nature and camping, then a snappy french mom, and
then a circus performer. They end up not liking any of them and
want their own mom back but they have used up their three coins
so they try several plans of get her back, but none of them
work. They end up getting her back in the end. I researched the
book and it is out of print. I hope some of this helps.
The Mummy Market. I
only recall the English title, the American one is either the
Mommy or
Mother Market. The kids actually have a caretaker
they can't stand, who they are able to trade in for a series
of mothers, Mimsy, who's chirpy and foolish, Mom, an outdoors
enthusiast, and a child psychologist with a series of books.
In the end they seem to get their real mother back (tho they
don't recall her leaving), and wonder if all the others were a
dream.
M286: Manuals for teens and parents
Solved: Flipsville/Squaresville
M287: Mystery/suspense paperback
Solved: Mystery of the
Haunted Pool
M288: Magic Map in Shop Window
Solved: The Magic Shop
M289: Merlin awakening; England reverts to pre-Industrial
era
Solved: The Changes
trilogy
M290: Mettie hides from daddy
Solved: Hi, Daddy, Here
I Am
M291: Moon made of green cheese
Solved: Report on the
Nature of the Lunar Surface
M292: Monsters
I'm looking for a children's book about 3 monsters. One made
clouds, one painted the colors onto flowers, and the third was
trying to find her "niche" by attempting to make clouds/paint
flowers. I don't remember what her talent ended up being. I read
the book in late 70's/early 80's. I think the 3rd monster's name
was Mary or Millicent. I read it at the Waterloo Public Library in
Iowa, but haven't had much luck on their website.
M293: Man in the moon illustrated childrens' book
An illustrated book I recall from childhood (I was born in 1973).
Likely called something like "How the Man (or Old Man) Got On (or
In) the Moon" or "The Man in the Moon." Recall it as a
fairly slim volume, with illustrated hardcover, maybe about 8&
1/2" by 11". Told the story of how the man got in the moon -
I think by making a bet or pact with the devil, or being tricked
by the devil. Or possibly losing a card game, though my memory may
be off on that detail. The devil was illustrated as a rather
well dressed fellow, but with hooves if one was observant.
The devil may have had a top hat and long coat. I remember a
scene in an inn, pub or tavern type environment. And another of a
horse-drawn carriage or sleigh in winter. The story and
illustrations had a moody feel, and period clothing in the
illustrations. The illustrations as I recall had a bit of
almost gothic flavour, earthy tones. The final or near final
illustration showed the old man sitting on the moon with just a
spider for company - a rather forlorn image.
Sorry I can't find the title yet, but my
children and I recall reading this within the last year or so.
More plot details -- the man makes some kind of deal with the
devil that he can go three ? places before the devil takes
him. He tries to go to places where the devil has no
influence. One is Rome, but the devil tricks him and sends
him to the Rome Tavern or Pub. At last he goes to the
moon, where the devil can' t interfere with him because he has
no jurisdiction in the heavens. We can't remember the name
of the book, but it is probably filed under folklore. I
can tell you that the Richmond, CA public library owns it, so
maybe you could get lucky searching their online catalog.
M294: Muffin Man
Solved: The New Golden
Song Book
M295: Mexican Boy Hates Taking Baths
Solved: Angelo, the
Naughty One
M296: Magic vial
Solved: Black and Blue
Magic
M297: Mouse with flat tire, NOT Ralph
Solved: The Jeremy
Mouse Book
M298: Medieval Hugh
Solved: The Hidden
Treasure of Glaston
M299: Mindreader
Solved: Inherit the Earth
M300: Man-Eating Jaguar
Childrens/ YA fiction book from early-mid 1970s about a boy in a
small, rural village in India terrorized by a man-eating Jaguar.
Everyone is afraid to go out at night for fear of being
eaten. Lots of info about Indian gods/goddesses in the
story--offerings to the elephant headed goddess to make the jaguar
stop. I'm 99% sure it was a jaguar and not a tiger, but my memory
could be wrong.
Tom Feelings, Panther's Moon, 1969. Perhaps? "Bismu, a Himalayan boy,
loses his dog to a man-eating panther, is hunted himself, and
sees his home and sister threatened by the animal before it is
finally killed."
Willard Price. 50s - 60s.
Could this be from the "Adventure" series? Two brothers,
Hal and Roger travel the world capturing wild animals for their
father's business. I remember reading one with a
man-eating animal...but I thought it was a lion. There is
a Lion Adventure and a Tiger Adventure though, so both may be
worth checking out.
Corbett, Jim, Man Eaters of Kumaon. Or you could try The
man-eating leopard of Rudraprayag also by Corbett
I found a copy of Panther Moon, and that's not the book
I'm looking for so please keep those thinking caps on.
M301: mowing patterns
Solved: Sheep of the
Lal Bagh
M302: marijuana
Solved: A Child's
Garden of Grass
M303: Mystery about a cat inheriting money
Solved: Mystery of the
Fat Cat
M304: Mouse on a Unicycle
Solved: The
Magic Circus
M305: Mathematics by hand
Solved: The
Feeling of Power
M306: mysteries youth
1940's. Mystery stories about four
children about 9-13. They are two boys and two girls. They
are cousins. I think one title had "Castle" in it.
One book was about a cave. All the stories take place in
England - I think the author was English and may be a woman but
I'm not sure of that.
Winifred Mantle, The Hiding Place, 1962. There's not much to go on here,
but Winifred Mantle, who is British, came into my mind when
reading this stumper. The Hiding Place is a
mystery/adventure story. However the "hiding place" of the
book's title is not exactly a cave, but a rocky enclosure on a
lake shore, reachable only by a causeway. Mantle also
wrote a book about the same characters (who are neighbors, not
cousins) called Chateau Holiday, which maybe is the castle the
poster is thinking of.
ENID BLYTON, THE CASTLE OF ADVENTURE, 1946. You may be thinking of Enid
Blyton's 'adventure' series - they featured 4 children who I
think were cousins - Jack, Philip, Lucy-Ann and Dinah - also a
pet parrot called (I think) Kiki. All the books are set in the
UK and include 'Castle of Adventure' Valley of Adventure' etc.
Blyton, Enid, Famous Five Series, 1942- 1963. There were 21 books in this
series (Five Go to Mystery Moor, etc.).
Enid Blyton, The Castle of Adventure, etc. It sounds as though it could be
Enid Blyton's "Adventure" series - The Island of
Adventure, The Castle of Adventure, The River of Adventure.
Another possibility is the same author's Famous Five
series, featuring the adventures of four cousins and Timmy the
dog. But I don't think any of those has "Castle" in the title.
Enid Blyton, Adventure Series, 1940s. This sounds like Enid Blyton. It
could be the Adventure series. There are four children, two boys
and two girls. There are smuggler's caves in the Island
of Adventure. And one of the books is called Castle
of Adventure.
M306 Blyton, Enid. The castle
of adventure. no
illus Pan Macmillan c1946 revised 1988
Laura Lee Hope, Bobbsey Twins
Series. Two sets
of twins, one set older, one set younger, both consisting of one
boy and one girl each(not identical.) All four come from the
same family and have the last name Bobbsey. Might be cousins but
I always thought their parents just had twins twice. Many books
of mystries and adventures, dont recall anything more.
It certainly sounds like the Enid Blyton
"Adventure" series. Was there a parrot named Kiki? If so,
it is certainly these.
M307: miniature portraits are valuable
Another library book set in England.
A family (it may have been a blended family, or one with a lot
of cousins) knows it has valuable paintings in the home (a stone
house in the country, or maybe along the beach), but cannot
locate them. The girls start painting miniature portraits
of their family, and it turns out that the miniatures already
hanging on the walls are what are valuable. (This is not
Barbara Willard�s Storm from the West.)
M308: Mail and monsters
Solved: One
Monster After Another
M309: Maypole
When I was in elementary school, I read a wonderful book about a
young girl who is (I believe) sent to live with a stuffy
grandmother or an aunt or something. From her bedroom
window, she can see the maypole in the park across the
street. At night, or when it's foggy, she can see goblins or
nymphs or some other magical creature dancing around the
maypole. She ends up befriending them, and travels on some
sort of waterway with them into their underground world. The
presence of the maypole makes me think the book was originally
British in origin, but other than that, the details are
fuzzy. All I can truly recall is how wonderful the book was,
and how involved my imagination was in the story. I've sent
a letter to my elementary school already to see if they had any
idea, but I never heard back. I "graduated" from elementary
school in 1988, so the book was published sometime prior to
that. Please help.
Cresswell, Helen, The secret world
of Polly Flint, 1983.
Polly has to go and stay with her aunt Emily after her father is
injured in an accident. On May Day she sees children appear
first as shadows and mist, becoming more real as they dance
around the maypole, and then disappear. A village has vanished
and she goes to find it.
M310: mouse arrives in lakeside town, crashes car
Solved: The Jeremy Mouse Book
M311: Maximilian
Solved: Three Little Bunnies
M312: Mongolian adventures
Book perhaps written in the late'50s or early '60s about two
young boys who travel through Mongolia. They are not with
their parents, and they have a series of adventures.
Fritz Muhlenweg, Big Tiger and
Christian. About two
boys, one Chinese and one Europaean, who travel together through
the Mongolian desert.
Rita Richie, The Golden Hawks of
Ghengis Khan, 1960s. I
think this might be the book you are looking for. It'\''s one of
my favorites two boys, an Arab and a Mongol, journey across
Mongolia to the headquarters of Ghengis Khan, having many
adventures along the way the sport of hawking is very much
involved as well as the Arab boys search for his identity. I
think there is another book with these characters, but I'\''ve
never been able to find it.
M313: Marjorie and Esme
This is a series of children's books written in the 1960's, about
a group of kids who ride alot. Two primary characters I
remember are Marjorie and Esme. Are they still
available/extant?
M313 The seeker might look at this
website, especially near the end of its summary of a
British series which has a Marjorie and an Esme.
Lorna Hill, Marjorie series, 1948-1952. This sounds like
the Marjorie books written by Lorna Hill (better known for her
ballet books), the charaters include two girls called Marjorie
and Esme and horse riding is one of their activities. For
more information see
this website.
Lorna Hill, Marjorie & Patience
series. These are still
available, there is a series of them. Some have been
reprinted by Girls Gone By.
Lorna Hill, Marjorie and Co.
And a number of other books in the same
series e.g Stolen Holiday, The Secret, No
Medals for Guy. They have long been out-of-print,
but some are being or have been published by the small British
publishing company, "Girls Gone By". Here is a link to the publishers'
website, which gives details of how to get Stolen
Holiday, and possible sources for a couple of
out-of-print books.
I cannot bring up any title right now, but I
read a whole series of mysteries back in the 1960's about a
group of children who had a riding club. Set somewhere in
Tennessee or Indiana or Virginia- there where "hollers" and
creeks. Two characters were a teenage boy and his younger
sister. Kids in the club were from different socio/economic
families and this occasionally figured in. Stories were told
from the points of view of different kids at different times. I
will keep trying to call up a name for any of these books.
M314: Michael
This was a book called Michael. It was about an angel with
a dirty face. I bought copies every time I saw them, and
gave them all away. Everyone loved it. I want to give
one to my minister. It's a little red book, and it was
simply called Michael. Now I can't find it. Please
help.
M315: Motor Court Motel
I read the second one at the same age but the illustrations of
two thin adult sisters or girlfriends in dresses & maybe their
family, their car & a motor
court motel they stayed at on a road trip appeared to perhaps
have been written as early as the 1950s but again not after 1977
at the very latest. I think it had as much as 100 pages and the
book dimensions were smaller than the 1st book above. It may have
been a series and was old fashioned, quaint, silly and funny about
the ladies' adventures. I'm sorry I don't remember more but
if even if only one were ever found, I would be extremely
grateful.
Mary Lasswell, Wait for the Wagon,
1951. This is just a guess, but the
description sounds a bit like Wait for the Wagon, one of a
series of books about three older friends, Miss Tinkham, Mrs.
Rasmussen, and Mrs. Feeley, written by Mary Lasswell. Some
of the others were Suds in Your Eye, One on the House, High
Time, and Le''s Go for Broke. In Wait for the Wagon, the
ladies and Old Timer were driving from New Jersey to California
in an old restored Cadillac. They stayed in a motor court
and got involved with gangsters. It is also a slim
hardback book, a bit smaller all around than most hardbacks. The
books are hilarious, so even if this guess isn't correct, the
inquirer can console herself/himself with these.
M316: Magical button, little girl
Solved: The Witch's
Button's
M317: Mountain Kingdom Fairy Tale
Solved: Tatsinda
M318: Misty ruins of a castle
Solved: In the Keep of Time
M319: Magic
Solved: Read Aloud
Funny Stories
M320: Maggie (Magpie) sticks up for hippie outcast friend
Solved: The Seven Stone
/ Maggie in the Middle
M321: Marionette-doll, broken leg, plate
Solved: Sara and
Hoppity
M322: Mr. Boo
Book from the 1950's which has a Mr.
Boo. I remember my dad reading it as "Mr. Boo, Boo,
Boobidy Boo" I think Mr. Boo might be a bear but I'm not
sure. Thanks.
M322 On Google, there are many mentions of
a Finnish classic abt a Mr. Boo.
Try this one. I rather doubt it is the one, but it
has been translated worldwide.
Yogi Bear, 1950.I know Yogi Bear was a cartoon but could it
possibly been a book also? The only reason I ask is that
Yogi Bear'\''s sidekick was Boo-Boo. In one of the yogi bear
songs it says: Yogi has a best friend/Boo-boo, boo-boo/Yogi has
a best friend/Boo-boo, boo-boo bear/Boo-boo, boo-boo bear,
Boo-boo, boo-boo bear/Yogi has a best friend/Boo-boo, boo-boo
bear.Could you have been thinking of a comic book? Because
they made comic books also. Hope this helps.
M323: Mid 1970's Early Reader Fat Man
I used to think this was a Dick and Jane
Book, but it was too late for that. I was in the first or
second grade in public school. It was around 1975 to
1977. The book was an early reader with a lot of white
space. I think I remember children in it, as well as a cat
and/or dog. My strongest memory is of a jolly fat man (I
think) with a ruddy complexion. I grew up in lower
Alabama. If you need more info, please feel free to email
me. Thank you.
M324: Magician and doll
Solved: The Magic of
Millicent Musgrave
M325: Marsha the other one
Solved: Marsha
M326: Mission to another planet
Hi, When I was in primary school (about
1985 to 1988), I picked up a small novel written by Marion
Zimmer Bradley, or someone who writes a similar theme. The book
is set in the future, and is a Science Fiction theme. The book
it's self is about a man/boy who gets recruited by a rather
desperate doctor to go on a mission to another planet. The guy
is a human, and had to be surgically altered to look like the
aliens he is going to see. But, not long after he gets on the
ship to go to the planet, he is found out by a girl about the
same age. She is of the same species as the aliens (I think).
Then they both go to this planet and do the mission. because it
was a fair while ago, I don't know many more details, except
that once the two arrive at their destination, a pretty desolate
planet, they encounter strange black creature disguised as a
building. They eventually kill this building with wire left
lying around from expended rockets (since the rockets used the
wire to receive telemetry). Once again, I am not sure the
last part was even in the same book. I think the title had
either rainbow or planet in it?
Marion Zimmer Bradley, The Colors of
Space, 1961. "The
story revolves around Bart being co-opted to find the secret of
the Lhari warp-drive fueling material by surgically changing his
appearance so he could pass as a Lhari and having him ship out
as a crew member on a Lhari ship that is home world bound."
Marion Zimmer Bradley, the Colors of
Space. This is
defininetly The Colors of Space. But the
original poster is right - the last part is from a different
book, and not any MZB book I know of.
C.S. Lewis, Out of the Silent
Planet, 1965. First in a remarkable trilogy. The
hero, Ransom, is kidnapped in order to trade him for wealth from
the planet. Not sure where the black buildings might come
in, but there are various inhabitants of the planet, living in
differing communities. No wire or telemetry in this one,
so it may be the wrong book or you may be confusing a different
book, as you suggest.
M327: Mystery at Alice in Wonderland statues in NYC's
Central Park
Solved: Mysteriouser
and Mysteriouser
M328: Marco and the pigeons
Solved: The Travels of
Marco
M329: Meredith seeks father
I'm looking for the author/title of a book
I read in the early 1980's in hardcover. I found it in the
Durham, NC public library but haven't been able to find it in
the library catalog searching keywords. The story was
about a young woman named Meredith who sought out her father
(Andrew or Andy) who had divorced her mother and abandoned her
as a baby. They enter into an incestuous relationship while
Meredith continues to disguise her true identity from her
father; he is unaware of their father-daughter
relationship. I think he is a teacher or writer. The
book jacket had a picture of two harlequin style masks:
one of tragedy and the other of comedy. I appreciate any help
you can give in solving this as I've wondered for years what the
title of this book is!
Beryl Bainbridge, An Awfully Big
Adventure. I am
pretty sure that this is An Awfully Big Adventure.
The girl's name is Stella, but there is a character (male) named
Meredith. A few years ago this book was made into a movie with
Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman. Here is a review: "This spare
little (205 pages) novel doesn't waste a word, yet signifies
volumes. The highly honored Ms. Bainbridge, winner of the
prestigious Whitbread Prize and short-listed (six times!) for
the Booker Prize amply displays what all the fuss is about. She
is that good. The book is hard to categorize. It isn't a
coming-of-age, a psychological thriller, a dazzling Peter Pan
parable it is all these things and more. Stella raised in
blue-collar, post WWII Liverpool is a troubled and troubling
15-year old who determinedly washed out of school and has been
fixed up as a "student" (read gofer) at a provincial repertory
company. She has no particular acting ambitions, but is certain
she would be very good at it. We get a many-sided view of
Stella as she sees herself and as she is perceived by the
people around her. Every scene and every word of dialogue
interlocks like a jeweled timepiece. The reader is almost
unaware of the ever-increasing momentum until it crashes upon
you in a chilling finale. You think Ms. Bainbridge is through
with you, but not quite. Just when you think you are utterly and
completely emotionally drained, Ms. Bainbridge delivers a final
twist, and now you know you are. I was left stunned." An
excellent example of fine prose. Highly recommended.
I think this might be Decorations in
a Ruined Cemetery by John G. Brown.
Description: ..."Years ago, when his daughter Meredith was
young, Dr. Thomas Eagen abruptly left his wife and children in
an incident that still haunts Meredith well into adulthood. She
longs to discover the truth behind her father's
disappearance." No mention of an incestuous relationship,
though. Another possibility that came up when searching
just on the name "Meredith" was: Gatheringsby
Marina Rust. Description: ..."novel centers
around Meredith, a wealthy young woman who is trying to overcome
a childhood spent in a dysfunctional family plagued by drug
addiction, alcoholism, and insanity. Haunted by the untimely
death of her mother, who deserted Meredith and her father, she
shuttles between a South Carolina plantation and a Maine
vacation home owned by her mother's family." Again, no
incest, but both books have a "Meredith" and a plot about being
abandoned by the father. The only book that I found with a
sexual relationship between father and daughter was The
Favourite. I only mention it because the
AUTHOR'S name was MEREDITH Daneman. Description:
..."A woman whose childhood was marked by the awareness of being
her wayward father's favourite must come to grips with her
obsessions and incestuous fantasies when the circumstances of
his death are revealed." Could the person asking about
this book have possibly confused the author's name with a
character's name?
Bainbridge, An Awfully Big Adventure. oops- didn't say this before, but this
book does have the incest issue in it. I think it is accidental-
because he abandoned them years before, neither of them realize
until too late that they are father and daughter. But I cannot
remember for sure. It is possible that one or the other of the
characters knew.
James Leo Herlihy, Season of the
Witch. The M329
seeker may be interested in James Leo Herlihy's "Season of the
Witch". The story is vaguely similar. Smart-ass hippieish
Gloria, 15, lives with vulgar, avaricious, shallow mother.
Gloria has never met her real father, a Jewish political science
prof, Dr. Glyzwycz. She reverses the syllables to call herself
Witch Gliz. Best friend John gets his draft notice and plans to
run away, taking Gloria along to look for her dad. They go to
NYC, move into a very idealistic communal apartment and Gloria
meets her real dad and comes very close to sleeping with him.
60s style naivete is overplayed and a bit caricatured but a fun
read nonetheless.
M330: Merry-go-round horse
You just gotta help me. My first or second
grade teacher read a story about a merry-go-round horse. All
that I can remember about the story is that the pony's name was
SATIN (I'm pretty sure), and one night he disembarks from the
merry-go-round and takes off. That's all that I remember. It was
read to us way back in the very early 1960s, and someone said
that she thought that it was from a chapter reader book, like
the Dick & Jane books. Can anybody pleeeeease help me so
that I can sleep?
M330 A Google entry shows a sold copy of Our
New Friends, 1946-47 by Gray and Arbuthnot as
having a Merry-Go-Round story in it. Cover has boy and
girl w umbrella in the rain
Lois Maloy, Arabella of the
Merry-Go-Round, 1935.
Alison Uttley, Magic In My Pocket, c.1969. I seem to remember there
being a chapter in Alison Uttley's collection Magic
in my Pocket which was about a merry-go-round horse
that comes to life. Don't remember what he was called, though.
M331: Mermaid
1970-1975. A family visits the beach.
The little girl finds a small, green mermaid and takes it home.
The mermaid becomes very sick. I believe the family puts her in
the tub. Finally they take her back to the beach and let her go.
Carolyn Polese, Something About a Mermaid,
1978,
copyright. Janie and her family find a mermaid at the
beach and bring her home. They don't have a bathtub in
their apartment so the mermaid has to take showers.
Eventually, the mermaid gets sick from being out of the water
and Janie has to return her to the ocean.
M332: Mother Goose, 70s
I am looking for an in-tact copy of my
childhood mother goose book. It has very distinctive and
colorful illustrations of characters in period clothing, as well
as birds, cats and dogs. I am missing the first 12 pages of the
book, as well as several of the last, so I have absolutely no
other information about this book. Since I was born in 1977, and
based on the colors and illustration style, I'm guessing that
the book is from the 1970s. Please help me find this
book! I would love to have a complete copy for my own
children.
Janet and Ann Grahame Johnstone.
could this be one of the books illustrated by the Grahame
Johnstone sisters? There are many nursery rhyme books by
them and they have a very distinctive style. Rather OTT
period costumes and lots of gorgeous little details.
M332 Since there are so many MG books, would
it help the solvers if the searcher gave us a few more
unusual titles from the segment she still owns?
M333: Magic Forest, Lillypad Masks
Solved: The Tree That Sat Down
M334:Mandrake
root
Solved: Linnets and
Valerians
M335: Messy Mouse tied to an Umbrella
Solved: The Tall Book
of Make-Believe
M336: Mud
The description of the book is VERY vague but its sort of a weird
book so maybe its possible to find it. It was a book I read
as a kid about 15-20 years ago (so it may be about 20-25 years
old) I think that the cover was brown and the story was about a
kid that doesn't want to take a bath, if I had to come up with a
key word it would be mud, I think that he goes to live in a mud/
dirt world with mud monsters or something of that ilk...The book
might have been 10-12 pages long and was for a young child 3-6
years I think. Does this book exist? I've never been able to
find it and it was one I really loved (for some reason as a kid).
Patty Wolcott, The Marvelous
Mud-Washing Machine. Well, the cover isn't really brown, and there
aren't any monsters, but I thought I'd throw this out there
because it's an unusual story from the right time, it's very
thin, and easy to read (only 10 different words in it!)
The boy in this book is playing, gets muddy, and his mother
calls him in to eat. Rather than go take a bath or wash
up, he goes through this large car-wash style contraption that
hoses him down and buffs him up. He comes out shiny and
beaming, and his mother praises him endlessly. The writing
is similar to this: "Beautiful marvelous mud.
Marvelous beautiful mud. Marvelous beautiful, beautiful
marvelous, marvelous beautiful mud!" Etc.
Robert Munsch, Mud Puddle,
1982. I'm sure there are MANY books
about mud, but here's another one. Julie Ann keeps getting
into the mud, despite her mother's attempts to clean her up.
Robert Munsch, Mud Puddle. Any chance that this is Munsch's The
Mud Puddle? A little girl just can't seem to
stay clean - when ever she goes outside the mud puddle jumps on
her and makes her dirty again. There are a couple of
different versions of this one - if the cover doesn't seem
familiar, you may be remembering the old illustrations.
Brock Cole, No More Baths, 1980. Just a possibility.
Judith Vigna, The Little Boy
Who Loved Dirt and Almost Became a Superslob,1975.I
think this is the one you're looking for. I remember
reading it myself multiple times when I was in about 2nd grade
and I loved it! It's about little boy named Jonathan James who
doesn't want to take a bath but instead runs away in fantasy to
the secret land of the Superslobs (which kind of look like brown
mud blobs) where he does't need clothes, does't have to wash his
hair or behind his ears. He can throw rotten eggs and write on
the walls with greasy pegs, however after too much of this dirty
fun, he misses his home, his clean room and the smell of his
mother's hair and wants to go home again, even if it means
taking a bath. There is a similar story called Dirt
Boy by Eric Jon Slangerup but that wasn't
published until 2003 so I'm not sure if that's what you're after
here.Good luck!
M337: mormon settlers in salt lake city
One or more books set in salt lake city
about a girl and her family in the 1800's. There were
references to father being jailed for polygamy and how angry her
mother was when father took a second wife.
M338: Magic Marbles
Solved: The Mystery
House
M339: Minnesota Norse exploration
Solved: Door to the North
M340: Mittens
I am searching for children's book, I think
called "Mittens." It is about children finding mittens hanging
out each morning (secretly made by someone) then discovering the
woman who makes them and giving her back (secretly) yarn,
depositing it on her porch.
M340 This is THE MITTEN TREE
by Candace Christiansen~from a librarian
Jan Brett, The Mitten:
A Ukrainian Folktale, 1996
Florence&Louis Slobodkin, Too
Many Mittens.
Just a possibility- this book has red mittens hanging
everywhere!
Candace Christiansen, The
Mitten Tree,1997.This is definitely what you are
looking for. An old lady knits mittens for kids at a bus
stop, and every time she runs out of yarn, she finds a basket of
yarn on her porch. It's a Scholastic book.
Candace Christiansen, The
Mitten Tree,1997.This is definitely The Mitten Tree,
illustrated by Elaine Greenstein. The edition I have is a
Scholastic book
M341: Mushroom cap women
Solved: The Kindles Find a Home
M342: Miniature Boxed Set
Solved: Tiny
Animal Library
M343: Magic Book
I can't remember much about this
book. It was a magic story. One of the characters
was named Bracken. There was a poem at the beginning of
each chapter (I think - I remember there were poems in the
book). It's not much to go on, but hope you have some
ideas. Thanks.
Nichoals Stuart Gray, OVer The Hills
to Fabylon (maybe).
This one might be Grey's Over the Hills to
Fabylon. Or Mainly in the Moonlight.
The character named Bracken is a shepherd who loves the princess
Rosetta of Fabylon. Gray put a lot of poetry in his
books. Over The Hills to Fabylon is a collection of linked
stories about the people who live in the magical city of Fabylon
(it can be instantly transported over the mountains at need)
& environs, Mainly in the Moonlight is a collection
containing one Fabylon-set story, about the princess' lady who
has a message to take to Bracken, and runs into trouble.
Original poster, does any of this ring a bell?
I think you may be right about the book being Over the
hills to Fabylon (or Mainly in Moonlight). I
don't remember enough to be sure without seeing the book
again. I've found copies of Mainly in Moonlight on
the internet, but copies of Fabylon are really expensive
(over $100). I'm thinking of buying Mainly in
Moonlight since it's affordable, and the title does sound
really familiar. Then I can see if it's what I remember.
Thanks for your help. I've been wondering about this book
for many years and glad to finally have a possible answer.
Your website is great.
M344: mystery - purple illustrations
Solved: The Mystery of
the Myrmidon's Journey
M345: Merry-go-round, Carousel, Lonely Pony
Solved: Chester
M346: Machine
Solved: Machine
M347: magical tales book
A collection of stories - 1950s or 1960s
- vague memories: kids visit a bakery and try
frosting the cakes,etc. a boy digs a hole and fills it with
water and enjoys it a story of a magic stick. I used to
read this book in our bomb shelter - it was one of a few we kept
there (along with all the emergency supplies - water, canned
goods, blankets). Thanks in advance for any help you can give
me.
M348: Macbeth-themed Horror/Mystery Story
Solved: Deadly Sleep
M349: Mister Pockets
I'm sending this for a friend, who has been
searching for this book for a few years now, with no success.
Any leads would be greatly appreciated. The only things I've
found so far appear to be fairly recently published books that
don't quite fit the bill. The friend would have been pre-teen
around the time he recalls reading the book. Here is the
description of the book/title he is searching for: "I'm
looking for a children's book from the 40's/early 50's (believed
to be) called "Mister Pockets" for a friend's birthday. He
remembers this book was about a man who had hundreds of magic
pockets. This will probably be the most impossible search in the
world, but who knows? I thought I'd give it the old college try!
Thanks." A websearch came up with another person who
seemed to be inquiring about the same book a few years ago, and
was responded to that it was "Pocket Dogs," but "Pocket Dogs"
looks to be a very recently published book, and not matching the
description at all, other than a main character with the same
name. The previous poster mentioned that the book was believed
to be called "Mr. Pockets," and that Mr. Pockets had a vest with
many pockets from which he could produce items to help others,
but when he wanted something for himself, the pockets were
empty.
created and illustrated by Roy Doty,
story by David R. Preston, Uncle Pockets,
1951. I haven't seen this book, and can't find an online
description, so I'm not sure it's the one you're looking for,
but it seems promising! The title is close, the date is
within your limits, and Roy Doty has written and or illustrated
numerous children's books. To find out more about Roy
Doty, visit his website.
Roy Doty, Uncle
Pockets, 1951, reprint. Just wanted to
add to the previous post. Uncle Pockets, the character in
Doty's first book, led the 1948 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
and was the subject of a hit record by Danny Kaye. You can
listen to it by visiting this site:
http://www.last.fm/music/Sylvia+Fine/_/Uncle+Pockets.
Just click the "Play Sylvia Fine Radio." You might have
to click on the little arrows of the player til you find the
right song. From the lyrics, it sounds like the right
book.
M350: Mom's Lost book
When my mom was in middle school, she read
a book about a girl named Serenity who became an orphan and
moved in with her aunt, uncle, and five male cousins, two of
whom may have been named William and John. It was written
before 1975 and was a novel. However, it is neither "They
Loved to Laugh" or "I Take Thee, Serenity" (the book was not set
during war time). This book was very important to her and
gave her the name for her first child. However, she cannot
remember the title or author. What I have given is
about all of the information I have gathered about the
book. I have done numerous searches, but have been unable
to find it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
M351: mother's birthday stumper
Solved: The Happy
Birthday Present
2006
M352: Maggie in Boston
Solved: A Family for
Sarah Ann
M353: Mixed Up Meef
I am trying to find my favorite child's book and for the world
can't find it. My parents swear it was called Zany Zoo, but
the books I find online with this title are not the book. We
believe the cover was blue, it would have been written on or
before the mid 1970s. One page, the one I have in memory
said "The Mixed Up Meef is Strange to See, His Head is Where His
Feet Should Be" or something similiar. It was a fun silly
children's book and I thought the book by Norman Bridwell would be
it, it wasn't. If you can help me locate this book I would
so very much appreciate it!!!
William J. Kerr, Zany
Zoo, 1955, might
be a possibility. The subtitle is animal rhymes, and the
lines that the reader remembers seems to be that. The
publication date 1955 also fits.
Bridwell, Norman, Zany Zoo, 1963, Scholastic. Another
possibility. It was also released with the title Crazy
Zoo.
Dean
Walley, The Zany Zoo,
1972/1973, approximate. The
only way to find it is to type hallmark after the
title...otherwise it doesnt show up anywhere...amazon has a few
for sale too.
M354: Myths and Legends
Solved: The Golden
Treasury of Myths and Legends
M355: Maggie
Solved: Just Plain
Maggie
M356: Millinery shop
Solved: Polly
Poppingay, Milliner
M357: Molly Moves Out
Solved: Molly Moves Out
M358:
Milkjug toy soldiers
Hi.So, I'm after a book circa 1942 about some toy soldiers that
come alive and they all hate one of them known as milkjug.
Possibly called 'After the dark from the nursery' or 'Out of the
dark from the nursery'. It was an illustrated book. Please
help!
M359: Maureen Daly Sequel?
Maureen Daly wrote a famous short story called "Sixteen"--about a
girl who was waiting for a boy that she met to call her, and she
waits and waits and he never calls. There was a short story
written by someone who took the boys "side"--an explanation of
sorts as to why he never called. I can't remember the name of the
story or the author. I don't think it was Maureen Daly. Any help
at all would be most appreciated! Thank you!
I found a story online titled "Seventeen
- A Belated Response to Maureen Daly's Sixteen" by
Ahmed A. Khan. But it's c.2005 so if you're looking for an
older story, this isn't it.
Charles Brodie, Eighteen. (1949) This is a Scholastic Magazine
short story. I have it (in reprinted form) in front of me
as I type. It was reprinted as a part of a Scholastic short
story collection entitled First Love (copyright
1966.) I also remember it from an anthology from
middle/high school (although the text was an older one even in
the mid-70's), so I'm sure it was reprinted any number of times.
M360: Miniatures
Looking for a book I used to check out in the library in
elementary school - early 80's. It had a white cover, it was about
making miniatures with matchboxes, beads, fabric, games pieces,
etc. It had little bears/animals in the pictures in the
rooms with the miniature items.
PK Roche, Dollhouse Magic, 1980. Maybe this one? It has a
white cover that looks like a cross section of a dollhouse, and
gives instructions for making simple dollhouse furniture and
accessories from household odds and ends. A sponge becomes
a sofa and a broken watch a clock. A spool can be a table base
and a toothpaste cap a lampshade. In simply written
chapters, lavishly illustrated with photos and easy-to-follow
drawings, the author tells how to start making and finding
wonderful things to furnish any dollhouse. They do use
bears in the photos.
M361: Maximillian - small dog with traveling owner
Solved: Mixed Up Max
M362: make-believe closet
I don't remember much about this book other than it was a child
who would go into his closet and play make-believe. Whether it was
because he was punished or just bored, his closet is where he
would go to have fun. I don't think there were any mythical
creatures, monsters or magic, just a boy and his imagination. I
also seem to remember there being a picture of boxes, either on
the cover or on one of the pages. This book was read to us
anywhere between the ages of 6-11, which would be 1990-1995. It
was a paperback picture book. That's all I know, I'm sorry it's so
vague. I'm trying to find this book for my best friend, Christine,
whose mom read this to us a lot and passed in 1997. This would be
a wonderful gift for Christine, I hope you can help me.
M363: Mystery in a British village with a hoax
About 30 years ago I enjoyed a mystery set in a British village.
There was a pompous professor whom the villagers were teasing with
made-up lore, like "Hey diddum daddum dee, down to sacrifice goes
we."
M364: magic dresser drawer
Solved: What the Witch
Left
M365: Mystery Book about a boy named Marvin
Solved: Bennett Cerf's
Book of Laughs
M366: Mother in the mirror
Solved: Little Witch
M367: Monkey
Solved: On Cherry
Street
M368: mystery about a gold mine
Solved: Mystery
Mountain
M369: Miniature babies
This is a book I remember as a child that
has tiny miniature babies that ride in a thimble and climb on a
trash can to get in a jar of peanut butter. It was read to
me in the 70's or early 80's. It was a chapter book.
John Peterson, The Littles Give a
Party, 1972. If
they were little people rather than babies, as you remember,
this book might be worth a look. It's about small people
who live in houses, unknown to the big people. (Just like The
Borrowers, probably the inspiration) They use a tin can as an
elevator to ride between the walls of the house in which they
live , and Tom falls into a jar of peanut butter left open in
the kitchen. For Granny's 80th bithday, she is given a thimble
to use as a wastebasket.
Patricia Clapp, King of the Dollhouse. This could be what you're looking for...
I loved this book as a kid and the mention of peanut butter
brought it to my mind immediately. A King and his family (which
includes several babies) move into a little girl's dollhouse.
She feeds the babies peanut butter which they love. I think the
Queen rides around on a mouse! See the solved page for
more details.
M370: Moose and cat
Solved: Hiero's Journey
M371:
Moon ball
Solved: The Moonball
M372: Magic Coin
I'm looking for a children's book for a friend of mine. I'm a
librarian and I told her I'd use my "librarian powers" to find
it. :) This is what she told me about it:
"This is a simpler kids fantasy book about a young girl who
gets/is given a small coin that looks different from her country's
currency (the pound, it's one of those great UK
fantasies). She doesn't think about it much until her
wishes start coming true. All of the suddenly, her
brother winds up with the coin. I think it's he who
makes the connection between the weird coin and the wishes coming
true. All sorts of crazy things start happening in
their little town, and they travel around quite a bit to weird and
unusual places, until somehow the coin winds back up in the hands
of it's owner, and old man. One of the wishes I recall more
distinctly is when the dad had it in his pocket, and he was
driving along, and all the sudden he wished for something (there
was a traffic cop and he wished he was somewhere else, and
suddenly he was, but the car wasn't there). It taught
the kids to be specific with their wishes, because their wishes
had impact on other people." My initial response to this was
that it sounded a bit like "Half Magic," by Edward Eager, but she
doesn't think that's the right book. She responded: "I think
the book is something about a 50 pence coin. I remember reading
this when I attended Primary School in England. I loved the book
since it was about a piece of English currency that I loved
getting ahold of when I was younger. I hope that helps."
Good luck and thanks!
I don't know the answer, but if the coin is
a 50 pence piece, the book presumably is from after February
1971, when decimalized coinage was introduced in the UK.
Dick King-Smith, The Queen's Nose, 1985. I think this may be the book
you're thinking of. The wishes come true when you rub the
queen's nose on the 50p coin. The protagonist is called Harmony,
and I think she has at least one brother or sister. More
recently the book was made into a TV series and I belive that a
sequel was written, too.
Edward Eager, Half Magic.
Could Half Magic have been
printed in England with the coin a 50 pence piece? (In the US,
it seems at first to be a nickel.) It really does sound
like that book--only it's the mother who wishes to be home from
a visit, and finds herself halfway home, with no car. And
there are numerous instances of publishers' changing details
like that.
M373: Mexican or Spanish boy dressed in white
Solved: Angelo, the
Naughty One
M374: Milk horse
Solved: Thomas Retires
M375: Mighty, Highty, Tighty
Solved: Walt Disney's Surprise Package
M376: Muses (or fairies) in a land of no color
Don�t have much to go on, but I constantly checked out this book
from the elementary school library, which would have been in the
early 70�s. From what I remember there are muses, or fairies
in a land of no color. I remember this land was very similar
to designs of ancient Greece, that�s why I believe they were
muses. Their job was to inspire, I believe, an artist
about colors. There were parts about painting and
crayons. The book is a hardcover, off-white (maybe white if
it was an older publication by the time I saw it). It caters
to about 8 years and younger. The elementary school has been
gone for years now and that�s all I can remember. Any help
is appreciated.
Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles. For context, also recommend Bradbury's
Martian Chronicles. Bradbury returned to this
fantasy Mars in other stories not included in this volume ("The
Exiles," "The Fire Balloons" and "The Other Foot" in The
Illustrated Man, "Night Call, Collect" and "The Lost City of
Mars" in I Sing the Body Electric, and "Dark They Were, and
Golden-Eyed" in A Medicine for Melancholy). All are a
loosely connected series of stories, but together they paint a
world.
M377: Mouse & bullies
I am desperately looking for a book I received for my 5th
birthday. It was about a mouse that was playing with a hoop and
stick when some bullies took his hoop. He chased them but ended up
getting lost. He was alone in the woods and the landscape changed
- he thought the tree was a cat's paw and claws, etc. He finally
made it home. It was purple hardcover, and I believe the mother
mouse was on the front with a very colorful patchwork skirt and
bonnet. I think it was published in the early 1980's or late
1970's. It was very well illustrated and the text was for early
reading. Please help! I am going crazy trying to figure out what
this book is and really want to give it to my little girl for her
5th birthday ~~~
Jane Carruth, Adventure in the Dark. Tippu the mouse gets lost in the dark
after chasing Bully Shrew, who has taken his hula hoop.
After a frightening night outside, a neighbor rabbit finds Tippu
and shows him that scary-looking tree stumps aren't so scary in
the daytime. In the end, Tippu and his father go fishing,
and find the hula hoop in the water. The version I have
has a purple cover, and while the mother isn't wearing a
patchwork apron on the cover, she is wearing it throughout the
book and on the title page.
M378: Mrs. Goose's upside down hatbox cake
I sent in a paypal comment for a book but did not describe it in
full as I should have. I am looking for a story or book that I
read to may children in the early 70's. It is a story about a Mrs.
Goose who makes a cake for a church social or fair and who puts it
in a hatbox. She forgets that she has put it in the hatbox and
then throws the hatbox in the top of the closet. It turns out her
cake is a great success anyway even though she now calls it an
upside down hatbox cake. Thanks for looking for this book/story.
Miriam Clark Potter, Mrs. Goose
series. The story
"Hatbox Cake" is anthologized in Let's Hear a Story - 30 Stories
and Poems for Today's Boys and Girls, ed. by Sidonie Matsner
Grunberg, c. 1961. The story if from one of Miriam Clark
Potter's "Mrs. Goose" books, but I'm not sure which one.
Titles in the series include "Mrs. Goose of Animal Town" (1939),
"Hello Mrs. Goose" (1947), "Here Comes Mrs. Goose" (1953), "Our
Friend Mrs. Goose" (1956), "Mrs. Goose's Green Trailer" (1956),
"Just Mrs. Goose" (1957), "Queer, Dear Mrs. Goose" (1959),
"Goodness, Mrs. Goose!" (1960), "No, No, Mrs. Goose!" (1962),
"Goofy Mrs. Goose" (1963), "Mrs. Goose and Three-Ducks" (1964),
and "Mrs. Goose and her Funny Friends" (1964). "Hello Mrs.
Goose" was reprinted in 2000, and "Just Mrs. Goose" was
reprinted in 2004.
M379: Magical neighbors, series of books
It's a series of books, from the mid to late 80s. It
features two(?) children who go on a series of magic adventures, I
think solving mysteries and such, but all part of an ongoing
narrative. I think their neighbors are also magic and
provide advice. One story featured a clock, I think, and
another had a pivotal scene in a graveyard in a magically
connected world, I think. I remember them being fairly dark,
with the kids facing real danger. The titles were somewhat
long.
You're looking for John Bellairs' mystery series that
begins with The House with a Clock in its Walls.
M380: Mouse book
Solved: The Mouse Book
M381:
Marnie and secret garden
Solved: Mandy
M382:
Magic Saturdays
My teacher read a book to us when I was in
first grade, which would have been 1980-81. I would swear the
name of it was "Magic Saturdays", but I have yet to find a book
by that title anywhere! What I recall is siblings (2? 3?
4? I can't quite remember) find a magic paper bag that only is
magic on Saturdays. I believe it takes them to a special island,
because I remember them saying "Little bag, little bag, grow
longer and longer, and stronger and stronger, and carry us back
to our island", and when it was time to leave, they said the
same thing except it was "Carry us home from our island".
I can't remember what they did on the island, or if it was
always an island they went to. They could have gone somewhere
different every weekend, I don't know for sure. And it's
NOT the Enid Blyton book with a similar name. Thanks for
any help, I would love to find a copy of this for my son.
Edward Eager. I am wondering
if this were one of the Edward Eager books. Unfortunately,
none of the titles contains the word "Saturday," and I don't
remember anything about a paper bag, either.
M383:
Medieval England girl travels to Scotland to
rescue father
Solved: Ransom for a
Knight
M384:
Monkey in window
It's a book about a monkey in the window.
Came out in 1980's. I think the monkey was for sale it the
window. I could be way off. It could be a dog and not a monkey.
Think it came out around the same time as wild thing.
Jean Bothwell, The Borrowed Monkey. (1953) A long shot, but could this be
the one you're looking for? "Dickon had always wanted a
pet and was thrilled when he spied a monkey that nobody seemed
to want in a shop window. Dickon was allowed to borrow him for a
time but when it was time to return him .....well, there is just
enough suspense and excitement before the very satisfactory
solution arrives." Illustrated by Margaret Ayer'
M385:
Magic oven
Okay, this one had something to do with a
magic old-fashioned oven which these kids found in a secret
(magic?) playhouse. They made a cookie from a mysterious
cookbook for the bully-kid and he turned into a (goat?) At the
end I believe the playhouse disappeared...It was an interesting
book - I think the kids were new in the country/beighborhood and
I just remember it - my 8 year old would love it! Any help -
please!
Parker, Richard, M is for Mischief.
(1966) Three children find a magic
oven, with two settings "O" for ordinary and "M" for mischief.
They cook eggs whose shells turn them invisible, make sugar
cookies that turn the bully into either a goat or a donkey and
their mother into a chicken.
Richard Parker, M is for Mischief. (1966) I remember this one from my
childhood! Three children find an odd stove and cookbook
in a summer house behind their new home. The stove has two
settings on it: O and M. The most adventurous child
decides to try out a recipe for boiled eggs that will make
whoever eats them invisible. An old man appears from nowhere to
adjust the stove and explains that O and M mean ordinary and
mischief. The food the stove produces is either ordinary
or magical depending on the stove's setting. The kids discover
that the boy next door is a bully. They decide to make a
"mischief" recipe for the bully, but his mother eats it instead.
She turns into a hen, the bully becomes a donkey, and the
mysterious old man (who doesn't know that the neighbors have
been transformed) decides to make the stove a normal one.
The original hardcover edition had illustrations by Charles
Geer. It was then released in 1968 in a Scholastic
paperback edition with illustrations by Carol Wilde. Out
of print, bu not hard to find or terribly expensive. See
the Solved Mysteries "M" page for more information.
The title is actually M for Mischief.
M386:
Mechanical horse wins Grand national
Solved: Mylor, the Most
Powerful Horse in the World
M387:
Mismatched socks
Solved: Bamboozled
M388:
Motorcyclist travels through time
Set in possibly southern England, a young
man who was either on holiday of just travelling on a
motorcycle. He stops at a farm (either for a place to stay
or looking for work) and the farmer lets him stay in the
barn. Cannot remember all the details but ends up
travelling back and forwards in time. Finds out this
happens every 50 years (peoples names are carved with dates in
the barn) At the end he, takes the farmer�s shotgun, saws
of half barrel and going back in time to help someone.
Gets shot but the musket ball destroys his motorcycle helmet
which falls away, making the people of the time think he is a
devil and has grown a new head. Something about a witch
hunt going on in the past and a witch trying every 50 years to
pull someone through time. Ends up just carving his name
with all of the others before part of the barn is boarded
up. The farmer buys him a new helmet, but pretends
it is an old one his son left lying around. Book cover had
a man with a motorcycle with roundhead / cavaliers in the
background. Would have probably read this in the 80�s
ROBERT WESTALL, The devil on the
Road. (1978, approx)
I'm pretty sure this is the one you're thinking of. The main
character is a student called John Webster - he stays in a barn
while travelling around Suffolk on his motorbike and gets
involved with time travel - he goes back and forth to 1647 - the
story involves Matthew Hopkins, witchfinder general, a woman
called Johanna and a cat/kitten named News. Hope this helps.
M389:
Magic teacher calms class
Solved: They're
Torturing Teachers in Room 104
M390:
Monk
The book is about a sad little monk or
brother that lives in an abbey or monastery. I remember
seeing this young boy dressed in a long robe, walking in the
woods and sad. The cover of the book was light
green. I read the book about 1960.
I wonder if this is some version of the 12th century legend
of Our
Lady's Juggler. You can look this up in a lot of places
on line. It's been published several times and it was made into
a cartoon by Terrytoons in April 1958, art and direction by Al
Kouzel.
M391:
Mechanical mouse race
The title was 'Mechanical Mouse Race'. It is not a children's
book really though I read it when I was about 12. I remember a man
who gambles and loses on horse races and then goes to a party and
organises a race between wind up mice. I think (or thought) that
the title might include Mulberry Tree but I'm not sure now. It
would have been printed in the 1920s-1950s I think.
M392:
Mastiff protects chosen child from evil
Solved: The Monk
M393:
Me Bear - child gets visit from bear
Solved: A Story About Me
M394:
Magic boots and box in drawer
Solved: What the Witch
Left
M395:
Me too
A children's book which I loved when I was a young child. I was
born in 1941, and this was a gift from a close friend who was a
teacher.It was about a little duck who always said "Me too!"
whenever his siblings wanted to do anything. It reminded everyone
of me, becaues I wanted so badly to keep up with my big sister and
said Me too! all the time. I know that I memorized most all of the
book or certainly could correct anyone who tried to skip words!!
I'm guessing I was around 3-4 when I got it. I believe all the
illustrations were blacka nd white, much like I recall teh
illustrations in Make Way for Ducklings, but it definitely wasn't
that book. I keep searching but have had no luck, so was delighted
to find your site today.Hope you can help me.
Willis, Fritz, Me Too.
(1945)
Here's a link where you can check out the cover to see if
it's the right book.
This is not really a solution, but I can
remember owning a record as a young child, which told the story
of Me-Too the duckling - it sounds as though it was based on the
book that you mention. I think it might have been one of the
Little Golden Records, but am not sure. This would have been in
the mid-1960s, but the record might have come out much earlier.
M396: man builds different doghouses
Solved: Inside and Outside
M397: Man fights witch, saves father
This book is a fantasy novel circa 1988-1991 although it could
have been published at a different time. I had read this
book while on deployment to Norway. The primary plot was of
a young man who was trying to find out the secret of his
family. He was an orphan and all he had was a deteriorated
bronze shield which yielded no clues due to its condition.
Unfortunately, the family this young man was with somehow managed
to offend a witch or sorceress. Due to this slight, she was
going to do horrible things to said family until the young man
challenged her. She then gave him a specific period of time
to get ready. In order to get ready, the young man visits a
magician of great renown who can control demons and create life
created out of clay. These clay figures are then put into a
special kiln which gives them life. The demons have the
secret and the magician/sorcerer is willing to let the young man
apprentice under him to gain said knowledge. After the
period of time is up, the young man, now a somewhat powerful
magician, challenges the witch with his creations. After a
titanic struggle, the young man prevails. He also learns
what secrets the shield holds by going out to the plowed field and
putting it into the ground. Up comes his father, who was
under the witches curse. The shield returns to an
undeteriorated state and the story ends.
M398:
Magic picture frame
I'm looking for a book I would have read in the 1960s about
a group of children and their adventures with a magic picture
frame. When a painting or photo was placed inside the empty
frame, the kids were able to enter the picture. I think the
title may have had the word "unicorn" in it, although I might be
mistaken about that. Sorry that's all I can remember, but
hoping someone might be able to help.
C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn
Treader.This is just a
guess, but The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, one of the books in
the Chronicles of Narnia series, begins with a group of children
falling into a picture frame. The picture in the frame is
that of a ship, and, of course, the children land in the ocean,
are rescued by the people on the ship, and so off they go on
their adventures.
I submitted M398 (Magic Picture Frame)
and someone has suggested that it could be C. S. Lewis's Voyage
of the Dawn Treader. However, I am familiar with
that book and it isn't the one I'm after.
Jane
Langton, The Astonishing
Stereoscope. I'm wondering if perhaps rather than a picture frame it's a
stereoscope, and the children in question enter the pictures
that are put into it? Eleanor and Edward Hall would be two
of the main characters, if this is the right book.
M399: Minnesota summer camp
The book I am looking for was one I read somewhere around
1970-72. It was at a summer camp in Minnesota, part of the camp
library. It was a few years old, a paperback, with the title "When
People Had Tails" or "If People Had Tails" or something along
those lines. It had a cartoon drawing of a person with a long,
monkey-like prehensile tail on the cover. I do not have an author
or date or even a country of publication. It was in English.
The story was that on some date (somewhere around 1910, I think),
all human babies all over the world started being born with these
long prehensile tails. At first, doctors would just amputate the
tail at birth, but after it became clear that this was happening
to all babies everywhere, a movement grew to leave the "new"
children intact, so a new generation grew up having these tails.
The book discussed many of the issues involved in adapting society
to accomodate these children, including the necessity of
re-designing clothing and chairs. It followed the tailed children
through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood, when they
started taking over society's functions from the older, tail-less
people. The reason that I remember it after all these years was
that it was not written as a standard science-fiction novel, where
you usually just follow a select group of characters through a
story like this, but as a "real" history of the period, explaining
the changes that had to be made to society as a result of this
happening, because naturally the people reading this book all had
tails, or were part of the much older generations who had lived
through these changes. I have not been able to find any
mention of this book anywhere. If you could track down an author
and an ISBN number, I would really appreciate it. A copy of the
book would be even better.
H. Allen Smith, The Age of the Tail,
1955. This is definitely THE AGE OF
THE TAIL by H. Allen Smith. 1955 hc from Little,
Brown there was a pb reprint from Bantam the following
year. No isbn, since the isbn system wasn't operating back
then, and the book hasn't been reprinted since the 1950s as far
as I can determine.
M400: Magical horse
Solved: Mio My Son
M401: Monsters
I am hoping to remind someone of a series of books that I read as
a child. They were the same size and shape as the Mr
Men. As I remember them they were about monsters, that took
the forms of every day objects, excepting one feature. You
could tell they were these 'monsters' as there was something odd
about the object. The one particular character I recall best
is a carriage clock with webbed feet. There was another one,
a bridge that springs to mind, but the memories are faint. I don't
remember them being vicious, or much else, but the fun was in
spotting the 'oddity'... I'm in the UK, so I'm not sure if that's
relevant, but I am 30 years old so I would think they were late
1970's, early 80's... Hope you can help?
Are you thinking of Babapapa?
Check the link to the website.
Hope this helps
M402: Mountain High
Solved: High Trail
M403: Man dies in sleep while woman dreams
This is a short story written for adults. I
read it about 15-20 years ago but it is probably older than
that. It was in a collection of short stories from other
countries; it may have been translated from another language. In
the story, a man meets another person who offers him anything he
wishes. He tries to get around the catch of something bad
happening to him as a result of his obtaining his wish. He
decides to wish that he won't ever be any older than he is on
that very day. He's told his wish has been granted. He spends an
uneventful evening and goes to bed. The point of view then
totally switches to his wife, who is asleep and dreaming that
she is on a ship in a very cold place, freezing, unable to get
warm. When she awakens she realizes she was so cold because her
husband died in his sleep next to her, hours earlier, and his
body is completely cold. He got his wish of never being any
older than he was that day. Does anyone know the title/author of
this tale?
James Stephens,
''Desire" The name of the
book is Desire
and other stories written by the Irish author James
Stephens (he also wrote ''The Crock of Gold''. The story you
mention is the title story. The woman dreams of setting out on a
sea voyage and ends up stranded out in the artic - the key feature
of the dream is cold. When she wakes up her husband has died in
his sleep.
M404: Monday's child...
Solved: Princess
Gift Book for Girls
M405: monkey banana oil firehouse
A friend remembers being read a story in
the early 1950s about a monkey who tries to get into a firehouse
because he smells bananas. The smell turns out to be a
paint-thinner that smells like bananas. It is possible the
fireman called it banana oil. He thinks there was a boy
character and a girl character, at least one fireman, and the
monkey's owner in the story. He thinks the monkey ended up
being given a banana, and all had a good laugh.
Could this be one of the many Curious
George books? It definately sounds like one, and
George's owner "the man in the yellow hat" always did look like
a fireman to me!
M406: magic tree
Looking for a Scholastic book-1950's or
60's- probably for 8-12 year olds. I believe it had a few
stories in it-fantasy-MEDIEVAL setting?-I believe one of the
stories was about a boy trying to save his mother-they live in
the woods for a while when they have to run away? I thought the
story was called The Magic Tree-I have a book called The Magic
Tree and Other Stories, but it wasn't the one I was looking for-
Can anyone help? Thank you!
M406: The Sword in the Tree
by the prolific Clyde Robert Bulla? A lord's evil
brother seizes a castle, and the lord's wife and son flee, but
not before the son (Shan Weldon) hides a sword in a hollow tree
nearby so he can have proof, later on, that the castle is his.
Illustrated by Bruce Bowles and/or Paul Galdone. Possibly from
1956.
M407: Monsters in the house cause trouble
Solved: Beastly Rhymes
M408: Mars colony
The book is a YA science-fiction novel,
possibly authored/published in the 1950's (I read it several
times while in grade school during the 1960's). A family
(including a brother and sister) emigrate to a colony on Mars
where they take up residence in a domed house. The
children attend the local colony school and, while on a field
trip out into the Martian wasteland, they (and a same age male
friend) find themselves having to bail out of the aircraft the
students in their class are traveling in. They have
numerous adventures out in the wasteland, including locating an
ancient domed underground Martian city. The book was in
hardcover (I didn't encounter paperback books in school until
later grades) and contained black and white illustrations.
I suspect the same author also wrote a similar novel about a
different brother and sister who, because of an act of bravery,
are rewarded with a paid trip through the solar system (each
chapter involving a visit to a different planet/moon).
There. Any assistance you can offer will be appreciated
(several friends have suggested Heinlein's Red Planet but, being
a Heinlein fan, I assured them that was not the title I had in
mind).
Robert Silverberg, Lost Race of
Mars. This is a
long shot, since some of your details don't match my memory of
the book, but you might want to check out Lost Race of
Mars by Robert Silverberg.
This is a wild guess, but could this book be
Lost Race of Mars by Robert Silverberg?
M408: Lost Race of Mars by Robert
Silverberg? See Solved Mysteries. "1960. Illustrated by
Leonard Kessler. Do the Old Martians really exisit? Sally &
Jim must find out as their father's life work as a sceintist is
at stake. But it's not easy. They are the only earth people on
Mars in the year 2017. And no one really wants them there." I
remember this sentiment extends to the conceited schoolkids, who
are mean and snobbish towards any humans not born on Mars.
There's a Mars kitten named Mitten. In Martian newspapers, human
ages are converted to Martian years.
Unfortunately (mainly because I
appreciate the fast response) but it's not Silverberg's Lost
Race Of Mars. Good guess, though. I should
mention that there was no animosity or indifference shown
towards the family by the other colonists.
It's a long shot, but have you looked at the
science fiction books by Jean and Jeff Sutton?
They were originally published in the late 50s through the early
70s and, as I remember, there are a couple titles that feature a
brother and sister. The Beyond, Alien from
the Stars and The Man Who Had the Power
are the titles I remember, although I can't remember the plots,
they were good.
M409: Magical twilight world
before 1970... All I can remember is
that some children were playing, found a door and opened it.
They fell into another world which was always in twilight and
very magical. This was not a scary book. I've never been able to
read books that were too scary. It was just very magical. This
is the only book from my younger years that I haven't got in my
collection. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
CS Lewis, The Lion the Witch and the
Wardrobe.
Part of me thinks that everyone must have heard of this book,
what with the recent film and all...so perhaps you have already
considered this. But this description sounds so like The Lion
the Witch and the Wardrobe where four children stumble through
the back of a wardrobe into another magical world. It is
dark and snowing the first time they go.
Sorry, but I don't think that this is the answer. The book that
I remember did not involve winter at all...just twilight
Do you have any idea what period the book
was set in?
LeGuin, Ursula, The Beginning
Place. A few details are different, but The
Beginning Place is definitely about a magical land
where it is always twilight. Two young adults (20-ish) both find
a way into the magical land (Tebrabrezi, I think) by crossing a
stream in a forest. They meet there in the village, and help the
villagers with a problem they are having. My favorite book.
M410: Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Magic Box
Solved: The Magic
Grinder
M411: Mexican boy trapped in theater by earthquake
I read this story during the mid- to late-
70's, though it may have been written earlier. I'm pretty sure
it was in a school reader. The story was about a boy in
Mexico who worked as a street vendor, selling caramels, gum, and
other candies from a tray he carried. It was a hot day, and
no-one was buying, so he went into a movie theater to try his
luck in there, and to escape the heat. An earthquake struck,
destroying the theater, and trapping the boy in the rubble.
Another boy, possibly also a street vendor, was trapped with
him. The boys gathered the spilled caramels, and divided them so
that they would have something to eat while they waited to be
rescued. They were, of course, rescued at the end of the story.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
This book is definately from a school
reader, I've read it as a child too, but I don't remember the
title. Sorry, and good luck.
M412: Mother Nature's Schoolhouse
Years ago I had a hardback book that told
the non-fiction stories of various wildlife animals. It
had real black and white photos in it of the various animals
being discussed. Everyday Mother Nature would have the
animals come to her "schoolhouse" and they'd learn about each
other as she taught. While they were in school, they were
not allowed to hurt/eat each other. I specifically
remember the story and the photograph of the snowshoe
hare. I think that it was a children's book, but maybe
not. I read it in the 60's or early 70's but I'm sure that
it was much older.
Thornton Burgess, The Burgess Animal
Book for Children.
This book is still in print at Dover Publications. It's also
available as a free
e-text.
M412: I had this years ago, but the title
will be tricky to remember. That's because, in all likelihood,
you're thinking of one of Thornton W. Burgess' (1874 -
1965) books, and he wrote at least 170! Mother Nature is the
"teacher." The animals tell about themselves in class, but it's
clearly more for the reader's benefit than for the characters'.
Your best bet is to go to the Burgess website and
email them with your question, since the booklist there doesn't
make the answer quite clear. Burgess was best known for his Adventures
of... series and his Mother West Wind
series. What's unusual about the book is that Mother Nature
usually appears as a character only in the Mother West Wind
series, which consisted of short stories, while this book was a
full-length "story."
Thornton Burgess, Looks like you
haven't had a confirmation on this from the original poster, but
my suggestion (the Animal Book) is definitely the
book that has the animals going to Mother Nature's school,
learning about each others' habits, and not being allowed to
hurt each other in class.
M413: Mr. Fish
Solved: This Can't Be
Happening At MacDonald Hall
M414: Mailbox
I remember reading a book sometime in the
1980s about a child that walks past an abandoned or old house
and there is a letter in the mailbox for them. They
continue to get several more letters and eventually get a key to
the house. I believe the character is a girl. I'm
sorry that I don't know more about it but it's been quite awhile
since I read it.
This sounds just like Seven Spells
to Sunday by Andre Norton.
M415a: Mole House Friends Visit... You Need
We owned this in hardcover when I was
little, probably bought new between 1980 and 1985. It's a large
picture-book, with color illustrations, but not bright
colors--maybe pencil drawings, which did not fill the whole
page.The main character is a small animal, I think a mole. I
think he has just moved from a mole-hole into a new house. I
keep thinking the title is "Mole's New House". In turn, each of
his friends come to visit, and each of them tells him, "This is
a nice house, but you need ____" and then each visitor gives
something that THEY would want in THEIR house. For example,
"Gorilla" tells mole to get monkey-bars, and "Woodpecker" tells
mole to get... wood? And someone tells mole to get a garden.
Each friend then stays and uses the thing they recommended. It
gets noisy and crowded, and I think Mole (or whatever he is)
eventually kicks everyone out, and is finally happy. I
distinctly remember that his house is depicted as a mansion;
there is a huge staircase... and entryway? I remember a
chandelier... (but again, the drawings are pencil, and somewhat
"partial") I remember a character (Gorilla, I assume)
eating bananas, and then I think Mole is eating a banana after
everyone has left... OR, each character has a "BAD HABBIT"???
Woodpecker is too loud, and Gorilla is too... Well, now I'm just
confusing myself! Thanks!!
Margolis, Richard J., Big
Bear to the Rescue.I just happened to have re-read one
of my child hood books and its the book this person is looking for
the title is: Big Bear to the Rescue by Richard
J. Margolis pictures by Robert Lopshire. The
book I have is a paperback. copyright 1975 from Scholastic book
services There is not any ISBN number on the book. the story
is about: "Big Bear spotted Mr. Mole at the bottom of a dry well
and thought that Mr. Mole had fallen there when what really
happened is it was just a place Mr. Mole likes to sleep in and his
home is underground behind Skunk's house. But Big Bear did not
know this so he ran first to squirrel and asked for some rope but
then squirrel needed a wheel barrow than when he gets it he will
give Big Bear the rope. Well this goes on with the rest of the
characters: owl, horse and skunk. And in the end they found
out Mr. Mole was okay and so with the things everyone needed they
had a party." The book is 40 pages long and starts on page 5. OH
and there is a number on top right hand corner of the cover: TW
3855
M415b: Mice wedding cake
Solved: The Sugar Mouse
Cake
M416: Magic Door
I have been trying for a while now to locate a book that my
husband read as a child in England in the late 1950s. Set in
England the plot involves a group of young schoolboys who find an
old door knocker-- when knocked it acts as a time machine- in that
the boys are transported to different times in history. My husband
particularly remembers when the boys found themselves back in
Roman Britain.(he remembers one of the boys having a nose bleed
and a cold shield being pressed upon the childs back ) I have
exhausted every possible lead to find this book......one
suggestion was a book by Dan Billany titled "The Magic Door
"..however I can't track it down... I would be most grateful for
any help.
dan billany, the magic door.
the book you are thinking of is, I'm sure the magic door.
Dan Billany was my uncle and my mother, Joan illustrated
it.I still have the original manuscript and drawings but sadly
only one copy of the book.
M417: Mother worries about milk jug falling
Solved: Clever Elise
M418: Margy
Solved: Margy
M419: Marmaduke hedgehog
I'm looking for a children's book that was around about 50 years
ago. All I remember is that there were very colorful
pictures of a bunny whose name, I believe, was Marmaduke and a
hedgehog named Hodgie or Hoggie. There may have been another
animal named Primrose. My sense is that the animals might
have had tea in one scene, so this could have been a British
book.
M420: Mouth of a tiger
As a child, I was born in 1926, I had a book that we were all
frightened of. The cover had a child with it's arm in the
mouth of a tiger. I can't imagine what kind of stories the
book contained. I don't think I ever got past the
cover. I saw a copy in an antique barn in the 70's but I
knew that I had a copy. Of course, I can't find it.
Any help will be appreciated. The size was at least 8x10.
The full book is by Kathryn Jackson,
as well as the story.
M421: Medieval tale revolving around an alchemy stone
Solved: The Trumpeter of Krakow
M422: mystery in the whispering pines
mid 1940s. someone comes across a large house in a forest
that is vacant and left as if the owners just disappeared.
Cornelia Meigs, Mystery of the Red
House, 1961. Not the
right era, but this book is about a family that comes across a
mysterious empty house in the middle of the woods while on a
picnic. There's even a table, laid out for dinner, that
looks like people just walked away. The kids find a note
that leads them on a treasure hunt to solve the mystery.
The author wrote her more famous books between the 20s and the
40s, so maybe this is actually a reprint or reworking of an
older title?
M423: Mon Cherie
French boy (Etienne?) comes to England to learn ballet. He likes
football, too. Dancing partner and best friend is girl who
narrates (I think) and on last page he turns collar of jacket up
as it;s snowing, taked her hand and calls her "cherie". Book had
bright yellow cover with black writing, I think. Story covered
years 13 to 16?
M424: Mop cares for 2 Children
Solved: Miss
Osborne-the-Mop
M425: Misty of the Moonlight
Solved: Gypsy from
Nowhere
M426: Monkey goes hunting
Solved: The Golden Book
of 365 Stories A Story for Every Day of the Year
M427: Mice save Santa
I'm looking for a book where mice (2-3 of them I think) save
Santa. I think they live in a dept. store and see Santa
abducted. Then they rescue him. I loved this book and
checked it out in elem. school several times in the late '70's.
I'd love to get it for my kids for x-mas.
Jean Van Leeuwen, Steven Kellogg
illus., The great Christmas kidnaping caper.
Dial, 1975. "In comfortable residence at Macy's during the
Christmas season, Merciless Marvin the Magnificent and his gang
are convinced that the store's Santa Claus has been kidnapped
and determine to save him."
2007
M428: Mrs. Malone storybook
This book is from late 40s, early 50s. When
I was a child, someone had given a book to my sister and me,
containing as I recall, assorted stories and poems. The
one poem I remember was "Mrs. Malone" by Eleanor Farjeon.
I do not know whether the entire book was an Eleanor Farjeon
book, or whether it contained works of assorted authors.
When my grandmother would read "Mrs. Malone" to us, it would
make us cry. Does anyone have a similar memory? This
would have been most likely in the very early 50s, although the
book may have been published in the mid to late 40s? Thank you.
Eleanor Farjeon, Mrs. Malone,
1950. Farjeon published this
story-poem as a picture-book in 1950. I'm not sure if the poem
is included in her collection "Poems for Children", published in
1951, but it may well be. The poem is also in Eleanor
Graham's "A Puffin Quartet of Poets", published in 1958. The
poets are Farjeon, Ian Serraillier, James Reeves and E.V. Rieu.
But that may be just a little late for you.
M429: Mr. Tibbets
Looking for book from 50's titled something like; Mr Tibbets toy
factory or toy store. On book stumper.
Mr. Tibbets, I recall a
book called The Terrible Mr. Tibbetts (or Tibbets?),
one of the TAB/Scholastic offerings in the 60's, but I can't
find anything listed in WorldCat.
Was your Mr. Tibbit/Tibbet/Tibbets an
English book? My sister (ca. late '70's?) had an English
book (Enid Blyton-type mass- produced W.H.Smith-kind of thing)
with the everyday adventures of a middle-aged man who lived in
your typical small English place.
I think the Scholastic edition someone
suggested is THE TERRIBLE MR. TWITMEYER by Lilian
Moore, but I don't think that's the book requested (the
WorldCat subject heading record reads "Dogs - Fiction"). Moore's
book was originally published in 1952.
M430: Man and his pet seal
Solved: Oscar the
Trained Seal
M431: Monument Valley
I had this book as a child in the early 1970s. It
features drawings of a desert much like monument valley with
buttes and plateaus and mesas. The perspective is from very
far away or on top of a mesa. There are some cowboys or
other people traveling across the floor of the valley, but are so
tiny, they appear to be dots. As you flip from page to page,
the dots slowly move across the bottom of the valley. The
sky takes up a big portion of the pages, and I seem to recall that
there are constellations that appear to take up much of the
top portion of the book. I don't remember anything of the plot,
just that these cowboys or other people were traveling across the
desert and the somewhat sparse dialog they have as they go.
M432: Monkey and creatures in habitats
Picture book of children observing animals in their
habitat. If I recall correctly, the book is big and orange
and has a picture of dark-haired children wearing loin cloths
riding on a giraffe. I believe there is a picture of a boy
dressed up as a monkey hanging upside down with monkeys eating a
banana, a chameleon, a boy wearing a safari hat and binocculars
looking at an ostrich with its head in the sand. There is a
picture of a girl with a fur coat in a cold region observing a
white baby seal (or some other polar animal). It was my
favorite book in the 70's so I don't think it's older than '78 and
the artwork makes me think it is not older than '65. Thanks
so much for your help!
M433: Machine for war reactivated after years in captivity
I am looking for a sci fi short story about a war machine
captured on a planet and after years as a contruction machine is
accidently re activated and contaacts the home planet.
Keith Laumer, Combat Unit, 1960. This short story is about a Bolo
tank reactivated for combat after 300 years. It was originally
published as 'Dinochrome' in The Magazine of F&SF in
November 1960. It has been reprinted in the book Odyssey
by Keith Laumer, edited by Eric Flint. A free sample of
the book that includes the story can be found here.
Theodore Sturgeon, Killdozer, 1944. I agree it's probably the Laumer
story someone has already suggested, but the mention of "years
as a construction machine" makes me wonder if the requestor is
(also?) thinking of Theodore Sturgeon's story "Killdozer," in
which a bulldozer is taken over by a hostile mental force from a
long-dead civilization (not another planet). If so, that
one has been anthologized several times.
M434: Metropolitan Museum adventure
Solved: From the
Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
M435: Molasses
I have looked for a book I had as a very, very young child.
I believe it was a Golden Book but not positive. The book
was about a small white dog - and I think his name was Molasses or
either he got into some molasses and made a mess (I was so young,
I honestly don't recall). This book made such an
impression on me as a child (about 4 years).....I have never
forgotten it........
Wright, Betty Ren, Snowball,
1952. Could this be it? The only
synopsis I can find: Story about a white Poodle, Snowball,
and how he goes from white as snow to black as coal. The cover
is red with a picture of the poodle, Snowball, white on head and
back and black on feet and underparts. Not sure what
turned him to this coloring. It is a Whitman Tell a Tale
(Fuzzy Wuzzy) book, which means that there was flocking on some
of the pictures.
I remember Snowball. He turned black
after sliding down a coal chute.
DIRTY HARRY, 1965??,
approximate. Harry is a white dog with black spots who
does not like to bathe; he goes on a big adventure and gets so
dirty that he turns into a black dog with white spots.
When he gets home, his family doesn't recognize him, so he
runs to get the scrubbing brush for a bath...you know the
rest!! Sound familiar? (Children's book)
Good luck!
M436: Mouse
Children's book: I was in early elementary school (1986ish--so I
think book is pub between 1973-1988 or something). Pink hardcover
thin square book about a MOUSE. A little mouse who goes about her
day. She drinks TEA out of lily of the valley petals (they look
like cups). I have NO clue what it was called. I don't have a
storyline either.
Patricia Coombs, Mouse Cafe.In Mouse Cafe, there is a mouse waitress, I
can't remember her name - something like Lollimops. She works
very hard and one day meets a handsome gentleman mouse that asks
her to marry him. The size and color of the book match
your description. Might be this!
Celeste Mouse. I think that
the book that you are looking for is called Celeste Mouse.
It was a picture book published in the 70's or 80's, in it
Celeste Mouse goes about her day, and makes tea. She was
wearing a pink dress. I don't remember much else about it
,though.
M437: Minature Children in Backyard Adventures
Read it in the early 1980s. This was an exciting book that
catalogued the backyard adventures of two (or more, I think it was
only a brother and sister) in their backyard (they were somehow
shrunken or made really small like in "Honey I Shrunk the Kids").
I can only recall that their saga was complex and they desperately
wanted to return home. The only memorable clue that I can
recall involve the boy's use of a bettle carcass (or some other
insect/grasshopper leg) to accomplish some task. I realize
this is not much to go on, but I would really like to get to the
bottom of this!
Evelyn Sibley Lampman, The City
Under the Back Steps,
1960. A boy and his cousin are playing on the back steps
when they are bitten by a queen ant and "shrunk" to ant size.
When they are found by the ants, they are initially taken as
"pets" and then they are found to have special talents that can
be used by the ants--the girl is wearing a pinafore and the
pockets can be used to carry the eggs from place to place. The
boy has a pocket knife and can save the scout ants from the
deadly antlions. The book takes you through the "day-to-day"
life of an ant colony from foraging for food, to taking care of
the "nursery".The children forge friendships and help save the
colony from an enemy camp. The queen grants their wish to become
large again. They are grateful and when they return to natural
size, they remember the experience, and quit stepping on ants.
Johm F. Carson, The Boys Who Vanished.
Here's another possibility. This one
is about two boys who drink an experimental drug, are reduced to
insect size, and must trek across a vacant lot to find their way
home. Details people usually remember are: the
boys dress in tunics made from leaves, they eat dried insects
found in spiderwebs, when they get home they grow back gradually
to normal size over a period of weeks, and there's a rather
memorable cover picture of them being threatened by a giant
spider.
Sheila Moon, Knee-Deep in Thunder, 1967. Another possibility is Knee-Deep
in Thunder. The very short CIP data reads: "An
unusual stone provokes a journey into an underground world of
fantasy where Maris is guided by a dog-sized beetle." Maris is
joined by several other insects on the quest though...there's a
red ant and a brown ant, another beetle, and (if I recall
correctly) a caterpillar. A boy also joins them. I think that
one group of ants were the enemy though, and were trying to stop
the group. In the end, Maris returns to normal size...but
there was a sequel!
jay Williams, Danny Dunn and the
Smallfying Machine.
There is an entry on the D page about the Danny Dunn series,
although this one is not mentioned. Danny and his friends Joe
and Irene get shrunk by the professor's new machine and have
adventure's in Danny's back yard. I read this in the 70's. A
possibility.
M438: Miss Mouse's Houses
1960-1980. This is a book about a mouse who designs houses
for other animals - A mansion for a pig, a worm lives in a luxery
pear, and owl has a tower room. I remember that it was
hardcover around 8" x 11" and this mouse was designer.
It was beautifully illustrated and very detailed. It
looked like an interior design book for animal houses.
George Mendoza, Need a House? Call
Ms. Mouse!, 1981.
Illustrated by Doris Smith. Also published as "House by Mouse"
in UK. Long out of print and highly sought after. I have a
friend who has one and she won't even let me borrow it!
George Mendoza, Need a house? call
Ms. Mouse!, 1980.
This is definitely the book you are looking for "Henrietta Mouse
designs houses to fit the special needs of her animal friends."
M439: Monkey soldiers in World War III
Solved: World War III
M440: Modern Three Muskateers
I know it's very little to go on... probably late 70s-early 80s
paperback. Was a comic adventure about 3 guys (in the war??) who
were kind of a modern Three Muskateers.
I am responding to the M440 stumper about
"3 Modern Musketeers"... "little to go on" with... little to go
on! I am sorry I cannot provide author and title, but I do
very faintly recall reading a wonderful series of books about a
group of men, and I think there were 3 of them, who had been
through the French Resistance together. They had done many
brave things and one of them had been tortured (his fingernails
had been removed). I think they called themselves the
Animals or had animal nicknames. One of them I think was
called the Tiger. Anyway, the books were very well written
and they covered what happens AFTER the men reach retirement
age. The men end up helping the French chief of police in
solving various crimes/mysteries. they also embark on some
adventures themselves. The humor is often dark and the
writing is suspensful and "gritty" at times. Even if
this is not the answer to the stumper, I highly recommend these
books.
M441: Moomim
Solved: Trouble for
Trumpets
M442: Mexican boy pushes carnival ride
A reader anthology (before the 70s) with a story about a Mexican
boy who earns money at a carnival by running underneath a merry go
round type ride. He wants to buy a serape but he buys something
for his grandfather instead.
I can't remember the title of this book
either, but the plot sounds really familliar, perhaps I can shed
some more light on this. I remember that the boy made a
pot, and wanted to trade it for a parrot in a cage, but the
merchant wanted more than just the pot, so he pushed the
merry-go-round for money. He ended up making several
trades, eventually having something nice enough to trade for the
parrot, but ended up buying a serape for his grandfather
instead.
M443: Mickey Mouse, shopping, nephews
Solved: Mickey Mouse
Goes Christmas Shopping
M444: Magician's Rose
Youth/Young Adult book - I read it in
middle school, probably published in the 70s or 80s. I'm
pretty sure the title had something to do with a magician and
roses or flowers...I think the magician might have ended up
dying in the end. I vaguely recall a possible Christian or
maybe Christmas undertone to the story - I'm pretty sure it was
like The Little Prince with a whole story under the
story. I don't think the magician performed tricks, but he
traveled and maybe could grow roses(?). Please help - it's
driving me crazy!
Paul Gallico, The Man Who Was
Magic,1966. Perhaps? The edition I saw had a rose on
the cover.I haven't read it in ages, so I can't be certain of
the details.
M445: Momma bear
Solved: Why Do You Love
Me?
M446: Money Game
Solved: The Westing
Game
M447: Minstrels
Time and Again, How the minstrel music of olde affects
music today.
M448: Memoirs, woman had affair, loved cooking
About 10 or 15 years ago, I read a woman's
memoirs-- I cannot remember her name. One chapter in the book
dealt with an affair she had as a married woman. After the
affair ended, she wrote "for awhile, I was happy." The author
also loved cooking and throughout the book were descriptions of
her preparing delicious-sounding dishes. There may have been
recipes. I would love to read it again. Does this ring a bell
with anyone?
Rosamund Pilcher, Shell
Seekers,1987. A long shot but perhaps this adult
book. Penelope and Richard have a wartime affair. He
dies in the Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day. After
she finds out, she remembers him reading to her about "there
will be sunlight later". After the chapter flashback she
realizes that she is content and grateful for having known
him. There are passages about meals (roast lamb!) but no
recipes that I recall. The Shell Seekers is a painting by
her father, Lawrence Stern.
Reichl, Ruth, Comfort Me With
Apples, 2001. This reminds me of Ruth Reichl's
memoirs, most likely the second one, Comfort Me With
Apples. It's a little newer than you remember,
but it does have the affair and lots of yummy recipes
Two people have submitted possible
answers to the mystery - both good - however, I don't believe
either is the book I'm looking for. As I recall, this
woman would have been a housewife in possibly the late 50s, or
early 60s. Is it possible to put a "thanks" on there from me,
but asking for continued clues from others?
Robert James Waller, The
Bridges of Madison County, 1992. Was it The
Bridges of Madison County? Set in 1965 Iowa -
a National Geographic photographer has a love affair with a
married woman, Francesca. The book is Francesca's memories
as she looks back on that affair.
Theodora
Fitzgibbon, With Love, Love
Lies a Loss. 1950s??? This rings a bell with me for a series of memoirs
by Theodora Fitzgibbon, an Irish writer who also wrote
cookbooks. The memoirs detail a bohemian/jet set life during and
after WWII - hanging out at the pub with Dylan Thomas,
etc. She has affairs and in fact in the second book her
marriage breaks up. Both very good memoirs, anyway, if you
want to check them out.
M449: Molly, Lolly, Dolly, etc.
Solved: A Surprise for
Mrs. Bunny
M450: Man, fog, mirrors
Solved: The Unpleasant
Profession of Jonathan Hoag
M451: magic seashell gets hot in saddle bag
Solved: The Twilight of
Magic
M452: magic toy ship
Solved: The Ship That
Flew
M453: miracle bells chirstmas
Solved: Why the Chimes
Rang
M454: man, a million dollars
softcover book probably from
70's green cover about man who tries to give away a
million dollars.
Terry Southern, The Magic Christian.
This sounds like it - the plot fits, and the cover is green.
George Barr McCutcheon, Brewster's
Millions, 1902. Sounds like this popular novel which
has been in print since it's first publication, and made into
movies at least five times. Synopsis: New York, 1900. Montgomery
Brewster is a man of great potential. Heir to his uncle's
fortune, he is a playboy, very much the American equivalent of
P.G. Wodehouse's Bertie Wooster. However, unlike Bertie, Monty
Brewster has a shrewd intellect behind his shallow exterior.
Following his uncle'\''s death, he discovers the old man has
bequeathed one million dollars to him . . . or, if he is up to
the challenge, he can win 7 million by spending the one million
dollar inheritance within the space of a year. When Monty
decides to go for the big jackpot, he has to keep his plans a
secret from everyone -- even though it may cost him his fiance
and his friends.
M455: magic potion, mouse
1960s-1970s. This is possibly a Parents
Press Magazine book from the late 60s-mid 70s. I can't remember
the title or author, but it was about an animal, which I think
was a mouse. He was unhappy with the type of animal he was, and
went to a place where there were lots of bottles of potions on
shelves that turned you into a different animal. On one bottle
the label had come off. After imagining what the bottle's
contents might change him into, the mouse(?) decided to stay as
he was and not take any of the potions.
Kent, Jack, The Wizard,
1971. The mouse goes to the wizard because he doesn't like being
a mouse, the wizard gives him a bottle whose lable has fallen
off and when the mouse asks "What will it turn me into?" the
wizard answers "Something else - that's what you said you wanted
to be." While the mouse imagines what it will turn him
into (butterflies are pretty but they don't live very long,
turtles live a long time but they aren't pretty and they're
slow, bees are fast but they work hard, ants get stepped on,
birds sing happy songs but they eat worms, and <horrors!!>
what if it turned him into a cat who eats MICE??) The
mouse decides there's nothing the spell could turn him into that
he would enjoy being ("Being me has its problems but at least I
know what they are. Whatever I turn into might have bigger
ones") and returns the magic spell to the wizard - who is elated
that the spell worked (the mouse was unhappy before and now he's
happy so the spell changed him). So the wizard rips all
the labels off of all his magic spell bottles and "After that,
whenever anyone in Wallaby Wallow felt unhappy with his lot, he
know what to do. He would buy one of the wizard's
wonderful magic spells. They never failed to work--as long
as the bottles weren't uncorked."
Kent, Jack (author and illustrator) ,
The Wizard of Wallaby Wallow,1971. You're right,
this is published by Parents Magazine Press! Unfortunately
out of print, but not hard to find. Also available as an
animated film in the Scholastic Video Collection as a bonus
story (The Wizard by Jack Kent) on the DVDs "Sylvester and the
Magic Pebble and More Magical Tales" and "Chrysanthemum and more
Kevin Henkes Stories."
M456: mystery, NYC-gang in upstairs apartment plotting
kidnapping
Solved: The Kidnapers
Upstairs
M457: mountain fantasy quest
Solved: Farthest Away
Mountain
M458: magic sled, Victorian, aunt, witch
Solved: Magic Elizabeth
M459: mustard in cake acts as distress signal
Solved: The Fortune
Cake
M460: man with green thumb
I am trying to find a book for a
friend. She is 36 now�so she had it as a child in the 70�s
I would assume. So, printed in or before that time.
This is the only information she gave me� No the man with the
green thumb but don't know the name of the book... He lived in a
city where he was the only one who knew how to grow flowers and
plants, then he got sick and the plant started to die something
along that line....
Margaret Mahy. I'm not a hundred
percent sure, but you could have a look at Margaret Mahy's
children's story anthologies. I think the one with the story
about chewing gum might be the one with the story I'm thinking
of.
Tistou of the Green Thumbs,
1950s, approximate.
M461: Mr. Whiskers
The book I am looking for is, as I remember
it a paper back, chapter book. It is about a cat called
"Mr. Whiskers" (I am ALMOST positive that likes to sit at the
front window ofr his house and "read the paper" several times a
day. In the story he refers to "reading the paper" as
checking out the comings and going of the neighborhood people
and the other animals etc. That's basically all I remember
of the book but I really wnat to find it to share with my
children as we talk about OUR dog "reading the paper" all the
time! I would LOVE it if someone knew of this book!
McInnes, John, Mr Whiskers,1961. Just a guess - it was the only chapter
book (158 pgs.) about a Mr. Whiskers that I could find, but I
couldn't find any description.
M462: Moth People comic
I read a comic book in the mid-late 70's
that featured a Conan-type warrior character (bulging muscles,
big sword, etc.) A woman (possibly a love interest, or maybe
just some princess) was kidnapped by Moth Men, who I remember as
being sort of yellowish and/or lavender, with big eyes, curling
antenae, wings, and two pairs of human-like arms and hands. The
warrior attempted to rescue her, but was too late - the Moth Men
had already spun her into a cocoon. He carried her out of
the Moth People's city over his shoulder, still encased in her
cocoon. Just at the end of the issue, the cocoon was about to
hatch - leaving me to wonder for the past 30+ years who or what
finally emerged. Any suggestions will be greatly
appreciated!
Roy Thomas, Jon Buscema, Val Mayerik,
The Chronicles of Conan Volume 9: Riders of the
River-Dragons and Other Stories, 2006, reprint.
I have two possibilities: 1. If this was a
story about Conan, she-pirate Belit, and a Killer Moth, in
Conan the Barbarian - "This is the Night of the Killer Moth" /
"On the track of the She-Pirate" , Conan #61, Marvel Comics,
1976 then perhaps the answer to your question "what emerged?"
might be found in
Conan the Barbarian- "Amra, Lord of the
Lions"/"Dwellers in Darkness" , Conan # 63, Marvel Comics 1976
in which Conan re-unites with Belit.
These Conan issues are currently in print in
the compilation "The Chronicles of Conan Volume 9: Riders of the
River-Dragons and Other Stories" by Roy Thomas, Jon Buscema, and
Val Mayerik [Dark Horse, 2006]. 2. Killer Moth and his Moth Men,
Larva and Pupa, are villains in the Batman series, DC
comics. Killer Moth, aka Cameron Van Cleer, was later
called Charaxes. Killer Moth traps his victims by spinning
them into cocoons. He first appeared in Batman, DC comics
#53. He had an encounter with Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl,
[later called Oracle], in her first appearance in DC Comics #359
(1967) she is 'cocooned' by Killer Moth but is rescued by
Batman. Killer Moth appears in other issues as well The
Killer Moth website is here: He-Man, a
"Conan-type" warrior with bulging muscles and a sword, appeared
in DC comics as well, in the series "Masters of the Universe"
1982-3. I don't know if these 2 characters ever appeared
together in a DC comic.
I regret that neither of the suggestions
was the book that I've been looking for. While the main
character was of the Conan type, I'm almost 100% certain that
it was not Conan himself, as that was a big enough name that
I'd have remembered it. That said, I still ordered a
copy of Chronicles of Conan #9, just to be sure, but it just
arrived and it's not the one. It was also definitely not
the Batman villain, Killer Moth, nor was it an issue of
He-Man. It was not a single Moth-person, but an entire
city of them, in the middle of a jungle somewhere. (Some
of the residents of the city may have been more
caterpillar-like than moth-like, eg. multiple arms, no wings.)
I've been taking a hard look at lesser-known warrior
characters, such as Ka-Zar and Kull, but so far no luck.
Thanks for trying!
M463: Misunderstood girl contemplates mother's death under
tree
I am looking for a book I only vaguely
remember reading as a child in Iowa. It is a coming-of-age
story about a girl whose mother has died. In the book the
girl liked to go sit under a special tree where she would cry
and try to work out her feelings. She felt alienated and
misunderstood by her family and classmates. I think the
tree might be on a hill or in a cemetery. There was cool
green grass under the tree, and perhaps her mother was buried
nearby. I seem to remember the name "Willow" from the book
(the name of a person, or place, or just the tree she was under
-- I'm not sure), but I might have that wrong. I read this book
in the late '60's, so it was written before then. The copy
I read had a plain blue cover and something like charcoal
illustrations. The book is not Blue Willow by
Doris Gates. I've been trying to find this book again for
30 years -- I would be THRILLED if anybody remembers it at all
-- it had great significance to me at that time in my life.
Elisabeth Hamilton Friermood, Whispering
Willows, 1964. It sounds like Whispering
Willows by Elisabeth Hamilton Friermood.
It's about a young teenage girl who lives with her uncle who is
the caretaker for Willow Hill Cemetery. Her mother died a
few years earlier. The book begins when she is about to
enter high school and concludes right after she earns her
diploma.
M464: Mouse lives in dollhouse and gets to be conductor
for train
A mouse (I thought his name was Cricket,
but that may be my poor memory) finds a dollhouse or playhouse
of some sort, moves in and cleans it up nicely. At one
point, he takes a bath in what I think was a teacup. A
little boy finds him and eventually makes him the engineer for
his toy train set. Please help!
Consuelo Joerns, The Lost and
Found House, 1979.
M465: mental hospital patient and employee escape
Solved: Sarah Canary
M466: missing diamond, evil Pan, diamond in staircase of
abandoned mansion
I read this book over and over when I was
approx. 10-11 (1986-1987). It was a thin paperback, age
appropriate to a 10 year old. It was a mystery about two
children - a boy and a girl I think who uncover some spooky
occurences happening in an old mansion. The upshot of the
story is that the goat faced Pan has either come back for or is
protecting a diamond hidden in the staircase of the
mansion. Not sure if Pan is just a thief in disguise or
the 'real thing.' Fun book. Hope you can find it for
me. I've been keyword searching "diamond, staircase,
mystery, mansion, haunting..."
Jane Langton, The Diamond in
the Window. A brother and sister search for Prince
Krishna's treasure in their rambling old house. A statue holding
a lamp on the staircase plays an important role.
M467: man's descent into full-blown rabies, short story
I remember reading this book or short story
in reading/english class during either middle or high
school. (It's been quite a while since that would have
been the mid-70's to mid-80's, and my memory is quite sketchy
about it.) I remember it being fairly short... so either a
short story or a novella. The main character (and I believe that
there were very few characters other than the main character as
I do not remember any) was an adult male. He either
encountered a dog with rabies or owned the dog. I don't
remember whether he destroyed the animal once he knew it had
rabies or whether he simply penned/chained it up to prevent it
from biting others. I do remember that he was bitten
(possibly when trying to take care of the dog) and contracted
rabies himself. I'm not sure if the setting of the story
occurred prior to the development of the rabies vaccine or
whether the man didn't realize he had rabies until it was too
late for the vaccine. The story details his descent into
the symptoms of rabies until he finally dies. If I
remember correctly, during one of his lucid moments he may have
chained himself up to prevent himself from attacking others and
spreading the virus. It talks about his extreme thirst and
how he physically cannot swallow water, gagging and frothing at
the mouth. That's about all the details that I can
remember. Any information you can provide regarding what
the title and author of this story might be would be
appreciated.
Stephen King, Cujo,
1981. This is probalby too easy, but could you be thinking of
the Stephen King novel Cujo?
The book tells the story of the middle-class Trenton family and
rural Camber clan in Castle Rock, Maine. Marital and financial
difficulties of the mundane sort plague disgraced advertising
man Vic Trenton and his adulterous wife Donna. Their domestic
problems are dwarfed by the mortal danger when Donna and her
four-year-old son Tad are terrorized by a rabid St. Bernard
named Cujo. The most unusual stylistic element of the
narrative is that it occasionally switches to the perspective of
the canine title character. Like Kojak from The Stand, Cujo sees
humans as extraordinary, nearly divine figures (for example, all
adult males), referring to Joe Camber and Gary Pervier as THE
MAN, Donna Trenton and Charity Camber as THE WOMAN, and Brett
Camber and Tad Trenton as THE BOY.
Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were
Watching God, 1937,
copyright. This sounds like an excerpt from the end of Hurston's
Their Eyes Were Watching God. This section
has been widely excerpted/anthologized and so might be
remembered as a short story. The main character is
Janie. Her third husband, Tea Cake, is bitten by a rabid
dog during a hurricane in Florida. He deteriorates
hideously, with the symptoms the oringinal poster
described. In the end, Janie has to shoot him to prevent
him shooting her.
This is a long shot, but I
wonder if this isn't the 1968 story "Bite" by by Lawrence A.
Perkins. It appeared in Analog science fiction magazine, July
1967. The reason I say it's a long shot, in that story the guy
is bitten by a squirrel. He is a doctor and a really unpleasant,
ill-mannered person. He refuses to believe he has rabies while
he clearly has the signs. Another doctor locks him up against
his will. There is an experimental cure for rabies but if the
victim lives he might be a carrier and pass the disease to
whomever he comes in contact with.
M468: messianic boy given secert to overcome evil
I read a series in (92-93) Jr. High that was printed as early as
the 50's or as late as the 80's, it was the story of a messianic
young boy, whom is giving the secret power to over come
evil. The power is given in cycles to a new messiah after
several hundred years, and the life of that person is extended
while they hold the power. The story follows the boy
discovering his gift and him trying to suppress evil. I
think that there was a ring or a sword that denoted his position.
M469: Monster and boy mutual terror
I was born in 1971 in England. My mother read me a funny book
when I was very young about a young boy (I think) that would walk
around while a monster (I think) would hide and scare him. The
(monster) would shout something like this:
OOOCHUCKACHUCKACHUCKAWEEWOW, everytime he scared the boy. At the
end of the book, the boy hides and scares the monster using the
same yell. I remember loving the book as a child and have been
searching for it for years. It was most likely produced in England
in the late 60s or early 70s. I remember it to be a very short
book, probably around 1st grade level. Any help would be
appreciated.
I talked to my mother, who used to read me the book. She told
me what I remember to be a monster was a polar bear. Also, she
said we bought this book at the post office. We would also
purchase ladybird books and Rupert books there as well. She said
it was made between 1971-1975 and is a very short book. It was
definitely made in England and designed for very young readers.
M470: Magical tiger skin rug
Solved: Tiger's Chance
M471: Magical school with doors that lead to different
worlds
A boy studies in a magical school where everyone's name starts
with A. The garden wall of the school has many doors. Each door
leads to a different fairy tale. The boy can borrow the red cape
from Little Red Riding Hood. etc.... The book was translated into
Chinese and I read it 30 years ago in Taiwan. I would really like
to read it again and share it with my kids! Thank you!
M472: Marriage, sisters (Sara and Delight?)
There were 2 sisters, I think one was named Sara, the other was
Delight. Delight was younger and wild and wanted to get married,
but her boyfriend's brother was against it, so her sister
pretended to be her. I think the older brother's name was Marco or
Marcello. I believe it was from the late 70's to early 80's.
Rogers,
Rosemary, Love Play, 1980, copyright. I came across
this in the Solved Mysteries catalog, but it hasn't been
solved. It is Love Play by Rosemary Rogers (1982):
They have money, power and arrogance--and the world is theirs.
Beautiful and unspoiled, Sara Coleville knows she can play their
game. Now her fine-bred defiance and brazen masquerades have
excited Marco Marcantoni--enflaming the hot-blooded duke's most
shameles passions and wildest desires. He vows he will have her,
in secrecy and seclusion--to use until all his needs are
satisfied. But Sara's innocence is deceptive. And it is she who
must ultimately prevail in this world where wealth makes love
easy...and passion makes it dangerous.
M473: Mom zoo, Dad park
In the early to mid 80s I had a book with
the line, "Mom takes me to the zoo and Dad takes me to the park"
although it could be vice versa. I recall it being a
larger than average book. I believe it also was a
"foldover" book where the book contains two stories: one
starting from the left side and the other beginning from the
back of the book and having to turn it upside down... My mom
used to read this to me all the time but she can't remember much
else either.
Daniel Wilcox, I'm My Mommy/ I'm My
Daddy. My daughter had
this book in the mid-eighties. Held one way, it was a story
about the child pretending to be the mother and spending the day
taking her mom to do the kinds of things they did together.
Flipped upside down, it was a similar story about a child
pretending to be the father. It was an over-sized book, and the
parts about the zoo and park were there.
Daniel Wilcox, I'm My Mommy/ I'm My
Daddy. This might be a
stretch, but the description triggered a memory of one of my own
books from childhood. I'm My Mommy/ I'm My Daddy,
published in 1975, featured drawings with the Muppets/Sesame
Street characters. It was a two-in-one book in that you flip it
over to read the other story, and it was a larger than usual
size. A Muppet boy decides to trade places with his Daddy (and
the other side had a Muppet girl trade places with her Mommy). I
remember that they do go to the park or zoo, Daddy gets a
balloon and lets go of it and cries and the boy has to comfort
him. I think he also pretends to be scared of one of the
animals, and the boy reassures him.
M474: Musical girl in warm black family
Solved: Julie's
Heritage
M475: Maze, puzzle book
I am looking for the title of a maze and
puzzle book that I had as an adolescent. Here are the details:
Publication date -1977 or before; Size and color- About 6 x 9
inches with a white jacket; Cover- The cover drawing was a side
view of a man's head. He was wearing a derby hat with a maze
running through the hat. The book was geared toward kids about
12 I think. The guy on the cover also had a mustache I think;
Length- I think about 180 pages.
Gardner, Martin, Perplexing Puzzles
and Tantalizing Teasers, 1969. Well it's not a side view but rather a
full face view of his head, but he does have a maze starting at
his collar, running through his mustache and glasses, and ending
in his bowler hat. Some of the puzzles include:
Ridiculous Riddles, Five Airy Creatures, The maze of the
Minotaur, The Dime-and-Penny Switcheroo, A Dozen Droodles for
Nimble Noodles, Sally''s Silly Walk, Folding Money Fun, Solve
the Bird Equasions, etc.
I believe this is/was from Dover
Publications.
Martin Gardner, Perplexing Puzzles
and Tantalizing Teasers,
1969. The book also appeared in a 1988 edition with a lion and a
bat on the cover. This version was a paperback.
M476: Mythical creatures, flip the pages to create
I am looking for a book from my childhood
(early 1960's). A satirical/whimsical children's book on
mythical creatures. The pages were thick cardboard cut in 1/2 or
1/3s so you could flip top middle or bottom part separately. On
the left would be a creature: centaur, faun; minotaur, dragon;
with the name written vertically (so there were 2-3 letters on
each flippable segment. And each flippable segment would have
the head/middle/feet of the creature. On the right was a
description. Telling its powers where in mythology it was found
and some funny story or anecdote about it. Depending on
how many pages into the book you were on each segment you could
mix and match the names/pictures and descriptions in comical
fashion.
James Riddell, Hit or Myth.
This book is either Hit or Myth, More
Animal Lore and Disorder by James Riddell,
or possibly a similar book by the same author. Hit or
Myth was one of my favorites as a kid. The cover of
my copy has a unicorn and lion with the heads mixed up on the
other's body. Starts out with a "Rabster" (Rabbit + Rooster) and
ends with a "Dranet" (Dragon + Cygnet). The borders of the text
page are color-coded so you knew when you had a "real" match,
though the "real" matches weren't ever as interesting as the
mixed animals.
James Riddell, Hit or Myth,
1949. Lots of fun. It was reprinted in the
1970s. Animals (Riddell did the pictures) include a rabbit, a
rooster, a gorilla, a mermaid, and a unicorn. "Illustrated with
exaggerated paintings of fourteen animals, the pages halved
horizontally so that some 200 different animals may be created."
There's apparently a sequel - Hit or Myth: More Animal
Lore and Disorder. Not to be confused with at least
four other books with the same first three words in the title.
M477: Mornings
Solved: Lazy Tommy Pumpkinhead
M478: Mice - neat & tidy
Solved: Good Neighbors
M479: Magic Pencil
I am trying to find a book, I believe it
was called "The Magic Pencil", but I may only remember that
title because it was *about* a magic pencil. Basic story: A boy
finds the pencil, and draws a house on a cliff. He dreams about
the house that night. He draws a boy in the house, and dreams
about the boy that night. He eventually draws rocks, which come
to life when he draws faces with fangs on them - and the story
leads to a tense ending. The book was not very large and it had
simple line drawings to correspond with the supposed drawings
made by the first boy. I read this book at a children's library
(pre 1980), and would love to know what it was called and if I
can buy a copy in almost any condition. Thank you for your help.
A couple of guesses-- The
Magic Pencil, Miguel A Venedicto, Vantage Pr., 1977,
49 pgs., illus. Or---- The Magic
Pencil, Scapa, Scribner, 1976, ISBN 0684148226,
26pg., illus. "Because Simon doesn't know what to do, Toby
helps him draw an adventure every day."
Storr, Catherine, The Magic Drawing
Pencil, 1958,
copyright. Originally published in the UK as "Marianne
Dreams." Marianne is sick in bed. She finds the pencil in
her mother's sewing box. Her drawings become more detailed
as time progresses. Mark is the boy she draws in the house and
he is also ill - yes this is a really tense book and the UK tv
series "Escape into Night" which was based on the novel was
equally memorable.
Catherine Storr, Marianne Dreams. If it was actually a girl doing the
drawing, this would be Marianne Dreams, sometimes
also known as Paperhouse or The Magic
Drawing Pencil (apparently names of screenplay (?)
versions). Marianne dreams of the boy she draws, draws
eyes on the rocks surrounding the house... it's all there.
There's also a sequel called Marianne and Mark.
Most likely Marianne Dreams
by Catherine Storr. See Solved Mysteries. This was made
into the British 1988 low-key horror movie, "Paperhouse." To my
surprise, I found that that was actually the SECOND filming of
the book - the previous one was a highly rated, six-part,
British TV mini-series from 1972, titled "Escape Into Night."
You can read the IMDb comments here, if you like:
http://imdb.com/title/tt0357363/usercomments.
Storr, Catherine, Marianne Dreams, 1958. I believe you are thinking of Marianne
Dreams (see Solved Mysteries). The main character is
a girl, but there is also a boy in the story. Still in print.
(corrected Author)
Catherine Storr, Marianne Dreams, 1958. I think this may be the book
you're thinking of. Marianne is ill in bed. She is given an
indelible pencil and dreams every night about what she has
drawn. She meets another child, Mark, and the other things you
mention are all in the book (the stones etc) Marianne
Dreams is still in print (Published by Faber) so
should be easy to get hold of.
Catherine Storr, Marianne Dreams. Could this book have been about a
girl? Marianne Dreams (made into a movie
called "Paperhouse") is about a girl who's bedridden and draws
pictures that she then dreams about. One is of a house,
one of a boy she adds to the house, and one of rocks which grow
not fangs but eyes. The girl and boy have to escape from
the house and get to the sea.
I think this is Marianne Dreams,
AKA The Magic Drawing Pencil- The rocks are
scared of light so Marianne draws a lighthouse so that she and
the boy in the dream can get to safety- always thought it was a
bit daft of her not to draw a nice big sun!
M480: Mystery Picture Book for Kids
Mystery Picture Book for Kids in the 7 -8y.o range. It featured
black and white illustrations on each page containing clues as to
where the antagonist was hiding, ex. footprints of soot leading
from a fireplace, or a scrap of fabric snagged on a bush, this
sort of thing. The villain we were chasing was a man with a
facial hair i believe. I checked this book from the library too
many times to remember as a kid in the '80's, so it couldn't have
been published after 1986.
Hans Jurgen Press, The Adventures of
the Black Hand Gang.
This has pictures throughout the book that you can look at and
find clues to help you solve the mystery.
I vaguely remember a similar book in the
late 70s--I think it was called "The Black Hand Gang"
and was by an author named either Otto or Press.
Maybe that will give someone else a clue!
M481: Months Golden book, Richard Scary illustrations?
Solved: The Golden Almanac
M482: Magical traveling boots in armoire
Solved: What
the Witch Left
M483: Marching family, parade, bassoon
The book I am looking for is a children's book. It has been at
least 5 years since I've seen it. It was about a book that rhymed.
It was about a child/family that started marching in a big parade.
One of the people in the family played the bassoon. They marched
and wherever they passed, people would come out and join the
parade. They marched all over the world until the whole world was
marching. I seem to remember some dolphins or whales joining in as
well, but I'm not exactly sure about that part. I remember clearly
the fact that someone played a bassoon.
This sounds a lot like the Disney movie "The One and Only,
Original Family Band" that was released in the mid-60s, starring
Walter Brennan, Buddy Ebsen and a very young Kurt Russell. Could
the movie be based on the book you're remembering?
M484: Mountains upside-down, flying pigs, fantasy,
boy-girl team
A young boy and girl (friends at school or similar) wind up in a
fantasy land where skeleton snakes live underground in tunnels,
mountains are upside down and/or move, and pigs fly. I read
this book about 8 years ago, never been able to find it
since. I'm guessing it's a more recent book (I'd hazard a
guess at 80s or 90s), and recall it had an illustrated blue cover
with depictions of flying pigs on the front and back. My
memory of the actual plot details may be a little warped, but this
is the best I can do. Can't remember the title... can anyone
help?!
Diana Wynne Jones, The Dark Lord of
Derkholm, The Year of the Griffin. A long shot but those elements are in The
Dark Lord of Derkholm and The Year of the
Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones. The boy
and girl are magical brother Blade and bard sister Shona. The
flying pigs are a prophecy come true that a missing elf prince
will return to his brother and father. The head of the
university has an affinity with snakes. In The Year of
the Griffin, the griffin daughter of the dark lord moves a
mountain in the Waste in a fit of temper and is sent to school
to learn magic. She meets five other misfits, a prince,
the emperor's half-sister, a dwarf, a pirate's daughter and an
emir's brother and they all become friends.
I love those books! Such a good read,
even if it's not what you're looking for :)
M485: Magic boots, time travel
childrens book about a girl who puts on magic boots and then
travels through time
Two Ruth Chew books, maybe?
Tepper, Sheri S., Beauty, 1991, copyright. Beauty
is a contemporary retelling of Sleeping Beauty, with Snow White
and some other fairy tale characters thrown in. It is NOT
a children's book, though, definitely an adult fantasy, because
it is very violent and ugly in places. She has shoes or
boots that allow her to travel through time.
M486: "Me too" Golden book?
Solved: Me Too!
M487: Mice find palace in tree
Solved: The Secret
Staircase
M488: Motherless girl, lives with father, doesn't fit in,
wears bloomers for swimming, kids tease.
Additional details for this book are somewhat vague, her name MAY
have been Priscilla, Penelope, maybe not. The kids would chase
her, at one point, she hides in the bushes, maybe at the swimming
hole. It was a chapter book, I was a voracious reader, born
in '59, so I think I probably read it when I was 10ish.
Grace Allen Hogarth, The Funny Guy. Maybe this one. Helen lives with
her father and Aunt Cris. Her mother is in the hospital so
money is tight. She's lonely and does weird things around
the other kids earning her the name "Funny Guy". I
remember she eats a caterpillar on a dare. Not sure if
this is the book you're thinking of but I thought it was worth a
mention.
Could this one be either 'The Boyhood
of Grace Jones' or 'The Majesty of Grace',
both by Jane Langton? Although it's been years
since I read either, and I think both parents are alive, there
is something about Grace and bloomers in one of the books.
Grace Allen Hogarth, The Funny Guy. Definitely The Funny Guy.
I remember the bloomers incident clearly. Some nasty children
from her school steal Helen's clothes while she is swimming at
the waterhole.
M489: Mittens taste like fruit in alternate world
The book I am writing about is a children's book. My first
grade teacher read it to the class in 1962. I can't remember
very much of the story. The thing that stands out in my mind
was the kids went down some sort of slide into another
country/world, I don't know what it actually was, but
the woman made mittens and other things that were flavored like
blueberry and strawberry. The kids were able to taste the
mittens when they had them on. It this rings a bell to
anyone I would love to know what it was.
Well there's "Granny Glittens and Her
Amazing Mittens." 'The story of old Granny
Glittens, who dyed her yarn with lemon drops and chocolate bars
and candy canes, and made Christmas mittens that you could
actually eat!' You can find this story in several old
Christmas anthologies - Gertrude Crampton, The Golden
Christmas Book (1947) / Smith,
Dorothy Hall, Tall Book of Christmas (1954) / Kathryn
Jackson, The Santa Claus Book (1952).
M490: Magical kingdom beyond hedge
Solved: The Last of the Really Great
Whangdoodles
M491: Moose(?) on boat loses toes because forgot red
flannel
My mom got this book when I was five (that'd be 1978) from a
children's book club, where she also ordered all our Sweet Pickles
books. The book's main character was a grey moose-looking
type of thing (?, but walked upright and no antlers). I
think it was a boy, and lived with its grandmother? It went
out on a boat, and its grandmother (?) had told it to make sure to
do _________ (maybe wear the red flannel?) or it would somehow
lose its toes. I remember a mermaid, and that the character
did lose its toes, and someone gave it a red flannel (so, maybe
it's British?) to wear around its nose...? Sorry, I know
that's pretty vague...
Edward Lear, The Pobble Who has No
Toes. Don't know
which edition you read, but this is definitely it.
The Pobble Who Has No Toes by
Edward Lear.
M492: Master of Disguise Mystery
Master of Disguise Mystery story set in England. I read it in the
mid 90's. It was included in our 8th grade language arts
textbook. It was a story about a female master of disguise who had
eluded police for a long time. A police officer was set to catch
her. The story starts with an old woman talking to a gentleman on
a train. Later they go to a restaurant. After they leave the
waiter discovers a note left on their table, begging to call the
police because the criminal had been found. The two people go to a
subway station, where a fight ensues and the old woman is killed.
We are led to believe that she was the master of disguise everyone
was looking for, but just before she dies she manages to wrestle
the man's mask off and reveals him to be the master of disguise.
Henry S. Harrison, Miss Hinch, 1911. I think I had the same textbook...
the story is "Miss Hinch". Other stories in the book
included "The Monkey's Paw", "The Most Dangerous Game", and "The
Problem of Cell 13".
This is indeed Miss Hinch!
I read mine in the old children's literature series THE
CHILDREN'S HOUR-1953-the Spencer Press. It is in volume 7-
Favorite Mystery Stories-p 179.
M493: Malta during WWII
What I am looking for is a children's story published in Britain
in the late 1940s. It was about the island of Malta around 1940
when three old biplanes defended the island for two weeks against
air attacks from Sicily. This was part of the epic story of Malta
and its defence in World War II when the island was almost starved
into submission but in fact never had to surrender. The
story was about some children in the island and I remember some
details about Maltese features such as the gecko, the churches and
of course the raids. The book MAY have been called "Faith,
Hope and Charity", the names given to the three aircraft.
The book is not the historic account by Kenneth Poolman under that
name and might have had a different title from that one. Nor
was it "Air Spies of Malta" by Peter Jackson, a very different
story. I have tried the British Library catalogue, a specialist
dealer in Malta and several other book searches, all to no
avail. I don't know the author, title or publisher, but I
had a copy as a child and it sparked off an interest in the
country which continues to this day. I am willing to pay a
fair price for a copy of the book in good condition - but at the
moment hope is fading, but I will be charitable and keep faith for
a while longer yet!
Here is a website on Malta during
WWII:
http://www.killifish.f9.co.uk/Malta%20WWII/Index.htm.
There is a pretty good list of books if you click on the link
"Books/Video" in the left-hand panel (index).
M494: Mexican fiesta
I am looking for a picture book that I remember from the late
1960s. It was about a party in Mexico -- I think it was a birthday
party for a little girl. It had great illustrations that
were exclusively pink, blue, and white.
Ets, Marie Hall, Nine Days to
Christmas, 1960. Could
this be Nine Days to Christmas? Not a
birthday party but Ceci's first Christmas celebration, complete
with pinata. The illustrations are primarily pinks and yellows.
2008
M495: Mystery/detective Sweden young teens
I remember reading this series of books in the 60's. It was
located in the library close to the Tom Swift/Nancy Drew stories.
It was a series of books set in Sweden (I believe). There was a
group of kids (boys and girls) that solved mysteries. They rode
around town on scooters but they were all under 16. I remember
thinking at that time that they weren't old enough to drive. They
got locked in basements a few times. It's been so long that that
is all I remember.
Holmberg, Ake, Tam Sventon, private
detective, 1960,
copyright. Could it have been the Tam Sventon
series? Tam Sventon, private detective, Tam
Svemton, desert detective, Tam Sventon and the silver-plate
gang, Tam Sventon and the discovery P3x.
Erich Kaestner, Emil and the
Detectives, 1934,
copyright. Possibly Emil and the Detectives
and the sequel, Emil and the Three Twins? Set in
Germany. "Emil is travelling by train to Berlin to holiday with
his cousins but he falls asleep and his precious money is
stolen. Emil sets out to catch the thief, helped by a large
number of small boys." I seem to remember one of the Detectives
having a motorbike, and also thinking he seemed too young to
drive.
This could very well be the
detective series by Astrid
Lindgren (Pippi Longstocking author) featuring Bill
Bergson: Bill
Bergson, Master Detective, Bill Bergson and the White Rose
Rescue, Bill Bergson Lives Dangerously. One of
the girls is named Eva Lotta! I loved this series!!
Karin Anckarsvard, 1960,
approximate. I'm guessing this is the series by Anckarsvard (who has two
dots over the last a in her name). The Robber
Ghost, The Mysterious Schoolmaster, Madcap Mystery...(there
might have been a couple other titles like Rider by Night and
the Riddle of the Ring). The first book is about Michael
and Cecelia, two Swedish friends who solve a mystery about
their teacher. (He's a spy, I think.) In subsequent
stories, other friends join the group. In Madcap Mystery, Michael
definitely rides around on a motorized scooter. I think
they do get locked in a cellar, or a cave, or a basement in
each book!
M496: MOON, MOONBEAMS, OUTER SPACE, ASTRONAUT, ROCKET
theme
This is a children's story book, purely fantasy, with drawings of
an astronaut and other kids going to the moon and specifically, a
soda fountain. This could be a Golden Book or an I Can Read Book;
I believe it had a glossy cover. This is NOT a factual book about
outer space or science.
Mae Blacker
Freeman, You Will Go to the
Moon.
You could check this one. We don't have it any more, but I seem to
recall something about a soda fountain in it.
M497: Merlin wakes up after modern war
It's a book for young readers, maybe 200 pages, that was probably
published in the 1980s. The plot has something to do with
the wizard Merlin waking up and emerging into a fictional modern
(maybe a post-nuclear holocaust?) world when the crystal cave in
which he has slept for centuries is broken open by a war. I
think Merlin might have amnesia, and doesn't remember who he
is. And I vaguely think that the title has the word "winter"
in it, but I may be wrong. I've been trying to find this
book again for twenty years. If you can identify it I'll be
totally impressed.
Pamela Service, Winter of Magic's
Return / Tomorrow's Magic, mid-80s. You're looking for this
fantasy/sci-fi duet. Arthur returns as an orphaned
schoolboy in a world covered in ice and snow. Another boy, who
has a reputation as being a problem is a returned Merlin. Along
with a girl from the orphanage, the three battle Morgan le Fay,
who wants to rule this icy world.
Peter Dickinson, The
Weathermonger, 1969,
copyright. Rings enough bells to punt this as a
possible solution - it involves a confused Merlin in the modern
world, a title with "Weather" rather than "Winter" and was a
'70s book rather than an '80s. And of course you should
read it if you have not yet had the pleasure of doing so.
M498: Mexican boy earns a parrot
Mexican boy goes to the marketplace with his family and sees a
parrot he wants to buy, but he doesn't have any money. He
spends the day trading one thing for another and finally working
to turn the merry-go-round to earn a ride and 10 centavos so he
can satisfy his bargains and get the parrot. No idea of the
title. Great children's story with colorful
illustrations. THANK YOU.
Same as M442: Mexican boy
pushes carnival ride: "A reader anthology (before the 70s) with a
story about a Mexican boy who earns money at a carnival by running
underneath a merry go round type ride. He wants to buy a serape
but he buys something for his grandfather instead." I can't
remember the title of this book either, but the plot sounds really
familiar, perhaps I can shed some more light on this. I
remember that the boy made a pot, and wanted to trade it for a
parrot in a cage, but the merchant wanted more than just the pot,
so he pushed the merry-go-round for money. He ended up
making several trades, eventually having something nice enough to
trade for the parrot, but ended up buying a serape for his
grandfather instead.
Thank you
for remembering!! I now remember that the parrot kept screaming
something-- maybe whatever it was is the title of the
story? It also seems correct that the story appeared in a
school reading series..."Peacock Lane" is running through my
head...there were also "Better Than Gold" and "Meadow Green,"
but I don't even know if this is the right series.
I don't know the title, but I do know some of
the story. The Mexican boy trade his bowl, which he made
himself, for the parrot, but the owner says that's not enough;
he says he will either take six more small bowls, or one of
the large water jugs made by the boy's father. The father is
willing to give his son a jug if the boy can get him a serape.
There may be another swap or two, the boy is very discouraged,
but then finally starts pushing the merry-go-round to earn
money for one of his swaps. Needless to say, everybody
ends up with what they want. Hope this helps.
Contributor in green: do you remember if the story
was in an anthology or was a separate book? Does
mid-'70's sound about right? I can just HEAR the
parrot in this story!
All I remember
is that the story was part of our elementary reading
books, around 1970, up in northern Ohio, can't recall any
more than that. It did have several rather colorful
pictures, the one of the boy with his orange bowl, walking
away sad, resolving to make more bowls, is rather moving.
Sorry I don't know much more.
M499: Metal-suited
alien on earth with girl
A book I read in the 1970s - YA
sci-fi, I think, about a girl who ends up interacting with an
alien who constantly wears a suit/armor made of metal
(iron?). Don't remember if they were searching for
something, running away from something or what - but at one point
the alien has to defend them against an attack, which he does by
removing his gloves & shooting out energy. At the end,
when the girl agrees (to go with him?), he removes his mask/helmet
& reveals that he is composed entirely of light/energy - and
she is changed to match. They fly off then... A
hardcover book from the library, & I don't remember any useful
details like title, author or character names :(
Keeper of the
Isis Light. Longshot, but is about a girl who
interacts with her Guardian, who is a robot/android. He has
changed her appearance over time so she can live in her alien
environment--and she does go off in the end away from the humans.
Seeker can look at all the other mentions of this book on the solved page
to see if it's the one.
M500: Man with a pumpkin for a head
Solved: The
Marvelous Land of Oz
M501: Man in
the moon explains thunder and lightening
My mother read me this book in the
late 1950's or so. I remember it having a blue cover with a
man resting in or on the moon. Inside it had pictures of
babies inside clouds who were playing and bumping their clouds
togather and causing thunder. There was another character in
the book who shined a big flashlight and this caused lightening. I think the book was
called "The Man in the Moon" but I have searched for this to no
avail. It was a very non threatening explanation of
thunder and lightening storms.
Caroline H. Mallon, Mary Gehr
(illus), Story of the Man in
the Moon, 1945, copyright. A delightfully
illustrated story giving an introduction to the Happy Little
Clouds, Thunder and Lightning, Grandmother Rain, and Mr. Wind. A
fantasy written to remove children's fears of thunder, lightning,
and storms. Published by The Children's Company, Chicago.
M502: Mouse
Trapped on Island
Solved: Abel's Island
M503: Magic
apple
Solved: The Apple Stone
M504: Mother
"Kidnaps" Daughter??
Solved: Where
It Stops, Nobody Knows
M505: Mother
animals talk to their babies
I am looking for a children's book
that was read to me in the late 50's , early 60"s. It was a
series of animals talking to their babies, the verse on each page
was something like "When mother cow says "moo, moo, moo", do you
know who she's talking to? That's right, she's saying to her
baby "I love you" and so on thru all the animals.
M506: monkey
stung by bumble bee
1984?, childrens. Large
purple hardback collection of short illustrated stories. Very
early reading level, the first book I remember reading on my own.
First story is about a monkey who runs around a large tree and is
chased by a bumble bee. The monkey is eventually stung.
Distinctive text were the words, "Oh! Oh!" Another story was
about a young boy whose family moves to a new town. The boy is
very sad because he left his friends behind, and possibly left his
pet turtle behind. Or, he finds the pet turtle in the new town.
Either way, a turtle is involved. One picture in the book: Mom is
on the left, pausing from vacuuming, to pat the boy on the head.
She has short red/brown hair, has a locket on, and is wearing a
house dress.
ed. leland jacobs, the read-it-yourself storybook. You are remembering
two stories from The Read-It-Yourself Storybook. The first story
is by the editor Leland Jacobs and is called The Monkey and the
Bee. The penultimate story is by Janet Deering and is called
Eddie's Moving Day---Eddie loses his turtle in town #1 but the
moving men find him and bring him to town #2.
M507: Magical Ring
I am looking for a children's/young
adult book about a brother & sister who find a magical ring, I
believe in their Aunt's attic. They make wishes using the ring,
but nothing ever turns out the way they expected. I think I read
it in the 1970's & assume it was written then.
C.S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew,
1955, copyright.
Plot-wise, this is the first book in the Narnia series, although
it wasn't the first to be written.
E Nesbit, The
Enchanted Castle. Not an aunt's attic,
but if it's not ''The
Magician's Nephew'', it might be this one.
M508: mice living in a tree
Solved: The Secret Staircase
M509: Monkeys Get in Trouble in a Treehouse
This book was about a family of 4
monkeys. The mother and father wanted to go out on a date, so they
hired a teenage monkey babysitter. The babysitter arrived and the
parents left, and the babysitter hops on the phone. She talks on
the phone all night and does not pay attention to how much trouble
the little brother and sister monkey are getting into. At one
point the two siblings make a banana milkshake in a blender and it
splatters everywhere. At another point in the story, they create
soapsuds (I forgot how) and the suds fill most of the treehouse,
but the babysitter still doesn't notice. I believe this book was
published in the 1980's. The treehouse itself really sticks out in
my head because it was very colorful and detail-oriented. This was
my sister's favorite book and I would love to buy this for her!
Standiford, Natalie, The best little monkeys in the
world, 1987, copyright. When their parents
go out to a party, two little monkeys make mischief while their
baby sitter thinks they are being good. Illustrated by Hilary Knight.
Eileen Christelow, Five
Little Monkeys Play Hide and Seek. This
one came out in the 90s, so it may be too late. There's
definitely a babysitter chatting on the phone, and monkeys
getting up to mischief though.
Natalie Standiford, Hilary Knight (illus), The Best Little Monkeys in the
World, 1987, copyright. Two little
monkeys get into mischief while their oblivious babysitter
chatters to her friends on the telephone. They coat the
kitchen with blender-propelled banana shakes and run the
bathtub over, but clean up before their parents return.
Natalie Standiford and Hilary
Knight , Best Little
Monkeys In The World, 1987,
approximate. This is the book you are looking for the
illustrator is the same one who illustraed the Eloise books.
M510: "Masterpiece", painter father, long
lost grandfather
I am looking for a book I had when
I was little and growing up in the 1960's. It was a
hardcover children's book. It is about a boy named Tim, (I
think) who lives by the sea with his father and mother and a baby
- who is always called "the baby." The father is a wonderful
painter, but they are very poor, he never seems able to sell his
paintings. There is always worry and the mother cries - not
enough to eat, etc. The dad has been working on a great
"masterpiece." Tim's paternal grandfather disowned the
father when the father decided to become a painter.
Tim, who is too poor to buy books, spends a lot of time at a
bookstore reading and sometimes helping out. The bookstore
owner hangs some of the painings in the store. Over time, an
old man starts visiting the bookstore and makes an aquaintance of
some sort with Tim ( I can't remember if they talk or if Tim
is just noticed) -- it turns out that he is the long lost
grandfather, full of regret and lonely - sorry to have pushed his
talented son away. He buys all the paintings and then
reveals who he is. A very happy ending. The book has
beautiful pictures in wispy watercolors. I thought the book
was named with the word "Masterpiece" in it. If you
can help me, I'd really appreciate it.
Edward Ardizzone. Hi,
this is probably a longshot, but your description reminds me of
the "Tim" books by Edward Ardizzone. Tim is a
young boy who lives a the seaside with his mom and dad, and maybe
a baby. There are a series of books extolling his
adventures, most of which are related to the ocean or
boating. The illustrations are by the author, and they are
definitely delicate watercolors. I tried to find a "Tim"
book with your plot description, but was unlucky looking at
Amazon. Many of the Tim books are out of print, but there
are many used copies available on the Internet, I bought a set
myself last spring when I first discovered this site!
Anyway, your plot description sounds vaguely familiar to me, and I
think I am about your age, so good luck, hope this gives you a
place to start.
Edward Ardizzone, Sarah
and Simon and No Red Paint, 1966, copyright. I had to track down the book on
our shelves to find the title, but the previous solver is
correct, this is an Edward
Ardizzone book, specifically Sarah and Simon and No Red Paint.
M511: Mother Goose book
Mother
Goose's Silly Nursery Rhymes? I was reading this in
the early 80s / late 70s. The cover had a blue
background. I remember some of the following rhymes in
it: * "Little Robin
Redbreast came to visit me. This is what he whistled, 'Thank you
for my tea!'" * "Hickory Dickory Dare, the pig flew up in
the air. The Man in Brown soon brought him down..." There was a
cartoon picture of a man (in brown) aiming an elephant gun at a
pig in a hot air balloon. * There was a rhyme that I don't
remember, but a cartoon drawing of a man and wife and dinner; he
was thin, she was heavy, but before him was a huge plate of food,
and before her, a plate with a few peas on it. (The rhyme was
about irony or something.) Also, Jack Be Nimble, Miss
Muffett, other common ones. Hope you can de-mystify this for
me... this was my favorite book as a little girl, and I hope to be
able to read it to my children someday. The drawings were so
fun, too!
Addams, Charles, Charles Addams Mother Goose.
"New Yorker cartoonist (and creator of the altogether ooky Addams
Family characters) Charles Addams tampers with tradition to great
effect in The
Charles Addams Mother Goose, first published in 1967, and
now reissued as a deluxe edition. While Ms. Goose's original
nursery rhymes remain unchanged, Addams casts his spell on a
selected few poems with new visual twists. A less wholesome, more
anemic Mistress Mary has never been seen, and her
bare-lightbulb-lit basement garden of mushrooms and heads of
"pretty maids all in a row" is quite unsettling. Jack Sprat and
his wife are, of course, cannibals. Nine-day-old porridge is
disgusting... so naturally a witch is the porridge preparer, and
goblins are the only ones who would like it "nine days old."
Humpty Dumpty's story, on the other hand, feels a little cheerier
than the original: rather than leaving the egg irreparably broken,
the illustrator shows a dinosaur hatching! Tee Addams, Charles
Addams's wife, writes an insightful introduction for this lovely,
oversized edition, and the book closes with a scrapbook of family
photos and pictures of Addams's earlier work. Kids familiar with
Mother Goose's rhymes will be delighted (and perhaps only slightly
terrified) by Addams's playful interpretations."
Hilary Knight, The
Hilary Knight Mother Goose. This Mother
Goose could be the one you're looking for. It has a blue
cover and delightful, humorous illustrations.
M512: Mystery at Old Sturbridge Village in
Sturbridge Massachusetts
Solved: Mystery at Old Sturbridge Village
M513: Modern
Magic?
Here's the book- it was read to me
in 1990 (and I don't think it was too old then). It's about
this orphan boy in a medieval fantasy world who gets blackmailed
into going on this adventure with a "wizard" (the wizard does this
by makes a wax voodoo doll of him). As you read the book you
realize that the wizard is actually good and is interested in
magic. This magic turns out to be everyday technology from
our age (long forgotten of course). For example his "spell
of magnification" is actually a magnifying glass. At the end
of the first book they find a prophet/oracle which is turns out to
be a computer. Not giving you much, but any help is
appreciated. Thanx.
Robert Newman. This
sounds like it could be one of Newman's
books--either "Merlin's Mistake" or "The Testing of Tertius".
In the first book, Merlin gives teenage Tertius the gift of future
knowledge...he end up going on a quest with a couple others and
uses his knowledge, but everyone else thinks it's magic because
they don't understand science. The second book is a sequel, and
I'm a little vague on the details, but a computer definitely fit
into the resolution.
SOLVED: Peter McGowen, The Magician's Aprentice,
1987. Figured it out, finally came across the book in
question! This is definitely it. It is a trilogy and
now I can read the whole series: Magician's Apprentice, Magician's
Challenge and Magician's Company.
M514: Man and teddy bear parachute out of
WWII airplane
I also remember that the man took
the bear with him where ever he went and had various matching
clothes for him and the bear. He served in WWII in the british air
force I think and had the bear in a matching flight suit. On day
he gets shot down and he and the bear parachute out. He loses the
bear for awhile after that, but finds it in a bar years later.
William P. du Bois, Gentleman Bear,
1986, copyright. "[William P. du Bois'] "Gentleman Bear"
(Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1986) described the adventures of
Lord Billy Browne-Browne and his constant companion, Bayard the
teddy bear, at the Olympics, meeting Hitler and getting shot down
in an airplane." [see NY Times 7 February 1993: "William P. du
Bois Is Dead at 76; Author and Illustrator for Children"]
M515: Magic coin purse
Solved: Queen Zixi of Ix
M516: Mystery / crime thriller
Solved:
My Sweet Audrina
M517: Mother Eve / spaceship crash /
Utopian society
Solved: Eve's Rib
M518: Multicultural
orange book with asian boy taking whole ocean into cheeks
I am looking for a book from my
childhood (I was born in '69, and I'd guess the book was not new
at the time I recall it, maybe by 72 or 73). Here's what I
remember: the color orange (either from the hardcover or the
internal illustrations), the sense that the book featured children
from all over the world - that the point was to feature each
country and a little bit about its culture - and there was an
asian boy who swallowed the ocean in it (and, no, it's not the
fable of the 5 or 7 chinese brothers, which I also have obtained)
and I also vaguely remember a blond dutch girl with
pigtails. I remember the illustrations swirling across
the page - not being traditionally laid out. My little
brother has almost the precise vague memory I have, so we're no
help to one another, although we've discussed it periodically over
the years and BOTH would be thrilled to recall it. Thanks!
Childcraft
Volume 5. Could it have been one of
the Childcraft volumes? There were some with orange covers,
and Volume 5 was a book of stories from around the world.
More info here: http://www.valerieslivingbooks.info/1949.htm
.
I've located the recommended book online, and while the
cover doesn't look familiar to me, it also doesn't look
unfamiliar to me (if that makes any sense). Once I've
reviewed it, I'll update whether it is or is not the right
answer. I don't recall the book of my memories being
multiple stories like Childcraft Vol. 5, as opposed to just
one, but we'll see�.
M519: man sends family across country in
jeep after civilization ends
This is a book likely written in
the 70's. About some clamity or another that results in
widespread devistation in the US anyway. After many years,
one old timer wants to send his son or daughter out to see what is
left, and he tells them to get a Jeep, which they have to fix
after 30 years or so of sitting, and make or take bows and arrows
with them. All I remember.
George R. Stewart, Earth Abides. This is a perennial query on
book search boards - nobody ever remembers the title! It's
the one about mankind being virtually wiped out by a plague.
The hero is immune because he has been bitten by a
rattlesnake. A few survivors settle in the San Francisco
area, and the incident you describe occurs late in the book.
M520: Magic armoire grants wishes
I am looking for a favorite book
from my childhood. It was hardcover, large (8.5�x11� perhaps) and
possibly from the late 70�s. The story was about three or
four siblings and a magic armoire. Each sibling would wish
for something, and poof! Out it would come from the
armoire. If memory serves, the brother asked for a
super-duper hot rod racing car, and one of the sisters asked for
the contents of a candy store. The final request was for an
elephant that would change colors (I think) and the emergence of
the elephant caused the magic armoire to break. It was a
short book filled mostly with illustrations. Now that I have
a little one of my own, I�d love to read the book to him.
Good luck!
Fix, Philippe and Rejane, Pink Elephant with Golden Spots. Look under Solved Mysteries for this book and see
if it matches.
M521: Mystery about Washington's autograph
This is a book I read around '69 -
'71. It is a mystery. I remember the girl liked riding bikes and
the movie Little Women with Katharine Hepburn and she and her
friends solved a mystery around George Washington's autograph. He
signed his name Go Washington and it took them a while to figure
it out. I think it might be the Ghostly Trio but I am not sure. It
probably was a scholastic book club book.
Nancy Woollcott Smith, The Ghostly Trio,
1954, copyright. The book
you're looking for is The Ghostly Trio by Nancy Wollcott Smith. Published originally in
hardcover in 1954 by Coward-McCann, it had Scholastic paperback
printings in 1968 and in 1974...luckily, it's not a hard one to
find! "Three young people form an exploration club exploring
deserted homes trying to find ghosts. What they find themselves in
is an old mystery involving a forger and a possible authentic
letter from George Washington."
M522: Merfolk/Pisces world jeopardized by
Sagittarius war
1991-2004. Several years ago, I stumbled across a
paperback book. I dearly loved it and got rid of it.
Duh in spades. I'm searching desperately for it.
My problem: I can't remember the
author, title, publishing date or anything else. All I
remember is the cover and how much it was about Zodiac characters
and how beautiful that the merfolk were. It's a sci/fi fantasy romance. I remember the plot line: On the cover
there was this beautiful pastel ocean with two merfolk swimming in
it. They had long silver hair. Ocean was blues, greens, mauves, looked
like colors of the rainbow. I think there was a holographic Zodiac
wheel. There were
three long chapters which
may have been named.
Chapter One: The Pisceans/merfolk
are faced with a war by the fire sign, especially one in
particular who believes it will be easy to vanquish the Pisceans.
There are two protagonists, lovers, male and female merfolk.
Everyone is preparing for war. Chapter Two: War. The evil fire-mage, who was a
Capricorn-Cancer-Sagittarius type, who lived on top of this
mountain and was totally unsympathetic to the merforlk, attacks the Pisceans/merfolk. The
lovers are separated. Chapter Three: War wages and the Pisceans fight hard.
Casualties are heavy. Finally the war is ended and the enemy is
defeated. The merfolk lovers are reunited. There were no time spans, ie. it didn't
happen in 200 hundred years later or anything like that.
This book reminded me of Pat
Wallace's book "House of Scorpio", because there was Zodiac
intertwined between the House of the water sign vs The House of
fire sign.
I was going to let you know that M522, my book that I�m trying to
find, does not have the words: mermaid, merfolk, selkies, or
anything like that in the title. I may not have told you that
before. I�m still hoping someone can solve this. Thanks so much.
M523: Mouse, a grulla stud
Solved: The Glad Season:
Boyhood in the Cariboo of British Columbia
M524: Morphing Ink Spot Picture Book
I believe it had a brown
cover. Hardbound. Don't remember it having any
text. An inkwell gets knocked over and the ink morphs into
amazing pictures on each page.
Shaw, Charles, It Looked Like Spilt Milk. This sounds like it might be
"It Looked Like Spilt Milk".
Charles Shaw, It
Looked Like Spilt Milk, 1947, copyright. Could it be It Looked Like
Spilt Milk even though all the details aren't the same?
The background is blue and the shapes end up being clouds.
The book as described
isn't "It
Looked Like Spilt Milk". Just yesterday, that
book was read at Children's Story Time in the Public
Library. It was about clouds and there were words.
(Pages were dark with white pictures, not the reverse.)
nope. the book i'm after had much more
intricate pictures, and i don't believe there was any text.
M525: money cat mysterious house
Solved: The Money
Cat
M526: Man finds portal to other world in
his yard
A book I started reading in the
early 90s. from that period or maybe from the 80s. Sci Fi/Fantasy
about this man who when excavating around a mound in his yard
(must be kind of rural)(not sure whether it is US or UK could
possibly have a celtic background) he discovers a opening into an
underground stone room (cairn?). Inside this room is a stone
lipped pool of (glowing?) water. when he tests how deep the water
is he discovers that his feet go through the water and a couple of
feet below what appears to be the bottom of the pool he feels dry
sand. When he lays down in the pool he "falls" the two feet onto a
warm sunny beach and can't see the portal from the other side. He
can locate it though and finds he can go back and forth. He begins
to stock "his" beach with supplies to attempt to explore the beach
and the forrested hills he can see inland. He stocks up with food,
camping equipment, guns and even a motorcycle. He begins to
explore inland into the hills and ..... I lost the book! It
was a adult paperback, I believe it was possibly the beginning of
a two or three book series. It's been bugging me for a long time
now. Oh when he starts out somehow he runs into some kind of
trouble and loses his motorcycle and ends up on foot in the hills.
Well thanks in advance if anyone could help.
M527: Mystery, "The Dove" by Wilson Tucker?
I am looking for a mystery that I
last read in 1958. It was hardcover, grayish in color and MOST OF
ALL it had a small embossed GOLD DOVE on the upper half of front
cover. The story ended in a cemetary with the identity and capture
of the killer. The story by author Wilson Tucker "The Dove" comes
very close to fitting this description but the 1st edition cover
is not in any way the same. I thought the my description might be
another book altogether but so far it seems it might just be
another later edition. The original publishers were the RHINEHARDT
pub co. USA and the CASSELL and co. of London UK. Lastly and again I am absolutely-beyond
a shadow of doubt-positive about that small gold dove on a gray
hardcover. I have been looking for some 44 years for this
particular hardcover but no luck.
M528: Mail-order detective school
Searching for a young adult book
about a girl who signs up for a mail-order detective school and
becomes an apprentice to a detective. She ends up solving an
arson. Thanks!
Ellen Raskin, The Tattooed Potato and Other
Clues, 1975. OK, I know this is really a stretch, and some
of it doesn't fit exactly with what you said; but the "apprentice
to a detective" scenario does remind me of The Tattooed
Potato.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tattooed_Potato_and_Other_Clues.
A young woman named Dickory Dock answers an ad looking for a
painter's assistant, but the painter, Garson, turns out to be sort
of a detective as well, and she ends up helping him solve several
cases.
Carol Russell Law, The
Case of the Weird Street Firebug: A Mystery for the
Mail-Order Detective, 1980, copyright.
While taking a course from the Dangerfield Detective School,
Stephanie searches for an arsonist she believes is setting fires
in her neighborhood. Illustrated by Bill Morrison. Front cover of paperback edition
shows Stephanie standing in front of a burning multi-story
building, with ladders, firemen, streams of water, and large
cloud of smoke. She is wearing a reddish zip-front jacket, and
has dark hair in two ponytails tied with red ribbons. She is
writing on a small notepad, and looking sort of sideways at a
man who is at the bottom edge of the cover. He is wearing a
trenchcoat with the collar turned up, a hat pulled low over his
eyes, and has one hand up, either shielding his face or
adjusting his hat.
M529: Mexican boy sells caramels,
earthquake destroys theater
Resub M411. Mid 1970's elem
reader. Boy works as street vendor in Mexico selling caramels. One
hot day, he enters a theater to try sales/cool off. Earthquake
destroys theatre - boy trapped inside with another boy, also a
vendor? Boys retrieve scattered caramels and...? to eat while
awaiting rescue.
M530: Migrant makes iodine polka-dot dress
Solved: Theresa Follows the Crops
M531: Mean boy has bad dream about dragon,
wakes up happy
Christian children's book early
80s. Story of a mean little boy who is sent to his room and
falls through a hole in his floor (under the bed?). He is
dreaming. There is an evil dragon who is supposed to
represent Satan. At the end he learns about God and wakes up
with a tear in his eye & happy.
M532: Mexican Village?
Author has latino? surname.
The story is told from the point of view of a young man returning
to his childhood village, a stereotypical sleepy mexican? town.
The two anecdotes that stuck to my memory are: 1) about the fellow
villager who when he comes back acts like a rich man but is
actually a public restroom attendant in the big city that the
narrator inadvertantly witnesses rousting drunks from the premises
and 2) the hilarious tale about when a budding lass disappeared
with a gypsy boy and how the town matrons hysterically urged the
men to search for her. The men do so in a tired same old same old
manner, with the head of the visiting gypsy clan as an accomplice;
they actually just sat under a tree out of sight of the women
reminiscing and passing round a bottle of tequilla. When they
returned the children had been found and the clincher was the girl
triumphantly stating that "..he showed me his rabbit!", causing
some of the matrons to faint.The gypsy boy had a pregnant pet
rabbit that was about to give birth.
M533: mystery book search (Resub.
of M527)
I am looking for a hardcover
mystery book which is gray colored that has the image or stamp of
a GOLD DOVE on the front of the hardcover itself {there was no
jacket of any kind}. I last read this mystery in 1959. I have
forgotten the title and author. It was more than likely published
between 1930 and 1960 approximately. I seem to remember that it
took place in the northeast USA and could have been a women
author. The only other fact I faintly remember is that it seems to
end in a cemetary behind a row of gravestones.
Craig Rice. Could it possibly be
The Time-period Bird
Murders? The
Sunday Pigeon Murders (1942), The Thursday Turkey Murders (1943), and The April Robin Murders (1958) all by Craig
Rice, the
last with Ed McBain.
Note: the original requester of
this stumper has called Loganberry to say that he is giving up
on his search, and no longer needs to know the title of this
book.
M534: Mystery Castle/Mansion on Island
Solved: The
Haunted Spy
M535: Miss Hintamaster and Miss Toothpick
I am looking for a book I had as a
child in about 1944 to 1946. It was a thick story book that
had a story about Miss Hintamaster and Miss Toothpick. The
story was about their bad manners including arriving at someone's
home, uninvited, right at dinner time. I hope you can find
this book.
Rowena Bennet, Sally De Frehn
(illus), Lots of Stories,
1946, copyright. Found
this one on the Solved pages. Miss Hintamaster and Miss Toothpick
are paper doll "old maids" cut from advertisements on How to Get
Thin and How to Get Fat, and they appear in the story "Mother's
Game". Other stories in this book include A Golf Ball Goes to
School, Lucy and the Leprechaun, The Little Red Goblin, Big Ruth
and Little Ruth, Peter and the Pumpkin, Down the Chipmunk Hole,
Grandma's Story, The Unhappy Fir Tree, and many others. Cover is
grey, with a picture of a smiling little boy in a yellow shirt
lying on a throw rug, with a bowl of soap bubble mix and a bubble
pipe in his hand. Illustrations from some of the stories appear in
soap bubbles around/above him.
M536: Magical night, man in the moon,
purple velvet grass
Solved: When the Sky is Like Lace
M537: Mute Girl with Boy on Quest
All I know is the ending. They
finally end up on the other side of a mountain and the girl is
able to speak after having been mute for the entire book. May have
had a horse along. Read in early 90s, thought it was Lloyd
Alexander, but doesn't match any of his. Probably fantasy. Hint of
romance.
Piers Anthony, Caterpillar's Question. This seems like it could be
a match (a favorite of mine, though it never seems to get great
reviews). "A young art student and a mute, accident-scarred girl
become trapped in a frightening otherworld where an alien
civilization seeks their extermination."
Gardner, John, In
the Suicide Mountains, 1977,
approximate. It's been awhile since I read this, but it
seems that one of the characters elected not to speak through
most of the story.
Thanks for the responses, but neither of these is the
correct book. I'm positive it didn't include aliens or
suicide, and I believe this is before I was reading any
books in the adult section of the library. Additional
details: I seem to recall some sort of mental communication,
either between the girl and the boy or between the girl and
a horse (which is why I think there might have been a horse
along). I don't think there was anyone chasing them, or any
particular evil that they faced. It was more a matter of
getting to their final destination and what they learned
along the way. This is not Seaward by Susan Cooper, although based on
the description of that one I thought it might be the one.
I'm afraid it's also possible that I'm combining books in my
head.
Smith, Sherwood, Wren to the Rescue. A long shot, but could
this be Wren to the Rescue? There is a quest
and the girl in it is mute for part of the quest, but it's
because she's taken on the form of a dog (which becomes
increasingly problematic because the longer she maintains
it, the greater the risk she won't be able to resume her own
form).
Robin McKinley, The Healer,
1990, approximate. This sounds kind of like Robin McKinley's short
story "The Healer" where Lily, the heroine, is
mute, and a man comes to her village and offers to take
her to his master so that his master can cure her.
They do go into the mountains of Damar and they do ride
horses.
Alexander Key, Escape to Witch Mountain.
Not sure this is the right one, but the two kids Tony
and Tia are trying to escape, they've got special
powers, and they do finally make it to the mountain. Tia
is mute but they can speak mind to mind.
McKinley, Robin, A Knot in the Grain
and Other Stories, 1994,
copyright. This sounds like it could be the
short story "The Healer" from this
collection. Description: "Lily - the mute heroine -
meets a fallen mage who can understand her thoughts
and eventually helps her regain her voice." I hope
this helps. - Children's Librarian
I've eliminated Robin
McKinley for sure, and I'm pretty sure it isn't Escape from Witch
Mountain (but will double check). I
haven't had a chance to check on Wren yet. Thanks
for the continued suggestions!
Mary Brown, The Unlikely Ones. Tis is a very
long shot - the heroine isn't mute, but wears a
mask and doesn't talk much. "Thing, the central
character, is a young woman who is the friend and
protector of animals who have had a jewel bonded
to their bodies, and she can speak their various
languages...They meet up with other characters,
including a cursed knight and a unicorn with a
broken horn."
This really
does sound like "Escape to Witch Mountain".
Tony and Tia are an orphaned brother and sister
who are telepathic although Tia can't speak out
loud. They are running from Lucas Deranian who
pretends to be their uncle so he can use their
powers. Father O'Day helps them escape to a
mountain inhabited by their people. The two can
also communicate with animals. At the end, Tony
calls someone whose voice over the telephone
makes him realize what Tia would sound like if
she could speak aloud.
It isn't Wren or
Escape
from Witch Mountain (the boy and
girl weren't brother and sister). It isn't The Unlikely
Ones either. I'm starting to wonder
whether it might be a Madeleine L'Engle
book, so I'm going to take a look at some of
those next.
Hoover,
Children
of Morrow. This is
similar to Witch Mountain--about two
children named Tia and Rabbit.
M538: Monkey steals hats/caps from a
peddler
Solved: Caps for Sale
M539: Mother of Teen Girl Dies of Cancer
Looking for a book (teen reader
age-range) that I would have read in the late 70s-early 80s.
A teenage girl's mom dies of cancer. Details I
remember: The mother's illness started as a sore throat; she
eats a bunch of cough drops and "trails wrappers" around the house
for several weeks until she finally sees a doctor. I think the mom
worked at home, maybe as an artist or writer? She might have
been a smoker who got lung or throat cancer. After a long
illness, the mom dies in a hospital bed right when the girl was
sent to the cafeteria to get coffee for the adults; she walks back
into the room where her mother has just passed, knows immediately
that it's happened, and drops the tray of coffee all over the
floor. She sits with her mother's body for a little while,
and jumps when her mother's arm moves and "glides down her side";
for a moment she thinks her mother is still alive, but a nurse
explains that's just the way the body settles right after
death. Later she goes to the grave and runs her fingers
through the grass and imagines she's talking with her
mother. The girl might have had a sibling who was dealing
with the death very badly, distracting from the girl's
grief. I think the story might have been told in flashbacks,
but the death scene really stuck with me, more than the rest of
the story.
Lurlene
McDaniel. This
sounds like it could be one of Lurlene McDaniels books. Most of
them are about terminal illness. possible titles: Somewhere
Between Life and Death, Mother Please Don't Die, Mourning
Song... look up a list of her books online and see if any ring a
bell...
M540: Mystery of Blue...?
Solved: Blue Mystery
M541: man and wife find and keep a merbaby
I read this in the mid to late
80's, it was a hard back cover. A man finds a merbaby and
takes it home to his wife. They keep it for awhile but
eventually give it back to the mermaids. I remember really
enjoying looking at the illustrations which were quite dark.
Margaret and Mary Baker,
Garth Williams (illus), The
Lost Merbaby; in The Golden Books Treasury of Elves and
Fairies, 1927, 1951, copyright. The story "The Lost Merbaby"
was written in 1927, and has appeared in several anthologies.
However, your dating to the 1980's suggests that you probably read
the 1979 reprint of the Golden
Books Treasury of Elves and Fairies (edited by Jane Werner, and beautifully
illustrated by Garth Williams).
Other stories/poems in this book include: Singeli's Silver
Slippers, The Brownie in the Garden, The Pixie's Scarf, The
Cannery Bear, A Goblinade, When a Ring's Around the Moon, The
Fairies, The Bored Goblins, Halloween Song, Where Hidden Treasure
Lies, and others.
Margaret and Mary Baker, The Lost Merbaby. This story
can be found in the anthology "The Giant Golden Book of Elves and
Fairies," edited by Jane
Werner and published in 1951. The book was reprinted in
1999.
M542: Monsters have a contest, only little
blue monster left at end
A kid's book from the 70s; might be
a Big Little Golden Book; about an island of monsters, who have a
contest to see who is the best. There is a little blue girl
monster that has no talent. At the end all the other monsters
fight and disappear fighting leaving the little blue monster alone
and happy.
Ruthanna Long, The Great Monster Contest,
1977, approximate. I
believe you are looking for "The Great Monster Contest" by Ruthanna Long. It
includes the monster Jurgles and her best friend Boomer.
M543: Man helps sick animals and they build
a house
Solved: Uncle Bumble
M544: Mouse shipwrecked; survives winter in
a cave
French mouse (Pierre?) is
shipwrecked; prepares to spend winter in a cave, where someone has
left a pocketwatch and book; he passes time reading and missing
his wife (Lucy?); Spring arrives and he is able to build a boat,
sail home to Lucy; she awaits him on a chaise. c. 70's?,
light purple hardcover.
Perhaps you are thinking of Abel's Island, by William Steig?
M545:
Maple sugar
50's or 60's, childrens. I am
looking for an old school library book for my sister. It is
about a boy who for some reason has to go and live with his
grandfather and he teaches him how to tap maple sugar ... this
book was the first book that she really, really enjoyed and helped
her become the reader she is today. I would love to surprise
her with a copy of this book.
Okay, this is what I found out ... it was an old library book, and
it might have had a blue cover. The boy and his family took
a vacation and grandpa taught the boy how to make maple
sugar. It might have been in Maine.
Virginia Sorenson, Miracles on Maple Hill,
1957, copyright. A family
with a boy and girl move into the grandma's house and a neighbor
Mr. Chris teaches them how to make maple sugar.
Thank you for suggesting Miracles
on Maple Hill. While the story sounds somewhat
similar, this is not the book we are looking for.
Dorothy Canfield Fisher,
Understood Betsy,
1999, reprint. This
is from the 1960's and sounds similar to the book you are
looking for. It has a female leading character, not a
male, but the cover (of my 60's edition) has the girl and her
grandfather making maple sugar. The girl had to leave
her relatives and live with her grandparents in Vermont--it's
a memorable book...hope it is the right one!
M546:
Mouse In Natural
History Museum
A small creature (a mouse, I think)
enters a natural history museum and discovers that at night the
animals come alive and tell their life stories.
M547:
Mute Orphan Pickpocket
Watches Dreams?
Solved: The Half-a-Moon Inn
M548:
Medieval page, girl
Solved: The Maude Reed Tale
M549:
Miss (someone) the
Broom
Solved: Miss
Osborne the Mop
M550:
Mystery resort pig duck
This is a mystery book where all
the characters are animals, including a pig and a duck. I
believe it takes place at a hotel or resort. There is a part
when one of the characters is served a meal and his potato chips
get soggy with pickle juice and there is a dirty duck feather on
the plate. Thanks!
Walter R. Brooks, Freddy and Mr. Camphor.
Any time I hear "mystery" or "detective" and "pig" in the same
description, I immediately think of Walter Brooks' "Freddy" books.
There are 26 books in the series (originally written between 1927
and 1958), and most of them have been reprinted. The mention of a
hotel or resort makes me think of "Freddy and Mr. Camphor," in
which Freddy the pig detective decides to relax for the summer by
taking a position as caretaker of a large estate. Freddy thinks
his new job as caretaker of the wealthy Mr. Camphor's lakeside
estate will be pretty easy. However, when strange things start
happening around the house, Freddy must use his detective skills
to get to the bottom of things. Front cover shows Freddy relaxing
in a lounge chair on the deck of a houseboat, underneath a striped
awning. Another possibility might be "Freddy Goes Camping," in which
Freddy the pig helps his friend Mr. Camphor cope with a visit from
his two difficult aunts, while also dealing with some
far-from-friendly ghosts who have taken up residence in a nearby
abandoned hotel.
Brooks, Walter R., Freddy
Goes Camping, 1948, copyright.
M551:
Martyrdom of St.
Elphege
A friend is trying to remember "a
historical novel written sometime in the 1950s or so, US
publication, set in 9th or 10th century England, and involving the
martyrdom of St. Elphege (which happened in 1012, BTW.)
Hero's name, I think, is Thorkill or some variant thereof."
I'm not sure if this
will help or not, but the first author I thought of after reading
your search was Madeleine
Polland. I tried looking her books up online, but
very few have any kind of synopsis. Still, it might be worth
looking into. Good luck!
M552:
mouse who lived in a
guitar
Solved: Sylvester, The Mouse with the
Musical Ear
2009
M553:
Merry Go Round in
Forest
Two children find a merry-go-round
or carousel in the middle of the forest. It had white and
red candy stripe poles, I think.
Marie McSwigan, Five on a Merry-Go-Round. This is a stumper that was
recently solved for me. A family has to live on a merry-go-round
during a housing and job shortage during World War II.
Lathrop, Dorothy Pulis, The lost merry go round, 1934,
copyright. Three children wander into the forbidden
Flittermouse Wood, where they find an enchanted merry-go-round
and are taken on adventures by the merry-go-round animals.
Marie McSwigan, Mary Reardon (illus), Five on a Merry Go Round,
1943, copyright. If the children and their family (the
Sloans) lived in the merry-go-round during a housing shortage,
then this is the one you are looking for. One version of this
book has a blue cloth cover with the title and author's name
in red. In the center, also in red, is a circle containing two
of the carousel horses: one being ridden by the boy, the other
by the girl.
Sorry, none of these are the books (I got them
through inter-library loan just to check). This book
seemed more contemporary... such as written in the last 50
years? I recall it being large (bigger than a sheet
of paper), white (I could be wrong about that), with
bright, paint-stroke-like illustrations. The
merry-go-round in the forest had barber-pole stripes.
M554:
Moon's phases compared
to losing a tooth
childhood books read to me in the
70's. little girl wants to know why the moon disappears &
reappears. Somehow the explanation given involves an analogy to
losing a tooth.
James Thurber, Many Moons.
A search for "Many Moons"+Thurber will bring up a transcribe text
of the story.
That is the classic James Thurber tale Many Moons.
You'll get lots of responses to this.
Thurber, Many
Moons. Long shot, but it might
describe Thurber's charming fable about a princess who cries
to have the moon. The kings' wise men fret about the problem,
but it's the court jester who solves things by giving the
princess a tiny gold moon on a necklace, then explaining why
it's still up there in the sky. It's the princess herself who
figures that, as she gets new teeth to replace lost ones, so
therefore the new moon replaces the old lost one. It's a
charming story full of wild details including blue poodles.
Hope this helps.
James Thurber, Many Moons.
M555:
Mystery, girl, house,
old lady
Solved: Ginnie and the
Mystery House
M556:
Man Living Inside Peanut
I read this children's book in the
80s to early 90s. I do not know the actual publication
date. The book explains to a child what is found when you
split a peanut in half. Inside the peanut, on one half, is a
little bean sprout. It sticks out of the top of the peanut
when it is whole. The bean sprout looks like a little
moustache and hat. It is explained that an old man is asleep
in bed inside every peanut. You can see his moustache
sticking out over the covers. It also says that he has the
covers pulled up under his chin and a hat on. This was
possibly to keep warm because it was winter. You can find a
crease down the middle of the blankets from his nose to his
toes. I thought for a long time that the book was called The Old Man in the Peanut.
I am now not sure that that is the true name as I have been having
great difficulty finding it.
This is not a
solution, but when this query was first posted, I immediately
recognized the story. I remember hearing a fellow teacher tell
this story to her class when she was giving a lesson on George
Washington Carver. (I remember even more details of the story.)
The same day the query was posted, I stopped this teacher between
classes and asked her where she heard the story. She laughed and
claimed she made it up, had not read it. Now, human memory being
what it is, I don't know whether she heard it as folklore as a
child, or just has a great imagination, but I've waited several
weeks for someone to come up with a book response for this
question, before deciding to post this non-book response, hoping
it might jog someone's memory.
M557:
Mother and aunt are witches
Solved: Enter Three Witches
M558:
Mystery novel, female reporter
afraid of contracting necrotizing fasciitis
Looking for an mystery novel where
the protagonist is a female reporter who is afraid of contracting
necrotizing fasciitis (this is actually funny). I do not remember
much else about the book, but I think the cover was drawn in an
old-school "Marvel Comics" style. I think she may have had a
cat.
Sparkle
Hayter, Nice Girls Finish Last,
1997, approximate. This
is definitely one of the hilarious Robin Hudson books. Robin works
for a news network when she's not solving murders, lives in NY,
has a cat, and always checks herself for necrotizing fasciitis
before going to sleep.
M559:
Mediterranean Sea fills in when
Gibraltar land bridge erodes
Solved: And the Waters Prevailed
M560:
Mouse searches for
father
Solved: Timmy Mouse
M561:
Mother Goose book,
Yellow cover, two children on hobby horse
Solved: Dean's
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
M562:
Mystery re princess and
fountain
Solved: Family
Sabbatical
Children's book from 50's, maybe
later. 3 or 4 kids taken to France(?) by parents for a year.
Kids think will have no school, but (German?) nanny is
hired. Language difficulties cause much confusion (eg. fire caused
by the kids). Kids solve mystery re princess (now old) & hotel
fountain
Carol Ryrie Brink, Family Sabbatical. Could this be Family
Sabbatical? I don't remember details, but the Ridgeway family
(Susan, George, and Dumpling), whose father is a professor on
sabbatical, go to France. They have a governess named
Mademoiselle (and instead of learning French they teach her
American slang), there's something about a valuable doll, and they
meet a princess.
Hurray!
We have a winner. It is indeed Family Sabbatical. My
daughter is over the moon at finding out the title.
Thanks so much! We never would have figured it out without
help.
M563:
Moon's first born
travels to earth with his ambassador father
Solved: Crisis
on Conshelf Ten
This was a book I read in probably
the late 1980's. In the future the moon is sparsely populated and
political tensions are high between it and the earth. The moon
mines minerals to ship to earth in trade for supplies, but the
moon is far more dependent on the earth, and the earth takes
advantage of this. The ambassador speaking for the moon travels to
earth for negotiations and brings his son along, the first human
born on the moon. I remember him being around 15-16 years old.
He's amazed at how much water is on earth and can't understand why
the earth wouldn't willingly share since they have so much. Living
his entire life on the moon his legs are not used to the full
gravity of earth and when he discoverers a swimming pool
(something unheard of on the moon) he ends up spending much of his
time on earth there. He meets a girl (I believe) and they become
friends, each sharing what they know of their own worlds.
Meanwhile negotiations with the earth over the moon's status are
breaking down and his father reveals to him that the moon has been
stockpiling water in anticipation of breaking away from
earth. Eventually
this happens and the boy and his father return to the moon.
Obviously lots of politics in this
book, although it was aimed at young adults. I believe it's a
series of 3 books (or perhaps more) and they return to earth in
the second (and possibly third) ones again.
Monica Hughes, Crisis on Conshelf Ten,
1975, copyright. In Crisis,
moon-born Kepler Masterman visits Earth for the first time.
The hotel doctor advises him to spend time in the hotel
pool. Kepler learns to scuba dive and ends up in Conshelf
Ten, an experimental ocean community. His father is the Moon
Governor. The sequel is called Earthdark.
Monica Hughes, Crisis
on Conshelf Ten, 1975, approximate. This
sounds like Crisis on Conshelf Ten. There was also a
sequal called Earthdark.
Here are some links with (very) brief summaries and some
pictures of the book covers:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/monica-hughes/crisis-on-conshelf-ten.htm;
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/monica-hughes/earthdark.htm.
Monica
Hughes, Crisis on Conshelf
Ten. Thank you so much, this is it! Another
book that has eluded me for years has been solved again in
less than a week! That's two for two! :-) For other internet
readers out there, there is a slightly more detailed
description at
http://www.uleth.ca/edu/runte/ncfguide/mhughes.htm#crisis.
M564:
"Melissa" in the title
My mom remembers reading a book when she was young. She doesn't
remember much except:
-She was young when she was reading
it (btwn 6 & 10) -An "old" book in the late 60s -A chapter
book -A girl in the book was named Melissa -Title had "Melissa" in
it -There was a black cat in the story.
Susan Meyers, Melissa Finds a Mystery, 1966, copyright. A
possibility, because it was widely distributed: "A young
California girl, spending the summer in New England with her
eccentric maiden aunt, is confronted with a mystery involving the
house her ancestors have lived in since before the Revolution."
Winner of the Dodd,Mead "Calling All Girls" Award, 1966.
Maybe "Taffy and
Melissa Molasses" by Carolyn
Haywood? I don't remember if there's a black cat,
but there's definitely a Melissa. And I might be mixing it up
with another Haywood book, but I think there's two girls and a
box of kittens on the cover illustration. (The other title I
thought of turned out to be a Melinda, not Melissa.)
If the girl in the story
was black, it might be Melissa and the Valley Belle by
Lola F. Tague (1965).
It's about canal boats in Indiana. There is also a book called
Taffy and
Melissa Molasses by Carolyn
Haywood, about three friends who share a summer's
worth of adventures in Maine. That didn't come out until 1969,
however. The only other Melissa I know of is Taylor Caldwell's, and
that's more for teens or young adults.
Elizabeth Ladd, Meg and Melissa,
1964. Meg and Melissa is one of the books about Meg
who lives on a boat with her brother in rural Maine. In this
one there's a mystery of some kind. Meg and her brother are
orphans. There are several books in the series including Meg
of Heron's Neck and Meg's Mysterious Island. Meg and her
brother have a couple of cats. I can't remember if they are
black.
Ethel Parton, Melissa Ann.
A possibility - this was first published in 1931, and set
in the 1820s but was available in the 1960s and I
read it then. There are cats in the story, though the one
I remember is yellowish rather than black - there might be
a black one too, however.
Elizabeth Ladd, Meg and Melissa.
Just wanted to add a "yes" to the Meg and
Melissa suggestion. Meg is featured in
several books, and she definitely has a black cat, who
is named Repulsive. (There's also a black crow.) Melissa
only appears in this one title, where Meg is hired
to babysit her for the summer. Melissa has just lost her
father and is stuck with her aunt--who seems to hate all
children and is trying to avoid any contact with the
outside world. It turns out that Melissa is the heir to
a very large fortune, so Meg, with a little help from
her brother, tries to figure out what's going on.
Forbus, Ina B., Melissa,
1962, copyright. Would a gold-red cat do?
Melissa,
by Ina Forbus,
is a lovely girls' book, set in the early 19th
century. An orphan, Melissa is sent by her
grandmother and Uncle Will to live with other
relatives, while she attends high school. She
soon learns to love her Aunt Betsy, a classical
pianist, her Uncle Horace (a lcoal college professor),
her cousins Freddie and Arthur, and the family cook,
Hyacinth. But cousins Irene and Henrietta (with
whom she has to share a bedroom) prove harder to win.
But win their friendship she does. She finds a
natural love - and talent - for piano music, and
rescues a (when washed, a red-gold) kitten, which she
names Tinkie. This is a charming book, even if it is
not your mother's Melissa! (This is also listed under
the book's title, Melissa, in the solved
stumpers section.)
M565:
Monster Mansion
Halloween Illustrated Childrens Book
Solved: Marc Brown's Full House
Halloween/Monster Mansion theme.
The illustrations in the style of Maurice Sendak or Mercer Mayer.
It was a side view of the mansion where you could see inside the
rooms. Different monsters were doing things in various rooms. It
looked related to "7 little monsters". Published early 80s.
R.U.Scary, Is There a Monster In the House, 1995. A Sesame Street
lift-the-flap book, featuring Grover walking around a
spooky-looking house. Sample: "Is there a monster in
the kitchen? Fixing kitchen sink! Monster in the parlor?
Miss her if you blink!"
Dean Walley, Don Page (illus), Lamont the Lonely Monster.
Possibly this one? A Hallmark Playtime Book with Lift-and-Look
Surprises, published during the 1970s. About a kind but lonely
monster named Lamont who goes searching for a friend, but
everyone is afraid of him. A little boy directs Lamont to
Monster Mansion, where he is warned to stay away from the
terrible Uriah the Heap. Lamont wanders through the mansion,
meeting a skeleton, vampire, werewolf, witch, and ghosts, before
finally encountering the horrible Heap - with whom he becomes
the best of friends.
Thanks everyone for the help! I looked into the
"Lamont the Lonely Monster", unfortunately that is not the
book. The R.U. Scary one might not be it either (that was
published in the 90s). Perhaps I can add some more detail.
This is from my memory as a child. I've literally searched
through thousands of books with no luck. The book was
hardcover. It had a dark cover, black with other details.
The interior had a pattern with purple and black (maybe
orange) I think. The book was quite large 12 x 9. It had
full page illustrations, with a lot of detail. Characters I
remember were a vampire and a witch. There were several
other monsters too though. I remember a page with a balcony
with Wrought-iron.. and dungeon/basement page. The
illustrations took up both pages with the house (or castle)
cut in half so you could see inside. There was a lot of
detail. The characters took up maybe an inch or so on the
page. I had the book in the mid 80s. This is one of my only
memories from my childhood. Many thanks to everyone who has
helped, I greatly appreciate it. :D
Alastair Graham, Full
Moon Soup: or the Fall of the Hotel Splendide,
late '80's, early '90's, approximate. This is a wordless
picture book that tracks multiple stories. It features ghosts,
wherewolves, aliens, a gorilla, and various mayhem. All are
shown from a cut-through drawing of the hotel so you can see
the changes that take place over time in the same rooms.
So sorry it is not "Full Moon Soup" :(. That book
fits the description so closely though. The book would
have been published in early/mid 80s late 70s. Many thanks
for trying :).
Brown, Marc, Marc Brown's Full House, 1977, copyright.
Could you be thinking of this book - cover shows front
door with monster's hand reaching out - tag line "what do
monsters do in the privacy of their own house".
Marc Brown, Marc Brown's Full House,
1977, copyright. That's it!!! Thank you so very
much! I must have gotten some of the details mixed up
with another book. The slip cover threw me off the
most. The book I had as a child was missing it. I feel
complete in a way now. I've spent hundreds if not
thousands of hours searching for this book over the
past decade. I had even started writing/illustrating a
children's book with a haunted house theme (to help
fill the void). Thank you again for helping me find
this! :D
M566:
Magic Key
This book was published by Rand
MacNally (?) in the early 1950's. It was about two children
who entered a fairyland by using an old key in a keyhole that they
found in a rock in the forest.
George MacDonald, The Golden Key. Sounds like The Golden Key,
which starts with the boy Mossy's search for a magic key found
under the rainbow. When he finds it, he and his female friend
Tangle go seeking the door the key will unlock, the Land From
Which Blessed Shadows Fall. They get help from the friendly Old
Men of the Sea, and the Earth, and the Fire, and a wise woman who
raises fish which become angels. The search takes either a day and
a night, or all thier lives. Hope this helps.
Mary Francis, The
Magic Key, 1952, copyright. This book
was published by Avon and is a Jolly Book. The children, Tom and
MaryLou, put the key into the rock and enter fairy land. They
meet an elf named Gruffy and attend the Queens party along with
all the rest of the forest creatures. They fall asleep during
the party and they awake beside the big rock when they hear
mother calling them. Tommy still has the key.
George MacDonald, The
Golden Key. This sounds likely - the
complete text is online at
http://www.mrrena.com/misc/GoldKey.shtml, so easy to check.
M567:
Magic items found in
trunk
Solved: What the Witch
Left
A children's book from the 70's, I
believe. I think I read it in about 5th grade, which was
1974-75. A girl finds magic items in a trunk or chest. With
a friend, she explored the items. The one I clearly recall is the
magic boots. When worn, each step takes the person several miles.
The girl wears them with her friend-they each wear one, and with
their arms around each other, travel long distances together. I
don't recall any of the other magic items, I don't know if I ever
finished the book. I believe the girl was around 9-11 and lived in
a town or city. There may have been a raincoat-or I'm just
remembering the rainboots... I think there may have been 7
different items. I've always wished I could re-read or finish
reading this book! Thanks anyone who can help!
Definitely What the Witch Left by Ruth Chew. Probably the most requested book
stumper of all time!
I looked up the book and recognized
the cover immediately! Thanks, I might have found it from the
other requests, but didn't remember enough of the story to know it
was the same one I wanted to find!
M568: Melody
Lane
Melody Lane, heroine. Garth,
hero. Approximate date of publication, 1940's. Author
MAY have been Grace Livingston Hill. Melody Lane arrived
mysteriously at an orphanage as a baby. Garth, 5, looked down at
her and said, "When I grow up I'm going to marry her."
Following life's trials they marry.
Extended description: I had the privilege of suggesting a name for
my baby sister and my mother accepted it! That was in
1959. My sister will be 50 at the end of the month.
I'd love to be able to give her a copy of the book from which I
got her name. However, I don't remember the title or the
author. The heroine was Melody Lane. She arrived
at an orphanage as a baby. They named her after the street
they lived on, I think. A 5-year-old, named Garth, leaned
over her basket and said, "When I grow up I'm going to marry
her." He did marry her when he grew up. However, this
was after Melody Lane experienced a number of trials and
tribulations in the city where she had gone to "spread her
wings." I wonder if anyone has heard of this
book. It was old even in 1959.
Lilian Garis, Melody Lane
Mystery Series,
1930s, approximate.
There was a series of mysteries
called the Melody Lane mystery series. I'm wondering if this
is where the name came from although the remembered story line
doesn't fit.
M569: Mouse
named Lady Greensleeves
who solved mysteries
The story involved a little mouse
named Lady Greensleeves who, with her maid, solved problems or
mysteries. My friend checked the book out of a library sometime
around 1968-1970, and it was an older book back then. She doesn't
remember the title or the author.
Des
Chesnez, Baroness E. Martineau , Lady Green Satin
and her Maid Rosette: The History of Jean Paul and His Little
White Mice, 1873,
copyright. Is it possible youre thinking of Lady Green Satin and
her Maid Rosette? It was first published in 1873, but was
republished several times after that the latest being in the
1940s. The main character is NOT the mice but a little boy
named Jean Paul - Lady Green Satin and her Maid Rosette are his
two pet white mice, that he dresses up in tiny outfits to look
like a lady and a maid, whom then perform for him. "This
delightful fairy tells how the two little white mice came to be
Lady Green Sleeves and her maid Rosette how Jean Paul taught
them to perform wonderful tricks on a small white board, which he
called his theatre how, when times were bad and he could get
no more money exhibiting Lady Green Sleeves among the Pyrenees, he
left his home and made his way to Paris. The story tells us
how after many days the little fellow came to the great city
how he thought that he could sleep in the streets and found that
he could not how he gained his lodgings for two sous a
night, and then went and came cold, wet, hungry, and sometimes
very happy because Lady Green Satin and her maid Rosette had
performed so well that he had gained good friends, and, best of
all, had gathered many sous to send to his dear mother and
sisters. The story is charmingly told." No indication
of any mystery to be solved, but the title was so CLOSE to what
was being described in the stumper that I couldnt help but submit
this. Good luck!
I just stumbled on to your
site for the 1st time while looking for info on The Littlebits(a
book from my childhood that Im currently reading to my 7y/o) and
saw this stumper highlighted. Coincidentally, I am absolutely sure
that I glanced through a book about a mouse detective named
"Lady...." in our church library on Sunday but decided my son
already had plenty to check out this week. In fact, I think there
were several similar books there. I will post back after I check
out the exact title and author the next time Im in church.
Des Chesnez,
Baroness E. Martineau , Lady
Green Satin and her Maid Rosette: The History of Jean Paul and
His Little White Mice. Lady Green Satin and her Maid Rosette is indeed the
book my friend remembered. I have obtained a copy, and she was
delighted. Thank you all so much for your help.
M570: Magician,
suitcase, ballerina, crocodile
Can't remember the title or
author. 60's or 70's in date? Illustrations very
similar to Sendak. A man/monster/magician arrives at a
guesthouse carrying a suitcase. There is a notice on the
guesthouse saying 'closed indefiinitely'. Odd things happen
- crocodile in bath, ballerina in cupboard etc. help!
This doesn't match your description entirely, but there are
enough similar elements to make it worth mentioning. Mercer Mayer's The Wizard Comes to
Town was originally published in 1973, and I've always
thought his illustrations were a bit like Sendak's. In this
story, a wizard named Z.P. Alabasium rents a room at Mrs. Begg's
boarding house (the sign outside says "Room for Rent. No tuba
players allowed"), and soon after strange things happen in the
boarding house. Weird creatures appear, there are reptiles in
a guest's bed, and Mrs. Begg is turned into a ballerina
briefly. Even if this is not your book, it's a fun story!
Mercer Mayer, Mrs Beggs and the Magician/ The Magician
Comes to Town 1973,
approximate. Thank
you so much - its amazing how wrong the details of my memories
were! but this is definitely the book. Having had a search
around based on your comment I found out that when I had it it was
called Mrs Beggs and the Magician and later had its title changed
- which is probably why the 'Magician comes to town' title didn't
leap out at me in previous searches.
M571:
mother and daughter making a doll from fabric circles.
I'm looking for a book for my sister-in-law. Would have been
read to hear in the late 50's/early 60's, but it could be an older
book than that. She describes it as a book about a mother and
daughter making a doll from fabric circles (circles called
yo-yo's?).
M572:
Murmur-maids (girl goes undersea)
A chapter book that would have been published no later than the
early 1970's. A girl meets a friendly sea creature who takes
her underwater and introduces her to other creatures, including
some "murmur-maids" (or mermermaids?), which I believe looked like
manatees.
Howard, Joan, The Summer is Magic, 1952, copyright. This is a long shot, but
in the book Jill and Ronnie have an undersea adventure.
Its been a while since I read it, but it was the first thing
that came to mind when I read your post.
I dont think it
can be The Summer is Magic. Im pretty
sure there was only one kid in my book.
M573:
Marne, rowboat
I am looking for a childhood
story released about the same time as The Ghost of Opalina. It is about a younger girl named
Marnie/Marne - who visits her grandmother in the swamp (I think)
and the adventures she has while there. If I remember correctly
a rowboat is central to the story as that is what she uses to
get around the swamp. That's about all I can remember.
Joan G Robinson, When Marnie was
there, 1967, copyright. A girl is
sent to stay with an elderly couple in Norfolk and plays by
herself in the sand dunes and waterways.
She meets a girl called Marnie who turns out to be a ghost.
M574:
Monster eats kid's stuff because kid won't clean
Me and my sister read this book
when we were young (1980's) and I have no clue what the title is.
It's about a kid that won't clean up his stuff so this monster
(i'm pretty sure the monster was called "the grunk") would eat his
stuff. I think the monster lived in the basement maybe.
Dr. Seuss, I
Can Lick 30 Tigers Today and Other Stories, 1969, copyright. This is a
long shot, as the description (toy eating monster) isnt even
close. But the name of the monster makes me wonder if youre
combining details from several stories? In the story "The Glunk
that got Thunk", a little girl "thinks up" a monster (called a
Glunk) who becomes all too real and begins running up quite a
long-distance telephone bill by calling his mother and giving
her a very long (and disgusting) recipe for Glunker Stew.
Finally, with the help of her brother (the Cat in the Hat)
little sister is able to un-thunk the Glunk. Other stories in
the book are "I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today" and "King Looie Katz".
Doug
Jamieson, The Grunk, (c) 1973. This book sounds
right, my husband remembers reading it as a child and the title
fits.
Stephen
Cosgrove, Bangalee, 1978, copyright. (a
Serendipity book) Two descriptions of the book: Bangalee tries to persuade the
other kritters to change their messy ways before the dreaded
grunk arrives.
Stephen
Cosgrove, Bangalee, 1976, copyright. Reminds me of
this one: "A wonderful tale about Bangalee, the cleanest Kritter
in a very confused land, who becomes a hero with his clean ways
when Grunk, a monstrous-garbage eating beast, comes foraging at
their door. The moral to the story being: So, If your room is
messy and cluttered with lots of junk, Better clean up your room
like Bangalee, ''Cause here comes the Grunk!"
M575:
Mystery, Intermediate Reader, Charleston, Ghosts of
Presidents, Mandy, Adventure
Historical fiction mystery series with a 10-14 year old
heroine named Mandy (? or similar) I believe it was set in 19th c,
definitely American. Pretty girl grew up poor, father died,
separated from mother. Eventually reunited with mother who
remarries father's brother--long lost uncle is very rich!
Lois Gladys Leppard, Mandie series,
1980s, 1990s, approximate. At least 40 books in this
series. Most are set in North Carolina but number 7 is
"Mandie and the Charleston Phantom."
Leppard, Lois Gladys, Mandie
series. This sounds like Leppards Mandie series. Theres a
webpage devoted to the series (with pictures of the book covers)
at http://www.mandie.com/mandie.htm
Lois
Gladys Leppard, Mandie series, 1980s, 1990s, approximate. At
least 40 books in this series. Most are set in North
Carolina but number 7 is "Mandie and the Charleston Phantom."
Lois
Glady Leppard, Mandie series. The Mandie series of books
are a popular series by Lois Gladys Leppard. There are
forty books in the main series plus there are several special
books.
M576:
Mystery Antique Shoppe
This is a book about two children
(brother and sister) who discover a Mystery about two Marionette
figures in their fathers antique shop. The mystery begins
when they discover one of the figures has a note inside it.
The figures are from Marie Antoinettes time period.
One is playing the piano and I believe the other is at a writing
desk. It takes place in the 1940-1950s.
Robin
Gottlieb, Mystery of the Silent
Friends,
1964, copyright. Ninas father owns an antique shop. In the
shop are two mechanical dolls from Switzerland, a boy and girl who
draw a series of pictures. Nina has named them Henri and Henriette
because the boy doll writes the name Henri Bourdan.
Two men try to buy the dolls which sets Nina and her best friend,
Muffin, off on a search to figure out why they are so eager to buy
the dolls. The men want to buy the drawing dolls because
they have the 3rd doll in the set, a girl who plays the
piano. The pictures that are drawn and the music that is
played are clues to finding a treasure left by the mans
grandfather.
Robin
Gottlieb, Mystery of the Silent
Friends,
1964, copyright. What secret lies hidden in the mechanical dolls?
Why are two men so eager, suddenly, to buy them? Nina has always
loved her fathers antique shop and the dolls have always been her
friends. So goes the story about three mechanical dolls. One is an
artist, the other writes his name. The piano player doll is
mentioned later in the book. Hope this solves a mystery!
Gottlieb,
Robin, Mystery of the Silent
Friends,
1973, copyright. It was actually sisters, but I feel sure this is
the book.
Robin
Gottlieb, Mystery of the Silent
Friends,
1964, reprint. I remember this one! (It took some searching to
find it though.) I believe that the first two dolls and the
antique shop belonged to a grandfather or great-aunt of the two
children, and the mystery was that each of the dolls had a clue to
an amazing treasure. The girls (and I think they were girls,
not a brother and sister) had to figure out the final clue...which
they couldnt because they didnt have the third doll. They
eventually find it in the possession of a reclusive older friend
or relative, and solve the mystery.
Robin
Gottlieb, Mystery of the Silent
Friends,
1964, copyright. The book youre looking for is Mystery of the
Silent Friends by Robin Gottlieb. 12 year old Nina Martin and her
best friend discover the secret that the two mechanical dolls
(Henrietta, who draws and Henri, who writes)in her fathers antique
shop... have been hiding: while each were programed to draw/write
three things, theyve been fiddled with to make them draw/write a
fourth thing which is a key to a treasure! A man arrives in the
shop trying to buy the pair...it transpires that the dolls are
part of a trio, and he has the third, a girl doll that plays a
spinet. Nina suspects that hes not what he seems, and shes right!
Robin
Gottlieb, The Mystery of the
Silent Friends,
early 1960s, approximate. Ninas dad owns an antiques store in
Manhattan. Ninas favorite items in the store are a pair of
French automatons named Henri and Henriette which have been unsold
for years. So when suddenly two men come separately into the
store inquirng about the automatons, Nina is suspicious. She
and her best friend Muffin try to figure out why the men are each
so interested in Henri and Henriette. I think its Henri who,
when turned on and working properly, can write a letter and that
the solution to the mystery is in the letter. I also
remember that the DJ picture of the two girls in the darkened
store used to scare me.
Robin
Gottlieb, Mystery of the Silent
Friends.
This sounds vaguely like Mystery of the Silent Friends, though
some details are different. Nina'\''s father owns an antique
shop, and has two automata - antique dolls that move. One
draws, one writes (and, later, one that plays a piano is
found). The mystery turns up partly because the doll that
writes suddenly writes something he had not written before, so in
that sense it could be considered that he had a message hidden
inside him...
M577:
Mystery of lost opals, college setting, 1940s, romance
Solved
M578:
Multi colored chapters/sections
The book is a children's book that
definitely contained some Aesops Fables and might have had some
Mother Goose stories too. Each chapter/section was printed
on colored paper (I definitely remember pink, blue, and yellow
sections) and the book was quite thick. I think it was a
paperback.
M579: Magic Catalog
Children's Book
A 70's
book in the form of a catalog. It gave descriptions of
magical items such as a doorway that made you all clean as you
walked through it, an invisibility coat, a room cleaner,
etc. There was an order form at the end that you were to
hide in a hollow tree.
Bridwell, Norman, THE WITCH'S CATALOG (or Norman Bridwell presents The
Witch's Catalog). Years ago I looked for this book from my childhood.
It's THE WITCH'S CATALOG by Norman Bridwell. I know my copy was
from Scholastic Book Club (TJ 3570). The book is very
imaginative and a lot of fun.~from a librarian
Norman
Bridwell, The Witch's Catalog.
I already sent in that the
answer to this was THE WITCH'S CATALOG by Norman Bridwell, but I
wanted to let you know that someone has posted the whole book
online at http://www.ladybridget.com/p/catalog.html
in case the person wants to
take a look.~from a librarian
M580:
Bookstumper key words: series of books, 1st medeival,
lover named "Yaffle"
This was a series, read in the '80's but is older. The first
book involves a young sheltered girl with a tyrannical father.
She is sent to her Aunt's keep, learns strength &
independence, meets & marries a young man with a red feather
in his cap whom she calls "Yaffle". The feather reappears
later.
Barbara
Willard, The Lark and the
Laurel, 1971, copyright. I was wrong about the red
feather. It was a red cap. I found the book using
the key words "Aunt", "Yaffle" and "Keep" Thank you
anyway! It was fun to find this site, and I will return!
Barbar Willard , Mantlemass
series.This is Barbara Willard's Mantlemass
series. Lewis Mallory is Master Yaffle and he marries Cecily
Jolland - their story is told in The Lark and the Laurel, the
first book written though not the first chronologiocally. In
reading order the books are --The Miller's Boy, The Lark and the
Laurel, The Sprig of Broom, A Cold Wind Blowing, The Eldest Son,
The Iron Lily, A Flight of Swans, Harrow and Harvest, Keys of
Mantlemass. The last one is about 10 short stories, which fill in
a few gaps between books, one set before the first book, and a
couple set after the end of the last.
M581:Magical shop cures
villagers' misdeeds
Solved: Mr. Blossom's Shop
M582:
Mouse and Hedgehog Children's Book
It's a young children's book,
possibly published in the late 1980s or early 1990s (or
before), mainly pictures, probably just a couple of lines to
each page. It was a
large square shaped book, with few pages, like many of those
types of children's books. Throughout the book the mouse is making a mess out of
everything the hedgehog is doing (in a fun sort of way).
Each page was about a job that
the hedgehog wanted to do. For example, one said "Today I'm
going to be a postman". "Me too" said the Mouse. And so it
carried on with other jobs (baker and fireman were in there).
In the end the hedgehog is
setting up a mousetrap and mouse says something along the line
of "you wouldn't hedgehog. Would you?" The last page shows the hedgehog
and mouse lying in hammocks with a forest in the background.
I have had several suggestions
about it being a Beatrix Potter book, but having checked it is
definitely not. Many
thanks.
Dunbar, Joyce, Happy
Days for Mouse and Mole.A shot in the dark, but
could it be one of the Mouse and Mole books by Joyce, in
particular, HAPPY DAYS FOR MOUSE AND MOLE?The cover shows them in
a hammock.~from a librarian
M583: Mr.
Vinegar
The Story was about Mr. Vinegar.
There was a lot about the North Wind and a stick which would "do
tricks" it once said "stick stick, knock knock."
Possibly
Stories That Never Grow Old,
ed. Watty Piper?
See the Watty Piper page at http://loganberrybooks.com/most-piper.html
.
You have two different
stories here: The Lad Who
Visited The North Wind, and Mr. Vinegar. Was this a collection
of fairy tales?
M584:
Mrs. Wiggly and the Alligator
My dad used to read me a book about a lady I think by the name of
Mrs. Wiggly and the alligator who came to her house that she
outsmarted. Circa 1975
Howard Garis, Uncle Wiggily. Could
this be one of the Uncle Wiggily stories?
Although there's no Mrs. Wiggily, there are female characters such
as Nurse Jane Fuzzy Wuzzy, his housekeeper.
One of the regular antagonists is Skillery Skallery Alligator. The stories have been published in
various editions for more than 75 years, and a number of the texts
are available online.
Betty MacDonals, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle,1950's.This sound like it might be one of the
very funny Mrs. Piggle- Wiggles books by Betty MacDonald. There
were several. I read them in the 1950's.
Joanna
Cole, Cousin Matilda and the
Foolish Wolf, 1970. This is a bit of a stretch, but if it could have
been a wolf rather than an alligator, this could be it.
She outsmarts the wolf by saying where she'll be, but when he
gets there she has just left. She finally gets rid of him
by saying she's going to go to the roof and look at the stars,
and the wolf falls off the roof. It's a Whitman
Tell-a-Tale book.
M585: Mice who Live in a
Tree
Solved:
The Secret Staircase
This is a children�s book I read in the
80�s. It has two little mice who live with their large family
in a big tree. There is a LOT of drawing in this book. Every inch of the
page was covered with knick knack�s. The story goes that they
find a door behind a book case. It brings them into another
part of this big tree that used to be a castle for the mice�s
ancestors. They try on old clothes and run around in the
different rooms that are lavishly decorated. They wonder why
its closed off. The story ends
with them wearing the clothes doing a dance and song for their
family and everyone wonders where they got such great
costumes. They have this wonderful secret by themselves.
Jill
Barklem, The Secret Staircase. This beautiful book is
part of the Brambley Hedge Series, all illustrated in incredible
detail by the author. Two young mice, Primrose and Wilfred,
discover a whole set of secret rooms in their giant oak tree
home, while looking for costumes to wear at the midwinter
festival.
Jill Barklem, The secret staircase (Brambly Hedge series),1983, 1999.
This sounds like THE SECRET STAIRCASE one of the Brambly Hedge
books by Jill Barklem. Wonderfully detailed pictures.~from a
librarian.
Barkelm, Jill, The Secret Staircase,1983, copyright. Defintely this book by
Jill Barkelm, part of the Brambley Hedge books - the whole house
is busy getting ready for a midwinter party. Wilfred and
Primrose want to practice their party piece and look for a quiet
place. Primrose's mother tells them to go practice in the
attic - where they find the secret staircase full of wonderful
costumes to try on and all sorts of other treasures.
Jill Barklem , The Secret Staircase, 1980's. Maybe one of the Brambly Hedge
books by Jill Barklem. The pictures are very intricate.
M586: The
Mark of Princes
There�s a
historical novel I read as a child, set in an imaginary
European country of about three hundred years ago, where I
can�t remember either the author or the title. Actually,
it concerns two invented countries, one of which (much the
larger of the two) was known as the Mark of Princes,
because it had been divided into many principalities, and
only recently united by a pair of brothers, who had each
ruled as kings in turn. Part of the background of the
story is rivalry between their four sons over which should
succeed them, since for various reasons each has a claim,
and since neither had been designated as heir before their
fathers had died. Because they know that none of them is
likely to be successful as king without the support of his
brothers or cousins, when the main part of the story
begins they�re still running the country between them and
none of them has yet put forward a claim. The name of the
eldest prince is Clovis and the youngest (I think) is
called Boris. The other country is a neighbouring
mountain duchy, small but rather wealthy, with a young
orphaned heiress, and the story starts to focus on the
rivalry of the various princes as to which of them will
marry her � at least partly because in practice the claim to
his own throne of whichever of them �does� marry her is
likely to be strengthened considerably. After the
introductory chapters, the story is mostly told from the
young duchess� point of view. There�s a foreign professional
politician who arrives in the duchy half way through and
becomes the duchess� advisor, and suggests various seemingly
innocuous reforms to her that actually cause complete
mayhem, I seem to remember. Anyway, I read it as a child, back in the late 70s, but
never came across it since. I think it was probably published
in the 50s, but I can�t be sure � it might have been any time
before the seventies.
Ann Lawrence, The Half-brothers,1973,
copyright. In an imaginary kingdom in the sixteenth century,
four half-brothers court a young Duchess named Ambra,whose rich
lands would be an enhancement to their own.Only one of the three
princes was willing to accept Ambra's terms, that his own
inheritance be given up to prove that it was she who was
desired
rather than her lands,and so Prince Clovis won the girl he truly
loved.
M587:
Mother Goose from the 1960's
Pre-1970, childrens'. I've been
looking for MY childhood Mother Goose book for quite awhile
now. I've tried different combinations of Google searches
and so on, and I think I've seen just about every book of nursery
rhymes out there, but none of them are MY book.This is what I'm sure of: it had
to have been published before 1970, and I'm guessing it was from
the '50's through the '60's. It was a large but
not-too-thick hardcover (rather than something like a Little
Golden or Elf book), probably without a dust jacket since we had
it covered with our own paper cover. That's half the
problem--I remember the paper cover better than I do the real one,
or the actual title (although it was probably something like
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes) or author. About all I can
remember of the cover was that it was dark--I'm thinking dark
blue. I'm pretty sure
that a lot, if not all, of the illustrations were black and white,
and not full page. There MAY have been a special section in
the middle with numbers and letters, but I may have that mixed up
with another book. It was a little bit on the serious
side--meant for children, but not cartoonish. It wasn't The Tall Book of Mother
Goose, or Tasha Tudor, or any of those famous ones. But it
was MY book, and I'm hoping some day I'll come across a copy, or
find a description that matches.
M588:
Map
Wrapped in Oilskin
I read this as a child in the mid
1980's about some kids that are following a map they found that
was wrapped in oilskin. I remember at one point one the boys
has to hide in an apple barrel. A big storm hits while they
are searching and destroys one of their homes. Its not Treasure
Island.
Arthur Ransome, Peter Duck. Possibly Peter Duck, or another of the Swallows and
Amazons series? From an online description: "Every
single event in the first book seems to be reproduced here, but
on a much greater scale: the ships are now full-sized, the lake
is drowned in an ocean, the island can no longer be swimmed
around, the petty thieves have turned into murdering thugs, and
England's summer rains are drenched by a tropical storm."
M589:
Mannequin as life size doll
Children's or
YA: I read 1975-1980. A girl (who I think considers herself
homely) wants a life size doll (because a friend has one?).
Maybe a focus on the way the doll's eyes close, but I might be
combining book memories. She acquires (or wants to?) a
(redheaded?) mannequin as a doll. Anyone?
Brink, Carol Ryrie, Bad
Times of Irma Baumlein, 1972, approximate. Not
certain about the red hair, but Irma claims to have the biggest
doll in the world and ends up taking a mannequin to support her
claim.
Carol
Ryrie Brink, The Bad Times of
Irma Baumlein. Sounds like it could be this
one.
Carol Ryrie Brink, Bad Times of Irma Baumlein,
1988, copyright. Irma brags at school that she has "The Biggest
Doll in the World", then must figure out a way to prove it when
her classmates vote her doll to be displayed at a school
festival, sure that if it is as great as Irma says, they will
win the grand prize. She smuggles a mannequin from her
family's department store to school and gets into a lot of
trouble!
Brink, Carol Ryrie, The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein,
1972, copyright. Irma's lie about having the biggest doll in the
world leads her into deeper and deeper trouble.
Carol
Ryrie Brink, The Bad Times of
Irma Baumlein. Originally titled "Irma's Big
Lie." Trying to impress a classmate, Irma claims to have the
biggest doll in the world, with "cerulean blue eyes and hair the
color of ripe oranges." She must then go to outrageous lengths -
including stealing a department store mannequin - to support her
story.
Carol
Ryrie Brink, The Bad Times of
Irma Baumlein. I can't think of any other books
where the girl has a mannequin for a doll.
Carol
Ryrie Brink, Bad Times of
Irma Baumlein .This may be BAD TIMES OF IRMA
BAUMLEIN, also published as IRMA'S BIG LIE by Carol Ryrie
M590:Map,
Animal Tracks in Inside Cover
Book from late 1960s, early 1970s. A
story about a lion (?) and possibly some other animals. The most
intereting thing was the inside cover, white background, which
showed a map of little animal foot prints walking through a meadow
with a willow tree. Someone blowing on a dandeloin (?). thanks!
M591: My Clubhouse is Better than
Yours
Children's book about a group of kids
who leave their homes and build glorified clubhouses in a
field...it starts with just one kid building a house but soon the
field is overrun by kids with their own clubhouses, and they are
all really extravagant contraptions. HELP!!!!!
Doris Burn,
Andrew Henry's Meadow,
1965, copyright. This is definitely Andrew Henry's Meadow. Andy
likes to build and invent things, but his family doesn't
appreciate the mess, so Andrew takes his tool box and moves to a
distant meadow and builds himself a home. He later builds houses
for his friends from town, when they find him and admire his
fanciful house.
Burn,
Andrew Henrys Meadow,
1965, approximate.Could it be anything else?
M592: Mystery Date
mystery/romance published before 1979.
y/a?
Female protagonist is asked to
impersonate someone she closely resembles whose name is Erica
(titian?) and who is a "perfect size 9" money involved. Two half
brothers, one whose name is Adam (dark hair). Love ensues, mystery
solved after much danger
Amelia
Walden, To Catch A Spy, 1976, copyright.This is a
description of the book: "An intricately plotted spy thriller in
which excitement is maintained until the final discovery-- a
surprise to the reader and to Sally Templeton, the eighteen year
old counterspy. Sally Templeton, a CIA worker, arrives at the
Buxton estate to become, in disguise, Erika Buxton. Erika was a
suspected spy who was killed in a plane crash in Africa. Erika's
novelist-stepfather has consented to work with the CIA in an
effort to discover what Erika's involvement was. Sally passes
several severe tests, including having to face and be with two
of Erika's childhood companions, Adam and Verne."
M593: Mother
Goose Revisited
Mother goose type anthology, oversized book,
50+yrs ago, the goops, little red hen where hen picture and
others are inserted into the text, marmalade is tasty but
the king wants " just a little bit of butter for my bread", odd
drawings possibly different illustrators throughout.
Better Homes & Gardens Story Book,
copyright. See Anthologies
or Most Requested. The Goops, the Little Red Hen with
pictures substituting for words -- these are in there!
Most likely Better Homes and
Gardens Storybook, volume 1. See Solved Mysteries AND, especially,
the Anthology Finder for the cover and contents.
http://logan.com/harriett/most-anthologies.html
What tipped me off was the bit about the Little Red Hen - it's
something of a rebus, but not as complicated as some rebuses.
Better Homes and Gardens
Storybook.
Anthology,
The piece remembered about the king who wanted a "little bit of
butter on his bread" makes it a poem of A.A. Milne, the entire
poem can be found in When We Were Very Young and is entitled,
"The King's Breakfast."
M594: Mouse
Seamstress
Book is about a little mouse who
can sew, she sews beautiful dresses , i remember a yellow one with
robbons on it she lives in a little house, maybe in a tree or
underground.
(M594 - reposted)
M596: A Mirror for
Katherine
I am looking for a book that I read in the 70's. It was a
teen or pre teen novel in paper back.The main character was a teenage girl
who saw a portrait that look exactly like her. I believe she
saw the portrait in a store but, it could have been an old family
garage. Anyway, she sees the portrait and finds out that it
is her great great grandma or great great great grandma. She
then proceeds to go back in time to experience her grandmother's
previous life. The past life section of the book is quite
detailed and takes up a large portion of the story. After she has experienced the past
life, she wakes up on her living room couch with her father
there. He is worried about her and says that she has had a
seizure and that the seizure lasted 15 minutes or so. The main
character lived out the entire life of her relative in a 15 minute
period during her seizure. I believe the teenage girl's name
was Katherine. They title may have had the word mirror or
portrait in it. I have no idea who the author is. That is
all I can remember at this point. I have been looking for
this book for years. It was one of my favorites as a young
teenager. Thanks so much
for you help!
Sherburne,
Zoa, Why have the birds stopped
singing?,1974.
I loved this one too.
Marlys
Millhiser, The Mirror,1980,
copyright."A
20-year-old Boulder girl stares into her grandmother's Chinese
mirror on her wedding day in 1978, faints and comes to in her
grandmother's body--in 1900--about to be married to a miner. As
she moves through life, even giving birth to her own mother, she
becomes known as a fairly decent seer. Had she paid more attention
in school, she would have been a great one."There are many details
that fit but not all. Shay goes back in time after looking into a
mirror right before the wedding of her grandmother's (Brandy)
wedding in 1900. Shay and her grandmother actually switch places
in time. The first half of the book is in the past with Shay
living her grandmother's life and then in present time Brandy is
living her granddaughter's life - waking up in the middle of
nowhere - alone and pregnant and very confused. This was
rereleased in 1997 and may still be in print. Great story - on of
my favorites!
Sherburne,
Zoa, Why have the birds stopped
singing?,
1974, copyright.Absolutely definitely this book - Katie has
epilepsy (largely under control). On a school trip she sees
a portrait of her great great great grandmother (named
Kathryn). Katie misplaces her medication and has a seizure,
during which she travels back in time to become Kathryn, who also
suffered from epilepsy.
M597:
Mr. Vinegar's Glass House & Other Stories
A collection of childrens stories. Probably Aesop's Fables, Hans
Christian Anderson and The Brothers Grimm. The book is a hard
cover with cloth approximately 6'X 8" White with colorful drawings
of characters with in the book. One of the stories is Mr.Vinigar,
one about living in glass houses.
Flora Steel (Illus. by Arthur
Rackham), English Fairy Tales,
1918.White cover, lovely illustrations, most b/w, some color. Lots of quite randomly selected stories
as described, including Mr. and Mrs. Vinegar.
M598:
Mom Invents Alarm Clock Blanket Lifter to Wake Up Lazy Kids
All I remember about this book is
that the mother [maybe some sort of animal? cat?] had a lot of
lazy kids and to wake them up she invented this mechanized blanket
lifter that went into action when the alarm clock went off.
I would have read it in the early 80's. "Lazy" or "Kittens"
in title?
I
believe I know exactly the book you are talking about. I believe
it is in a box at my parents' house but unfortunately I can't
remember the name of it for the life of me. I do remember that
it is hardcover with a purple edge and white/black pictures on
the cover. I believe all the pictures in the book kept the
purple/black/white theme with maybe a red or one other color
thrown in. The book itself is horizontally, rather than
vertically, long, if that makes any sense. The mother also
drives the children to school in a train sort of thing and I
think she invents lots of other things too. I think the
family are badgers or aardvarks or something like that. I won't
be at my parents' house for a month or so, but I'll try to
remember to look for the book when I next visit. Good luck and
sorry not to be of more help!
Fernado Krahn, The
Family Minus, 1977, copyright. I asked my
mother to look for me I'm the one who recognized the book, but
couldn't remember the title.
Fernando
Krahn, The Family Minus, 1977.
M599:
Mail-order book series
in 1970 or 1971
Non-Fiction children's
mail-order book series in 1970 or
1971. The books were probably on a
3rd-5th grade reading level. They
covered subjects such as Native Americans (although most certainly
called "Indians" then); U.S. Presidents and the like. Hard-cover, divided into chapters.
40 pgs or so.
M600: Medieval girl,
castle, garderobe, onion soup, pointed headress
Solved: The Maud Reed
Tale.
M595: Magical Gifts
(stumper reposted) my
description started with the phrase MAGICAL GIFTS and the book
is about a group of girls, each who receives a magical item to
go with a personal talent...the only one I remember for sure
is a girl with cropped black hair who has a belt (or girdle)
that makes her invisible so she can be a thief.
M601:
Mickey Mouse Haunted Mansion Book with Reader
I am looking for a Mickey Mouse
haunted mansion book with reader that would have been published in
the 1970's. It has a hard cover with a picture of the haunted
mansion. It also has a "record" like reader on each page that
allowed the story to be read to you along with sound effects.
Walt Disney Productions Presents The
Haunted House, 1976. I don't know
if this is what you are looking for - the book has Mickey, Donald
and Pluto on the cover in front of a haunted house, and there is a
Fisher-Price audio cassette in a pocket on the back of the book
for reading along.
M602:
Magic toy, white stuff, smell
I remember a book where
there is a magic toy or something which opens up and inside there
is a magic white hard stuff, that sort of melts away gradually as
the book goes on. Perhaps a girl has this thing. And it - well,
either grants wishes or sth. It was fragrant - had a strange and
pleasant smell.
Snyder, Zilpha Keatley, Black
and Blue Magic. I
wonder if it's Black and Blue
Magic by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. That has a pearly magical
ointment in a silver filigree bottle.
M603:
Multiple Personality Satanic cult fiction
I read a book about 12 years ago
about a little girl who had multiple personalities to deal with
abuse by her father during satanic rituals in a cult of some
sort. I believe each chapter was from a different
personality perspective.
There
were a lot of books like this published in the last 20 years.
Chase,
Truddi, When Rabbit Howls, 1980s? May or may not be the
one you're looking for, but it popped into my mind.
M604:
medieval children's fantasy in which characters' souls are
trapped in their portraits
The story was set in some
quasi-medieval world. A baron (or somesuch) marries a beautiful
witch who traps the souls of the other people living in the castle
by drawing them. The process is only complete when she puts the
'eyes' into each portrait.
Roald Dahl,
The Witches, 1983.I don't know about
the eyes thing, but this sounds like it might be it.
M605:
Mousekin question
I have some early Prentice Hall
books by Edna Miller, in her MOUSEKIN series. They do not have a
"number line" or a stated edition (like 1st edition) but they have
the letter "J" in lieu of any "numbered edition". What does the
"J" mean - is this a 1st edition before they used "number
lines". One book dealer said that the "J" was a first
edition, but I cannot verify that with anyone as yet.
M606: A
mouse named Rosemary
SOLVED: Kid Sister
M607:
Missing Apple Tree Shade
Circa 1970. A town wakes up to find
its bridge missing, then something else, then the shade from the
apple tree. Someone finds a hidden door in the side of the cliff
and everyone goes in and they find a vast underground workshop
where a grumpy old man has taken the town's items to repair them.
M607a:
Minature Boy Flies With Bird
Approximate date: 1950. A boy shrinks small enough to ride on a
birds back. His father builds a little
passenger cabin that straps on to the bird and they fly away to
various adventures including one with a business owner who gets
his workers pay back every payday with a pinball machine. I was in grade school when I read this
(c. '63-68). It was a hardback and
seemed rather old at the time. Our
school did not have many new books.
The boy eventually returns to normal size at the end of the story. I believe he shrank after falling down
the stairs and returned to normal size after falling into the sea. The impact caused the change. The illustrations were line drawings.
The Fabulous
Flight by Robert
Lawson, 1949. Lots of political humor.
M608:
Mud and dresses
I remember a picture book from the 40s or 50s showing a little
girl who plays in the mud and washes up, getting mud all over the
bathroom, then changes into a dress of another color. The scenario is repeated over and over as
she changes into red, blue, and yellow dresses.
I remember feeling very satisfied as the rooms are repeatedly
cleaned and the little girl continues to be dressed in
coordinating dresses, socks and shoes!
Tomie
DePaola, Marianna May and
Nursey. A
little rich girl is miserable because she isn''t allowed to do
anything but sit still and keep her white dresses clean, until Mr.
Talbot the iceman has a clever idea."
I hope this is the book you're looking for!
2011
M609:
Man runs a bath of hot water which overflows and floods his
house
Circa early 1970's? Narrated
by Bill Cosby? The man gets distracted by a phone call possibly
and leaves the water running. If I remember correctly it came with
a plastic 45 record that you could play along. I've searched for
"Too Much Hot Water" and "Water, Water Everywhere" No luck.
Sesame
Street, Gordon of Sesame
Street Storybook, 1972.
I think this might be the book - it contains a story called "A
Lot of Hot Water". This story was previously published alone as
"Gordon of Sesame Street Tells a Story : A Lot of Hot Water".
The only summary I can find is this "Lonesome Lewis, the title
character, gets into a lot of trouble because he doesn't like
people and refuses to ask for help."
Matt Robinson, Gordon of Sesame Storybook. Followup
to the solution I previously submitted - I thought some images
might help determine if this is the right book. The cover of the
storybook is at http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Gordon_of_Sesame_Street_Storybook
and the standalone book cover is at http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/A_Lot_of_Hot_Water (this one apparently did have a
record with it.)
M610: Margarita/Margaret
sent to live with orchid-growing English uncle
SOLVED: Ruth M Arthur, Portrait of Magarita, 1971.
M611: Mice
A children's book
or young adult-type mini-novel because it had chapters. It was
hard back with illustrations in black and white or maybe blue and
white. It involved mice. There was a performance of a
play/opera/ballet, and a mouse named Lily who sat on a swing/
trapeze in front of a moon.
Frank Asch, Pearl's Promise, 1984. I think you are looking for Pearl's Promise by Frank
Asch. It is out of print. I have read it as a read-aloud to my
first graders from our school library. Pearl promises her brothers
she will never leave them to face the prospect of being fed to
Prang the pet store snake. But she is purchased by a boy. As she
is being taken from the mouse tank, she promises to return and
save them. She does become very attached to her new owner, but
cannot forget her promise, so runs away to go back to the pet
store and save her brothers. Along the way, she has many
adventures, including an evening performance in an abandoned
theater. The audience of mice all sit on the tops of the seats and
pay with bits of food. Here is a link to a summary of the plot:
http://www.suite101.com/content/great-books-for-kids-with-mouse-heroes-a271561'
M612:Medieval Series
historical fiction chapterbooks
Series of related
books by one author through several decades. Different
generations of a family- not always the same characters. Each book
had a different focus: London and guilds, Caxton and the printing
press, Wool merchants and taxes, YA or Child
Cynthia
Harnett, The Wool Pack,
and others. Sounds like Cynthia
Harnett's books, though they are not all about the same family, or
linked except by all being historical novels by the same author.
But the plots sound like those you describe. 'The Wool Pack' is about the
mediaeval wool trade. 'The Load
of Unicorn' or in its American edition 'Caxton's Challenge' is about
the beginnings of printing. 'Ring
Out Bow Bells' is about guilds in London and includes
Dick Whittington as a character. Another book, 'The Writing on the Hearth'
is about 15th-century education, and witchcraft accusations. 'Stars of Fortune' is set a
little later, in the Tudor period and
'The Great House' in the
17th century.
Cynthia
Harnett. It's hard to
list all of Cynthia Harnett's books by title because they were
released at various times with different titles. The titles were:
The Great
House (1949)
The
Woolpack (1951)
(also released as Nicholas and the Wool Pack, also as The Merchant's
Mark) Ring Out Bow
Bells! (1953) (also
known as The Drawbridge Gate, also known as The Sign of the Green Falcon) Stars of
Fortune (1956)
The Load of Unicorn (1959)
(also known as Caxton's
Challenge, also known as The Cargo of the Madalena) The Writing On the Hearth
(1971)
Cynthia
Harnett, The Wool-Pack,
The Load of Unicorn. Definitely the series you are looking for.
Cynthia
Harnett, This could
be 4 books by Cynthia Harnett - not a series as such, not about
same family though a few minor characters reappear in some books.
The Wool
pack (US title
Merchant's
mark)- about wool
trade, Load of Unicorn (Caxton's
challenge)- Caxton and
printing, Ring out Bow Bells (Sign of the green falcon)- London at time of Dick Whittington, Writing on the
Hearth (Cargo of the
Madalena)- Wars of the
Roses.
Cynthia
Harnett, various: Wool-Pack,
Load of the Unicorn, 1937-1971. The books you
describe sound like they might be the work of Cynthia Harnett. The Wool-Pack (1951), about
the wool trade, won the Carnegie Medal
Load of the Unicorn
(1959) was about printing, The
Great House was about architecture (1949, etc. )
Norah Lofts,
The Maude Reed Tale.
Another possibility: Norah Lofts
wrote many memorable books (1940'\''s-1970'\''s. approx) set in
various old houses, telling the stories of many generations of the
families in the houses.She excerpted a few and published them as
children'\''s books, including The Maude Reed Tale, which is about
a family of wool merchants.
M613:
Middle Grade Sc-Fi: new planet's grass cuts feet
SOLVED: Jill Paton Walsh , The Green Book,
1982, approximate.
M614: Mrs. ? goes
to outerspace
SOLVED: Ellen MacGregor, Miss Pickerell goes to Mars.
M615: Monkey has
problem tail that won't curl solved by a pretzel machine
SOLVED: Alice Sankey, Marcus - The Tale of a Monkey.
M616: Marzipan Pig
army
My husband (born 1951) remembers
very little about this book. Says he was five? Something
about an army and Marzipan pigs?? It is NOT the one written by
Russell Hoban.
M617: mouse,
children, magic words, thank you and please
Little book (golden book?) about a
mama mouse and her mouse children where she is teaching them about
saying thank you and please. Lines I remember: "remember children"/ "there never were
in all this world such magic words as these"/ "your thank you and
your please"
M618: Murderous
Uncle at Mansion or Castle?
1981 Grade 7, boy and sister go
with mom to live in castle with scary uncle. By the
sea? Squeaking doors and floors at night, somehow to uncle's
advantage to murder children. Convinces mom to leave?
Boy left alone? Barely outsmarts uncle? Sorry to be so
vague. thanks!
Rohan O'Grady (real name was
June Skinner), Let's Kill Uncle, 1963.
Rohan
O'Grady, Let's Kill Uncle, 1960's. Possibly this one? Orphaned
Barnaby, heir to a fortune, is sent to a remote Canadian Island
to live wth his uncle. No one believes him when he tells
them his uncle is trying to kill him, except his friend
Chrissie. Together they come up with a plan to kill Uncle
before he kills them.
M619: Millicent
May/Mae, tantrums
SOLVED: Adelaide Holl, One Kitten for Kim.
M620: Mr. Cook,
toy store, cats
Old book about Mr. Cook, owned a
toy store, had a cat that children came to visit. Cat had kittens,
children adopted the kittens.
Lee Richardson,
Sophie's Surprise, 1983. In
the book Sophie's Surprise
a toy store owner finds a hungry stray cat and brings her into
his shop. Not sure if his name is Mr Cook. She gives
him a surprise gift on Christmas Eve. Lovely sepia
sketches.
Dorothy
Grider, Peppermint.
Could it be Peppermint?
It was Mr. Dobby's candy shop, not a toy store, but it sounds like
it might fit.
M621: Mr. Puffin
takes a walk?
Title:
(might be) Mr. Puffin takes a walk. Publish
date: (around) 1940s. Children�s Picture Book � Mr. Puffin
goes for a walk after his breakfast. He passes a fountain � It
might be a fish or dolphin fountain. This was the first book I
ever read and I have been desperate to find it for years. I
read it when I was approximately 4 or 5 years old in the
1940s. I am now 67 year old.
Richard and Florence Atwater, Mr Popper's Penguins,
1938. A bit of a stretch but couldn't resist this guess. Book begins with Mr Popper (also 6
letters) walking home after work (big illustration)
Soon the penguins begin arriving out of crates and into bath tubs.
(water creatures?) Just delightful!
Robert
Hartman, Mr Buffin-not sure which book, 1940,
approximate. Bobby Robin and the Worm, a Mr Buffin book was the firt book I
remember reading.
I recently posted a Book Stumper:- Mr.
Puffin takes a walk, which has now been archived. However I received a reply from R Hartman, who
says that the book might be 'Mr. Buffin'. Apparently there are
several books in the series. This hasn't really answered my query
so anymore info would be welcome.
We'll keep trying!
M622: Mine explored by group of young boys
This was a story I read in a
children's multi-volume anthology, probably from the 50s or 60s. I
just remember the boys climbing down the mine shaft, and maybe
having trouble getting back out. I seem to think they were on some
kind of scavenger hunt. I also remember an image of a water tower.
Thanks.
Enid Blyton, The Island of
Adventure, 1944. For
Philip, Dinah, Lucy-Ann and Jack, the holiday in Cornwall is
everything they'd hoped for�until they begin to realize that
something very sinister is taking place on the mysterious Isle of
Gloom. But they're not prepared for the dangerous adventure that
awaits them in the abandoned copper mines and secret tunnels
beneath the sea.
M623: Man and
Seal Live Together
1978 or 1979, juvenile. The basic story is about a man. He�s a
very rich man � perhaps the owner of a factory or a big building.
He gets burned in a fire and ends up retreating from society
because of the scars. He automates his factory � or building � to
the point where he lays everybody off now it�s just him in
the building. He goes out at night when everybody else is asleep
and comes across a zoo that has been emptied out, all except for a
seal that has somehow been abandoned. He befriends the seal and
takes it back �home� with him. He nurses it back to health, builds
a huge tank for it, and basically heals a part of himself in the
process of taking care of the injured animal.
M624: Man
transported to alternate earth
SOLVED: Frederic Brown, What Mad Universe,
1949.
M625:
Myths/Legends of Old West
Date: 1974 or earlier. I am looking
for a book about myths and legends of the old west that I used to
borrow from my grandfather. I don't remember the title, but
it was hardcover and had (I believe) a yellow dust jacket. One of
the stories was about the lost Dutchman mine. Another was
about the Indian woman stranded on an island for 18 years--the
same woman whose story was told in the book, Island of the Blue
Dolphins. My grandfather died in May 1974, so the
publication date had to be before that. Can you help me find
this book, please? My cousins say they haven't seen the book
since our grandfather died and don't remember the title.
Island of the
Blue Dolphins was based on the story of the Lone Woman of
San Nicolas Island, baptized Juana Maria after her rescue. I found
several books of legends that mention her but they are centered in
California and therefore don't include the Lost Dutchman Mine.
M626: The
Magnafacana
SOLVED: Wendy Lichtman, Blew and the Death
of the Mag, 1975.
M627: Maine
setting
Maybe a Scholastic Book, 1960's.
Set in Maine. A brother and sister in Maine. They have an aunt who goes to visit after the death of her
elderly mother, for whom she was the caregiver. Aunt falls in love
with a local. A pond, deer -
the children find one in the woods injured - moose, loons -the
usual Maine suspects. The central
drama of the book, if I recall, is the wildlife area is threatened
by individuals wanting to buy it (not sure about that).
Have you checked the
books by Elisabeth Ogilvie? She wrote a bunch of teen-romance type books between 1950 and
1970 set in Maine. It may be one of hers.
Virginia
Frances Voight, Mystery at Deer
Hill, 1958/1960. This
is a better-than-average YA mystery from Scholastic, which I
really enjoyed when I discovered it at a thrift shop a few years
ago. April's parents send her, against her wishes, to spend the
summer with her aunt, who is renting a cabin in Maine. The boy in
the story is not her brother but a local boy she meets there.
Everything else is as you remember it: the wildlife, the mystery,
the aunt's romance with a neighbor.
M628: Moon falls
from the sky, owls pick it up
SOLVED: Cat Stevens, Teaser and the Firecat.
M629: Millicent
the Monster
The copy I read when I was a kid had a spell in the back -
separate from the story, instructing the reader to copy this spell
to become a witch, roll it into a scroll, and stick it in the
hollow of a tree. So I did. Now I can't find the book. Anyone ever
see the same? Help locate this print?
Norman Bridwell, The Witch's
Catalog. Not
sure why this stumper was titled Millicent the Monster, but that
was a Scholastic Book Club paperback by Mary Lystad that the
poster may have read around the same time. The book that you roll
up is another Scholastic Book Club paperback called THE WITCH'S
CATALOG by Norman Bridwell.
M630:
Mystery Boy Old House
Locked Box Key Aunt
SOLVED: The Children of Green Knowe. This is definitely the one I remember -
or vaguely remembered. I picked it up yesterday and started
reading and it brought back some memories. Amazing service -
thanks ya'll
M631: Magic Tales?
One book; A collection of stories
One story about Heebee Jeebee the
merry old witch and Wingoo Wangoo the jolly old wizard going to a
party. Another about an ogre who stole someone's belt and wore it
around his hand like a bracelet. Another about 2 kids that landed
on a cloud and met the elf that lived there.
M632: Murdered
Family
It's a book about a woman (whom as
a little girl) her mother, little sister and baby brother were all
murdered one day walking home along their country lane. 20 years
later the murderer is let off on parole. The story also looks at
the babysitter, whose mother who dies when her hair is caught in a
pool drain on holiday in Greece. It also cuts to a man who ends up
in a train wreck after trying to find out if his ex girlfriend's
son is his.
Kate Atkinson, When Will
There Be Good News?, 2008. One of my favorites. The man (Jackson Brodie, private
detective) later teams up with the babysitter (who rescued him
from the crash) and a large dog when the grown-up murder survivor
goes missing. Part of Atkinson's Jackson Brodie series.
M633: Mystery Boy
Old House Locked Box Key Aunt
Read this in 3rd grade- 1981 -which
means the book is older. Boy, who stays with his aunt. She lives
alone in an old house near a swamp, or forest. The house is filled
with old strange things. He finds a box and the mystery is finding
the key. Or, the other way around. Has the key - finds
the box.
M634: Mystery,
brass bed in attic, secret passages
Childs book ? early 1900 setting,
row houses, recent move to house, brass bed in attic, secret
passages, mystery.
Nina Bawden, The House of Secrets, The Secret
Passage, 1963,
approximate.This must be the book although its set in the
1960s. Three British children who were raised in Kenya were
sent to England to live with their aunt after their mother died
and their father had a breakdown. The children discovered a
secret passage to the next house, which was full of treasures and
had a brass bed in the attic. House of Secrets
is the US title, The Secret Passage is the British title.
M635: Mermaid,
hand sized, gets caught by 2 children and put in jar
Had to be published no later than
2000. About 2(?) children who find a very small, hand sized
mermaid in either a stream or pond during wintertime and they
catch her, she's gets very angry about being caught, they
eventually release her. Saved her from a fish I think, very
haughty at being caught.
Val Willis,
The Mystery in the Bottle,
1991, approximate. Could it be
this one? Bobby finds a mermaid at the beach, puts her in a bottle
and brings her home. He releases her in his bathtub, where her
attitude causes him lots of trouble. No girl that I remember, but
the haughty attitude was there.
M636: Monsters
riding motorcycles
Older collection of stories (maybe
3-5?). One is about monsters that ride motorcycles. One might be
(but might not be -- I think it was in the same collection) about
blowing oddly shaped bubble gum bubbles. It's a red book. Updated: It was hard cover. There was a monster
who was very small and young. In his monster society, upon a
certain birthday the monsters received motorcycles (perhaps known
as dirt bikes, motorbikes, etc.). He was worried he wouldn't
get a motorcycle because he was so small. He saw his bigger
brothers and friends playing on their motorcycles and really
wanted to join them. He really wanted a motorcycle. At his
birthday party, there was a delicious looking cake. It was long
and narrow--looked like a cake version of one of those big
sandwiches. This cake was partitioned into perfectly sized slices,
all of which were different colors. Some of the slices were being
passed around to the various party goers...but most of the cake
was still intact. The monster ended up getting a small bike just
fit for him. Also in this book was a wonderful bubblegum blowing
machine. The machine would blow bubbles of different sizes and
shapes. Some were huge, some little. Some cuboidal, some round.
2012
M637: Mystery
with young boy, girl and a crow
Looking for book read to my son's in
the early 80's (library books- chapter books ): The story is about
a boy (I seem to remember his family is in the background ) and a
girl visits or he meets a new girl in town- summer vacation I
believe- they also befriend a crow (maybe it flies in the boy's
bedroom window? Brings shiny stuff with it?) They discover a key
and a mysterious wall in town with a mysterious door.
Mary
Calhoun, Magic In the Alley,
1970, approximate. This one may
be too old, but just in case... Cleery finds a mysterious
box in an old junk shop, and buys it. Inside, there are seven
mysterious objects. When she sprinkles a stuffed crow with the
powder in a silver salt shaker, he comes to life! Soon
Cleery, Crow and Knobs, her friend, are having a summer full of
mystery and magic. (if it's not the book, it should be one
you enjoy.)
Jane, Mary
C, Ghost Rock Mystery,
1950s, approximate. This
reminds me of the Ghost Rock Mystery
by Mary C. Jane,
who also wrote Mystery in Old
Quebec and other YA suspense type books. A brother and sister go
to visit/help their widowed aunt and cousin who are trying to run
a boarding house in a spooky old house. There is supposed to be a
haunted rock nearby which turns out to be "haunted" by the sounds
of smugglers footsteps echoing out of the rock through an
undergound layer of granite. The kids find a crow that seems to
speak a mysterious language - turns out the crow belongs to a
local Frenchman and speaks French. Could this be what you are
looking for?
Elizabeth
Ladd, Meg Elwell series books,
1960's, approximate. Could
you be looking for one of the Meg books written by Elizabeth Ladd
which were set in Maine? Meg lives with her aunt and uncle
and has a cat and a crow for pets. Her crow is always
getting into mischief and mysteries are solved.
M638:
Mystery solved when lake
drains
SOLVED:
Wylly F. St. John, The Secrets
of Hidden Creek.
M639: Magic red
umbrella girl travels world
I remember this picture book from
early 1980s but could be published earlier. Young girl with RED
umbrella that magically transports her all over the world. Vivid
memory of picture of the mosque in red square, Russia. I think she
wore red Wellington boots. I'm based in UK if that makes a
difference.
M640: MG sports
car, logging truck
A boy was taught to drive by his
Uncle (father?) in an early MG sports car. Some time later he
acquired an ancient logging truck to rebuild. The logging truck
had lots of clearance and drove the back wheels by chains. Along
came a huge flood which stranded the village, but the logging
truck was able to get through the waters and rescue everybody.
M641: Multiple
endings children's book
1960s-1970s. I�m not sure how to
describe this book. If I remember correctly, it had a dial
or spinner on the cover. You chose a number and it would
open to that part of the book. You kept coming to new choices to
determine where the story would go. I *think* it involved
children and possibly outer space or a spaceship or alien. I
wish I could remember more � it�s driving me crazy! Maybe it
rings a bell with someone?
This does ring a bell. I think one of the books was about
visiting Mayan ruins, and trying to solve what ended their
civilizations. One choice was that
aliens took them away.
Edward
Packard, or R.A. Montgomery, Choose
Your Own Adventure series. Sounds like something in this series, which was
published by Bantam books. There were quite a few books, and
several authors including the two mentioned above. Packard is
perhaps the most likely author if it was science fiction.
M642: Monkey types
life story
A book released 5+ years ago. Story
about a monkey who woke up after being shot, and knew how to type.
He begins to type his life story, which spans several timelines I
think it takes place in India. the cover features a monkey at a
typewriter.
Cheeta (with
the help of James Lever), Me,
Cheetah, 2008.
It isn't an exact match, but how many monkey autobiographies can
there be? This one might be worth looking into. There are at least
three different covers. The first one (titled Me Cheeta: The Autobiography) shows a photo of Cheeta against a dark
background with his hands resting on a table or shelf in front of
him. The title is in block lettering over Cheeta's head. A later
printing (titled Me Cheeta: My Life in
Hollywood) has a
slightly different version of the same photo on the cover (less
centered) and the title in pink cursive lettering above Cheeta's
head. The most recent cover is red with a spotlight in the upper
left corner, shining down, and stylized grass along the bottom.
There is a picture of Cheeta covering his eyes. Behind him are
black-and-white pictures of some of his co-stars. Either of the
darker covers with Cheeta's hands resting on the tabletop could
easily be misremembered as him typing.
M643: Mighty
warrior and his army defeated by ants
Children's book about invincible
warrior finds woodcutter who tells of army that he can't defeat.
Amused, warrior lets woodcutter live and promises him his mighty
axe if he's right. Warrior attacks giant earth castle, out of
which come ants. Soldiers tear off clothes and run away.
Woodcutter gets ax.
M644: Mid to later
1950's childrens story book
About a baby bird, a robin I think,
that is looking for it's nest. The baby bird (thick
cardboard) was attached to an elastic, and on every page there was
an opening into which the bird would go while the words were
read. Then you had to 'pop' it out to turn the page and
continue.
M645: Mother and
daughter move to Canada
I am trying to locate a book I read
back in 5th grade, will be older than 1985..This is a hardcover
book, and a mother and daughter have falllen from the graces (have
disgraced) the royal court in France, maybe between 1750-1800.
They are being sent away to New World, either Canada (or
Louisiana).
Sergeanne Golon, Angelique.
I think this is one of the
later ''Angelique'' books by Sergeanne Golon. After leading a reolution in France, she
escapes to America with her daughter, aboard a ship with (I think)
Puritans.
M646: Magic boy
dog flying
This was a strangely disturbing
book with real pictures in it. Skinny nerdy boy (with red
hair?). Boy was involved with magic - don't know if it was
real or imagined. There was a brown-and-white dog with big
floppy ears. I remember a picture of the dog flying with a
cape on. That's all!
M647: Mouse looks
for home
SOLVED: Kathryn and Byron
Jackson, illustrated by Richard Scarry, Mouse's
House.
M648: "Mrs.
Persnickety"
I'm looking for a children's book
that I thought was called "Mrs. Persnickety". It would have
been around 1968 and it was about a woman that cut her sandwiches
from left to right.
M649: Mr Perkins
This was a story read to me when
between 1973 to 1979 about a boy and his dog Mr Perkins.
M650: Mouse
changes each night
Mouse changes each night into a
larger animal-cat, lion, etc. Illustrated book I read in the mid
to late 70's about a boy who finds a mouse that turns into larger
creatures each night. End suggests the mouse eventually becomes a
dinosaur/dragon and leaves the boy's house, never to be seen
again.
Updated: I had sent in a
book stumper but ran out of room in the paypal description box.
I'm hoping I can fiind out more about the book in question and
that these other details will jog someone's memory. This was a
children's picture book from the 1970s or slightly earlier,
hardcover, with a picture of a mouse on the cover. I believe the
mouse was sitting up on the right side of the cover looking left,
illustrations were pen/ink and watercolor, book was a gloomy
grey/blue and black, I believe the title had "Max" in it or
"Maximouse", or even "Mysterious Maximouse" (it's not ManxMouse).
The story is about a boy who finds (or possibly gets from the pet
store) a mouse that he keeps as a pet. Every night after the boy
goes to sleep, the mouse changes shape, and the next morning he
finds that the mouse has transformed into another animal, getting
progressively larger (first a cat, the next morning he's a dog,
the day after, he's a lion, and so forth) until one day the mouse
is gone. The illustration at the end suggests that the mouse had
possibly turned into a dinosaur or a dragon (it shows a large
creature with a long tail and spikes down its back walking out the
door - you can only see the back end of the creature). The last
line may have gone something like "but what did he turn into next,
who knows?" or "we may never know". If I recall correctly, the
text rhymed like children's poetry. For whatever reason I can't
get this book out of my mind. I had borrowed it from my local
library as a young child and for the life of me I can't remember
the exact title, and I've been searching for the book for decades
now. Thanks so much for any help you can give!
M651: Mouse and weasel on search
for missing aunt
SOLVED: Mary DeBall Kwitz, Shadow
Over Mousehaven Manor
M652: Monster
plant (children's picture book)
I know you've received a lot of
strange requests over the years, but this is probably the weirdest
yet. I have a very vague memory, must have been four or five years
old (early 1990's) of coming across a picture book about a plant
monster. It was thorny and viney ... I think early in the
book it lived in a glass planter, but it got bigger as the book
progressed ... I think near the end of the book it killed or
injured the kid that was the main character ... I think there was
blood? but don't recall for sure ... I don't know if I actually
finished the book, because it really disturbed me ... I forgot
(repressed?) all about it until recently, when I remembered it in
a dream (had the same dream multiple times, hoping it WAS a memory
and not an invention of my brain!) ... I've Googled around but
can't find this particular book.I don't remember the title or fthe
author, though I think there's some name that begins with K
(author? illustrator? the name of the plant monster?) ... the
illustration style was very simple, just the subjects on white, no
background, simple color-filled-outlines drawings (not watercolors
or anything elaborate) ... wish I could AT LEAST think of an
illustrator that matches the style ... Shel Silverstein (The
Giving Tree) is close, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't her.... I
know this is quite a bit of a reach, and it's possible that the
book doesn't even exist ... but I want to know!
H. A. Rey, Elizabite. Not all of the details match, but
is it possible that the book is Elizabite, about a carnivorous
plant? The idea might have been scary enough for a four or
five year old that the stumper requester is remembering it as
scarier than it was!
R.L. Stien,
You're Plant Food!,
1998. I
am not sure if this is the book you were looking for, it's
obviously not only a picture book, but it does have pictures in
it, just as you described, or my copy did at least. I read it
when I was younger and as far as my memory can tell it matches
your description quite well. I hope you find what you are
looking for!
James Flora,
Great Green Turkey Creek
Monster. I'm
pretty sure this is it! The plant is the Great Green Hooligan
Vine. Little boy Argie Bargle saves the town with his trombone.
The pictures are black and white with the evil vine in green.
M653: Mother in desert is dying
I read this short story in the
1980s - maybe in hardback compendium. Maybe an illustration.
Mother (pioneer? outback?) is stung or bitten. Her husband is away
and she thinks she will die within the day. Prickly pears were
involved. She makes provisions for the children. Possibly leaves a
note...
There is a very similar story in
an episode of Little House on the Prairie,
"A Matter of
Faith". I don't know
if it appears in any of the books or not. Caroline is injured by
some baling wire Charles left carelessly around. She stays home to
make pies for a church festival while the rest of the family go
camping. The injury becomes infected and Caroline almost dies.
M654: Mystery, boy
faints
I'm looking for a children's book I
read in the mid in the 1980s when I was in the 5/6/7th grade. It
is a mystery book about a boy and hidden gold treasure. The boy
faints or loses consciousness. When he awakes, he is back in the
past (maybe in the 1800s or 1900s when they have covered wagons
etc.). The people start calling him Zeb or Zed and he has some
sort of a fever, which is causing him to lose consciousness. The
boy goes in and out fromt the past and present throughout the book
and is starting to put the pieces together about a missing gold
treasure that was never accounted for. I don't remember much more
of the plot only that the boy ends up figuring out the mystery in
the past as Zeb or Zed and finds out that these gypsy's actually
hid the treasure and tried to leave town in a wagon where they
painted the gold over to look like candles so that no one would
find the treasure. I don't remember title or author. I read this
as a paperback book in the mid to late 1980s.
Lorimer, Janet, Mystery of
the Missing Treasure, 1987. It's been a long time since I've read this, but
I'm pretty sure it's the book you're looking for. A couple of boys
are searching for a treasure hidden about a hundred years earlier
in their town by a strange man called Captain Scalawag. They get
some of their information from the diary of a woman who lived
there at the time. The only person who might have seen where the
treasure was hidden was a boy about their age who died of a
serious illness around the same time. One of the modern day boys
starts seeing the boy's ghost and even having time travel episodes
where he sees things from the dead boy'\''s perspective. The dead
boy did see what happened to the treasure but couldn't tell anyone
before he died because he was too ill.
M655:
Mr. Milligen and Peter?
A boy visits a neighbor on a rainy day, an artist, and is
encouraged to draw on the easel, and have a cookie to be dunked in
hot chocolate.
M656:
Mr.Flibbityjib?
SOLVED:
Gertrude Crampton, Noises and
Mr. Flibberty-Jib, 1947.
M657: Multiple endings
children's book
Date: 1960s-1970s. I�m
not sure how to describe this book. If
I remember correctly, it had a dial or spinner on the cover. You chose a number and it would open to
that part of the book. You kept coming to new choices to determine
where the story would go. I *think* it
involved children and possibly outer space or a spaceship or
alien. I wish I could remember more �
it�s driving me crazy! Maybe it rings
a bell with someone?
Choose your Own
Adventure book - not sure of exact title or #.
Dr.
Lee Mountain, Dane Love (illus), Space Carnival - The Story Behind Our Space Trips,
1970. From the front cover: "Read the first
page. Spin the spinner. Story continues on designated page." Cover
is white with a multi-colored, functional spinner located on the
lower left portion. Main cover picture is a black-hole-looking
swirl with several people disappearing into it. Front figure is a
boy with brown hair, wearing blue pants, a blue-and-white striped
shirt, and a clear bubble-type "space helmet." Further in is a
girl in a green dress, also wearing a helmet. Right edge of cover
is marked with color-coded and numbered tabs. At top left of cover
is the Spin-A-Tale logo which says "Another Spin-A-Tale Book - A
book of over 600 different stories." This seems to be a pretty
scarce book - good luck finding a copy!
M658: Miniature lady
TitleGuess: Pickely. I am looking for the name and title (or to
purchase if available)of an out of print book called "Pickely". I
am not sure on the spelling...........pickelee, pikely, pickily,
etc... All I was told is it is a story
about a miniature lady (woman). I hope
you can help me out. This is a book my
boss has fond childhood memories of and I'd love to purchase it
for her.
Phillippe
Halsman, Piccoli: A Fairy Tale,
1953. This
question comes up pretty frequently. The book is hard to come by.
Philippe
Halsman, Piccoli, 1953. Piccoli
is the story of Piccoli Sogni (little dreams) a tiny girl who
lives in a matchbox. A stranger gives her as a gift to a sad young
boy. She helps to inspire him creatively. See the "Solved
Mysteries" pages for additional details. Good luck! This is a
scarce and expensive book!
M659: Mythological
creatures and monsters
Children's paperback (8"X8"
approx.) book circa mid 80's about mythological creatures &
monsters.15-20 pages. Front cover was blue and pictured was a
cyclops sitting on a mountain. Each page illustrated a different
creature and below it was a description of it (bigfoot, cyclops,
siren, minotaur etc)
M660: Mischievous
redheaded boy with freckles
Series of two or three
chapter-length books about a mischievous redheaded boy with
freckles and a wide smile. Can't remember anything about the
storyline, but I don't think there was magic involved. There
may have been one book cover with the boy wearing a pirate
eye-patch. Circa 1960s (I think).
West, Jerry. I wonder if this poster is thinking
of one of the Happy Hollister books. The middle child, Ricky, is
red-headed with freckles. The children dress up as pirates in the
3rd book, The Happy Hollisters at Seagull
Beach and maybe in
some of the others. There are 33 books in the series, published
from 1953 to 1969 and were chapter books similar in length to the
Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys books.
J.D.
Fitzgerald, The Great Brain,
1960s, approximate. This sounds
like the Great Brain series. Great Brain, Great Brain
returns, More Adventures of the Great Brain. Takes place in 1890s Utah, about some
brothers and their friends. The great brain is the nickname of one
of them, who always comes up with some kind of money making
schemes.
I appreciate the answers,
but these are not right. These books
were about one redheaded boy (not a group of children) who was
drawn in a more cartoonish way on the front cover, with a long
face, freckles, large teeth (big smile), and a shock of red hair.
Lindgren,
Astrid, Pippi Longstocking,
1950. Is there any possibility
it was a girl, not a boy?
M661: Mouse eats
paper valentines; gets sick
Children's book I read in 80s.
Cartoony illustrations. I think it had 4 stories within. In one, a
mouse eats paper Valentine scraps after kids(?) making them have
left the room; he then gets sick from eating the glue/paste.
Illus. of mouse lying on his back with scrap of red/pink paper on
his belly.
M662: Mythology
1980's ? 1970's ? This was a paperback book, about 5"x6" in
size. I believe the publisher was
Scholastic. The cover showed a
charioteer and his horses, in black, against a yellow, orange, red
sunburst background. I believe this
was to represent Apollo. The book was
a collection of Greek and Roman Myths.
It contained stories about Argus, Cyclops, King Midas, the
Gorgons, Callisto (the big bear/dipper), Persephone and the
pomegranate seeds, Arachne, Perseus,Prometheus,etc. Some of the
myths were illustrated with line drawings.
The stories were short and to the point.
Each took only a few minutes to read aloud.
Ingri
and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire, D'Aulaires'
Book of Greek Myths. The cover art sounds like the D'Aulaires'
book, although the size given
is pretty small even for the Scholastic edition.
My stumper is NOT
solved. I am familiar with the D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths. It
is a large book with pastel drawings. The paperback book I'm
desperately seeking is as described - about 5x6 with black line
drawings.
Thanks for letting us know! We'll keep trying.
Gustav
Schwab, Gods and Heroes,
1946. I wonder if this wasn't
some scaled-down edition for kids. This also has an orange cover
with a charioteer and his horses, done in classical Greek style.
My edition is a large hardcover first edition, but it's been
reprinted many times.
Mary Pope Osborne, Favorite Greek Myths, 1989.
I appreciate the efforts of everyone
who is trying to help me but it is not the Gustav Schwab book nor
the Mary Pope Osborne book. I'm sure
it was a mass produced book for kids.
If it wasn't Scholastic, it was Troll.
M663: Miller's Son
in Children's collection
Date: c. 1900. In 1973 I read an old book containing European
children's stories. In one story a boy
gets a job at a grain mill and is not accepted there. He returns later when he finds out that
he has inherited the mill and they accept him with a song. In another story a boy is working for a
man in a village and unknowingly helps the man rob a house the man uses a ladder to enter the second
story of the house. Someone shows up
and they flee. Days later the boy
returns to the village, is forgiven, and continues to be friends
with the girl who lived in the house.
M664: Medieval Play
Date: c. 1960. In
1972 I read a children's medieval play.
A king and queen have their court in a castle.
The people in the town are poor and hungry.
A magician, who can't really do magic, arrives.
He claims he will make soup by magic and tells people to come,
each bringing an ingredient for the soup.
When they show up, the villagers are impressed with his "magic"
and fail to notice that everyone brought a food item for the soup.
Stone Soup. This
is a classic folktale with many variations.
Stone Soup. This sounds like a version of the folktale "Stone Soup."
Kamerman ,
Sylvia E, Children's plays from
favorite stories royalty-free dramatizations of fables, fairy
tales, folk tales, and legends.1959, approximate. The orinial poster doesn't say
whether the play was a single story volume or in a collection of
plays. This one includes a variant of the stone soup and was
published in the right timeframe. It was reprinted at least
once in 1970.
M665: Mermaid Fantasy Book
SOLVED: Katherine Roberts, Song Quest
M666:
Melissa in captivity, boy, four Seasons
the book i am looking for is from late
60's-70's. It had a boy, who found a girl called Melissa. They
had to outwit the Four seasons who kept her captive. He tries
to bring her into his world, but i think she dies & they
only have a certain time they can meet . World and guarded by the Four seasons, you know, Winter,
Summer, Autumn and Spring. The best i can remember is that the
boy slips in and out of her time, whilst having to avoid the
Seasons, i remember they are none too friendly. Melissa as far
as i remember NEVER is freed, though they try and try hard, if i
remember she is dead ~ but maybe not. Anway went onto your
site to see how i would find an answer to this
connundrum and realised i wouldn't have a clue. This
is so important to me, this book, i read it when ill as a child
and am now very ill and adult. I want so much to
read it again.
Victoria
Walker, Winter of Enchantment.
This is a possibility:
Through a magic mirror Sebastian travels from his Victorian world
of winter snow and Mrs. Parkin to a magic world of Melissa,
Mantari the cat, a wicked Enchanter, and many other exciting
people.
Victoria
Walker, The Winter of
Enchantment, 1969, approximate.
Victoria
Walker, Winter of Enchantment.
Yes, I also think it sounds like
Winter of Enchantment by Victoria Walker. It was out of print for many years, but recently reprtinted
by Fidra books. They have also reprinted the sequel - The house called Hadlows.
M667: Moon,
ladder, punching moon to dislodge
Cautionary, creation, just-so
picture book re why moon has marks. Someone wishes for moon and
village tries for it. One pic is man at top of ladder pummeling
moon to dislodge, marring it. Story ends badly, people falling,
village beggared, hubris. People are African (?). Tones of sepia.
M668: Mother
Goose, clay figures
SOLVED: Sing a Song of
Mother Goose by Barabra
Reid.
M669: Magic fairy
underwear/magic remote control
A collection of short stories,
circa '93 or '94, including one story about magic underpants made
out of a fairy patterned material which shrink when boy jumps in a
creek, and magic remote control which makes people eat in reverse
when Rewind is pressed.
If I'm not mistaken, the first short story is
called 'Wunderpants', from the collection 'Unreal!'
by Paul Jennings. The second story described is 'Spaghetti
Pig-Out' from 'Uncanny!' by the same author.
M670: Mother,
daughter, carved pencil box, cafe
SOLVED: Lillan by Gunilla
Norris.
M671:
Moth in toothpaste?
Children's chapter book from 24ish
years ago. The moth's in the book were mean & in the book the
character once used toothpaste and in the paste were moths. I
think there was a moth king in it. The child may have been on the
side of fairies or butterflies. Something about the dust when
killing moths.
Lynne Reid
Banks, The Fairy Rebel,
1985. A fairy defies the queen
to help a human couple have a baby girl. Years later, the evil
queen takes revenge, using wasps to harass them. Wasps appear in
the girl's cereal box and in her toothpaste. In the book, fairies
turn to dust when they die.
M672: Man finds
skeleton in green dress
Ghost anthology. Story of a man
staying in a mansion or hotel all is not what it seems. He awakes
to find the building decaying. He finds the skeleton of a woman in
a green velvet dress.
Bernhardt J. Hurwood, Chilling Ghost Stories,
1973. Contains ''The Woman in
Green Velvet''. Lucy is en route to Provincetown for
Thanksgiving poor weather forces her to shelter at ''Old
Graystone Inn'' sees specter of woman in moldy green velvet
in the morning finds skeleton in velvet inn abandoned, only
her own footprints, etc.
M673: Medieval
romance "troll" & wife meet main character at court?
I read a medieval romance and I can
remember very little of it, but there was a scene where the hero
takes his (bride? betrothed?) to court. She chats with a beautiful
woman, and there is a brief description that to the rest of the
room they make a striking picture, as they are both very beautiful
but they are almost opposites in coloring. As they chat, the
stranger asks our heroine to guess which man is her husband, and
after a little while she gleefully points out her husband. Our
heroine is surprised that this beautiful woman is married to a
not-very-handsome man. The stranger laughs and says something like
"I know, he's a troll" but she is happy and looking at him
lovingly when she says it.
Penman,
Sharon Kay. Here Be Dragons,
1985. I remember the scene you
described perfectly. I think it's from the book Here Be Dragons.
M674: Merlin
trapped in a tree, adventures with two kids
SOLVED: Ruth Chew, The Magic Cave.
M675: Mother tells
story to young son, son tells story to aging mother
SOLVED: Robert Munsch, Love You Forever, 1986.
M676: Medieval
knight leaves little girls in castle
SOLVED: Dahl, Virginia, The Baron's Booty.
M677:
Male fox and friends
Bk mid 1960's story bout male fox and his friends and their antics
in the woods. friend mole had a stone for a compass for use
underground It changed color or temperature to indicate
direction.later in the story, the friends discover a vixen trapped
by gypsies they rescued her. 2 fox heads on cover.
M678:
Mystery, Killer gives Clues, Football Card, N(Au)sea, Gold
Urn
Book published before 1999. It was a book about a killer who
invites a bunch of people to dinner. The people are given clues,
all of which are about blackmail. One person gets a baseball or
football card. Another gets something with the word nausea where
Au = gold. Might be an urn/gold vase on cover.
M679:
Myths and Legends
Myths and legends hardcover from (I guess!) the late 70s to early
80s with fantastic illustrations, probably paintings -- a
collection of stories which included Theseus and the Minotaur,
Beowulf and Grendel, Perseus and the Gorgons, and Bellerophon and
Pegasus. I'm thinking it also had the stories of Daedalus and
Icarus, the Cyclops, and the Trojan Horse. what was most
noteworthy about the book was its illustrations -- the paintings
were vivid and wonderful. I particularly remember the painting of
the Minotaur (I think the Minotaur story was the first one in the
book).it was a big hardcover, say 9x12".
White, Anne, Golden Treasury of Myths
and Legends Adapted from the World's Great Classics,
1959, approximate. It's older than the 1970s, but The
Golden Treasury of Myths and Legends, illustrated by
the Provensens, has memorable illustrations and includes
the stories mentioned.
Morris Schreiber, Stories of gods and
heroes famous myths and legends of the world,
1960. This is another possibility for you. It has all the
stories you mention and is large (9.5 by 12 inches). However the
Theseus story has no illustration of the Minotaur.
M680:
Mouse and Hedgehog want fresh milk
Children's book around in mid-70s. A mouse and hedgehog decide
they want fresh milk. Go to farm and get pail of fresh
milk. Cow spots them and shouts "a mouse, a mouse"!
Tim mouse visits the farm by Judy
Brook perhaps?
M681:
My Favorite Book
My book's name is My Favorite Book. There is no other
information of any kind. Curious. It is a childs book
about God.
Title: My favorite book. Corp
Author(s): Good Will Publishers. Publication: Gastonia, N.C.: Good
Will Pub.; Year: 1973
M682:
Maze allows children to travel back in time
There's a maze. When the kids walk the maze, they time
travel into the past. In the past, the maze is a hedge-maze with a
sun dial in the vented. There is also a cat that shows them how to
walk the maze at one point.
Parsley Sage, Rosemary and Time
by Jane Louise Curry. Rosemary is the girl, Parsley Sage
is the cat, and time is what they find in the thyme patch in
Rosemary's aunt's garden. Rosemary ends up back in the
late1600s, where she meets a girl named Sibby who has also
traveled through the garden and a baby named Wills. They encounter
an elderly woman who knows what the thyme patch is, but who is
being persecuted as a witch by the townspeople. Everything ends
well though! If it's not this book, you could also try Lavender-Green
Magic, by Andre Norton. It has a similar plot.
"The Last Universe" by William
Sleator. "Fourteen-year-old Susan feels burdened by her
parents� expectation that she will provide help and companionship
for her older brother, Gary, an invalid who is wheelchair-bound
and becoming progressively weaker. Exploring their large garden,
they discover that entering an often-invisible maze enables them
to travel to other times and different versions of the present
reality. When Gary insists that they search for a place where he
is cured, Susan acquiesces, despite the warnings of the enigmatic
gardener and her own good sense."
Mazemaker by Catherine
Dexter, 1989. A girl named Winnie and her friend,
Harry, discover a maze that has unexpectedly appeared on the
grounds of their school. Winnie is especially fascinated by it.
When she sees a cat disappear after entering the center of the
maze, she has to investigate. What Winnie discovers is that there
is more than one maze, and the maze at the school links to a
garden maze in the past. Winnie�s time-traveling gives her
the opportunity to help correct past wrongs in her town.
This sounds like The Time Garden
by Edward Eager, about kids who time travel. There is also
Half-Magic, which has a talking cat, by the same author.
Lavender Green Magic by Andre Norton:
Eleven-year-old Holly Wade and her twin siblings, Judy and
Crockett, are sent to live with their grandparents in the small
town of Dimsdale, Massachusetts when their father is declared
missing in action in Vietnam. Dimsdale is nothing like Boston;
there are only two other African-American children in the entire
school. Even worse, Grandpa and Grandma Wade live in an old
junkyard! While exploring one day, Holly, Judy, and Crockett
wander into an overgrown hedge maze--and find themselves
transported back in time to Dimsdale's past.
Can they right an ancient
wrong and free the town of Dimsdale from a witch's curse?
M683:
magic pen, sick boy uses to draw, then dreams
This book is ~1955-1968, An invalid boy is given a
'magic pen' that, when he draws, he dreams about. He starts out
with a stick house and boy.After he dreams about what he's
drawn, he adds more things to make the boy more comfortable. He
ends up drawing the pen to give to stick boy & it disappears
This sounds like a fuzzy memory of a common
stumper: Marianne Dreams, by Catherine Storr.
See solved stumpers. Marianne uses a magic pencil to
draw a house that appears in her dreams. A boy, also an
invalid, appears in the house � she draws furnishings and food for
him to use in the dream.
M684: Mom and
son go shopping
Trying to remember a kids' book from my youth. I think it must
have been 50s/60s era. A mom takes her son (I think) shopping,
and they buy a sunsuit, sandals, and some other summer
clothes, then have the "parcels" delivered to their home by
the department store. Nothing major happens, but it stuck with
me.
�New Clothes� by Lucy Sprague Mitchell.
It�s included in The Read-to-Me Storybook compiled by the
Child Study Association of America and illustrated by Lois
Lenski, 1947.
M685:Montagnes
of France
Children's book (100-150 pages or so?) about a
child/teen who travels to France to live with a relative for a
summer. The title of the book is something about montagnes
(Mountains in English). Throughout the book the child learns
french words and by the end writes a letter home completely in
french.
SOLVED: The Avion my Uncle
Flew by Cyrus Fisher. I just
sent a payment in to help me find a book but I just found it.
Never mind!
Sounds like a great book! Thanks for sharing with us.
M686:
Mother taught daughter and friend ABC from gravestones Under
the Willows?
Period older story of girl who lives near a cemetary &
remembers dead mother who had taught her and her best friend to
read from tracing letters on gravestones.Segregated highschools-
her friend goes to school for African American kids. Girl Tess?
Thought title Under the Willows, no luck with that.
M686 is Whispering Willows by Elisabeth
Hamilton Friermood.
M687: Mirror to underwater world
Solved: The Mirrorstone
M688: Man and children ride in balloon
90's? Children's picture book. My daughter swears she had a
children's picture book that we can't seem to find. The cover was
navy blue and had a hot air balloon with a man and some children
(maybe) floating over a town by the sea. From the art, it looked
Dutch but it wasn't a Dutch book. The story began with the man
telling a story to the children about the town. The town was
thriving but the people revolted and tore down the king's statue.
An evil prince or another evil king came to the town and took over
while the citizenry stayed in their homes out of fear. At some
point, they go into the woods with pitchforks and torches. The art
is vivid but the story here is not. Eventually, the good king
returns and all is well. Any ideas what book this is? It may be a
Christian children's book.
M689: Monster in the Basement
This book is about a monster in the basement of a house who
ends up befriending a boy, he brings the monster food and
everything in the basement. This book was blue covered with sketch
drawings and was probably from the 60's or 70's.
It's a girl, not a boy, but this book sounds quite
a bit like "No More Monsters for Me!" by Peggy
Parish. It's an I-Can-Read book.
M690: Mermaid in the bathtub
The basic story
is that a family finds a small mermaid at the beach.
They bring her home in their beach bucket and
put her in their bathtub. For awhile everyone is
happy, but then the mermaid starts to get sick. The
family ultimately takes her back to the beach and sets
her free. The illustrations are black and white and
are quite sweet. The copy that we had did not have a
dust jacket and had a simple blue hard cover. I know
that I cannot be making this up because my sister
remembers this book as well. I believe, based on my
recollection of the clothing of the illustrated
family, the book was from the 1970's. I now have
children of my own and would love to share this book
with them, but I have idea what the title or author
might be! Any help would be most appreciated!
This certainly sounds like Wet Magic by E. Nesbit.
N1: Norway
Solved: Ola
N2: North
with Basil and Sage
I'm looking for a book from the 70's. It's probably best
described as being about hippie kids with names like Basil and Sage. I think "North" was in the title but am not
certain. The story was about their daily lives, playing in the
woods, etc. I'd love to find it, as the vagueness of the memory is
driving me batty! :-)
N2 north basil sage: probably too late, but
matching some of the criteria is Rain And I, by Dorris
Heffron, published Macmillan 1982, 157 pages. "Set in
the 1960s, it concerns Rain, the adopted daughter of Jim and
Dot, and Apple, their practical, outgoing, natural daughter.
"It's all about how we grew up in the West, but where we
always wanted to be was in the East." The family endures hard
times; Jim is often out of work and drinks too uch, in
the early days. ... But neither extremes of poverty nor
comparative affluence affect their loving family relationship
or their eccentric, enjoyable home life." (Children's
Books of the Year 82 p.55)
N11: No, no, no!
My mom and I are collecting our favorite
children's books for when I have kids, and there was one I
particularly loved as a little kid (this would have been in the
late 70's) that neither one of us has been able to remember the
name of. It featured funny,
untrue explanations of how things work followed by, "No, no,
no!" and how things actually went. The only segment I remember was one about
how food gets to the grocery store. The fake explanation
was that the grocery store employees go to the basement at night
to make the food, accompanied by a color cartoon illustration of
someone trying to push an entire pumpkin into a can. The
next page said something like, "No, the people who work at the
grocery store go home to their families at night!" and had a
sentence about how food actually gets to the store. I
think this was a small, thin book.
N12: Nantucket adventure
It's a book that takes place in the 1600 or
1700's on the island of Nantucket. There's a boy named
Tristan and a girl too, and they have a friendship and some sort
of adventure.
Could this be Nightbirds on
Nantucket by Joan Aiken? I think the
boy's name was Dido or something though. I know this book
is now available; it was out of print for ages.
I think the boy is named Simon; the girl is
Dido Twite, and there's a ship's captain and an imposter aunt
and those darned Hanoverians, again--doesn't sound like that's
the answer, but it's a great book anyway!
Not as much information as I'd like, but
maybe: Lawson, Marie A. THE SEA IS BLUE
NY Viking, 1946 "Warm story of an orphaned boy, the son of a
sailor, who comes to be raised by his kind Uncle and cousin.
His only memories of his real parents are the lavender smell
of his mother and salty-sea foam smell of his dad. Charming
illustrations by the author." "Salty, breezy story of
Nantucket where boys went to sea in merchant ships"
Here's another: Stackpole, Edouard A. Nantucket
Rebel. New York, Ives
Washburn 1963. "The adventures of
Stephen Starbuck, who returns home after a long whaling trip
to find Nantucket on the brink of the Revolutionary War. His
best friend and girl are both Tories." cover art and map
by Charles Geer.
Children's names not mentioned, but there's
Father's Gone A-Whaling by Alice C. Gardiner,
published by Doubleday 1920s? "The everyday experiences of
some children of Nantucket a hundred years ago (ie early
1800s) during the three year absence of their captain father
on a whaling expedition. The story is slight but most
pleasing, the incidents being such as would thrill small boys
of any generation, while the background and characters are
authentically drawn." (Books for Boys and Girls 1927
Toronto Public Library)
Wow - I'm actually reading Nightbirds
on Nantucket right now!!! This is not the book
you're looking for though - the girls names are Dido Twite and
Dutiful Penitance, and the boy's name is Nate. Simon is the boy
from the two previous books in the series, The Wolves of
Willoughby Chase and Blackhearts in
Battersea.
Another possibility but not much
information, and probably a contemporary story - Mystery
at Pemaquid Point, by Mary C. Jane,
illustrated by Ray Abel, published Lippincott 1957 "In a Maine
village a boy and a girl track down an arsonist and a thief.
Ages 8-12." (Horn Book Oct/57 p.355 pub.ad)
not very definite, but perhaps The
Secret of the Sea Legacy, by Emily Raimondi,
published Vanguard 1974 "A fast-paced, delightful mystery set in
Nantucket tha provides good background of early American whaling
days." (HB Oct/74 p.110 pub ad)
Have little to go on- Armstrong Sperry's
Danger to Windward-(1947) "Nantucket just following
the War of 1812 is the setting of this exciting whaling
adventure."
Marie A. Lawson, The Sea is Blue,1946. I wanted to mention that the name of
the boy in The Sea is Blue is Timothy, not Tristen. So possibly
the name was confused or it is a different book. Hope that is of
some help!
N14:
Navajo Prayer Stick
Solved: Blue
Cornflower
N15: Nesbit reference
If anyone knows this, I will be severely
impressed. "The Phoenix and the Carpet" mentions "Cyril, who had
read 'The Eyes of Light' and intended to talk like Tony as soon
as he could teach Robert to talk like Paul." His sister,
Anthea, recites poems about baby animals to their little
brother. Does anyone know if these are actual sources, or
made up? Just two pages before, a book titled "The Golden
Age" is mentioned. I believe that is an actual book,
though I may be confusing it with a later book about British
children with a similar title. Certainly "The
Water-Babies," mentioned later in the text, is a real book, by
Charles Kingsley, though I've never tried to get the Edwardian
musical version mentioned here. And what would no doubt be
a snap for the makers of BBC's "Masterpiece Theater" might prove
impossible for a clueless American. I've looked for "The
Eyes of Light" everywhere and found only two books by that
title, both much too recent to be the pre-1905 children's
fiction mentioned here. As for the baby animal poems, I
wouldn't have a clue. Someone should really do an
annotated
version of "The Phoenix and the
Carpet." I wrote to the webmaster of a site for "The
Railway Children" as well as the E. Nesbit Society about "The
Eyes of Light" but didn't ask about the other things. So
far they have not answered.
The Golden Age is the title
of a book by Kenneth Grahame (who also wrote The
Wind in the Willows). It is a collection of
children's short stories and was published in 1895 I think
so would fit in with the timing for Nesbit's book. The
blurb on my copy said that 'it was a huge best-seller when
it was first published'. I've had some further success
with this one - I'm curious about it too! I searched the
pre-1920 catalogue in the Bodleian library at Oxford University,
UK. It came up with a book called The Eyes of Light
by Arthur Moore, published 1901. It gives no
further info and there are no other books listed by this author,
however the shelf reference for the book links it to the stacks
where a major collection of children's books is held, so I can
only assume that this is the title being looked for.
Thomas Babington MacAulay, Lines Written in
August, 1850's? 1860's?
See poem hunter website. Very long shot. Poem refers
to fairy queens that rule our birth. "Still Fay in long
procession followed Fay / And still the little couch remained
unblest: / But, when those wayward sprites had passed away, /
Came One, the last, the mightiest, and the best. // Oh glorious
lady, with the eyes of light / And laurels clustering round thy
lofty brow, / Who by the cradle's side didst watch that night, /
Warbling a sweet, strange music, who wast thou?"
N16: No, Lila, No.
Hiya. You came through for me on "Best
Friends," so here's another...we think the title is "No, Lila,
No." I read it in the early '70s. Lila's parents die, and she
goes to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. The aunt is
persnickety, and Lila can never do anything right in her eyes.
The cousin tries to help Lila by mouthing "No, Lila, no,"
whenever she does something wrong. Any ideas?
Florence B. Michelson, The
Defiant Heart, 1965, approximate. "no,
Lila, no" is what her cousin said when Lila was about to get into
trouble.
N18: Nicholas
I am looking for a series of books I
remember from my youth which were stories about a boy called
nicholas. I think that they were european books and they were
set mostly in the school he attended. I remember one in
particular where his school class visited the seaside. The
stories were accompanied by these really great line
illustrations where the characters looked a bit like stick men.
Can anyone please help?
N18 - Goscinny (of Asterix
fame) wrote a series of 2 or 3 books about a boy called Nicholas
which might be what is being looked for here
The suggested books are by Jean-Jacques
Sempe, illustrated by Rene Goscinny, written in French.
Titles include Le Petit Nicolas, Petit Nicolas et les
Copains, Vacances du Petit Nicolas, Recres du Petit Nicolas,
etc. They describe, in simple French, the everyday adventures of
Nicolas and his friends at school, at summer camp, at the
seaside and so on. They are said to be very funny, and are in
print. Pictures of the covers can be seen at Amazon. The
illustrations are very cartoony, but not as simple as
'stick-men'.
N20: Noisy Family
Solved: The Tuckers: Trouble on Valley View
N21: Nickel or shiny pennies
Solved: A Penny for Candy
N22: New England Farm Experience
Solved: The Fields of Home
N23: Noon day rocket
Solved: High-Noon Rocket
N24: Not Brink's Pink Motel
Solved: No Children, No
Pets
N25: Nautical book
Solved: Captain Kitty
N26: Night of the Lemures?
Solved: Night of the Lemures
N27:
Nepal or Tibet
Solved: Daughter of the Moutains
N28:
Neighbors Band Together During Bad Winter Storm
I read this book in the early 60's. The main character was
a boy. This town was experiencing a very bad winter
storm. I believe some of the neighbors had to come and stay
in the boy's home to pool resources. It seems to me like
they were eating baked beans. One line that sticks out in my
mind is when one of the adults said, "Spring is just around the
corner. The trouble is--which corner?"
Cooper, Susan, The Dark is Rising.
There is a similar plotline in The
Dark is Rising, where the people from
the town are forced to stay in the "manor
house" during an unusually bad winter storm.
Cooper, Susan, The Dark is Rising.I suggested this title, but noticed afterwards
that it was read in the 60's, so don't think that could have
been the one. Sorry.
Edward Fenton, Phantom of
Walkaway Hill, 1961.
The date (1961) for Phantom of Walkaway Hill by Edward
Fenton might be right and there is a big snow storm but I am not
sure the neighbors pooling resources is here! In this book 12
year old James goes to visit cousins in the country. Everything
is fine until a big storm occurs that causes a power outage and
then strange things begin to happen!
It is not Walkaway Hill- big
snow storm but no neighbors in this one!
N29:
Nursery rhyme
Solved: Jemima
2002
N30: Naughty kittens
Solved: The Kitten
Twins
N31:
Noahs Ark rhyme
When I was little (early 1970s) my Mom used to read me this book
and I would like to read it to my kids. I think the name was
Noahs Ark but I can't remember the end of the book. it
starts like this: Once upon a time they say, the rain came
down day after day. Falling falling from the sky til not a
spot on earth was dry. So Noah built an ark so wide so he
could put the animals inside. It says something cute
about each animal terribly late the hippopotamus comes thru
the gate, etc.
This might be One Wide River to
Cross, (1966) by Barbara Emberly. I do not
know if there are rhymes but Emberly's Drummer
Hoff used them! Good Luck.
Dorothy Bell Briggs, Noah's Ark.
(1942) Your mom
probably had this read to her too - my mom said she had taught
me to memorize the text and this was in the 40's. I just googled
the opening line.
N32:
Native American youth travels to Yellowstone
Solved: The Black Spearman: A Story of the
Builders of the Great Mounds
2003
N33: night parties, San
fransisco
Solved: Night People
N34:
North Wind
Solved: The Boy Who
Went to the North Wind
N35: no breakfast tomorrow!
I am looking for a story, included in an
anthology of children's stories, about a boy who by some series
of events was sent to live on some type of farm, where he was
forced to work. What I distinctly do recall is that on the
first morning when he came down for breakfast, he was refused
food by the owner, who pointed to a sign on the wall of the
dining room which said "No Breakfast Tomorrow," I believe.
This anthology may also have included The Tinder Box,
which I recall having wonderful drawings of the three rooms
guarded by increasingly large dogs, the smallest of which had
eyes the size of saucers, and the largest of which had eyes the
size of millstones. It was an oversized book, as I recall
(but then I was an undersized age).
Hi, I just sent in a request dealing with a
story from an anthology of children's stories about a boy who
left home and ended up on a farm, and who was never served
breakfast. But I think I got the sign wrong. Instead
of saying "no breakfast tomorrow," I think it said "Breakfast
tomorrow, but not today." The consequence was the same;
the proprietor never served breakfast. Also, my
recollection is that the boy had to work hard in the grain
fields from sunup to sundown. Can you add this to the
description, please?
This isn't actually a solution, but it
sounds so familiar to me: I believe they actually say,
"Always breakfast tomorrow, but never breakfast today."
N36: NATIVE AMERICAN MAN
Solved: Soul Catcher
N37: Nip and Tuck
Solved: A Hat-Tub Tale
N38: Nightingale
Solved: Jorinda and Joringel
N39: nouns are just the names of things
Solved: A Living Grammar
N40: Northwoods dog and cat story
Solved: King and the Princess
N41: nature watcher's night time observations
Book has several different essays/chapters which discuss the
fascinating creatures and critters the auhor encounters during
nights spent observing wildlife/natural habitats. The
author travels to different parts of the world to do this. I
recall one essay on a kind of insect that only comes out every
seven years or so from the earth, and only during the rainy
season, and lives only long enough to mate and to burrow into the
earth again. Each chapter is about a different creature. I
vaguely recall one chapter having the auhor traipsing across a
frozen field to observe some kind of night mammal. The title
may have the word NIGHT in it. I remember being fascinated
by this book.
Gerald Durrell. Possibly one
of his books about his experiences as a naturalist e.g. The
New Noah, The Overloaded Ark or A Zoo in My
Luggage.
N41 Is it ths? I haven't gotten it out
to look for specifics: Berrill, Jacquelyn. Wonders
of the woods and deserts at night. illus
by Jacquelyn Berrill [scratchboard]. Dodd, 1963. Berrill has
also written Wonders of the fields and ponds at night.
N42: New Foundland dog
It is the story of a New Foundland dog who
is a mascot on a fishing ship in the North Atlantic off of New
Foundland. I read it when I was in the hospital around
1954 or so. It inspired my love of Newfies, but I have not been
able to find the book under that name. I heard your
interview on NPR and thought I would seek your help in locating
this book.
Natalie Savage Carlson, Sailor's
Choice, 1966.
Perhaps? Set in Newfoundland, featuring Sailor, the Newfoundland
dog. His owner is a sealing ship captain who lives in a region
where dogs aren't allowed. He promises the local constable that
he'll find a new master for Sailor-or he'll move his entire
house across the bay. Meanwhile, the Captain takes Sailor
sealing. Jamie, a boy who thinks he wants to hunt seal, stows
away on the ship. He and Sailor bond.
Oops! Wrote too soon! Date is wrong.
I found a couple of books you may want to
check. The first is The Great Island: a Story of
Mystery in Newfoundland, by Clare Bice,
published 1954. It was 103 pp. and illustrated. I do not
know whether it features a dog or not. The second
obviously does, judging from its title, Storm, Dog of
Newfoundland, by Anthony Fon Eisen,
published 1948. 234 pp. Summary: "A tale of young
love along the coast of Newfoundland and down on the
Labrador. A romance that was saved by a big, beautiful and
intelligent Newfoundland Dog."
N43: Normandy Village
Solved: A Village in
Normandy
N44: Nancy and Plum
Solved: Nancy and Plum
N45:
Nothing Like Dancing
I am looking for a book about a donkey and a goose (?) who start
a family together. When I used to read it to my pre-K
classrooms in the late '70's it was already not a new book.
The illustrations are Steig-like, but it is not by William
Steig. In the book is a line my wife and I have clung to for
many years: There is nothing like dancing to improve family
spirit. Any ideas?
N45 Will check in the morning on this one:
Snow, Dorothea J, No-Good, the dancing donkey.
illus by Esther Friend. Rand McNally, 1944
N45 No-Good the dancing donkey
- there is a very cute donkey who wants to do
nothing but dance, but I don't see a single goose, and certainly
nothing about starting a family with one!!
N46: Native Americans in Northeast US
This library book was a favorite of my
friend, who read it as a child in the 1960s. It was about
native Americans in the northeast U.S. They lived in log
houses and gathered tree sap; there was a great deal of
snow. Thank you again for your wonderful site!
N47: Noah's Arc
Solved: The Ark
N48: Nap preparation for a girl
Solved: Debbie and Her
Nap
N49: Nesting Doll
I am trying to find this book for my mother for Christmas. She
was a small child in the early 50's which is when she had the
book. From what she can remember it is about a little girl who
wants to buy a doll for her 6 sisters for Christmas. She finds a
doll but really wants it for herself and only has enough money for
one doll. she drops the doll and it breaks open into 7 dolls
total. My mother however does not think that they mention
the word nesting doll though. Please let me know if you find
anything. Thank You
PAMELA BIANCO, THE DOLL IN
THE WINDOW, 1950s
N50:
No No Natalie
Solved: No, No Natalie
2004
N51: Nelly
Solved: New World for
Nellie
2005
N52: Night Animals
Solved: Mystery
In The Night Woods
N53: No Shame to the Eggs
Solved: Demu Trilogy
N54: New Haven, CT. HS Boy
Solved: Bertie Takes
Care
Roger Eddy, The Wordly Adventures of a Teenage
Tycoon, 1971?, reprint. The solution to
N54 (Bertie Takes Care) isn't the real solution. The incidents
described in the stumper are from the book "The Worldly Adventures
of a Teenage Tycoon" by Roger Eddy, put out by Scholastic in the
late 60s/early 70s and easy to find on-line for about $7-$8. It
was abridged from Eddy's previous book "The Bulls and the Bees"
published in the 50s and harder to find than "Teenage Tycoon." It
would be easy to mix up "Teenage Tycoon" with "Bertie" because
both books were put out by Scholastic at about the same time, both
had the same format (series of short stories about a the antics of
a teenage boy), both had the same nostalgic and humourous feel.
Probably a lot of people (including myself) read the books at
about the same time and at the same age and so get the two
memories mixed together.
N55: New Amsterdam
SOLVED:
Eric's Girls,
1949.
N56: New York City
Stone
Solved: Stoneflight
N57:
Nursery stories
I was born in 1944, and the book I remember from my very young
years was a collection of nursery stories. This book was
most likely passed down to me from my older sister, who was born
in 1938. This large hardcover book was in color, and the
image I recall most vividly from it showed bears lying dead in the
woods after being shot! I believe the hunter with his gun
was also portrayed in the picture. I'm not sure if this was a very
politically incorrect ending to the Three Bears story or what, but
it certainly had a deep impression on me. I also believe the
bears wore human clothes. Thanks.
N58: Nursery Rhymes--Watercolor Illustrations?
Late 70's or Early 80's. I am looking for a specific
collection of nursery rhymes that were probably illustrated with
watercolors. The book was rather large, and I believe the
cover was primarily yellow. It contained classic rhymes like
"The Muffin Man" and "Hickory-Dickory-Dock." The version I'm
looking for also had one rhyme about a little man who dressed in
blue clothes and had a blue hen who laid blue eggs. He may
have had another blue animal, like a pony. The second
example that I remember is not the rhyme but the
illustrations--they had a very dark, almost ominous feeling to
them. It was a community of fairies that lived amongst some
toadstools. They rode snails and perhaps other
creatures. I seem to remember their community being attacked
by some sort of insects--either ants or grasshoppers--and most of
the fairies were battling against the intruders, while others were
fleeing for their lives. I believe this third rhyme was in
the book as well--"Rock-a-Bye-Baby." I seem to remember some
very wispy, dark illustrations. I feel that the baby was
high in the branches of a tree, swaddled in white cloth, and the
mother was down below, almost hopelessly staring up at the baby,
waiting for it to fall. If anyone recognizes this SPECIFIC
version of nursery rhymes, please let me know!
Nursery Rhymes--Watercolor
Illustrations? By coincidence, I've also been searching
for a nursery rhyme book I had in the 1970s with very
distinctive illustrations like the ones you mentioned. The
illustration of the elfin-like creatures riding on snails under
the toadstools is unique and the book may be Dean's Gift
Book of Nursery Rhymes by Janet & Anne
Grahame-Johnstone, probably the 1965 edition.
Keeping my fingers crossed that it's the book you have in mind.
I'm trying to find a copy to see if it's
the right one--thanks for your efforts!
I acquired a copy of the Dean's Gift
Book of Nursery Rhymes last week. Looked through it
but couldn't find your references to the rhyme about a little
man dressed in blue clothes with a blue hen laying blue eggs.
N59:
Nazi spies in boarding school
Solved: Mystery at the Villa Bianca
N60:
Nail polish no-nos
Solved: The Saturdays
N61: Naughty fox with Rasins
Solved: Reasons and
Raisins
N62: Nothing ever happens to me
Solved: Nothing Ever
Happens to Me!
N63: Number 1
This kid's book might have been published
between 1966-1973 (when I was a kid). The story is about the
number 1...he is in search of a friend, but as he approaches the
other numbers, they look down on him for being a "lesser
number". The numbers are cleverly drawn....the "twos" are
swans...the "fours" are violin players. The story ends up with
the dejected number 1 meeting zero, who also has the same
problem. But sitting together, they become the number 10, and
suddenly they are greater than all the rest, and the other
numbers realize the folly of their ways and befriend the pair.
HRL: I haven't read it, but here's a stab: Ionesco,
Eugene. STORY NUMBER 1. Illustrated by Joel
Naprstek. Harlin Quist, 1978.
Thanks for the possible answer on N63 "The Number One", but the
Eugene Ionesco book was not the one I am looking for. Please
post this so people will continue trying and know that it is not
solved.
Carol Kendall, The Whisper of Glocken.
Someone recently posted a guess on my entry "N63, The Number
One". They guessed Carol Kendall, The Whisper of Glocken.
Unfortunately for me, this is wrong. A possible extra
note..."the illustration style is loose and sketchy with
hatchmark shading, an almost child-like illustration style".
N64: Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison. Historical fiction
about a young governess confined at Newgate on a false
accusation of theft. Befriended by a doctor who helps her
to escape to America where she works as a governess for the
doctor's wealthy brother. The brother is a Tory; the
doctor a Patriot. Eventually the girl must choose. I
believe the title was the girl's name -- Katherine or Catherine
and a last name (Bretton? Tretton?). I recall where
I found the book in the children's library and believe the
author's name began with a letter early in the alphabet.
Audrey White Beyer, Katharine Leslie,
1963. This wonderful book is Katharine Leslie, a long-time
favorite that a dear friend located for me after hearing me
pine for it for years. The Newgate prison chapters make one
feel as if they are right there with the heroine. Glad I
couldn't sleep tonight and saw this stumper!
Audrey White Beyer, Katherine Leslie.
THANK YOU! That's it!
N65: no animals in the future - 1981/1982 story
Solved: The
Girl Who Slipped Through Time
N67: Nellie and flying crocodile
Solved: Nellie and Her
Flying Crocodile
N66: naughty kitten
The storybook that I'm looking for is from the 1950's and
included a particular story/poem and I believe its title was "Tom
Kit The Terrible Tom Cat." In the story, Tom says, "No one
ever tells me what I may or may not do. I do just what I
want to and I'm always going to." This story was
approximately 2 pages long and, in the end, Tom decides to be a
good little cat. I believe there was also a story about a
train in this collection. I'd be thrilled to learn the title
of this collection - can you help?
N68: No Prize for Henry
NoPrize for Henry
I'm searching for this children's book from the late 60's or
early 70's . Henry goes to the fair and tries all the races
while his friends eat all the good food & have all the
fun. Henry is focused only on winning a prize and
after each race he loses the author would exclaim "no prize for
Henry!!". In the end Henry is able to enter the final
competition, a pie eating contest, while his friends are all
just too full to even try. Henry wins his prize afterall,
he eats the most pies.
Jean Bethell, Sergio Leone, Hooray
for Henry, 1966.
N69: Native American kid visits elder
I'm in search of a children's book (age 3rd
grade?) that I read back in about 1965, and I've never been able
to find it since. I always remembered the title as "The Shaman's
Last Ride," but no such book seems to exist. It was about a boy
who visits an aging Native American relative and (though he
resists at first) he learns how to do a number of traditional
Indian things he never dreamed possible. The elder, among other
things, teaches him how to run for miles through the desert
without swallowing a mouthful of water (if he swallows the water
during the run, he has failed the task). And later, the boy may
learn to run with a pebble in his mouth? The boy accomplishes
this and earns the respect of his relative and the pride that
comes from doing a difficult job well. It's probably not a very
good book, but it made quite an impact on me. If you could find
it, I'd be so appreciative! Thanks!
Baker, Betty, The shaman's last raid, 1963. illus by Leonard Shorthall,
published by harper & Row
Baker, Betty. The Shaman�s Last
Raid.
illus by Leonard Shortall. Harper, 1963. Ebon and
Melody, modern twin Apaches get a taste of tradition when
great grandpa visits and get a chance to be in a movie
being filmed.
Interpreting
Condition
Grades
|
Baker, Betty. The
Shaman�s Last Raid. illus by Leonard
Shortall. Harper, 1963. Exlibrary in
pictorial library binding, good; pages very
good. G+ [YQ31093] $7 |
|
N70: nursery rhymes
Please help me find childhood large and heavy and maybe 500-1000
pages. hundreds of classic stories and lots of beautiful
illustrations. I was born in 1953, hundreds of nursery
rhymes, stories, snow white, alladin, aesops fables,poetry &
rhymes first then stories, hans & silver skates. The first
couple of hundred pages are all nursery rhymes, Crooked man, pease
porridge hot, Old King cole, every rhyme I have ever heard. Then
the stories come. Snow White,and Snow White & rose red. Mr
Vinegar man, Aesop's fables, Literally hundreds of stories.
Beautiful illustrations, can't remember if they were black and
white or color, but something tell me they wer color. Beige cloth
cover, nothing on it maybe gold letters. Thank you ,bless you.
Margaret Martignoni, The Illustrated
Treasury of Children's Literature, 1960.
Got an answer that maybe the book I am
looking for was Illustrated Treasury of Childrens
Literature by Margaret Martignoni. I bought the book and
it was not it!!! Darn. I think my book was from the 30's or
40's It had a lot more stories and the writing was very tiny
on the pages. Can you add some of this to N-70? Thanks so
much!!
Arbuthnot Anthology of Children's
Literature. This
isn't a perfect match but it's probably worth looking into...
This book is actually a collection of three books- 'Time for
Poetry' 'Time for Fairy Tales Old and New' and 'Time for True
Tales and Almost True'. These books were originally
published in 1952 and 1953 and there have been several
reprintings of the Anthology since then. I don't know if
the content has changed with the reprints but the copy I have
contains many of the elements the poster is seeking.
Specifically, it is very large, about a thousand pages, the
print is small, and it contains a huge number of poems, nursery
rhymes, fables, and stories. The first section contains
195 pages of poems and nursery rhymes, the second section has
389 pages of stories and fairy tales, and the third section is
419 pages long. It does contain Snow White, Snow White and
Rose Red, Aladdin, Mr. Vinegar, and Aesop's fables along with
literally dozens and dozens of other stories- too numerous to
list. Many of the stories are excerpts from famous
books. On the negative side, Hans and the Silver Skates is
not in this book (in my edition, at least), and the
illustrations are minimal. No color illustrations, all
black and white, scattered through the pages. There's so
much text there's not room for a lot of illustrations. A
later edition might be more heavily illustrated, however.
My copy is a sort of muted bluish-teal color with cloth binding
so it's probably not the edition you are seeking. I hope
this is helpful. If you can remember any other specific
stories I would be happy to check my copy to see if they are
included in this book.
Thanks for all your checking. It is not
the Arbuthnot Treasury either. The nursery rhymes were first
with illustrations and then the Cinderella, snow White and
Rose red, then Aesops Fables toward the back. The regular
stories did not have illustrations. Hoping we will get it
solved someday.
N71: North American folklore
A book about North American folklore or folktales which had
beautiful illustrations including a picture of nude Amazons on the
cover or possibly inside the cover and a picture of a young spirit
girl rising from the crushed remains of her body. We also
remember a story about Billy the Kid. We read this book in
the mid-1960s. We believe it had been loaned to our local
library (Richmond, Surrey, UK) from a library in the USA.
The Editors of Life, The Life
Treasury of American Folklore. (1961) The Life Treasury of American
Folklore has everything the poster asked for: beautiful
illustrations, including nude Amazons (p. 22) and a young spirit
girl rising from the crushed remains of her body (actually her
grave, p. 69), and a story about Billy the Kid (p. 232). It's
almost certainly the book he's looking for. All of the paintings
were by James Lewicki. Publisher: Time Incorporated, New York.
N72: Norwegian brothers, ski race
This story was in a 6-8th grade reader ca. 1960, in any case
before 1962 when I finished grade school. The plot was vaguely
similar to "Screwball" in solved mysteries; two Norwegian
brothers, one possibly named Nils; one brother, athletic but
careless; the other brother, a master craftsman but not as
athletic. In the end, the second brother lends his skis to the
first brother, who ends up winning the race. No idea of the author
or book publisher, but any clues would be greatly appreciated, by
me and my brother.
Hans Christian Anderson. I talked to my mom about this
book. I think it may have been set in the Netherlands and
involved an iceskating race and not a ski race. When I
asked her, she immediately said the title was "Hans Christian
Anderson," though it may have also been written by him.
Anyway, I know this is not much help, but good luck in your
continued search!
Mary Mapes Dodge, Hans Brinker or the
Silver Skates,
1865. In the one about the skates, a Dutch brother (Hans)
and sister (Gretel) work toward two goals, finding the doctor
who can restore their father's memory (in coma for 10 years) and
winning the competition for the silver skates. Good book.
Mary Mapes Dodge, Hans Brinker and
the Silver Skates.
Could this be a partial memory of the classic Hans
Brinker--which includes Holland, skates, a race, and the name
Hans, although not Andersen?
Mary Mapes Dodge, Hans Brinker. You're mixing up two books here, I
think. Your second paragraph pretty clearly refers to Hans
Brinker, by Mary Mapes Dodge, set in the Netherlands. As
for the Norwegian references, there was an author named Aimee
Somervelt (sp?) who wrote several books in the 1960s dealing
with Norwegian children.
Mary Mapes Dodge, Hans Brinker. Any chance it was a story from this
classic? Subtitled "The Silver Skates" -- should be
readily available at your local library for your inspection.
Need a copy? Just ask.
I have plenty...
That's not the one--Norwegian, not Dutch, skis, not skates, a
short story, not a book (that I've never read). Though it is
possible, of course, that the author "borrowed" from Hans
Brinker.
2006
N73: New kid (animal) finally accepted
Solved: Phil Mendez's Kissyfur of Paddlecab
County
N74: Nanny
Book about girl who becomes a nanny, I
think it may be a harper/collins/lions teen track book,
befriends a single mum who lives in government housing, her
mother had also gotten her work in a restaurant, she was fired
from this, then found the nanny job - think it is set in
England. She likes edwardian/victorian clothing.
N75: Nothing to concern yourself with
Solved: The Wizard Comes to Town /
Mrs Beggs and the Wizard
N76: necklace
'50's-early 60's. little girl
bakes a cake and looses her necklace in the cake, she finds the
necklace when they eat the cake. as i remember the book was hard
cover, seems to be a light blue, and had several stories in it.
N76: Hardly the same details, but Homer
Price is a possible book to check. See Solved
Mysteries.
It was not Homer Price, the pictures were colored,The
pictures were kind of like the pictures in the old Dick and Jane
books. thanks.
N77: nursery rhymes
For some time now I have been looking for
one of my favorite childhood books. Unfortunately, my
memory doesn't serve me well so I only know have a few vague
details and one of those details is not the name of the
book. The book was large (perhaps 14" x 11"), yellow
cover, and contained popular nursery rhymes...such as The Cat
and the Fiddle, The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, Mother
Hubbard and so forth. I can't for the life of me remember
what was on the cover. But, I belive the woman who lived
in a shoes was the first rhyme. The most of the characters were
elven. Meaning all of the characters were drawn to look like
elves. I was born in 1971 and I would say we had the book
when I was between the age of 7-10. The illustrations were
wonderful! Very colorful and fairy tale like...with lots of
elves and pixie looking characters. Thin pointy features.
I have searched and searched and I cannot find the book
anywhere. With such few details I'm sure you can
understand why. That said, I though I might pick your
brain anyway. Thank you SO much for your time!!
Elves makes me think of Garth Williams illustrations, but
I'm not sure these stories are part of either Tall Book of
Make-Believe or Golden Treasury of Elves and
Fairies. Just in case, though, check out the Jane
Werner Most Requested page, and the Anthologies
Finder, to see if anything looks familiar.
Grahame Johnstone, Anne and Grahame
Johnstone, Janet, Mulberry bush book of Nursery rhymes,
1974. This is only a possibility but I was born in th same
era and had a Dean gift book of nursery rhymes that was
illustrated by the Grahame Johnstone sisters. The
illustrations do have a rather elven look - with beautiful old
fashioned pictures and lots of extra details. It is hard
to find specific titles by them as lots of their books were
published in the gift book format - and so are not catalogued
properly in library indexes. I have not seen the Mulberry bush
book of Nursery rhymes but it is a possibility. Here's
a link to a sample of their work.
Grahame Johnstone, Janet & Anne,
illus., Dean's Mother Goose Book of Rhymes, 1977. This large yellow book has the
contents of three previous books: Gift Book of Nursery Rhymes,
New Gift Book of Nursery Rhymes, and Gift Book of Pussy &
Puppy Nursery Rhymes. The cover has two children (boy and
girl) riding hobby horses. The blond boy has a saber in
his hand and a plumed hat on his head, and the brunette girl has
one arm thrown up in the air. It does contain all the
nursery rhymes you mention, but the Old Woman Who Lived in a
Shoe doesn't appear till page 143, so this might not be the
right book. In the illustration for that rhyme, the house
looks rather like a Dutch wooden shoe with a thatched roof, and
the mother and most of the children are in the foreground being
served some broth by an older girl, and one of the children is
being whipped with a wooden spoon.
N78: nursery rhymes
I am looking for a large hardback book of nursery rhymes. The
illustrations were sketches in green and orange...I believe. I was
born in 1975 but it may have been my mothers who was born in 1955.
I wish I could remember more. Thank you for any help. I have
looked on amazon-ebay-libraries and used book stores.
Always check out the Anthologies
Finder to see if anything looks familiar.
Look at the Childcraft set in particular, in case
you're remembering just one of a set.
My Book House Series. I
don't have these anymore I gave them away. One was nursery
rhmyes. Others were children's fairy tales, fables, and tales
from history. They are numbered like an encyclopedia, and are
navy blue hardback with gold lettering, the cover of each book
had a beautiful old color plate and inside were orange and blue?
green? drawings. I think the copyright was 1930's and was not
the first edition. Good Luck.
N79: Nefertiti Caravan
Solved: Samantha's
Secret Room
N80: New [bear] for Christmas
Solved: Bah! Humbug?
N81: NY Library
1970-1985? I remember reading in the New Yorker magazine a
short story about a library that had information on
everything. The library even had information on the
visitor's parent's china pattern. I have tried to find the
story in the New Yorkers and I have tried to find the story in
indexes of short stories but I have not been successful.
Borges, Library of Babel. N81 sounds as though it might be Borges
-- maybe the Library of Babel? It doesn't have the china
pattern element, but it seems like something that the New Yorker
would have published. Shameless request: if you are
reading this solution, please take a look at O44 from the Stump
the Bookseller Archives and see if you have any ideas! Or
any memory of any children's story about a mirror that shows
people as they really are. Thanks...
Just a thought: the complete New Yorker
has been released onto searchable DVD rom...
N82:
Night creatures and teenage girl
Solved: The Night Walkers
N83:
No paintings on your walls
In the early 1960's, my dad used to read a book to me about
someone who visited a king or wealthy mansion owner. The
person on the tour of the castle would tell the king or
owner: You have not paintings on your walls, you have
no carpets in your halls, you have not knockers on your doors, you
have no rugs upon your floor.." and so on and on... I have no idea
who the author is or the title... help if you can...
N84:
Night ride/night drive
Solved: Night Drive
N85: Nasturtiums growing over house mistaken for fire
Nasturtium plants grow over a cottage and
when they flower (bright red!), someone thinks that the cottage
is on fire and calls the fire brigade. Available in
Australia in late 1960s/early 1970s.
Patty Wolcott (author), Robert
Binks (illustrator), The Forest Fire,
(1974). An Addisonian Press book, published by Addison-Wesley in
1974, this story tells the tale of some forest animals who
mistake some bright flowers for a fire.
N86:
Native American boy, two worlds
Solved: When Legends
Die
N87:
NYC sci-fi doom
Looking for a science fiction book, probably from the 1980s,
where the earth was doomed following the release of something into
the atmosphere that was supposed to be beneficial but had
unintentional irreversible consequences. The story tells about a
person that stays in New York City to care for someone with a
terminal disease. Some of the other details I remember are
travelling upstate (Westchester County?) in a car armoured to
protect it from thugs looking to steal gasoline; and there was
something at the end about a famous building in NY (Chrysler?).
Scanty details indeed - thanks for any help you can give.
Diane Duane, So You Want to be a
Wizard, 1983,
approximate. Could this be So You Want to be a
Wizard? It starts out in our world, with two
kids--Nita and Kit--who each find a mysterious book which
teaches them wizardry. In their training, they are
transported to an alternate version of New York City, where
everything is either dead or dying from some kind of magical
poisoning of the atmosphere. Only mechanical things still
exist, but they're alive and need gas to live. The final
showdown is near the Chrystler building. I don't remember a trip
to Westchester, but it could have been in there! This is
the first book in a series of six or seven, the latest one was
published in 2005.
This was definitely not a children's
book; much darker. The ending as I remember has a
glimmer of hope, but not much. But thanks for the suggestion.
2007
N88: Nesting doll(s) for christmas present
I'm not sure when the book was actually written, but I read it in
the late 70's or early 80's. The main story was about a
little girl who had several sisters at home, and she had to buy
Christmas presents for all of them. I believe the family was
fairly poor anyway, and then the little girl lost most of the
money she had for presents. She went back and looked
everywhere in the snow but could not find the money.
Finally, she discovered a nesting doll in a store. She had
enough money left to buy it, and there were just enough dolls for
each sister to have a present. The pictures were very
beautiful, somewhat Victorian-era-looking.
I submitted an entry for Stump the Bookseller, and I just
happened to be scanning the website and came across another
submission that looks very much like one of mine (N49:
Nesting Dolls). The details of my entry differ
somewhat from the other person's entry, but it is still
obviously going to be the same story.
Bianco, Pamela. The Doll in the
Window. New York:
Walck, 1953. I have this book and it is definitely the one
described. Pamela Bianco is the daughter of Margery
Williams Bianco, author of the Velveteen Rabbit.
Interpreting
Condition
Grades
|
Bianco,
Pamela, Doll in the Window,
illus by
Pamela Bianco, Oxford University Press, 1953,
exlibrary; no dust jacket; rebound in library buckram
with picture, very slight wear & soil; pages,
especially 1st ones. show use; some have tears at
bottom inner margin
[AQ1046] |
|
N89: nature essays
Measuring Rod?, 1961. nonfiction. Book
consists of about ten short essays, some, if not all deal with
nature in a lyrical as opposed to a scientific way. The first
essay is titled "Measuring Rod" and describes the English
countryside near Carlisle. Another essay deals with "the
greenwood". For years I had been convinced that the title of
this first essay was used as the book title but exhaustive
searches under this title have proved fruitless. The book was
published in Britain and all the essays were by the same author.
The book contained no illustrations.
N90: nighttime walks
This has been driving me crazy; hope you
can help. Book was written for perhaps 5th-6th grade reading
levels and narrator was a parent who took nighttime walks in the
nearby woods with their children, as I recall, mostly in the
winter. Few BW pen & ink-type illustrations peppered
the book. They discovered all manner of nature by being still
and observant - sounds, footprints, etc. Library book;
size was about 5x7" and perhaps 75 pages long.
Francis Hamerstrom, Walk When the
Moon is Full,1975.Card
catalog description: "The author describes thirteen moonlight
walks with her children and the nature observations they made."
Jane Yolen , Owl Moon,1987.A
girl and her father go owling on a moonlit winter night near the
farm where they live. Bundled tight in wool clothes, they trudge
through snow "whiter than the milk in a cereal bowl" here and
there, hidden in ink-blue shadows, a fox, raccoon, fieldmouse
and deer watch them pass. An air of expectancy builds as Pa
imitates the Great Horned Owl's call once without answer, then
again. From out of the darkness "an echo/ came threading its
way/ through the trees."
The book described here is not Owl
Moon by Jane Yolen, which has full-color
illustrations on every page.
Francis Hamerstrom, Walk When
the Moon Is Full, 1976. I read this book to my girls
when we homeschooled many years ago. It was one of our
favorites.
francis hamerstrom, walk when
the moon is full, 1975. figured it can't be cause so
relatively recent & popular, but what the hey...
N91: nine toed ninny
My mom remembers having a children's book that she thinks she got
as part of a grocery store promotion. The story was about a boy
who wished his little sister would turn into a nine toed ninny. I
think she does and of course he's sorry. We would have had this
back in the 60's to 70's.
Bertie's Little Brother, 70s,
approximate. The book came with a record, and Bertie's
Little Brother (not sister) does turn in to a 9 toed ninny at the
end of the book. It's been a running joke with my older brother
and I for the last 25 years.
N92: nanny takes care of 2 kids
This was a children�s book that I read in
the 70�s and my memory of it is pretty vague. Its about a
nanny who took care of 2 kids � a girl & a boy. I
think the nanny�s name was Ana (or Anna). They possibly
lived in New York in a brownstone (there were pictures of a
house resembling a brownstone), at the end of the book Ana (?)
leaves to go back home � she leaves on a ship and they see her
off. It was kind of sad�.any suggestions would help!
Thanks.
Rumer Godden, The
Kitchen Madonna,1967. Could this be it? A
Polish (?) housekeeper looks after a brother and sister in
London, not NYC. The boy goes to great lengths to make an
icon of the Madonna to help her overcome her homesickness.
Catherine
Christian, Diana Takes
Charge. Could it be this one? Diana Tremaine
(who seems to be about 18 or so) is left alone in London to look
after her two much younger step-brother and step-sister, Hal and
Audrey for a year. Her mother and their father, newly married,
have gone out to Australia to find out if a family farm out there
is viable.
Along the way Diana meets a
neighbour's teenager Sally who is a keen Ranger (in the Girl
Guides) who helps her with her new duties, and gets her more
interested in Girl Guides as well.
N93: night is falling, bang
Solved: Seals on Wheels
N94: Noah's Ark cow sprouts fins
I'm looking for a picture book, probably
printed in the early to mid 60's, about Noah's Ark. There
is no room on the ark for, I believe, a cow, so they tether the
cow to the back of the ark. The cow swims along for the 40
days, through rain and weather. When they reach their
destination, the cow has sprouted fins, and has turned in
to a sort of sea cow, or manatee, or something. I believe the
illustrations were done in a wood block style, and the
predominant colors were blue and green. This will be the second
stumper you've solved for me (hopefully!), not to mention the
hours I spend reading about other books I've forgotten.
Love your site. I recommend it ALL THE TIME. You
probably get sick of hearing this.
Farber,
Norma, Did you know it was the
narwhale?, 1968.
The unicorn helped Noah load all the animals but as there was no
room for him aboard the Ark, he was towed behind in a life
preserver--and became a narwhale by the end of the voyage.
N95: Noble/royal boys, Indochina, coming of age
Solved: Prince of the
Jungle
N96: Naughty girl kidnapped by witches
Solved: Wickedishrag
N97: Nail, the
The book customer is desperately looking
for, she thinks, is called THE NAIL, but nothing turned up in my
searches. She is 70 years old and read when she was around 8-10
years old. It is about a boy with a nail that gets him by in
life. It was a thin book, and that's all the info. I have.
Thanks.
swedish folktale, nail broth?
i don't know the title, but i had this on vinyl as "danny kaye
tells stories from around the world" a swedish folktale
about a hobo that travels around and makes "nail broth" at
peoples houses with their ingredients and his "magic
nail" hope this helps!
N98: Nanny, best friend
Solved: The Friend
N99: Native American girl faces smallpox, forbidden love
Solved: To Spoil the
Sun
N100: Nanny makes soda from bath water
I'm looking for a book for my aunt.
It was read to her when she was in elementary school in the
70's. All she could remember was that the kooky nanny made
soda pop out of bath water.
The Peculiar Miss Pickett.
See Solved Mysteries.
Carlsen, Ruth Christoffer, Mr. Pudgins, 1951, copyright.
Could this book be Mr. Pudgins, a highly sought after book (see
also Solved Stumpers)? It's a chapter book about Mr.
Pudgins coming to babysit. There are various adventures,
but the chapter your mom may be remembering is called Mr.
Pudgins Turns Plumber. The children built a lemonade stand
one July day, but the cold water wouldn't run. So Mr.
Pudgins fixed it and all the faucets in the house ran with soda
pop (grape in the bathtub, orange in the lavatory, root beer in
the basement, limeade in the kitchen). They had to cook
their dinner in soda pop. Other chapters include The
Flying Bathtub and The Circus.
N101: Native America time travel authors
I am looking for authors of time travel native america/indian
books - travel from this century to the indian era.
Sheila Moon, Peter Parnall, Knee
Deep in Thunder, 1986,
reprint. The hero and heroine have bug friends and
fantastic adventures, but they also visit an archetypal Native
American village, and their home life speaks of the historical
Native American experience.
N102: Nursery rhymes songbook
I am looking for a songbook that has an orange-red hard cover and
contains Nursery Rhymes set to music. All of the
illustrations are silhouette illustrations. It was probably
published between 1900 and 1935. I have no recollection of
the writer/illustrator.
N103: nature brother sister farm exploration
Illustrated nature book from 1970s, 1980s? with a brother and
sister exploring the surrounds of their farm. They peek in
on various animals, insects - waterboatmen (insects that walk on
water, is one I remember). Another page has an illustration
of a shrike (bird of prey that impales its catch on thorns).
Brother and sister are pretty young. Text is in English but
they may be French kids.
Marlier, Marcel, Mark and Michelle. This sounds like Mark and Michelle
on Vacation or one of the other Mark and
Michelle books by French author/illustrator, Marcel
Marlier.
N104: Notes mysteriously left around town during summer
vacation
Solved: The Long Secret
2008
N105: non human family creates
fictional uncle
Solved:
A Rag, a Bone and a Hank of
Hair
N106: Naughty baby
It's a book I read my daughter in
the late 1980's early 1990's. It's about a naughty baby that
swings from the chandelier, gets measles or spots?, runs away from
home out in the woods where wolves were I believe and his mother
finds him and wraps him up tightly and holds him close etc. and it
all starts over again. We thought it was "The very Naughty Baby"
or "The Bad Baby" something on that order. It was written in rhyme
and the drawings were rather crude. The Baby and Mom were rather
homely but the story was very cute.
Barbro Lindgren, The Wild
Baby. Perhaps The Wild Baby? I can't remember the exact
details of this book but it sounds like what you might be looking
for. The baby is constantly getting into trouble and bizarre
situations and the mother keeps rescuing him. There are at
least two sequels: The Wild Baby goes to
Sea and The Wild Baby Gets a Puppy. My children enjoyed this author's "Sam" books but
they are for very young children.
Barbro Lindgren, illustrated by Eva Eriksson,
translated by Jack Prelutsky, The Wild Baby, English ed. 1981,
Swedish, 1980, copyright. I also think this must be the
right title. I happen to own this book because my son was
always on the escape and into trouble and the story clicked in a
big way for both of us. Although their Sam books are still
in print, this one isn't. As to the requestor's memories,
here are some of the similarities: "He crept into her room one
night, she snored and didn't hear, and softly as the slyest cat
he climbed the chandelier.... afterward at lunchtime, baby Ben
grew very ill. He had spots and dots all over with a fever
and a chill." On a walk he sneaks away, mama can't find
him, she's distraught, "Then suddenly, out popped his head, 'A
wolf just licked my face,' he said. 'I licked him back, he
ran away, we won't see him again today." She hugs him,
they're happy, "She bundled home her baby Ben...of course, he's
since run off again."
N107: New baby story book
I remember a book handed down to me
from my mother. I am pretty sure the copyright was in the
50's. If I remember correctly is was a big white book with
many stories beautifully illustrated. I am almost positive
Eloise Wilkins had illustrated some of these stories. One of
the stories that stands out to me in this book is The New
baby. I remember a child looking out the window at a big
delivery truck and then found out they were delivering a bed for
the baby. I am almost thinking this could have possibly been
a golden book collection? I can't really remember the other
stories because I like this one story the best. I would love
to find this book again and read the stories to my daughter.
Hope you can help! : )
Various, A Treasury of Little Golden Books,
1960, copyright. This original edition of the Treasury had a
whitish cover with the letters of the title drawn as tree limbs or
sheafs of wheat. Later printings have pink or other-colored
covers with different lettering. Ruth and Harold Shane's 1948 Little Golden Book "The New Baby",
illustrated by Eloise Wilkin,
is included in the Treasury. The delivery man actually
brings a box containing a portable folding bathtub, a
"bathinette", a now-extinct piece of baby equipmemt.
Ruth and Harold Shane, illustrated by Eloise Wilkins, The New Baby.
The little boy gets a new bed so the baby can have his old crib.
That's what the delivery truck is bringing (also a pram, etc).
Aunt Pat comes to stay with him when the baby is born, not that
the book says anything about birth or hospitals. This is a
Little Golden Book. This is a reprint of an earlier version with
different illustrations. I remember in the earlier version, Aunt
Pat looked about 80 years old!
Ellen Buell, A
Treasury of Little Golden Books. I had
the book you're looking for as a child-- it's A Treasury of
Little Golden Books. There are various editions
(I think mine was from the 60's) but I know the new baby story
was in the 1960's edition and the 1976 edition, possibly
others as well. Other stories in the anthology include The Pokey Little Puppy
and Mister Dog.
N108: 1950s primary school text book
natural history
The book I'm seeking is an old
school text book remembered from primary school here in the UK in
the 1950s. It was about the natural world. The thing I
loved were the diagrams, which showed the relationships between
things in what I suppose are called tree diagrams: food chains,
relationships between types of plants etc. I don't think
there were any colour illustrations - just these beautifully
set-out diagrams, with the names (I think) in linked boxes.
It was for quite young children, so the terms used were not
botanical Latin or technical. It was a hard backed book,
about octavo sized, with (I think) brown or tan or yellow
boards. I'm sorry this is rather vague - I'm having a
problem both with dredging up the memory and with finding the
right words to describe what I do remember! Anyway, there's
an outside chance you or someone might know the book I mean, so
thanks very much for your fascinating site.
N109: 1930s picture book modern life Cook
and Jane
I think I've posted this before but
can't find it. This was a large format picture book. My mother
recalls having it in her childhood so it has to have been
published by the mid-to-late 1930s. She thinks it was called
"Modern Times" and featured all sorts of modern things like
trains, automobiles, etc. We both remember that the family moved
to a new house (out in the country?), and when they arrived, Cook
and Jane had arrived first and everything was unpacked and lovely.
It seems to me that there may have been two different books, one
with modern modes of transport and another about the family.
Watercolor illustrations, I think.
N110: Native American author
Solved: The Miracle Life Of Edgar Mint
N111: nonfiction book about drugs, late 1960s
Solved: Turned On.
N112: Nellie Gray, Star Bright
1960s - maybe, childrens. I
read this book when I was very young. It's about a boy who
spends time on a farm/ranch while his father is away. The
farm/ranch has horses, but the boy -- I seem to remember his name
is Dave -- doesn't know how to ride, but says he does. His
first encounter with a horse named Star Bright makes this readily
apparent. He learns to ride while he's there, starting off
on a gray mare named Nellie Gray. He meets a boy named Pete,
and they have a friend who's a girl, but I can't remember her
name. There's a snobby girl who boards 2 horses at the
farm. I don't remember her name, but she has a chestnut
horse named High Boy and a palomino named Golden Boy. She
and "Dave" become friends by the end of the book. There are
2 particular incidents in the story that I remember: The
first is where Star Bright somehow gets out and colics on green
apples. Everybody is up most of the night trying to keep him
up and walking so he doesn't lay down and roll. The other is
where High Boy gets out during a snow storm and "Dave" is the one
who finds him. At the end, "Dave's" father buys Star Bright
for him.
Timber Trail Riders. I read this story a long
time ago. I don't know the exact title but it was part of a
series called Timber Trail Riders. I think there was a
mean groom in the story called Bo who was jealous of Dave and the
reason Star Bright bucked off Dave when Dave first rode him was
because Bo had put a burr under the saddle blanket. Bo's evil ways
were eventually discovered and he was let go. There were
many other stories in this series.
Michael
Murray, The Texas Tenderfoot
(Timber Trail Riders), 1963, copyright. This is absolutely the book, one of
favorites of the whole series.
N113: Nursery rhymes and stories, Little
Red Riding Hood cover
My grandfather gave me a book he
found about 1958 (I do not know what year the book was
published). It was a red book (kind of a cloth cover) with a
picture of Little Red Riding Hood on the front, a somewhat smaller
picture of her in the center on the front of the book. The book
was a volume of nursery rhymes and stories and it appeared to be
part of a set. He always told the story of finding it at the
local dump and picking it up and giving to me. Well, years
passed and I let my son use the book, but ultimately I lost it in
a divorce. I would give anything to find a copy of this
volume. It contained one rhyme in particular �I Had a Little
Doggie� who used to sit and beg, but doggie fell down the stairs
and broke his little leg��etc. The pages were kind of glossy
with bright illustrations. Can your readers provide any
assistance? I greatly appreciate it.
Walter Hervey & Melvin
Hix, eds., Horace Mann Second
Reader, 1909. I found "Little Doggie" on page 31 of this,
which is up on line at Google Books. It matches the rest of your
description other than the copyright date. If this isn't it, it
looks like a nice book nonetheless. My grandmother was an actress
and used to recite "Little Doggie" at her poetry readings, live
and on radio, and Mom taught me the first two verses -- I never
knew there was anything more to it until I found the complete poem
on line. Good luck!
Well, I don't believe this is the book I'm looking for,
although it appears to be a wonderful edition. The book
I had featured glossy pages with colored prints and I would
guess the date to be between the 40's and 50's. It
seemed to be part of a set of books, but I distinctly remember
it was red with Red Riding Hood on the front. The Horace
Mann Reader says there was an indian with a bow. Thank
you for the information, though!
N114: "Night of the Comet" Magic Magician
Statues
Solved: An Older Kind of Magic
N115: Nicholas
1960's, childrens. The story
of a boy named Nicholas (I think). I can't remember much except he
goes to a strange land and has dinner at a table with a Queen and
I think that they drink from a goblet.
Beatrice Schenk De Regniers,
May I Bring A Friend?
1965, copyright. A
well-mannered little boy, frequently invited to visit the king and
queen, always asks to bring a friend--and the friends are always
wild animals--and always well-behaved. Every day for a week a
young boy is invited to tea with the king and queen, and every day
he brings a different friend, including a seal, a hippopotamus,
and several lions. Winner of the 1965 Caldecott Medal.
N116: North to Salonika
1950-68, juvenile. All I
remember of this book is: a young man or teenaged boy awakens on
an Italian coast. I think his name is David. He finds
some oranges. He manages to take a boat to Greece. He
was told (apparently prior to the story's beginning) to go north
until he reaches Salonika. That's all I remember, a teacher
read it to my 4th grade class.
Anne Holm, North to Freedom (I Am David). David is a boy in a
concentration camp who for some reason is allowed to escape.
His first stop is Salonika, but his eventual destination is
Denmark. There's a description of the book here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_David.
James D. Forman, Ring
the Judas Bell, 1967, copyright.
N117: nursery rhyme book
The book is a nursery rhyme
book. It had a blue background on the hardback cover, I want
to say it had a picture of a man in the moon that had really long
wispy hair and a long pointy nose....although it could be inside
on one of the illustrations. The rhymes were old rhymes, my
mind goes blank...one about "bonnie Charlie with long blond
hair", "born on Monday, married on Tuesday, ...died on
Sunday", "lavender's blue my love", "gray gander", "there was a
little girl who had little curl, right in the middle of her
forehead", "jack sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no
lean"...etc. Just to name a few...what I remember about this
book was it had gorgeous illustrations in it. Mostly of an
English or British nature, probably depicting the late 1700's for
the most part. I got this book in the late 70's. The
people or animals in the book were dressed in 18th century attire
usually from what I remember. There is one picture I
remember in particular that was of a boy giving what appears to be
a queen a golden pear off a tree. Another was of a
white long haired cat sat on her rump in a pink dress and
petticoat with a burn hole in it from a lump of coal. The
Jack Sprat pic was of him and his wife sitting at a table
eating...the gray gander was of 2 or more geese flying across a
moonlit sky with a young girl riding one of them..... I hope that is enough, or not too much.
Maybe something
illustrated by Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone? There were a lot of "Dean's Book of ...."
Janet & Anne Grahame Johnstone, Dean's New Gift
Book of Nursery Rhymes, 1971. When I read
this post I immediately thought of the Dean's book, and then was
reassured to see someone else had thought that too! I still have
this one, but it is at my parent's house, so can't look to see
what's inside, but has a boy and girl dancing on the front and
is pale blue. i think the moon may have been on the inside of
the front cover? And they all have lovely pictures. This may not
be the exact one you're looking for, but I remember we had a
pink Deans book too, so there are a few different ones around.
You can see some
illustrations from the Grahame
Johnstone sisters on this web page
http://www.oklahoma.net/%7Esilvrdal/j&a2.html. As
the first person said many of their books are gift books and
hard to find the titles of. A couple of the larger
volumes they did are: Mulberry Bush book of nursery rhymes
(1974); Deans Mother Goose Book of Rhymes (1977); My best book
of Rhymes (1974). I have several of their gift books,
only one of verse - and the image with the golden pear sounds
very familiar. I also have another book that may fit if
the illustrations weren't full colour - it had the A Apple pie
poem in it as well as many other older traditional rhymes like
you mention. I'll check when I'm home later in the week.
Hilary Knight, The Hilary Knight Mother
Goose. This sounds like Hilary
Knight's Mother Goose book. A delightful book, with
witty illustrations in Knight's characteristic style.
The illustrations are continuous from one page to the
next. Cover is blue with Mother Goose reading to two
children.
Did it have the music
for the rhymes in it? I found A TREASURY OF ENGLISH NURSERY
RHYMES W/MUSIC (1988) on ebay that sounds kind of
like the one you suggested.
Bummer, still not it.
I checked all the names and authors of what was
suggested and they arent the right ones. Thanks
for trying.
Hi, I apologize in advance if this isn't
encouraged or welcome...I am looking for the same book as one of
the current submissions. I also have a few more poems or stories
that I remember; I believe it to be from the same book. It was a
thick book given to me by my Grandmother in the very early 80s. It
contained a lot of "dark" nursery rhymes and short stories, and
poems. It was black and white and had some illustrations.
Additional rhymes/short stories/poems I remember: The Velveteen
Rabbit, The Princess and the Pea, Three Blind Mice, Little Miss
Muffett, Monday's Child Is Full of Grace, Solomon Grundy. Thank
you.
N118: Nursery Rhymes from 80's-90's
I don't remember much except the
beautiful and intracate drawings. Twinkle Twinkle was about 3
pages long and The House That Jack Built was even longer. My most
vivid memory was Who Killed Cock Robin, the poem was bordered by
the birds. I believe an owl was on the front along with other
characters.
The book was hardcover and I believe green and I faguely remember
it being called "Illustrated book of Nursery Rhymes" as creative
as that is...
N119: Night it Rained Toys
1960, childrens. Childrens
Christmas book first words, On a cold Christmas eve, far away,
long ago it didn't rain rain and it didn't snow snow, but it did
something special ... for the girls and the boys for that was the
night. The night it rained toys.
Dorothy Stephenson, The Night it Rained Toys,
1963, copyright.
Illustrated by John E. Johnson.
The original front cover is blue, with a gold sillouette of an
umbrella stamped across it, and gold line-drawings of falling
toys, including a teddy bear, a doll, a ball, a block, and a
wooden pull-horse on wheels. The book was reprinted, and a later
cover shows a king holding up an umbrella, while toys, cookies,
and candy rain down around him.
N120: New Deacon Primer Third Grade
James Fassett, 1921-1927,
primer. It has a dark blue cover with an orange circle in
the middle containing the image of a child/children.
2009
N121: 1975-ish 4th grade reading textbook
with excerpts from Giant Peach, Black and Blue Magic, ee
cummings
Illustrated elementary
textbook/reader from around 1974 or 1975. 4th grade (?)
contained excerpts from Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach,
Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Black and Blue Magic, ee cummings archy
and methibel, Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, and others.
N122: new grad becomes women's
page editor
Solved: Sally and Her Kitchens & Sally and Her Homemaking
I am looking for two books,
published I think in late forties, maybe early fifties about a
young woman who goes to work for a newspaper and ends up being the
editor of the women's page (after having majored in home
economics?). She's always hunting down recipes, etc. In the
second book she gets married and so the book talks about her
setting up housekeeping and entertaining as well as her work on
the paper. I got these books from the local library when I
was about twelve and I loved them, but I don't remember either the
author or the titles! Thank you for your help.
Leonora Mattingly Webber,
Beanie Malone. I may be totally
off the mark here, but any chance that this is a reference to the
Beanie Malone Series?? I seem to remember she had a
knack for cooking and housecleaning, and she did get married in
one of the later books of the series.
The mystery has been solved: Sally and Her Kitchens and Sally and Her Homemaking.
[Additional information: these
books were written by May Worthington, and published in
1939 and 1941, respectively, by Dodd, Mead & Co. The
subtitle for Sally and Her Kitchens is "The story of Sally
Lewis' career in home economics."
N123:
Nick moves to England, plays rugby
Paperback chapter book
(middle-school level?) about a boy named Nick who moves with his
brothers and parents to England when his father's job is
transferred. He hates it at first and is teased about his name but
learns to play rugby and conkers and becomes happy in England.
Joan
Carris, Hedgehogs in the
Closet.
N124:
Noah's Ark, Parody, Spoof
Adult/Young Adult book, read about 10 yrs ago. Tale of Noah
and the ark and the flood. Reminded me of the old Bill Cosby
routine.
Minot, Stephen, Surviving the Flood, 1987. Noahs youngest son, Ham, at the age of
900 years, decides to set the record straight as to what really
happened aboard the Ark during the Flood.
Thanks, I went looking for a recap of
the plot or some further indication this is the book I was
thinking of .. the title doesn�t ring a bell with me ..
but I am sure you are right, so thanks!!!!!!
Some other modern takes on Noah, in case the one suggested is not
it: THE ELEPHANT AND THE KANGAROO by
T.H. White NOT WANTED ON THE VOYAGE by
Timothy Findley and THE LOG OF THE ARK
by Kenneth Walker and Geoffrey Boumphrey.
N125:
Number One
Book is about the #1. He is looking for a
friend. He goes to all the other numbers, 2, 3, 4, etc to try and
find a friend. All of them are either too busy or too snobby. The
book ends when # 1 runs into the number zero, also lonely.
Together they make the # 10 and find friendship. This
book is at least from the 70's. My recollections
may not be totally accurate, but hopefully this is
enough for someone to spark a memory. It is about
the number 1. He is lonely and looking for a
friend. He goes to all the other numbers, 2, 3, 4
and so on to try and find a friend. All of them
are either too busy or too snobby to pay him any
attention. The book ends when # 1 runs into the
number zero, also lonely. Together they make the #
10 and find friendship. I have searched fairly
exhaustively on the web. I did find a book from
the 60's by Paul Rand called "Little 1". This is
not the book I am looking for. I hope someone can
pull this out of thin air for me. Thanks!
Rand, Ann and Paul, Little 1,
1961.I didn't see
this answer posted, so I was afraid it didn'\''t go through. It
sounds just like LITTLE 1 by Ann and Paul Rand, 1961,
republished in 2005.~from a librarian
Ann &
Paul Rand, Little 1, 1962, 2005 reprint. The summary
of lonely 1 meeting a friend in 0 matches the description for
LONELY 1.~from a librarian
N126:New-Fangled, Technology
, Invention
Hello, I am looking for a children's
book from the 1960s that had a title, I believe, that included the
words "new-fangled." The book is about
a family's visit to the 1876 Centennial Exposition, and I believe
it was published by Scholastic Books.
It described the new telephone, automobile, etc.
Caroline
D.Emerson, Father's Big
Improvements. Worth a look?
Father's Big Improvements, 1962.
Maybe
Father's Big Improvements? "Horseless carriages! Talking boxes
called telephones! Water running out of a faucet! What is the
world coming to? Mother calls it newfangled nonsense--Father
says they are all big improvements that he must have!"
N127:
Norwegian/Swedish farm, boy named Noah
Noah, a boy who lived with his parents and older siblings on a
farm in rural Norway (or Sweden). Near the start of the book
Noah'\''s father returns from a journey to the nearest town, he
has travelled on foot, and it has taken him several days or even
weeks to make the journey. The story was set in a time before
electricity and when all work on farm was still done by hand, so
possibly early 20th Century? The seasons and landscape were
central to the story. It was a wonderfully warm and endearing tale
of life. Some parts of it were harsh, the weather conditions
during the cold winter, and the hardship of tasks like cutting
timber, and so on. But the story was heartwarming. The autumn
harvest described in the end chapters stand out in my memory. I
think the book was an account of one year, though this may not be
correct. It was a secondhand novel I read in 1983, so probably
published in the 1970s or earlier. It may have been a translation
into English.
Maud
Reutersward, Noah is My Name.
N128:
Novel referencing Buddy Holly
Read a great road novel in the early 90s referencing Buddy Holly.
Its about a kid who tries to save the life of a child crossing the
road. He fails, and so begins his journey to the famous site where
Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper (et al) died.
N129:
Notre Dame gargoyle
1960's. Unhappy American girl in
Paris is befriended by a native boy and they meet at Notre Dame by
a gargoyle they call "Charlie". Maybe a pink cover with a profile
of a winged gargoyle.
Corbin,
William, The Prettiest
Gargoyle, 1971.
Unhappy at being in Paris where everyone else in the family is
involved in special projects, a thirteen-year-old American boy
decides to quit school and become an authority on gargoyles.
N130: Naughty
bear cuts girl's hair off and she cries
SOLVED:
The Lonely Doll Learns a Lesson
2011
N131: Nursery rhyme journey
SOLVED: Wanted�A King
N132: Naked girl, turtle
Little naked girl goes to a house
with a real tall door and sometime in the story rides a turtle.
It was read to me in grade school year 1960�s. Asked
teacher and doesn�t remember the book. Thanks for your help, I
can�t remember anything else except I loved the book.
Dare Wright, The Little
One, 1959. If you remember the illustrations being
photographs, your book is probably The Little One.
Turtle rescues a doll named Persis from an old house with a
big door. She goes outdoors and takes off her clothes in
the sun, falls asleep, and is found by two bears named Nice
Bear and Cross Bear. Cross Bear doesn't seem to like
like her until she falls out of a tree trying to get honey for
him.
N133: Needle shaped mountain
SOLVED: Terry Nation, Rebeccas World -
Journey to the Forbidden Planet.
N134: Near future guy
drives camaro
Young adult science fiction novel
from the late 70s early 80s. Near future guy who drives a
camaro when everyone else drives electric cars. He secretly
grows vegetables and raises rabbits in his basement. At the
end the government catches him, but he is put on a plane to utopia
or something.
Missing Persons League
2012
N135: Not very
often... we better hide!
I'm looking for a children's book
in which one of the character's has a catch phrase "not very
often," which prompts the other characters to shriek "We better
hide!!!". I've searched for many variants on these phrases, and
can't find anything. The main character may be a baby
bird. ???
N136: Nursery
rhymes, stories, including "Pickty Pickety Pocket"
I am looking for a book that I used
to read to my children about 15-20 years ago. It had several
stories and nursery rhymes including the following (as best I can
remember): "The House that Jack Built" & "This Land is your
Land" & "Theres a Hole in my Bucket" & "Pickty Pickety
Pocket"
N137: Nobody Loves Fritzi (?)
SOLVED: Suzanne Wilding, No Love for Schnitzel
N138:
Necklace/pendant makes boy shrink
A boy living in England, lost a
model boat he built.He went searching for it and found a necklace
that shrinks him. He meets a boy who with wide set eyes. The boys
father says he should see the magician, who he finds out has his
same name. On his way to see him he saves the queen.
Ian Kellam,
The First Summer Year,
1974.
N139: Neighborhood
dog
Homeless dog goes from house to
house getting food & love from the neighborhood. One
lady gives him mutton. I think he was a black dog.
Kids book from late '60's to early '70's.
I remember that one,
it's mainly three women who take turns throughout the day tending
the dog, but for some reason none of them adopt him as her own.
Eventually the dog is picked up by Animal Control, as he has no
license. The three women realize they do miss him, decide to share
ownership, and it ends with all three going to the shelter to
claim him. Hope this helps.
N140: Nursery
rhyme 2 volume set
SOLVED: Richard Scarry, Things to Know
N141: Night cloaks
SOLVED: Lloyd Biggle, Jr., The Botticelli Horror, 1960.
N142: Nuclear
Survival Boy/Girl
This was read to my 6th grade class
in 1988-89. A normal boy (middle or high school aged) takes a
standardized test at school that was given by the government to
identify intelligent children who could do some government special
mission. He fell asleep during the test and woke up with just
enough time to fill n the bubbles, without reading the questions)
and turn it in. He answered all the questions correctly and was
selected to be part of the government-chosen group. The same boy
(I think) was walking home when a nuclear bomb hit. He had just
enough time to find a very deep basement room, in a hotel I
believe, and stock the basement room with food and soda from a
reception of some sort. He and a girl made it to the basement just
before the bomb hit. They suffered severe vomiting that was
described as mild radiation sickness. When they finally emerged
they met some rough men and disfugured women, with one man
describing the girl who survived in the basement as not damaged by
radiation as many of the other women were. I believe this was all
part of the same plot. We never finished the book so I am not sure
of the ending.
Updated:
Siegel and Siegel, Firebrats. I have found that this description is
really the plot for 2 different books. The second book is
Firebrats
by Siegel and Siegel. The
first part of the description is from a book that I am still
looking for.
Donald
Wismer, Starluck.
The first part about the
test-taking sounds a lot like Starluck...Paul takes a test and
basically fills out the circles in patterns--which gives him the
highest score of all the test takers. It's science fiction,
so no nuclear bombs. The government turns out to be evil though,
and they send someone to kill him. He escapes and joins some
rebels. He learns to fight so the group he's with can change
things.
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3/14/13