Books that Aunt
Book Has Identified
Page 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Something Hidden in a Hat Box
"My fourth grade teacher read aloud to
us. One book I think was called The Redwood Hat Box, about a
family traveling to the West by wagon train. It seems like in the
lining of the hat box was something that helped in the end:
money, stocks, map, I forget what, but it saved the day. I think
it was told by the girl of the family traveling."
Solution: The Secret of
the Rosewood Box, by Helen Fuller Orton. Illustrated by
Rober Ball. Lippincott, c1937. LC 37-28568. Went
through at least 20 printings.
"When the King family journeyed westward from
New York State to Michigan to make a new home, young Charley and his
sister Mabel shared the fun and work and adventure of settling in the
wilderness and helping it to become a place of homes and
neighbors. From the first excitement of deciding to go, packing
and setting out, the events and incidents of the story are always
interesting. Charley took charge of Grandma's rosewood box on the
long journey, but not even he knew all that it contained. When it
was lost, his exciting and at last successful search for it was all the
more rewarding after the secret came out." (from the jacket
flap). Picture
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two Girls at Boarding School
"I am hoping [you] can shed some light on a
book I read about 30 years ago (elementary school) and can't seem to
get out of my mind. I remember that it is about two little girls
going to boarding school. I think one was privileged and one
wasn't. I do remember it involved a May Basket, a reflecting pool
in the woods near the school and a really nice head mistress. I
believe it ended with the teacher and the two girls walking away from
the pool hand in hand. I have been racking my brain to come up
with anything remotely close. I read this story in elementary
school about 100 times and just loved it."
Solution: The Secret
Language, by Ursula Nordstrom. Illustrated by Mary
Chalmers. Harper & Row, c1960. LC 60-7701
"Victoria felt terribly lost and alone her first few days at boarding
school. Then she met Martha, who taught her the secret language,
and pretty soon Victoria had no time to be homesick. Martha
didn't like boarding school either. In fact, Martha seemed to
hate everything. 'I hate all the buildings and all the rooms, and
the food, and I even hate the swings,' she told Victoria. It was
going to be exciting to have a roommate like Martha! Who else
would insist that they dress up as pistachio ice-cream cones for the
Halloween party? Who else would decide to break the rules with a
midnight feast?" (from the jacket flap).
Picture
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A King and His Friends
"Can anyone help me find this book? My
boss is looking for it, but he doesn't remember what it is
called. It is a picture book about a man who wants to marry the
king's daughter. The king makes him do seven tests. The man
has seven friends who help him with these tests. Each of the
friends has magical power, such as turning into an animal or fire,
water, etc. He recalls that the book had really great
illustrations."
Another query: "It's about a king who wanted to reclaim his
kingdom by passing a series of tests. Along his journey he meets up
with guys who are a tree, an elephant, fire. His tasks were to eat a
huge feast and drink all the wine. The elephant took care of the wine
and the fire guy burned all the food. Then he had to get a golden
egg or something out of a tall nest and used the tree to do it. I
read the book in the U.S. For some reason, I think the title is
The King and His 7 Friends but I Googled the title and none of
the books are it."
Solution: The King With
Six Friends, by Jay Williams. Illustrated by Imero
Gobbato. Parents' Magazine Press, c1968. LC 68-21078
Picture
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
French Boy at School
"I think [the book was] called YOUNG NICHOLAS,
about a young boy in France attending boarding school and calling the
Headmaster 'Mr. Potato Head' because he was always saying 'Look me in
the eyes.' It's a humorous book with pen and ink drawings."
Solution: Young Nicolas,
by Jean-Jacques Sempe' and Rene Goscinny. Translated from the
French Le Petit Nicolas by Stella Rodway. Bobbs-Merrill, 1962.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reversible Book About Grandmothers and
Grandfathers
"I am trying to find out the name of a book
that I saw a few years ago that probably isn't too old. It is a
book about grandmothers and grandfathers. The different thing
about the book is that it is reversible. On one side is the story
about the grandmother. You turn the book over and there is the
story of the grandfather - so the pages appear upside down from one
another."
Solution: What Grandmas
Do Best / What Grandpas Do Best, by Laura Numeroff.
Illustrated by Lynne Munsinger. Simon & Shuster Children's
Publishing, c2000. ISBN: 0-689-80552-7. This is a
companion book to What Mommies Do
Best / What Daddies Do Best.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ballet at a Summer Hotel
"When I was a child, in the late '60's-early
'70's, I had a paperback book about a girl who goes to the beach for
the summer with her family. They are near a resort or hotel at
which is staying a famous ballerina and her family. The girl has
studied ballet and loves it, and the ballerina is persuaded to put on
'The Nutcracker' at the hotel for all the guests. The girl is
disappointed that she does not get the part of Clara, until the
ballerina explains that all Clara does for the second act is sit and
watch. Then the girl is happy with her roles, which include Dew
Drop in the Dance of the Flowers."
Solution: Susie and the
Ballet Family, by Lee Wyndham. Illustrated by Jane
Miller. Originally published by Dodd, Mead in 1955; reprinted in
paperback several times by Scholastic. This is part of a series
that includes A Dance for
Susie (1953), Susie and the
Dancing Cat (1954), On Your Toes,
Susie! (1958) and Susie and the
Ballet Horse (1961), all published by Dodd, Mead. On Your Toes,
Susie! was also reprinted by Scholastic, though the others were
not. Picture
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sick Kitten Cuddled on a Feather Bed
"The time that this book was in our elementary
school library was around 1976-1978. It was an illustrated
children's book that took place in fairly contemporary times (at the
time of reading it), but I think the setting was a rather old-fashioned
farmhouse or cottage. The main characters were an old,
grandma-type lady and the many animals she had that lived with her in
and/or outside her house. The story centers mainly around one of
the animals, a little black kitten. One night the kitten gets
accidentally caught or left outside overnight, inside the chicken coop
or some such structure. The night brings a fox or a wolf who
tries but can't reach the kitten, but whose nearness scares the kitten
anyway. Other noises and problems arise, and it's cold and dark,
with no food or water.
"By the next morning the kitten is sickly and
weak and barely conscious. The grandma finds the kitten in such a
state that she hurries and puts the kitten to rest in the big master
featherbed among the big, fluffy white pillows. The kitten is fed
and cared for in an attempt to revive it and nurse it back to
health. The entire household/farmstead is worried sick and
grandma and all the animals surround the bed in worry and wait.
The kitten eventually pulls through and everyone is greatly
relieved.
"All that is described in my message above is
shown throughout the illustrations in the book. I can't recall
the medium of the illustrations. They may have been
drawings. I don't think the medium was anything as heavy as
gouache or tempera."
Solution: Pitschi,
by Hans Fischer. Harcourt, Brace & World, c1953.
Recently reissued by North and South Books. The books was
originally written in German; the author is Swiss. Aunt Book
thanks another of her Dear Nieces for her help in identifying this book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evil Baron, Fox that Turns Into a Wolf
"The book I've never found is one that I read
from the library a number of times when I was a child, though usually I
didn't read books set in foreign countries, or translated from other
languages. This one was called -- I think -- THE HOUSE IN THE
MOUNTAIN. It took place -- I think -- in Switzerland. There
was an evil Baron (I think he was a respectable businessman who
sometimes had a Dr. Jekyll change of personality) and a secret house
where some sort of nefarious activity was taking place, way up on the
mountain. There was a very scary housekeeper/witch character, and
there was a fox that turned into a dangerous wolf when it went from the
innocent village to the secret chalet. That really creeped me
out! The children solve the mystery while they went out
pretending to be Christmas carolers, and sang all the verses of Good
King Wenceslas. Being a musician, that impressed me no end.
I think they ended up in a horrible, long tunnel through the
mountain. A lot of my childhood dreams or nightmares seem to have
devolved from my frequent readings of this vibrant book."
Solution: The House in
the Mountains: A Swiss Story, by Averil Demuth. The
British version, published by Hamish Hamilton in 1940, was illustrated
by Grace Huxtable. The American version (Harper & Brothers,
1941) was illustrated by Ninon Macknight. Description from the
jacket flap of the British edition: "Max and Lisel first fell
foul of the Baron Murtigrad through rescuing Mr. Trog, the large
and lovable bear, whom the Baron was hunting. Then Max and
Ernstli upset Mrs. Schtitzenppfitz, the Baron's housekeeper. The
Baron, who was studying Magic in his spare time, hoping to be revenged
on the children, gave them a bag of peppermints which it was well for
them they left untouched. Thwarted in their first evil design,
the Baron and Mrs. Schtitzenppfitz, aided by that slippery customer,
Mr. Fooks, kidnapped the Count's little daughter, Huguette, on the
afternoon of the toboggan races: and naturally enough his young
friends set out at once to rescue her, with Mr. Trog and [the] dog
[R]uffin."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Three Boys Who Become Friends
"The book I've been trying to find is a
children's picture book about three boys. One boy has red hair,
and one boy is handicapped (he is missing an arm). The book is
about how they meet and become friends. I read the book about
four or five years ago. I think one of the characters was named
Willy and another was named Carrot Top, and I think the name of the
boys was in the title of the book."
Solution: Harry and Willy
and Carrothead, by Judith Casely. Greenwillow, 1991.
ISBN: 0688094929. Aunt Book did not know this book, but one
of her Dear Nieces was able to identify it, for which Aunt Book hereby
thanks her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Four Children, Radio Actress, Pooled
Allowances
"This book was set before WWII- it was
about 4 children, a father, no mother, I think they were rather well
off. It takes place in Manhattan.The oldest girl who must be
about 16 is dying to become an actress, so her father
arranges an audition on a popular radio program, which she wins. The
rest of the kids decide to pool their allowance and one of them will
get to do what ever they desire with the collected funds. This could be
a series because I remember at one point they go to their farm for a
few weeks."
Solution: The Melendy family books, written and illustrated by
Elizabeth Enright. The Saturdays
(Holt, Rinehart & Winston in one incarnation; now Henry Holt;
probably had various other names!, c1941); The Four-Story
Mistake (c1942); Then There Were
Five (c1944); Spiderweb for
Two (c1951).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Travel to Another World Via Carousel
Horse
"I'm trying to remember the title of a fantasy
book I read as a young teen, back in the early '70's. The plot
concerned a girl who was thrown into our world via a carved wooden
carousel horse (?). There was a mechanism of some kind in the
horse's ear, I think. Her world was the reverses of ours - one of
her country's greatest men was Maharba Nlocnil (Abraham Lincoln), for
example. She befriends a boy, and stays with him, and they have
adventures trying to get her back to her world, which finally happens
via another hurricane or storm of some sort. I had thought the
title was Ride a Winged Horse," but nothing at all is coming up..."
Solution: Ride a Wild
Horse, by Ruth Christoffer Carlsen; illustrated by Beth and Joe
Krush. Houghton Mifflin, c1970.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Live Dolls in a House in the Woods
"A girl (probably an only child) about 10
years old or so is out wandering in the woods by her house (maybe
somewhere she has just moved) and comes upon a clearing with a house
that is unoccupied by humans, but has teddy bears and dolls in it- and
I think the teddy bears and dolls may come to life. It was
a chapter book, and had illustrations that somewhat resembled
Garth Williams' style. I believe the author had a last name in the F to
K section of the library."
Solution: The Secret
Museum, by Sheila Greenwald. Lippincott, c1974.
Jennifer is living in the country with her parents, two artists.
She follows the sound of crying in the woods, and comes across a small,
deserted house that is a replica of a nearby mansion, filled with dirty
and lonely dolls: a King, a Queen, a Jester, and many
others. The crying had come from the queen doll. Jennifer
cleans up the dolls. She makes friends with Lizzie, a girl who at
first messes up the doll house, and the two of them decide to run the
house as a museum to make money so that Jennifer's parents do not have
to abandon their artistic dreams and go back to their teaching jobs in
the city.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Empty House Used as a Clubhouse
"A brother (I think his name was Henry) and
sister and some of their neighborhood friends find that a house in the
neighborhood is empty, so they start using the place as a
clubhouse. Each kid gets a room to use as he likes, so the sister
makes the butler's pantry into a dollhouse, and the boys move their
collection of things into thehouse. Maybe someone (a man) is
actually living upstairs in the attic, though? It's not the
Beverly Cleary book Henry and the Clubhouse. It has illustrations
(more a Michael Rosen style illustration) and is probably from the
1970's. There may have been other books about these same kids,
and the author was probably in the F-K section of the alphabet."
Solution: The Curious
Clubhouse, by Christine Govan, illustrated by Leonard
Shortall. World Publishing Company, c1967.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diary of Nellie Custis
"I'm looking for a historical fiction book that's
supposed to be a diary by Nellie Custis."
Solution: Nelly Custis'
Diary, by Miriam Anne Bourne, illus by Heidi Palmer.
Coward, McCann and Geoghegan, c1974.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Small Dog in Woods Leads Lucy to a
Magical Place
"A little girl lives with her aunt. One day
she decides to go exploring in the woods. A small dog appears and
she is off to a place with dragons, fairies, ogres, kings, queens,
etc. I remember that the girl's name was Lucy."
Solution: Shadow Castle,
by Marian Cockrell, illustrated by Olive Bailey. Whittlesey
House, 1945. Reprinted later by Scholastic Books.
Backinprint Books has just issued a "new, expanded author's edition
with material never published before." You can see information
about it if you go to Amazon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scary Summer Camp
"A girl goes to summer camp and, if I am remembering
correctly, it is the same summer camp to which her mother went. I
think something really scary happens during the course of the
summer. I want to say that the title was Allegro, Allegra, Sing
Allegro, something like that."
Solution: Allegro Born,
Allegro Dead, by Barbara Corcoran. Atheneum, 1981.
Later reissued as You're Allegro
Dead.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Little Yellow Monkey in a Banyan Tree
"We have a patron who remembers reading a poem to
her daughter (as a toddler a long time ago) that read something like
this: 'A little yellow monkey in a banyan tree / Once got the
giggles, going "tee, hee, hee..."' It may have been in a small
book of poems."
Solution: The poem "The Banyan Tree" is in Rimskittle's Book, by Leroy F.
Jackson, illustrated by Ruth Caroline Eger. Rand McNally,
1926. It begins:
"A Little Yellow Monkey
In a Banyan Tree
One morning got the giggles,
Going tee-hee-hee."
Aunt Book wishes to thank Orrin Schwab of Orrin Schwab books, who was
kind enough to check a copy of the book that he has for sale to confirm
that this was the correct poem.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tourist Trips to Another Land and Time
"I am looking for a book, maybe a series, that has
the following storyline. There is a family that lives in a
magical house, full of magical animals. The father of the family
has a job to arrange tourist visits to this fantasy land. Groups
of tourists come from another land/time and dress up in clothes of the
period. The people in the land they visit are all actors who put
on fake battles and other exciting stuff for tourists to watch.
There are lots of problems because sometimes tourists get hurt in fake
battles. Sometimes in the story some evil group tries to ruin the
fake battles so they turn real. The main character ends up going
to some other land/time to resolve the problem. I just remember
that all the actors are tired of acting for the tourists and problems
get worse as the story progresses. The main character spends all
his time trying to deal with all these problems the tourists
cause. The book or series is at least 7-8 years old."
Solution: The Dark Lord
of Derkholm, by Diana Wynne Jones. Greenwillow,
1998. ISBN: 0688160042. (Has been reprinted as a
paperback by HarperCollins, 2001. ISBN: 0064473368.
There is a sequel called Year of the
Griffin).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chess Pieces Mystery
"Next, there was a girl who went to live in a
strange place, maybe a lighthouse, with her father. There was
some secret being held, perhaps involving secret passageways, and the
whole plot hinged on something to do with chess pieces. I
remember the binding of this book was blue (perhaps library rebinding)
and featured a rook from a chess set on the cover. There was a
segment where the girl was sick and feverish and while in this
condition discovered something about the secreet her father was keeping
but upon gettinig well she couldn't exactly figure it out. The
book ended with the girl discovering that her father had kept the
secret because he loved her so much and wanted to protect her."
Solution: A Spell is Cast,
by Eleanor Cameron. Illustrated by Beth and Joe
Krush. Little, Brown, 1964. The girl in the
book is named Cory, and she goes to stay with her Uncle Dirk at his
house, Tarnhelm. Part of the mystery involves a unicorn necklace
that Cory wears.
(Note: Aunt Book is assuming that this is the correct book.
Alas, the original inquiry was sent to her some years ago, and she has
since changed computers, and somehow in the transfer of information the
address of the person who was searching for this book was lost).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
No Golden Spot on Him
"I'm trying to find a children's book by Max
Lucado. Here's what I remember (somewhat fuzzily): It's
about a little guy who - because he's not handsome enough - doesn't
have a golden spot on him like the others, so he starts going up the
hill to the woodcarver to talk things over. He goes every day,
and begins to feel better. He meets a sweet young female who
helps him realize wthat who we are is on the inside..."
Solution: You Are Special,
by Max Lucado, illustrated by Sergio Martinez. Crossway Books,
1997.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Little Cowboy's Birthday
"It told the story of a little boy, growing up on a
ranch, I think, who, each year for his birthday, received a present
appropriate to a cowboy. At his first birthday, he got a cowboy
hat (I remember an illustration of an infant, maybe in a highchair,
with the hat down over his head). In subsequent years, he got
chaps, etc., until on his tenth birthday he received his own horse!"
Solution: Read to Me
About the
Littlest Cowboy, by Inez Hogan. Dutton, 1951. The little
boy's name is Corky, and on his fifth birthday a colt is born, and the
colt is his present. Aunt Book is grateful to Dorothy Meyer,
Bookseller, for her help in identifying this book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Frog and a Toad and a Motor Car
"I remember a book about a frog or a toad and there
were several other characters in the book. They all talked and
had a system of government (of sorts) - not sure if I am mixing up my
books but I am pretty sure that one of the characters had a motor car,
too."
Solution: The Wind in the
Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. Many different editions over
the years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dogs named Dumb Jumbo and Lovely Lulu
"I am trying to find out the title of a children's
picture book from the late 1940's and early 50's about some dogs named
Dumb Jumbo and Lovely Lulu. A little boy shares a cinnamon roll
with another mutt type of dog."
Solution: Little
Wiener, by Sally Scott. Illustrated by Beth Krush.
Harcourt, Brace, 1951.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Identified
Books page 2 page 3 page 4 page 5
Return to Aunt Book's
parlor
Ask Aunt Book
Help with books Aunt Book can't identify
Aunt Book's recommendations
Aunt Book expresses outrage