Kids’ sci-fi, girl sees scenes (future?) on TV after repair by strange men, (possibly aliens?). In dialogue, girl has sarcastic sense of humor, refers to baby brother as “lucky stiff.” 1970s or 1980s, paperback.
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
Are you thinking of some of the later Young Wizards books by Diane Duane? Kit Rodriguez is a wizard. After he fixes their TV, it starts picking up alien channels; his sister Carmela spends a lot of time watching the alien shopping channels.
Could this be A Billion for Boris by Mary Rogers? It is the sequel to Freaky Friday. Ape Face, the younger brother of sarcastic older sister Annabelle buys a broken televsion from upstairs neighbor Boris. Ape Face fixes it, but now it broadcasts the news one day prior to it happening. I seem to remember it as a yellow covered paperback book with small drawings of the characters on the front.
Could this be the sequel book to the original “Freaky Friday”, called “A Billion for Boris”? From Wikipedia:
“Three sequels followed Mary Rogers’s book, featuring some of the same characters and/or situations. In A Billion for Boris, Annabelle and her friend Morris/Boris discover a TV set that tunes into future broadcasts and begin betting on horse races.”
Long shot, but it vaguely sounds like “Test Pattern” by Marjorie Klein, 2000.
In 1954, young Cassie’s family gets a television which begins to pick up strange patterns in the static, presumably when the regular stations are off the air. Cassie seems to be the only one who can see them, including images of the moon landing, the Kennedy assassination, American Bandstand, and Michael Jackson’s dancing. The story alternates between Cassie watching and thinking about the unusual programs, and her mother ultimately leaving the family for Hollywood. Don’t recall a baby brother; Cassie does prevent a family tragedy. Even if it’s not your book, it’s worth pursuing. Hope this helps and good luck!
I agree, it sounds like A Billion for Boris by Mary Rodgers.
I think this is the book “Channel 10 from Nowhere” by Lewis K Parker. It was one of the Weekly Reader Books.
Oh my goodness! “Channel 10 From Nowhere” That’s it! Thank you so much! Glad I asked here. Thank you everyone for your input 🙂