Category Archives: Nonfiction

362N: Special-Needs Neighbor Girl

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My mother has tasked me into finding a book for her that she read when she was young in the 1960s. She thinks it was published around this time. Here are the best details I could extract from her:
 
  1. Neighbor writes about mentally retarded neighbor girl
  2. Nonfiction, told from the perspective of the a neighbor reflecting about a neighbor girl growing up mentally retarded, with that neighbor girl eventually dying. Mom thinks the word “Wagon” is in the title. She also believes that the story had something to do with a wagon in the yard. Also, the neighbor telling the story had a boyfriend or a crush on a boy.
My mother stated that she wasn’t sure if the girl had Down syndrome or not, as this was before she even knew what that was, so she described it as “mentally retarded”. Those were all the details I could extrapolate, hoping you can help. That book brings a lot of nostalgia for my mother and will be a birthday present if I can get a name of the book.

361H: Children’s book about a magic carpet ride

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I’m trying to remember the title of a children’s book I read in the mid-1960s (which I believe came out around that time, but I can’t be sure). It was about a little boy who rode a magic carpet around the world. He touched down in different countries and would learn a little bit about each place. It was a magical book for me as a child and wish I could remember more details!

360X: Children of Chicagoan Drug Addicts

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I'm looking for book that I thought was called "The Little People". I don't know what year it was published, but I read it somewhere about 1985-86. I thought the book was set in Chicago, but not certain. It was about the children of drug addicts. I don't remember for certain if it was fiction or not. I think I got it from our school library.

360N: Older man with suitcase

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From what I remember, it is a male author within the last 20 years.  There are two books I remember.

First it starts out with a homeless man under a pier and an older gentlemen talks to him, and tells him to start reading biographies on famous historical people.

Second book (same author) talks about an older gentleman who always carries an old suitcase.  He helps others throughout the book.

I think the author’s name is Andy (but not sure).  He is a best selling author.  The first book is actually about himself and he goes on to be a multi-millionaire businessman.

I’m just looking for the author’s name.  I know he’s done more recent books, but I can’t remember his name.

Thanks for your help in this area.

358D: Comforting Son After Accident (Self Help Book)

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Looking for the name of a self help book. The book begins with the author storytelling how his son had some sort of accident and how he comforted him and connected with his son by basically communicating something like “I know it hurts” not by “denying the pain” and also by keeping the kid’s mind busy and helping him focus on the present.

357P: Schizophrenic Lady M.D.

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Book written in 1950’s, 60’s I think. But remotely possible published as late as 70’s, 80’s.  Autobiography (?) by woman (maybe named “Diane”, not sure…?) who suffered schizophrenia (I think, or some sort of mental illness) and became an M.D. despite this.

Probably a U.S. book, but not sure.  English language, anyway.

356Z: Elephant Picture Book

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Trying to find an old picture book about elephants. Pre-1980 probably. At least definitely pre-1985. The main thing I remember is it’s extremely sad. I think it has watercolor illustrations. And it’s about how elephants bury their dead and (I think) always remember where they are buried and even go back to visit.
I remember it as a story, but it’s so sad, I suppose it could have also been a non fiction picture book.
If you have any thoughts on what it might be, would love to hear.

354I: An American lawyer in Myanmar (Solved!)

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I do seem to recall that the title was in two parts separated by a colon and may have had the word pressure or oppression in the title. It may have been a play on words.

This was a memoir about an American woman who found out her boyfriend was cheating on her and moved to Myanmar. I believe she started working as a lawyer to a higher up government official. She does a bunch of exploring the island, getting used to the heat, and dating maybe 2-3 different guys. I seem to remember there were many scenes in which she was at a local restaurant/bar and uses “phonetic” spelling to convey the accent of the server/local women.

This is driving me crazy! Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. I actually didn’t even enjoy this book, but I did read it years ago and can’t remember for the life of me what it’s called.

353W: Hoaxes and Frauds Collection for Kids

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I am looking for a book I got in a school book order around 1978-1983, either Scholastic or the other one (Troll, was it?) It was a collection of short accounts of historical hoaxes, like the Piltdown Man, the Cardiff Giant, the War of the Worlds radio broadcast, the New York Sun reports of life on the moon — I think it even had Howard Hughes’s autobiography. I have searched library catalogs and Ebay for “Hoaxes and Frauds,” but I see a book that is far too recent for me to have bought it in elementary school.