I am searching for a children’s book. I have done exhaustive googling and have spent hours at antique stores. It was about a girl, a black-haired/cat glasses-wearing neighbor with a broken leg sitting in a lounge chair, an exchange of a stone, and a surprise birthday party. I would love to find it
I’m not sure, but this has enough elements in common that I thought I’d throw the suggestion out there!
Try The Peculiar Miss Pickett, by Nancy Julian. There’s definitely a broken leg (although I think it was one of the children) a magical neighbor with glasses who babysits, a stone and a surprise birthday party.