Author Archives: admin

328N: Four Elements Represented By Four Girls

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I’m looking for a book published between 1980 and 1995. It’s about 4 girls representing the 4 elements (air, water, fire, earth). It’s told mainly from the point of view of the fire element, I believe. She might be called the fire brand but I’m not sure. The girls have to connect and retie the knot of elements that is holding the earth. There is a very vivid description of the knot, and the four colors of the cords making it. This book might be part of a series and it might be considered young adult.

328M: Adventures Of Royal Fairy Family (Solved!)

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I am trying to remember a book I read back in about the late 90s. Here is everything about the book I can recall.
The book was printed in green ink, to include the illustrations.
The story was about a fairy (I think) that was able to ride on clouds. I think the name was Mica or Micah. He went to a kingdom of humans and met a princess. The princess’ kingdom had lost a war with the other kingdom and was being taken to be married to the ugly princess of the other kingdom.
The fairy arranges the escape of the princess and takes her to his world. While there, they arrange to get married.  They have two children, a son and a daughter.
The book continues with the lives of the children. The son ends up saving a princess from a curse and marries her. The daughter makes friends with a knight and a dragon. An angry mob goes after the dragon. The knight helps defend the dragon. The knight and the daughter marry.
It was a bit of a strange book.
The writing level from what I remember was the same as the Harry Potter books.
I wish you luck.

328L: Fatherless Girl Protects Younger Brother

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Appreciate your help with this book I started reading, but did not finish.  There is a young girl who is protecting a younger brother and I think the father dies(d).  Everyday it’s a trial to go to the bakery and get bread and return home without being beaten and/or raped.  Believe there is also danger from some beast or maybe a wolf.  It’s not modern times but maybe medieval or a time of tribes.  Feel pretty certain the author is well known.  I thought it was Picoult but that doesn’t seem to work out. Maybe King?

328K: English Puritan Girl With Golden Hair In The Sun

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I am trying to find a children’s book that I read and enjoyed (obviously) many years ago. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the title, author, or even the main characters’ names! What I do remember: it was historical, set in Holland in the early 1600s, when English Puritans were living there. The main character was an English girl, probably around 16. She became friends with a local girl about the same age, and that girl’s older brother. And her hair was a darkish blonde, but was more golden in the sun, only she couldn’t carry the sun around with her! Any ideas? It would have been published at least 40 years ago, probably more.

328J: Topsy Turvy (Solved!)

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This was a book passed to me by my mother in the early 1950s. I think it might have been published in the early 20’s-40s maybe? It was a small book in size, grayish cover, with real photos. As I remember it, there was a young girl (maybe blond with curls) in a hospital. She got her name Topsy Turvy because she had to be hung in some manner that put her upside down, maybe? I believe she was an orphan and was eventually adopted – similar to “Daddy Long Legs”. The only reason I think this is a different book from that is I clearly remember a lot of hospital pictures in it.

My mother was a nursing student in Boston in the early 40s so it maybe it was something they produced?

328I: Boy Destroys “Talking” Gorilla Costume

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I read a book when I was between 9-12, I’m 38 now, I’m not sure if that helps with the timeline, I borrowed it from my grandma but it wasn’t really old, and it was paperback.
There was a little boy, maybe 11, he found a gorilla/orangutan costume (but enough for a grown man) and he started to believe it was talking to him. I remember him holding his hands over candle flames and if I’m remembering correctly, he ended up destroying the costume in the end by throwing it in the fire.
It would be amazing if you can find it, it’s been bothering me for years! Thank you again for your time and I look forward to hearing back!!

328G: Rich Cat And Poor Cat in New Orleans

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Trying to remember title of a children’s fiction book set in New Orleans. Read in the 80s. One rich white fluffy groomed cat and one thin scruffy chimney sweep cat. Illustrations in black-and-white. Title may have been in blue foil. White cat may have lived on St. Charles Avenue.

Illustrations may have been somewhat similar to Black and White illustrations in Roald Dahl’s  books. Shaded gray, a little messy.

328F: Terrorist plot foiled by mismatched federal agents

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I listened to an audiobook from a library a couple years ago and have been searching for several years for it, but have been unable to find it. The library has torn itself apart trying to find it and I have physically gone through every audiobook but still can’t find it.

Here is what I remember:
The book starts out in Washington.  A terrorist plot is discovered by a female agent, FBI?, and is brought to the appropriate gov agency. The director knows that this is an extremist op and calls in a recently retired/parted CIA or some other black ops agent.  He has had his fill and is reluctant to take the mission but makes a deal that  this really will be his last mission.  He grudgingly accepts the mission and they are sent undercover to Europe/England to track down and kill the terrorist quietly. I think it was sanctioned by the President. He is an “off the books” guy and is not tied down by following the law while the female agent is by the books. She slowly learns what it takes to accomplish their mission and slowly warms to the guy. They have to use fake names, fake credits, and stay off the grid while tracking the terrorist, as I think the terrorists found out about it and began tracking them. I remember they try to buy some guns from some Eastern European gangsters and get into a shootout in a London garage when the deal goes bad. He has to use his contacts to get around and to track terrorists. I know they rented a seedy hotel room and he went out to get food and a burner phone and someone came to attack them while she was alone. They had to deal with the underworld trying to get info on the terrorist. I think the book ends when they catch-up with the terrorist attack around the London eye(ferris wheel?). The terrorist may have been a suicide bomber with a dirty bomb, but can’t remember for sure..
For some reason I thought it was written by a female author but I have searched every female action/suspense writer and have not found it.  All I listen to is spy/action novels and the title must have popped out when scanning the titles but it wasn’t obvious.

328E: Piano player from 1910’s meets girl from present

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I read this book sometime in 80’s or early 90s. A young girl recently graduated from high school or boarding school is invited to spend the summer before college with a distant cousin who lives in an old house somewhere in the Midwest. I believe the girl is recently orphaned and has been left financially set. She starts to hear a piano playing at night and when she dons an Edwardian dress one night, She meets and falls in love with a young man from the 1910’s who loves ragtime music. I can’t remember if they meet through time slip or if he is a ghost. When she finds out he left for Europe on the eve of World War I, she decides to delay college and travel to Europe to find out what happened to him or perhaps find him. I remember her wearing bell bottoms. Been looking for this book for a long time and would appreciate any leads.