I’m looking for a Christmas book I read in the 80s. It was about how Santa had a mirror & that’s how each place had a Santa. I think it was published by Avon.
320Z: Santa’s Mirrors
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320Y: Lost Doll Brought Home By Father
As a child, my wife had a book from her father (1950s+/- publication date), about a doll she loses after taking it for a bath, going on a carriage ride, having a tea party, etc. The girl’s father arrives home and goes back out into the night to look for the doll and eventually finds her and brings her home, somewhat tattered. Can you please help?
320X: Kid Has Dragon Breath
Hi, I was trying to find a book my mom used to read to me that I wanted to read to him. The book was a children’s book that the story follows a phone conversation between a mom and son and she calls him “Dragon Breath”. I thought I had found it when I found “I love you stinky face” but the story didn’t have the mother not home and calling the son (never mind calling the kid dragon breath). My mom remembers the book too because she found a picture of a dragon for my son that looked like one of the pages. I really hope you can help my find this book. Thank you
320W: Children’s anthology: Billy Goats Gruff and others
This was a hardcover anthology of stories for children. I believe it measured about 6” wide by 8” long, but I could be wrong about that.
The book contained a number of stories, but I can only remember two of them: one was the classic Three Billy Goats Gruff. In fact, I think that was the very first story in the book. I remember it had very stark illustrations; thinking about it now, they kind of remind me of Picasso’s “Guernica.”
The other was a story about making pies, and I remember it very clearly because it was the first time I’d ever heard of a mince pie.
320V: Snail says slug needs to get a house
Dear Stump-Solvers, I'd love to find a children's book I read to my kids in the late 80s-early 90s. Here's what I remember: A slug is moving along and ridiculed by a snail, because the slug doesn't have a shell. The slug suffers a loss of confidence and sadly slimes along. I remember the slime to cross hot pavement. SPOILER: Eventually the slug meets another slug and is happy. Thank you!
320U: Wizard Teaches Children Life Lessons (Solved)
1968 – 1970 I read a book about 4 children (2 boys, 2 girls) who lived on the edge of a wood. Their ages ranged from 8 – 12-ish. The setting was not a specific geographical location although the story was written as realistic fiction… with a bit of fantasy thrown in. I believe the author and publisher are English (from Great Britain) because of where I was living at the time and the phraseology used.
Each Saturday the children would visit a wise old man (wizard ?) who lived in the woods behind their home, at the top of a magical tree. His quaint little cabin in the tree was never visible to adults, only children. During each visit, the children would ask what special “place” or “kingdom” had stopped at the top of the tree, which could be reached by climbing a ladder (inside his living room) that went up into the clouds that would settle on top of the tree.
Each chapter in the book told a new adventure the children had in the different magical places that stopped for brief time periods at the top of the tree. Each adventure also taught the children a life skill, or a positive character trait.
One such adventure was of a Carnival, where everyone was riding rides, playing games, purchasing trinkets and sweets. But, the children soon discovered that in this place they could not purchase anything for themselves, but only for someone else. They realized they must work together and pair up to enjoy the day by learning what each other would like and then making the purchases for the other person. At the end of the day, when they come back down the ladder to the wise man’s living room, he talks with them about what they learned.
I wish I could recall other adventures, but it HAS been 50 years!
I believe the book was newly published at the time, so circa 1966-68?
Here’s hoping that someone knows (or can find) the title/author.
320T: Kid Wants To Solve Mystery
In the 90s my class read a book about murder mystery. Maybe just a mystery. I think his uncle was killed but not really. I want to say he had an uncle Sam or he was born on Fourth of July. He went to a hotel and questions everyone everything. It was my first mystery book.
320S: Owl Tells True Story Of Christmas
Hello, I am looking for a Christmas book from when I was a child. The story is about a brother and sister staying at their grandparents for Christmas. The girl is spoiled and when she doesn’t get what she wants for Christmas, she throws a tantrum and walks out of the house. She walks to a barn where she hears voices, she looks inside and sees an owl telling the barn animals the true story of Christmas, and when they see her, they invite her to come in and hear the story. The book cover is bright electric blue with barn animals and star on one side and then a house decorated on the other. Thank you so much for your help!
320R: Four strangers find faith in tornado
Christian novel published no later than the early 2000s, possibly earlier. Paperback cover was dark blue or black with a horizontal photo of four tornadoes closing in on a church tower. The premise centers around four strangers (two men and two women) who are mysteriously summoned to a small town called Haven. One of the strangers is a man named Gabe who has some attitude/anger/commitment issues, and another is a housewife who feels stuck in her life. When they arrive in Haven, they are all shown to hotel rooms that mysteriously match their personalities; for example, one woman finds CDs to her favorite Broadway musicals, including Cats. During their stay, they all undergo various tests of faith which culminates in a church tower being surrounded by four tornadoes -- only those with faith in God escape with their lives as they all confront the issues that have been holding them back. Scattered details I remember: - One of the four strangers meets a young man named Art (it's possible that Art tries to rob a gas station in Haven, then finds himself unable to leave town?), and together they break into the local school. Art sees a sign light up that spells "A-R-T" and thinks God is trying to tell him something. - Toward the end of their stay in Haven, they're invited to a banquet with all of their favorite meals. Gabe's favorite foods are all described as "starch city." (The things that stick with you. . . ) - At the end of the book, everyone returns to their homes, only to discover that the town called Haven never existed on any map/in any history book. It's heavily implied, if not outright stated, that their guide(s) in Haven was an angel. Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I've been searching for this book for years to no avail!
320Q: Fairy Tale Book(s?) From 70’s Or 80’s
I am trying to identify one or two books from the following two images (I cannot remember if they are clues to two books or if they are both from the same one.)
I remember a rather thick book with a mix of fairy stories, myths & legends from around the world, probably printed in the 1970’s or 1980’s. (I was born in 1981.)
The first image is of my Grandma reading us a book, although it is blurry.
The second image, is a sketch by me of a calligraphy detail in the book, on a title page, I think, which I loved to trace as a child.
I am trying to identify the book(s) represented in each of these photographs, whether they are one in the same or two similar books with collections of stories. If you could help solve the mystery, I would be much obliged.
Please find the two picture clues below:
