Author Archives: admin

319A: Aeronautical Adventures

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1930s or 1940s adventure books (of short stories) for boys featuring airplanes.  I remember a story that featured a crew of men attempting a record breaking non-stop (transcontinental? Transatlantic?) flight, in a 3 engine plane that could be refueled midair.  I remember a scene where one engine was shut down for in flight maintenance. 

One story featured two pilots flying an old biplane in a barnstorming content that was won because the co-pilot dumped itching powder down his partner's back.  Another featured WWII aircrew captured by Germans and they manage to escape and steal a German plane equipped with skis for the snow.  These books had belonged to my father, and were probably given to him by his uncle, who was a pilot.

318Z: Monsters In The Piano

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The title, actually the subtitle, was something like "OR, The Things in [girl's name, I think it might have been Susan]'s Piano."  It was about a girl who was bad at playing the piano, maybe willfully from refusing to practice, and inside the piano were monsters who were hurt or injured or horrified or angry or something, by her bad playing.  They may have been musical notes come to life.  It was a picture book in my elementary school library, so it was published before 1982.  Probably in the 70s.  It was sort of psychedelic and the characters were almost ugly, deliberately so.  I remember lots of teeth in big mouths.

318Y: He Fell Down In The Mud

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Greetings!  My “bookstumper” originates from a story my grandmother read to my brother and me in the 60s.  I don’t know how old the story is; I think the story might have been in an anthology of short stories.  The operative phrase is “I fell down in the mud.”  It could even be a bit of a poem, as I remember a dialogue between seemingly mother and son, as the mother rages on how could the boy have done this, how could he have gotten his clothes so dirty, etc.  After each of these Mom rages, the boy simply says, “I fell down in the mud.”  My brother and I have not been able to find hide nor hair of this on Google and other search engines.

318X: Child’s Introduction to Holland

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I am looking for a children’s book I memorized at age 3 in 1945.  I believe the title is: The Land of the Dutch, Dutch, Dutch.  I do not know the author or illustrator.  It is a child’s introduction to Holland.  As a child, I recited the book to any guests in our home.  As a teenager, I was an exchange student in Holland.

318W: Bird Family Takes Care of Young Girl (Solved!)

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Children’s book stumper!  A child is left at home by parents for a weekend or some length of time, and a neighbor who was supposed to care for her breaks leg and can’t.  Bird (maybe a Robin) hears her crying and somehow shrinks her down and brings her home for he and his bird wife to care for her.  They feed her the flower butter ‘n’ eggs. . . a catbird leaves an egg with their eggs. . . there might be a bird ball. . . she has a marvelous time and eventually goes home. . . I read it in the late 70s or early 80s but I think it was quite old then.  Thank you!

318U: Young girl travels back in time in old abandoned Victorian house

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All I can remember is that a young girl explores an old abandoned Victorian house and finds a feather bracelet. When she puts on the bracelet she goes back in time. I cannot remember what happens to her while she goes back in time. I know she does it quite a few times going back and forth.  I sure hope you can help me out on this one!

318T: A Runaway Train and a Human Cannonball, Plus More

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The book is a collection of short stories, documentaries, and possibly some poetry and such.  I remember stories about a runaway train, a human cannonball and possibly some sort of road trip.  I think there was a board game printed in the middle of the book that related to one of the other stories.  There were black and white photographs of the human cannonball performers, and they talked about knowing lots of languages and sometimes switching languages mid sentence.  I remember it having a blue cover but that may not be very applicable.
I know it was published before 1980 and probably before 1970 or possibly even in the 60s.

318S: Poor Lizbeth Jane

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Hi!  I’m searching for details about a book from the early 50’s that had a story “Poor Lizbeth Jane” in it.  I’ve been told it’s in The How and Why Program: History.  I’ve been unable to find more information than that.  Thanks!

318R: Coming of Age World War Romance

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Hello, I am looking for a book I read when I was in high school. So this would’ve been around the year 2000 to 2004. It was a coming-of-age tale of a young girl in either World War One or probably World War II. There was romance in it. I remember a very particular scene in which she was at a dance with the G.I. and she was collecting orange peels to make marmalade and they flew out of her dress. I also remember that she ended up with a character at the end who had a beard. Maybe his name was Alex? There may have been a lighthouse involved? Thanks for your help This has been driving me crazy! Not sure if it takes place in the US or in the UK.