Looking for name/author of a kids book from early 70s about a boy who dresses up as a tiger, but the book is written like he IS a tiger. He lays "on a tree branch" (actually the back of the sofa, I think), scares his sister, etc. At the end, he finally takes off the costume and goes to sleep. I think the artwork was pen and ink and the cover was orange, but I can't be positive after all this time.
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319N: Stories Where Teenagers Reflect on Becoming Adults
I read a collection of short stories in the late 80’s (maybe very early 90’s.) The stories from the collection that impacted me involved teenage girls coming of age. One story involved two teenage girls shoplifting at a Woolworth’s (this helps date the collection maybe.) There was a story of a teenager babysitting some little girls whose mother was in the hospital after a terrible car accident. The mother passes away during the time the young woman was babysitting. She must act as an adult to break the news (or not) to the girls. This story had mermaids within the title. Another story involved a young woman at a wedding in a faux chalet-like event space. She goes off by herself (in a bridesmaid dress?) to have a moment alone reflecting on her new near-adulthood when some creep exposes himself to her. I’m unsure if the collection was classified as YA, but the stories definitely resonated with me as teenager at the time.
319M: Woman Swims With the Rats, Visits California
I read a book in the late nineties or early two thousands about a woman who makes an unexpected trip to California with her daughter to visit her estranged sister (I think she may have found out her husband was having an affair, but can’t quite remember).
The teenage daughter had suffered from anorexia in the past, the sister was a failed actress. The daughter does a screen test for a movie about Joan of Arc while they’re in Hollywood. The three of them stay in someone’s fancy house in a wooded area (the Redwoods maybe) and the mother has an affair with the caretaker, whose life motto is Carpe Diem and who lives in an old fire tower.
At the beginning of the book the main character describes trapping rats in/near her house and releasing them in the creek behind the house, and then swimming in the creek with the rats. She also describes getting ready for a party (a work function for her husband?) and not having time to wash her hair after the swim in the creek, so she just slicked her hair back, went without makeup (she describes her coppery freckles), bright red lipstick, and a flower behind her ear.
319L: Short story sci-fi, mutants compete to cause most suffering
From 70s or 80s. Group of normal seeming people can influence others to violence. Once a year they get together with scrapbooks and show how much war and death they have caused. The worst one “wins.” Protagonist is one of them but tired of hurting and killing. She refuses to use her powers. They gang up on her and the new contest is who can eliminate her. Her trusted butler tries to kill her under their influence. Sorry, I know this one is kind of a downer.
319K: Daughter of Veterinarian helps rescue hoarded animals (Solved!)
Paperback, probably from Scholastic in mid-70s. The veterinarian’s daughter helps rescue a trailer of hoarded animals. Her father’s girlfriend helps and gets completely overwhelmed by the suffering, which makes the girl like her more. The girl refers to herself as an iron hand in a wool mitten. She dates a boy who likes Bartok. Any help appreciated.
319J: Brother And Sister Confront Scary Beings
I am looking for a book with two main characters, a brother and sister, and the sister is named Lorna. I forget the brother’s name. I’m pretty sure it was a scary or mystery book about a witch or ghosts. Would have read it in the early 80s which means it could have been published in the 70s. Not much to go on but hoping you can help!
319I: Mid-1800’s Mystery Girl’s Biography
This book is a biography. I thought it was a Discovery book, but looking at the available titles from that series, I cannot figure out which one it is. It is a biography of a woman. She was either a niece of Henry Clay, or the Senator was family friend, so she might have been a child in the 1830s or 40s. One of the chapters in the books describes her and a friend getting into trouble, because they wanted to be fancy and they made hoop skirts out of willow branches. Also, maybe a chapter about playing at her father’s flour mill making cakes and pies – but maybe they were mud pies?
Thanks for any leads you can offer!
319H: Teenage Girl Deals With Kangaroo Court
I am looking for a book that was probably written in the 1950s or early 1960s. It was a part of my grade school library, a school that converted from a K-12 school to a K-8 in 1965 or so. The book might have been written as a young adult novel. It was about a teenage girl and her dealing with high school life (boyfriends, homework, mean girls). I do remember that one chapter was titled “The Kangaroo Court”. I do not remember the very much more about the book, but “Pink” comes to mind – either part of the title or another chapter. I hope this jogs someone’s memory!
319G: He made a face and it froze like that
I'm looking for a children's book I had in the mid-1950's about a little boy with a frown. If I remember correctly, it became frozen on his face.
319F: Island Girl Disappointed With Porcelain Doll (Solved)
A Little Golden Book (or similar style) about a young island (Polynesian?) girl. A ship's captain visiting her village gifts her with a porcelain doll. She tries to play with it as she had her own doll, but found that she couldn't get it wet, or feed it sand cakes, etc. It was a book my grandmother had, but I'm pretty sure it's not a vintage book - probably no older than the 1960's (but that's 10 year old me remembering. ) Still, I don't remember the graphics being older looking. It was the size, shape and length of a Golden Book.