Children’s picture(?) book with fantasy stories involving nontraditional families. There is one story where an evil monarch makes it illegal to have anything other than a mother and a father raising children.
I remember reading a picture book when I was a kid, it was a story about a boy who lived in a snowy area and he was searching for his father. Along the journey, he defeats an animal and uses its horns/claws/teeth? And uses them to skate across a frozen lake bed and finds his father. The boy was relieved to find his father, but the father told him that it was too late, that he had run out of time or something. The book was fairly short, unfortunately that’s all I remember from the story. I remember reading it sometime around 1992-1999, when I was in elementary school, but no idea when the book itself was published. I have always remembered the book every Christmas, but could never find it.
Other details that I can think of is that the story initially starts off with the boy and his mother in a wooden cabin as she is preparing dinner(?). The boy asks the mom where the father is and eventually goes out to look for him.
Please let me know if you require any more details, I will be sure to let you know if I can remember anything else.
The book I am looking for is one I checked out from the Louisville free public library in the 1960s.
The story was about a family moving west in a covered wagon. (This is not the Laura Ingalls Wilder story)
The family faced hardships and trials. It was a children’s chapter book with an orange cover that I believe had a covered wagon on the cover.
I know chimney rock was mentioned as a landmark in the book. I have looked many times for this book and would like to read it again. In contrast to the little house books, it was a bit more graphic, mentioning things like animal skeletons and tombstones along the trail.
It was fascinating and dramatic. I know this is vague, but would truly appreciate if you could find it. It has been gone from LFPL for many, many years.
The book that I have been unsuccessfully searching for is a book of short stories for girls that was published in the mid 1960’s. I recall purchasing it at a school book fair, most likely in junior high. The stories were mostly coming of age stories for teenage girls. One story told of a girl who did not fit in in high school, and she wanted new clothes that she believed would help. I remember she wanted to buy “shoes that look like ballet slippers and a string of pearls. I seem to recall that she also played the piano. Another story was about a girl who felt very unattractive and her dad said something to the effect of she was not a pretty girl but she was going to be a beautiful woman. I have searched for this collection of short stories for many years and have found many collections, but not this particular one. I would be very grateful if you might have any information about this elusive book. Thank you for any suggestions you may have.
For years I’ve thought about a short story I read some time between 1997 and 2007. I’d estimate 2000 – 2006. I imagine it was in Harpers, Atlantic, or New Yorker. I’ve never been able to find it.
In the story there are two girls. I think English, maybe Canadian. They are in the woods and they see some horrible creature. I think a worm, a giant worm.
Then it’s 60 years later and the narrator sees the girl, now all grown up, at a sight-seeing visit.
The atmosphere really affected me. I was reminded of Alice Munro and then I suppose later of “My Brilliant Friend” by Ferrante.
I can’t find it because googling ‘worm’ or ‘monster’ or ‘two girls’ gives too many silly hits.
Any sleuths out there?
1930’s (?) book about slightly weird lady with a pet puffin or puffins. She traveled around the world with the puffins carrying her. I read this frequently as a child in the ’60s at my grandmother’s house. I assume it had been my mothers (hence the dating to the 30’s). As I remember, she was dressed in more or less Victorian style.
Looking for a children’s book which my mom read to me so many times that she memorized the verses below. The time frame could be anywhere from the early 80’s back to the 40’s. “When a cement truck travels, it mixes water, sand and gravel. When it’s travels are complete, it’s full of freshly made concrete. ” “When someone’s in trouble, the police get a call. The police car can get there in no time at all. It’s flashing lights and siren say, ‘I’m in a hurry. Get out of the way!'” It appears to be about service vehicles. I’ve tried Google searches but came up with nothing. Any help is greatly appreciated!
A YA book like Beautiful Joe but is the story of an abused horse. The horse’s name may be Charlie. Looked up Five o’ clock Charlie but it doesn’t seem right, seems too happy (is there anything about him being abused by a first owner?). I can’t give any more detail as I never read it. I want to buy it as a present for a friend who read it as a child, he’s in his mid 40s.
The book I read somewhere early 70’s, young black girl explores deserted mansion through a secret entrance, ends up solving mystery of the heiress that disappeared and Dad becomes ‘keeper’ of house/museum.
Looking for a children’s picture book, possibly published between 1970 and 1990.
The book is about a child going into a store (I think) to choose a bear. There are many to choose from which we are introduced to on the following pages, groom bear, bride bear, stinky bear, sleepy bear, etc.
In the end the child is asked “which one will you choose?” and his/her choice.