Author Archives: admin

299G: They grow young as they age

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I am looking for the name of a book I read close to 20 years ago as a child. It’s one of the books that made me fall in love with reading and I’ve never been able to find it. Some of the details may be off as it was so long ago but- a brother and sister somehow end up on a far away island. And while they’re there they realize everyone has great respect for the children and the children are very well spoken and wise. But these people it turns out are born out of caves old, and they grow young as they age. That’s about all I can re-call. Thanks for your help!

299E: Pre-Revolutionary War historical fiction trilogy read in the early 1970s

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As I remember this trilogy it starts shortly before  the French and Indian War and follows the generations of the family through the war of 1812.  I think the main character in the first book is named Adam.  The family owns a farm.  A key scene I remember is when someone is dying of a fever and their family member takes pity on them and gives them water to comfort them even though it is strictly against the doctor’s orders– the medical practice being so wrong really made an impression on me.  I took these three books out of the Park Ridge, IL public library when I was in junior high and read them several times.   I think they were written in the early sixties but it could be earlier.  There are a lot of descriptions of colonial life and the generational tensions about fighting in wars.  They were longer and more advanced reading than Johnny Tremain.

299D: An illustrated non-fiction book of dog breeds from the 70s or 80s

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This was a perhaps slightly oversized paperback book with illustrations of different dog breeds.  I believe the cover had a green border. I’ve been been poking around online to see if I could find an old copy with no luck.  So far the closest thing I’ve found that’s similar are the illustrations from How Why Wonder Books Dogs Wild Animals Irving Robbin Martin Keen, 1962.

The illustrations were grouped in a certain way on the page, similar to these (but it wasn’t these books):

 

It’s not impossible that our paperback was a reprint of a 1960s book.  There were no photographs in the book, and very little (if any) information about the care of dogs.  It wasn’t very wordy.  We got it at a garage sale in Michigan in the 1980s.

299C: He sucked up all the water with his mouth

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I would like to find a children’s book I read around 1965.  I was born in 1956. I do not recall the title.  It was hard cover, I think it had a book jacket. The dominate color was red.

The subject was Chinese fishermen, about 20 of them, trying to catch fish in a lake with no luck.  One of the men decided to suck up all of the water with his mouth, and his belly expanded immensely.

The fishermen were then able to run out into the dry lake bed and pick up all of the fish which were just lying there.

 

299B: Abandoned Gothic Mansion Mystery (Solved)

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I read this book late 90’s / early 2000’s (1998-2002), but the book could have been written any time in the 90’s.  I know it was a mystery book aimed at 10-15 year olds, the main character was a boy who was about 13.  (there may have been a female character too)  The boy explores / investigates this abandoned gothic mansion, coming across clues as he does so.  One of the clues is the word “Boss Stone” which eventually he realizes is the architecture term (“knob or protrusion of stone or wood”).  He realizes that there is a “boss stone” located on the ceiling in the main room of the mansion, and once he gets access to it there is something hidden behind it.  The only other part i remember is that the building is haunted / guarded by this cloaked figure that has a tentacle.

299A: Medina Textbook (Solved)

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A reading textbook used in Medina City Schools around 52-54 or so. (I already checked with them, they have no record) This described pioneer life-how soap was made, how wool was carded into yarn, how cloth was dyed. The book followed a little boy around in pioneer times and daily life for him.

298Y: Wee Beastie

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The book is a children’s book, found in Denmark in 1965, possibly originally Japanese, if so then published somewhat earlier.

A tiny Scotsman encounters Nessie the Loch Ness Monster. Far from being afraid be becomes her friend and calls her “Wee Beastie.”

 

298X: The sky was purple all the time

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I am looking for a book I read in 4th grade ~(1975). The book was fiction. It took place in a fantasy world. The sky was purple all the time in this fantasy world. Unfortunately, I don’t remember much more than that.

Let me know if you have any thoughts on what it might be. For the longest time I thought it was a Judy Bloom book, but now I don’t think it is.