It was a book I read in the 80s about a boy or a boy and girl who lived in a bubble/bunker or enclosed community because the world had been destroyed by pollution or a nuclear war. They eventually find their way out and find the world recovered and beautiful.
I remember reading a book in elementary school (sometime around 1990 – 1995 or so) about a young boy who may or may not have had some kind of disability but had very few or no friends. I think it may have had to do with him making friends with a young girl that was more ‘normal’ but could understand his unique qualities.
The big part of the book that sticks out to me was that he kept having funerals for his imaginary friends and would bury them with a stone or something like that as a symbol of the imaginary friend. I also think there was a tin box that he kept the stones or his toy soldiers in or something.
Also, it took place in summer (I almost want to think it was called The Summer of the ….. but I know there is a different book called The Summer of the Swans that I might be confusing part of it with), little toy soldiers were possibly a symbol or theme that occurred in the book. And I think the book concluded with the boy having some sort of personal growth and or discovery and no longer having funerals for his imaginary friends. (Maybe because he now can have real friends??)
I even have an image in my mind where the toy soldiers were part of the illustration on the cover of the book, but I am not sure about that.
One more thing, even though it contained a little bit of dark imagery (imaginary friend funerals) I remember the book just felt so atmospheric and beautiful and I was really moved at reading something that produced such subtle emotions in me.
I think there is a scene in the book where the girl is drawing ball point pen tattoos on someone (herself?) him? or I might be mixed up with another thing. Because when we were given a poetry assignment I recreated that scene in our back garden sitting on a stone and wrote a poem with the line ‘drawing ball point pen tattoos in the summer heat’ and my fifth grade teacher got all excited and told me my poetry was really good.
Every few years I have tried to find this book, and I have failed after exhausting attempts over and over again. If anyone can shed light on this and resolve my dilemma of many years, I would be very grateful and very interested in buying the book!
Thank you very much!!
Paperback juvenile fiction from the 1970s about kids who install a fan in their tree house and accidentally turn it into a helicopter. Among the kids is the son of the ambassador from a fictitious Latin American country.
Picture book I read as a child in the mid to late 1970s: A boy is challenged to eat an enormous mound of mashed potatoes. At first he thinks it is impossible. But with a small spoon, just one little bite at a time, he completes his task.
I loved this chapter book in the 1970s. It took place during a much earlier era. A coal mine in, I believe, Wales is closing which employs most of the people in the town. The town children are afraid of what will happen to the ponies that work in the mine pulling the coal carts. They want to “retire” the ponies to a field. The parents are worried about losing their jobs and don’t have the money to help the children save the ponies. I believe the children make an appeal to the wealthy owner of the mine, who is sympathetic. There may also be descriptions of the miners being sick, and of a canary dying from gas in the mine. I remember this book having the same kind of feel to it as “The Wheel on the School.” Thanks everyone for your help!
I can not remember if the book itself is from the 80’s or if it was a bit older. ( I was given it in the 80’s) I’m not 100% sure if it had “Mother Goose” in title. It had all the classic fairy tales with illustrations. I know for sure it had Gustave Dore’s illlustration for Cinderella as well as Walter Crane’s for Beauty and the Beast. These illustrations were the ones I remember being in the book.
I’m looking for a short story I read years ago about a girl from a well-off family who snuck out while everyone in her house was napping. She walked around until she found some kids from a less well-off family playing in the street. She played with them and was entranced by the fact that they didn’t have adults following them every minute, and by their different language patterns and food. Eventually, the little girl’s nurse (nanny) showed up to take her home. The kids she was playing with were fascinated by the little girl referring to the nanny as her nurse. They asked if she was sick because she had a nurse, but she explained that the nurse just took care of her.
Children’s book, fiction. Hardback full illustration with words. I saw this book at library 3+ years ago. My daughter was attracted by the cover and took it out to read. There was a little girl who saw something in a store window (hat, but maybe purse, dress, doll, jewelry item?). Girl thought it was beautiful and really wanted it. One day snooty girl she didn’t like was looking through the shop window at the item, as well, and the poor girl was trying to figure out how get the item but the snooty girl bought it first. The little girl who wanted it was very upset, and ended up getting wise advice from a parent or grandparent (can’t remember) who comforted her. My daughter was so sad she didn’t get the item, that we put the book away. Now I’m sorry! What a lesson in coping with these moments when we realize we can’t have it all!
The children’s book I’m looking for was read to me in the late 60’s early 70s. It was about a dalmatian who wanted to be a fire dog but had no spots. Thanks.
A young, shy, and lonely girl visits her (aunt, grandmother, ?) for the summer. She cuts her long hair, referred to as “her glory,” that her mother refused to let her cut. After she cuts her hair, she experiences a “freeing” self confidence boost. I read this probably in the late 60s to 70s.