Author Archives: admin

348N: Fern of the Forest?

I’m trying to find a picture book from the 90s about a girl who lives in a town where they only make dog houses. She runs away to the forest because she doesn’t want to make dog houses, and she builds an amazing tree house with the help of the forest animals. For some reason I remember the title as “Fern of the Forest” but that might be completely wrong.

348M: Kids Timer Afterlife House Purgatory

I read this book maybe around 2010, and it follows a duo of kids – I think they were brother and sister. At the start of the story there was some accident like a plane crash or something and then they are like taken to a different world. They are taken to a super awesome house, were they can get whatever they want, though at some point they realize a man who had a box with a timer on it like dies or something when it expires. This causes them to panic and travel to a purgatory type place where people go so their time stops. While they are there, time seems to like pass weird and without realizing it, 2 weeks pass and they are still there. The whole place is known to give off like bad energy so its just fill of miserable people moping around not doing anything – too afraid their timers will expire. There was one specific part I remember and that was the girl talking about how one of the girls was eating a sandwich with mustard, and I just always thought it was gross the way it was talked about.

348K: Fat girl runs away from home by taking canoe to an island and living in the forest

I think I read this in the 4th grade (I was born in 1979). This girl was really unhappy at home, so she took a boat and rowed away to an island. On the island she learned to fend for herself. She made a cozy home either in a kind of dug out, or a hollowed out tree. She survives the winter, and eventually returns home feeling much better about herself because she has lost weight and is independent.

348J: A Girl & Her Cat


I have been trying to find a book that I adored in my elementary school days (2nd/3rd grade) to display in my 4th-grade classroom. I remember the cover was in a sepia brownish tone with an illustration of a water well and a cat. I recall the book being about a little girl, a cat, and something to do with a water well. Also, I have a memory of the little girl luring ants onto a string with honey. I think she may have lived with her aunt. I have done several searches for a few years without luck, and my friend told me about your bookstore, so I thought I would give it a shot.

348I: Teenage French Pilot – Red Dragon

The book I’m looking for is about a young boy (early teens) in post World War 2 France. There is a tavern called the Red Dragon and I know it’s referenced in the title of the book. The plot is this young man foiling attempts by Nazi survivors to sabotage various historical events, including the Cuban missile crisis. The young Frenchman makes personal friends with JFK and goes on to save his life several times from ex-Nazis. The boy’s parents were part of the French resistance and the secret society of the red dragon. That’s all I can remember.

348G: Stories for Five Year Olds

My Stumper request is for a book entitled either “Stories for Five Year Olds” or “Five Year Old Stories”. I purchased this as a paperback in the 1990’s.

Short stories include “A Drink of Water”, “Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf” and “The Little Boy and His House”.  This was a favorite book of my daughters when they were young. I’m now trying to find it for my granddaughter. Your assistance is greatly appreciated!

348E: Girl With a Red Star

I’m trying to find a children’s book that is about a young girl who doesn’t want to get older. She is coming up on her birthday and climbs in the door jams of her house to prove she can still do the things she could do when she was younger. She paints a red star over one eye and I feel like her name might be Nora?

348F: Sam and the Seashore


Looking for a children's picture book written in the 1980s, possibly late 70s or early 90s. The book we had was hard-backed, medium sized average children's book. NOT a toddler or baby book. Illustrations were colorful, and detailed. Almost resembled Where's Waldo but not quite as intense. Images included illustrations of beach animals, shells and sand. and I remember beach trash was involved as well. The main character was a bald or short haired white boy. He might of had a dog. I am almost positive that the boy's name was Sam, Sammy or Samuel. I also remember that he doesn't like the beach at first, and at some point in the plot, he has a problem with an octopus. That's all I can remember. Both my sisters and I vividly remember this book, but cannot find it anywhere. We thought it was called something to the effect of "Sam and the Seashore" but a google search yields absolutely no results. It's been driving us nuts! Please help!