Author Archives: admin

347J: Emperor’s son’s birthday wish is for all citizens to shout at same time but no one does

7 Replies

This is a book I bring up endlessly when fretting about voting patterns and bystander effect. I no longer can believe whether I really read this book as a small child or not! I recall that it took place in an Asian nation, illustrations were styled after Chinese landscape painting, I recall lots of red color. The emperor's son wants for his birthday to hear what it sounds like when everyone in the nation shouts out at the same time. Horse-riding messengers are sent all over the land to inform the populace to comply, but when the time comes to shout as one, everyone assumes that someone else will do it, so the end result is no one shouts and there is silence over the land.

347I: A book named Toby? (Solved!)

1 Reply

I remember the cover was white with a monochromatic pencil-style drawing of a rundown old house with a bit of grass/ground in the foreground.
A lonely, rejected boy named Toby is forced into this spooky house by bullies, I believe near Halloween. The boy is 12? Possibly younger? I’m sure his name is Toby, and that is likely the name of the book, but I can’t find it by that title anywhere.
He has to spend the night in this old house because the bullies block/locked the doors. I believe he was locked in the attic? Or stayed there overnight. He learned that his fears are in his head and he needn’t fear his imagination.
I read it before 1980, so it would be at least that old, but not much older.
It isn’t long, or large. It might even be a short story, but I’ve not been able to find one by that title that fits the story either.
The cover reminded me of Where the Sidewalk Ends in style of drawing.

347H: Clearing Out the Trees

Leave a reply

Looking for a children’s book circa early 1970s. Don’t remember a title or subject. Clearing the wood and trees being cut down. I think the title has the mans name in it. Mr. ? Farm. There is a picture of man in overalls sitting on the stump of a tree and stumps of trees in the back ground

347G: Children’s novels about Ancient Egypt – Akhenaten

2 Replies

There are two or three novels (more like junior high/high school novels - called YA today) in a series.  All about Akhenaten and his decision to worship the one god, Aten.  He and Nefertiti had several daughters, one named Merriaten?  Tutankhamen, who began life as Tutankhaten, was also in the later novels.  Very romanticized.  No plural marriage mentioned.

347F: Beautifully Illustrated Book Somewhat Scary/Morbid (Solved!)

2 Replies

I am looking for a book that I read as a child. I grew up in the 80s so it was published before then. It was a somewhat scary and morbid story about a little girl in the woods. I believe something happened with her parents and she was alone. What I most remember is the illustrations were absolutely beautiful. I think the girl’s name was something with an M – Milly, Mildred, Millicent, etc.
The book was so creepy it was almost not for kids.

347E: The wizard, the chalice, and a wizardess that talks to trees

3 Replies

I read this circa 1997-98 and it was from a used bookstore even then. Unfortunately, I lost track of it around 2003 and I don’t recall the title or author but I remember the plot pretty well.

It’s fantasy novel about a wizard; book starts with his training difficulties and at some point he gets terrible burn scars on his back. Time jump to him on a quest with other companions in search of a chalice. A noblewoman running from home stumbles into the mess but her hidden gift allows her save his life when he’s overwhelmed by the chalice’s defenses, though they are now bound together. After they both recover (separately; she was returned to her family) in the capital city, the country is at war from an attacking neighbor. The noblewoman makes friends with a young girl with a large purple birthmark on her face; she has also developed more magic, though she had always been able to talk to trees (she had run away from home because of her abusive father who hated magic). When the royal family is killed by a poisoned mist, the noblewoman’s young friend turns out to be a princess and becomes the next ruler. The noblewoman finds herself elevated to royal advisor.

The previous king didn’t trust the wizard because he was afraid of him, but the princess-turned-queen will listen to him because she trusts the noblewoman. The noblewoman moves into the wizard’s tower to learn magic; meanwhile the war is still going on.

In the end the wizard uses the chalice and sacrifices himself to defeat the enemy’s powerful mage. But due to the bond between them, the noblewoman-turned-wizard can still see him in the “other world” so she’s not alone.

Thanks again for your time!

347D: Cruel Soot Turns Good

1 Reply

Hello all. I’ve been racking my brain for years over this one and I need some help. I remember my first grade teacher reading this kids’ chapter book to us in increments during class in the mid-90s, but I can’t recall many of the details. It’s bugged me to death for years.

Here’s what I can remember: The protagonist is female, probably an older kid or teenager. The book is written in third person and in English. The setting was a fantasy pre-modern city or town. Could be Victorian-esque, but maybe earlier or later. The villain is a cruel, miserable guy named (or nicknamed) Soot who wears all black and is feared throughout the area. I think he drives some kind of carriage or wagon but I’m not sure. The story opens with a king taking his last breath and then dying. The story ends with Soot turning good and joining the heroes in some kind of magic they’ve learned, and the protagonist falls asleep listening to their incantations. I think said incantations involve groups of three unrelated words, and the very last one mentioned was “dictionary”. The most frequently suggested titles, Awful Auntie and Keys to the Kingdom, are not the ones. I know this isn’t much to go on, but anyone who manages to put this to rest will have my gratitude.

347C: Book series about a magic school for teens

2 Replies

The first book has a scene where the student almost dies due to a werewolf-like creature and is saved and recruited to a magic school. The school has a sanctuary for animals. The cooks at the school are Bob the troll and a hag who tries to eat the students on occasion. The main character learns how to the fight the werewolf-like creatures. The students play soccer on a magic field that changes (hills are added to the field during play). In one scene, the main character is in an art gallery and is almost killed, and the school is under attack in the last book of the series

347B: Rough Tough Gruff Pirates

2 Replies

I am looking for a children’s book that my children adored but I can not remember the title or author.

It was a pirate story from the late 80’s or early 90’s  My son was born in 1988 and we had a family mantra from this book: “We’re rough, we’re tough, we’re gruff gruff gruff” or perhaps “We’re gruff, we’re rough we’re tough tough tough.”

Good luck, you are me last hope.

347A: Peace/Anti-Nuclear Chunky White book with Colourful Stick People

Leave a reply


Just thought of this book today because it seems somewhat prophetic given the more recent school strikes for climate, referencing it not being fair that it’s the children having to be the ones to make the grown-ups wake up! I think the subject was about nuclear bombs more than environment, nuclear threat being the threat of the day in the UK in 1980s/early 90s.

The book is very striking, minimalist and arty, the cover and pages being mainly white, with few words, and many small colourful stick people (each max 1” high).
I’m not sure which age range it was aimed at, could be teens or young adults or just any adults.
It is written naively as if by children for adults.
The format is large and chunky, perhaps about 8 - 9” wide by 10 - 12” tall and 1 - 2” thick. The cover as mentioned is white with some colourful stick people.
I think I bought in UK (tho could possibly have been in the USA) in the early 1990s (so published no later than 1992).
I cannot remember the title but I think it MIGHT have ‘Peace' in it… but it might not!!

It would be great to find it again.
Thanks for your help.