Author Archives: admin

346P: Teen Mystery Centered Around a Library (Solved!)

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It’s set in a small town where the main girl is a young teen/pre-teen and she lives with her grandparents and her uncle who is younger than her and is basically her little brother. They go to the library in town (the mystery of the book is centered around the library) and the library has a large mural of Andrew Carnegie burning in hell because the town hated him and refused one of his Libraries and built their own with a big “f you” to him in it.

346O: Man-Hating Girl With Two Horses Named Prince and Swan

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Can’t remember the title of a book. I read it about 10-12 years ago as a child. It had an orange cover I think, and I remember the words swan, golden, or road were maybe part of the title? It’s about a young girl who lives in some sort of Middle Eastern/Asian/Russian country I believe? And she always has suitors but she rejects them in a man-hating sort of way. The most memorable part is I think she has a horse called Prince and maybe a white horse called Swan. At one point she is locked in a cave/tomb with only a jug of water and a jug of oil for lighting a candle for days on end. After that she grabs on one of the horse’s tail to pull/drag her out? I read a query on the NYPL website which may be this book, but it has not been answered. I’ll include a copy paste of the person’s query below. Thank you for taking the time to read this and search.

The NYPL Query:
I’m looking for this book,it’s a historical romance.I remember it was about a very wild girl who had sent all her suitors away by being wild.Her father decided to take matters into his own hands and summoned her ‘betrothed’ .It however turns out that there was no betrothal and the man he sent for was the son of his late best friend who is yet to be married.Her father lies to both his daughter and the guy who was incredibly handsome that the betrothal had been signed by the dead best friend leaving them no choice but to wed.It’s a very hilarious book with the girl doing so many things to try and and make the guy bow out. However both of them hilx honour above everything and none can break the promise each made to their parents to push through with the wedding.They eventually fall in love and get married at the end but the journey is very hilarious.oh!The girl has a very big love for hoses and considers their Cossacks as her brothers.And the guy goes all the way to collect her from their home.She rans away before they get married because she is pregnant and tries to find a husband for herself because she believes the guy doesn’t want her I think her favourite horse was called Prince somefhing .please help mW find it.

346N: Old TV’s with many antennae that float!

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I’m looking for a children’s/preteen’s chapter(?) book which was some in a similar black and white, hand drawn art style to Shel Silverstein. It had the same white pages with black words and drawings, but more detailed. And more words. It was not by him though, I checked. I was reminded of this book by a picture I will include below. In the book, however, I believe they were older thick TVs with antennas sticking out in a similar way to the picture. They floated and I believe they were some sort of antagonist or tools used by them. I think I remember little creatures (goblins?) and/or children in the book as well. There was also a lot of junk and trash and piles of books on some pages. Maybe also some strange wildlife scenes like they were in an alien/fantasy planet? I know it definitely did not take place in the real word. Fear was a large element in the book, I believe it was mildly dark/adventure focused, not for very small children. I hope this is enough information, I have a burning desire to know what this book is because it seems so interesting!

346L: NYC girl and cat go to ancient Egypt

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Read in 1973-1978, for elementary school readers, minimal illustrations. A girl from the Upper West Side (i think) has a stepmother who she is in conflict with, and a cat who she loves. Somehow she and the cat are transported to ancient Egypt where cats are venerated, and maybe her cat is even Bastet. Someone in ancient Egypt also represents the present-day stepmother. Girl returns and the resolution with the stepmother is refreshingly NOT fantasy-perfect.

346K: Girl + boy eat so many pumpkins / pies that they roll away happily ever after

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Read 1973-76, for young readers, pictures every page, text every page?, fields of pumpkins between their homes. I think the girl was the pumpkin princess and the boy was a commoner or vice versa. Does he invent pumpkin pie? They both love the pie or pumpkin so much that they eat until they are each as round as pumpkins. Story ends with them literally rolling away in their happy roundness, likely disobeying parents through their connection.

346J: A boy learns a lesson about forgiveness from his dog

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A boy learns a lesson about forgiveness from his dog, Ladybug. (I’m pretty sure the dog’s name is Ladybug.)  And… this may be a true story.
 
This is a children’s book.
The boy and his brother go to the store with some friends and his dog.  They leave the dog out in front of the store.  The boys start reading MAD magazines and the shopkeeper asks them to buy the magazines or leave.  They leave out the back door forgetting all about the dog.  Later that night they are eating dinner and the dad asks where the dog is.  All of a sudden the brothers look at each other and realize what they have done.  They hop in the car with dad and race to the store.  There is the dog still sitting in front of the store waiting on them.  She is so happy to see them.  The boy reflects on how forgiveness works.
I would love to have a copy of this book.  I had it in my original classroom and haven’t seen it for 13 years.  The pictures resemble David Catrow’s style.

346I: Large format, landscape oriented, pen and ink book of old farm life

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The book is from the 1990s or 2000s. i think it’s just called “Farm” and it’s quite large – 18 inches wide by 10 inches tall or so. The spine is on the top – it opens upwards. It’s completely hand lettered with pen & watercolor drawings of life on an old farm (English I think). The cover is broth cloth. It may be more of an art book than a children’s book. I believe the author might have a French name. Thanks for your help!

346H: Picture Book – Kid With Blanket on Beach

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Here’s what I’m looking for:
Old children’s book
Mostly line drawings
The line drawing might have one splash of color in it on some pages
Very few words on each page, maybe one or two
About a little kid, has a blanket in the story, maybe the beach?
Has a humorous ending
Small book, I think hardback
Horizontal, rectangle
Yellow cover maybe
Read to children in the early 1980s so may be published 1968 to 1984?

346G: Stuffed Bunny Feels Replaced by Stuffed Bear (Solved!)

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There was a children’s book about a little girl with a bunny stuffed animal, the girl gets a new stuffed animal, a bear I think. The bunny feels replaced and tries to run away and ends up falling in the bathtub. I think it gets powder or something on it. It’s found and cleaned up and the girl has room to love for both stuffed animals in the end.