Author Archives: admin

345Z: Teen paperback series about pioneer girl

I read this probably 30+ years ago. It was a short series—3 or 4 books–normal sized paperbacks, not very thick, in the teen section of the library. I believe they were shelved in the last part of the alphabet, so the author’s last name will begin with something further along than M. I have a feeling that the name Sherwood was part of the author’s name, but I think it was the first name, not the last one, and I could be totally imagining that detail.

The one I remember best follows a early teen or tween girl who has been growing up as a tomboy in the West. Her mother is distressed at the rough behavior the girl has picked up from playing with her brothers and not being exposed to the more refined aspects of life. The girl is sent back east to spend an extended amount of time with relatives who are going to teach her to be “a lady”. I’m pretty sure she gets put into corsets, and there is a scene in which what sounds like some sort of torture device is used to “cure” her pigeon-toed gait. Her schooling appears to be focused on things like posture, and dancing and etiquette, and have almost no academic content. The girl is miserable and although I don’t remember how/why, she returns to her family in the west after a few months, instead of a few years as had been originally planned and there is a scene where as part of a dare from her brothers she walks the ridgepole of one of their buildings, and afterwards declares that all that fuss about posture and grace, and the “ladylike” way to walk was good for something since she won the dare.

I don’t remember if the other books in the series are about the same characters, or if they are about different people but set in the same time period/location.

345Y: American Girl “Self Improvement”

I am looking for the title of a book given to me by my father around mid-late 1960’s.
It was about a pre-teen girl growing up, trying to improve, organize and schedule her day to day life. More like a Nancy Drew “good girl” type, unruly hair, awkward.
I think it must have been written earlier, 1940’s or 50’s.
The book was written in the first person, humorous and light.
I remember a strict but kind father, older sister and school friends/enemies.
Possibly a first dance. Lots of list and schedule making to improve herself, waking, school work, etc., minute by minute.
That’s all I’ve got. Maybe this will ring a bell with someone.
Thank you.

345X: Mean Girl At Boarding School Hurts Heroine’s Horse

I’m looking for a book from the 60s about a girl who attends a horse boarding school because her father works for the school. One of the other students is a “mean girl” who injures the heroine’s favorite horse because of carelessness/overconfidence. I think the title is “——— Farm” but I can’t remember all of it.

345V: Elementary school reader – Pigs trying to sell their house

Hi! I'm trying to find a school book from the late '60's or very early 70's. Probably a second grade reader but I'm not certain. It has multiple stories and the one I remember is about a married couple of pigs trying to sell their house. Each animal that comes to look at it suggests something they would like changed about the house. The pigs change each thing and by the end of the story they don't want to sell their house anymore. Does anyone remember this book? It was read with the classic Dick and Jane books for sure.

345U: Virgin Islands young adult mystery (Solved!)

I am searching for a young adult mystery that was set in the Virgin Islands.  The protagonist, a young woman, receives a message from her father on an alphabet shell.  I think it was her father, who is a doctor, and who has been abandoned on an island.
Please help me.  This book was a seminal influence on my desire to live on islands. I now live in Manhattan.

345S: Littlest Ballerina

The Littlest Ballerina

Little girl, ballerina, ice skating and a nurse?
Read this book in/around 1984. It had beautiful pictures and I’m pretty sure the little girl was blond.
The book had seen some years, already, in 1984.

345R: They were not like us

Science fiction "They were not like us." Spaceship investigates a post-Nova star, passes a world whose civilization was destroyed with the Nova, then makes first contact with an alien ship. They aliens appear "horse like" on video. When asked about the dead world, why they did not warn the world, they reply: "Why should we care? They were not like us." The human ship captain decides not to warn the ship about the event horizon of the collapsed star, though some crew members object. He replies: "Why should we care? They were not like us."

345Q: An old picture book starring two cats in love

I was born in ‘93, and I remember my parents had this book well in advance of me reading actively on my own. The book was beautifully illustrated, and I remember that the lady cat in the book was beautiful, fluffy, and… gentle? I also remember a thin, scruffy and beat-up looking Siamese pirate cat, though I can’t remember if he was the romantic lead, or if he kidnaps our leading lady. I do remember the tall, ribbed, triangular sails of the Chinese-style pirate ships, and lots of rich warm colors.