Author Archives: admin

343X: Younger Sister Makes A Mess In Bedroom

Seeking a small (I think it was green with ivy on the cover) children’s book about a little girl who is not allowed in her sister’s room without permission for fear she will make a mess. She gets in one day and does make a mess while playing, but then cleans it up.  If I remember correctly her sister is angry when she realizes her little sister went in without permission, but then forgives her when she sees how tidy her room was left.

343V: Ellen, Haggis, Scottish Traditions in America


A teen girl whose family has died is sent to live with relatives (maiden aunts?) in a part of the United States that still follows more Scottish customs than American customs, including holidays, and she experiences major culture shock.  I believe the title character is named Ellen.  The cover shows her at the door wearing a shift mini-dress, so the novel probably was written in the late 1960s or early 1970s.  This novel is the first time I encountered the word “haggis.”

343U: Foiled By a Tricky Sock

A friend and I remember a book from childhood and cannot find it. We are both in our mid 30s.
The book illustration is the most memorable one. A character has a sock, and is using said sock to collect and hold bright primary colored marbles or candy, but there is an unraveling and/or hole near the toe of the sock and the things are trickling out along the way.

343T: Summer Time Twins (Solved!)

The book I am looking for is a young adult book. I read it when I was a pre-teen in the early 90’s. It had twins, a boy and a girl, and the girl was named Willa. The boy may have been named August. They were also pre-teens. Their mother may have had a baby—a boy?? I remember trees, summer time and perhaps a tree swing or hammock. Maybe lemonade?

343S: Little kid’s picture book, about girl and castle, possibly and her family and I think animals

I cannot remember a lot about this book, but I know that the main “character” is a girl (it’s a short, mainly picture book) and I think she has a family too, like brothers. And I think they may live in a castle, surrounded by a moat. I seem to think there’s something to do with animals as well, whether they go to the zoo or have animals. I also vaguely might think there’s something to do with flying or a flying car/some type of vehicle/plane thing, but that could be wrong. Please help!!!!

343R: Girl Must Murder Psychopathic Boyfriend to Stay Alive

Hi Folks,

I’m looking for a YA title about a girl trapped in a relationship with a psychopath. For a while she tries to overlook his evil and thinks that she might be able to change him. In the end she has to kill him to escape (before he kills her).

Truth told. I’m looking for a good comparison title for a book I just wrote. A good, fairly recent book about this would be perfect.

Thanks.

343Q: Boy Collects Golden Dragon Scales to Make A Dragon (Solved!)

Here are the details of a book my dad read around 1960 (possibly as late as 1963, but unlikely).

Plot elements: A boy (named maybe Ling or Lo, or a hyphenated name with one of those syllables) goes on a long quest collecting golden dragon scales that in the end fit together like a puzzle and make a dragon.

Genre: kids chapter book

Publish date: likely late 40’s early 50’s (my dad’s best guess—it was a library book)

Physical description of book: blue cloth hardcover

Illustrations: he remembers an illustrative motif of cranes, like on chapter headings maybe

Some books he claims it is NOT that I’ve found:

  • Loot of the Flying Dragon (by Kenneth Payson Kempton)
  • The Pink Porcelain Pipe (by Pauline Scott)
  • The Overcoming of the Dragon (by LC Sturgis)
  • The Last Dragon (by Dan Totheroh)

Many thanks for whatever you can do! I’ll at least know I tried my best after gnawing this bone for decades.