Category Archives: 1940s

355Z: 1940s or 50s U.S. Chapter Mystery – Kids, Summer, a ‘Chateau’, a Diamond Necklace?

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When I was in about 3rd to 6th grade in the early 1970s, my favorite book in my NJ public school library was a hardcover chapter book about kids on summer vacation, possibly in upstate New York, who get involved in some kind of mystery involving a neighboring house they call the Chateau.  I think a diamond necklace came into it, and I’m pretty sure the children of one family joined forces with a boy from another family (maybe living in the Chateau?) to solve the mystery.  Either Chateau or Diamond Necklace might have been in the title, but I’ve had no luck Googling for it.  It was an old-fashioned story at the time, probably could have been written any time from the late 1930s to the mid 60s.  There were illustrations, but a limited number, and I think they might have been listed by caption after the table of contents. I think it was the first time I had heard of a “Porte cochere”, which I had to look up. I think the binding was red, and may have had an imprint illustration of a country house on the cover — but I could be making that up!

I loved it and probably read it four or five times, but these scraps are all I can remember!  I’d dearly love to find a copy.

353V: Orphan Cathy Runs Away to Scotland and Learns True Name (Solved!)

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I’m looking for a British children’s book, likely from the late 1940s, about an orphan girl who lost her parents in the Blitz. She’s found wandering London with a torn tag that says only “Cat” so the orphanage calls her Cathy. Several years later she has a sudden recollection that makes her feel that her family is in Scotland and runs away to find them. Meets some siblings who help her and have a kind uncle named Alastair. Lo and behold, the kids end up being her cousins, her name isn’t Cathy, it’s Catriona(?) and she is reunited with the family who have been searching for her all these years. Might be the first in a series, a la the Boxcar Children. Thank you!

352Y: Fireside Tales (Solved!)

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The book I am looking for is one my mum used to read as a child. It had a collection of books and poems. She had it in the 1950s but I don’t know when it was published.
She thought it was called Fireside Tales, but this could be wrong as the book cover came off. She remembers there being fairies and elves on the inside cover.
One of the stories was called “Fireside concert”.
Fireside concert is a story about a fireplace and the tools. When the fire is just about to fall asleep, one of the tools says let’s have a concert, so one by one they do a little dance or something fun before they go to sleep.
Another was “Little grey mouse”
She said there was a story about a thread-bare Little mouse. I am not sure if that is the same story or the title of another one.
There are 2 poems she remembers. I don’t know the tites but she remembers the words.
First one:

“Closed are the story books on the shelf

The teddy bear’s fast asleep
The sun has gone from a darkening sky
And stars through the window peep
So off we go to the land of Nod
Down winding lullaby lane
With the night light fairies to accompany us
Till morning comes again
And it that wonderful land of Nod
Are things that bring delight
So hurry along or we’ll be too late

Good night little ones, goodnight”

Second one is about a teapot I only have a small part:
“neat and round and brown am I, merry little fellow, patchwork cosy on my head, red green and yellow. Gather round the table now, draw the curtains tight, fireside is the place for me, on a winter’s night.”
I would be so grateful for any help finding this book as it would mean the world to mum to have a copy. We have been looking for about 40 years now!

352P: Old YA sailing adventure book

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I don’t know the title of the book.

I believe it was published in the 1940s or 1950s, but I’m not certain of this.

The overall plot is a sailing voyage from the East Coast (Boston, I think) around the tip of South America to San Francisco.

It is definitely NOT the Richard Henry Dana book Two Years Before the Mast.

The main character is a young boy in his teens going to sea (as an apprentice deckhand or cabin boy or some such) for the first time on one of the new, fast clipper ships and he’s got to learn all about shipboard life and work, furling and unfurling sails, coiling ropes, tying knots, etc. He somehow makes an enemy of an older seaman who confronts him at the climax of the story, while a shipboard fire is raging, with the intent to kill him. The boy somehow escapes, but his injuries are extensive enough that he is unable to complete the voyage.

That’s about all I can tell you. I remember it being a ripping good yarn. I hope this description is enough.

350K: Battle of Trafalgar

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Sometime in 1960-62 I took an English History course in college. We were assigned reading for extra credit. I read a book about the Battle of Trafalgar, which I remember as riveting. I specifically remember a fulsome description of life aboard the battleship, including descriptions of how food was prepared, how surgery was performed during the battle, and other daily concerns of the sailors. I do not think this was a biography of Lord Nelson, rather a blow by blow of the lead-up to the Battle and the Battle itself. Clearly it had to have been written prior to 1960. I would really like to find this book.

349G: Selfish Witch, Disguised as Regular Girl, Does Selfless Favor

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Looking for a beautiful line-drawn picture book from earlier than 1975, about a witch and her daughter who live beyond the seven valleys and the seven seas. The daughter witch is selfish, and does not come home to her mother on time. Her mother sends her away until she can do a selfless favor for someone, while disguised as a regular girl. She is dropped off outside a village. Eventually, she finds a little boy who is also being punished, and helps him peel mounds and mounds of potatoes. She falls asleep doing this, and her mother comes to collect her. Ends with a line something like, "but she could never stand the sight of another potato."

349F: Boy with gigantic tall spoon catching clouds

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I am seeking a vintage children’s anthology possibly printed somewhere between 1940s-1960s. Possibly earlier.
The main clue is an illustration of a boy holding a huge spoon, (tall like a ladder) scooping up clouds.
The featured poem with the illustration is
CLOUDS
 by Dorothy Aldis
If I had a spoon
As tall as the sky
I’d dish out the clouds
That go slip-sliding by.
I’d take them right in
And give them to cook
And see if they tasted
As good as they look.
I’ve searched other books and I can usually find this poem, but I cannot find the right illustration of the little boy holding the tall spoon catching clouds.
The book was a hardcover cloth-like blue,  with faded letters embossed on cover. There was no dust jacket.
I thought maybe the book was “Here, There, and Everywhere” by D. Aldis, but as it turns out, it is not the right book 🤔
Size of the book was approximately
 8″ x 11″x 1″ thick.

348X: Blimp and Related Travel Modes – Book from 30’s or 40’s

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I am searching for a children’s book probably published in the late 30’s or early 40’s.

All I can remember is the hardback cover. It was large and blue. I believe there was an airplane and possibly blimp and related travel modes on the cover. Sadly, I do not know the title or author. It was given to my brother (now 83 years old) in the early to mid 40’s.
I realize this may be a wild goose chase, but it would mean the world to me if you can find it

346X: Fairy Tale Collection From Pre-1950’s Era

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I currently have part of the book, but the first 30 pages are missing. Also the binding is worn away and the final pages are missing. The book is a collection of folk tales, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, etc. I always called it the Wolf Book, but I’m sure that is not the title. It was published around 1950 at the latest , but could have been considerably older.
Some of the stories in it are: The Three Little Pigs, Chicken Little, The Lion Hearted Kitten, The Hole in the Ground, The Gingerbread Boy, The Three Sillies, The Tortoise and the Hare, Little Red Riding Hood, The Cap that Mother Made, The Boasting Bamboo, The Musicians of Bremen, Silly Will, Hans in Luck, The Ugly Duckling, and many more.

 

345Y: American Girl “Self Improvement”

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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.