Category Archives: 1950s

310T: The Fire Truck Story

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There’s this picture book I swear my grandmother had. I believe it had 4-5 stories of motorized things. A tractor maybe, a dirigible, a firetruck, etc. I vividly remember the firetruck story. Burning building collapsed, bricks walls fell down, the fireman survived by laying under the truck. The tires all blew but the engine kept running, eventually the firetruck and fireman were both dug out. Was this a dream or is this a real book? It was probably published in the 50s. I remember it being ancient when I was a 70s kid.

310N: Oregon in the 19th century

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I read this book between 1958 and 1964. Here is what I remember about it  a youth-oriented novel (there was no category of Young Adult in those years)set in Oregon in the 19th century.Involved a young boy who was a drift in some way and got involved with trees included the word “Yus,” in place of “Yes,” as a dialectical expression may have had a reference to tall fir trees in the title.
I have searched for this book on the Internet quite a bit, without result.  It is a very good book that I have wanted to recommend to kids, but I could not!!

309S: Miguel, The Dirty One

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The book I am looking for is/was a children’s book that I loved as a child. I was born in 1955 so I am guessing the book was published in the 1940s or 1950s. I checked it out, with the help of my mother, from the Pittsburg, California Public Library. I think I remember that the cover of the book was red and the illustrations were in black and white.

It was about a little Hispanic boy, Mexican, I think,  who hated to take a bath. His family and village all must convince him to take a bath for some special celebration. I think the name of the book was the boy’s name, maybe Miguel, The Dirty One.

 

309F: Mouse’s House

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This was a book out in the early 1950’s. It might have been a golden book, but I could not find it in their listing. The first line was “This is the house of Mrs. Mouse and these are her children three.” It was book for young children; it had illustrations. I don’t remember anything else, but that first line has stayed in mind all these years.

307S: A kiss on the the elbow

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I remember a library book about a group of children who discovered they had magic powers. I don’t believe it was any of Edward Eager’s books, and I also don’t think it was Mrs. Coverlet’s Magicians.

The tell-tale sign of magical ability was being able to kiss one’s own elbow. (Spoiler: I can’t.)

Can you help? I would have read it in the early 1970s, but I have no idea when it was published. I’m guessing the 1950s.