Category Archives: 1950s

217D: childrens book lost musings: a tree, a river, animal friends

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I am looking for a book which was the first full length read I had, which was
in about 1955. I believe the book was written in the 1940’s or 1950’s, not sure.

It concerned a group of creatures, a squirrel, elf, bird, maybe others, who were
comrades, and hung out either by an old abandoned mill, or big oak tree, by a
river or stream.

At the end of the book, something caused this group to break up, and some of the
comrades to have to leave, travel, wander. ( I was shattered)

I have tried ABE books, not much success, just saw you bookstore & service in
Book Review / NY Times, “Authors Note / sarah manguso” Sunday March 8.
The longing she describes about a “lost” chidren’s book is all too familiar to me.
Like most people, I have suffered partings, endings of life eras, but nothing so
deep as the loss of these characters & the world they inhabited.

I think ABE suggested, maybe, Dorothy Clewes as author, but when I reviewed
various contents of books, did not seem right. If any, might be: The Wild Wood 1945,
but I really have little idea.

HELP ! & thanks

216C: Wealthy man spends all money and then must live as begger

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I am trying to find a SHORT STORY I read in the 1950s:
“(Possibly) in the late Victorian era, two gentlemen espy a beggar sitting in the street. One tells the other the story of the beggar. He was once a wealthy man, but was disturbed that when he eventually died he would leave behind at least part of his fortune, which he would not have enjoyed himself. He either did not believe in inherited wealth, or had no worthy heirs, I am unsure. He therefore calculated how much he needed every year to continue enjoying the life to which he had become accustomed. He then assessed his total assets, divided them by the annual need, and determined the date upon which he would be down to his last penny. He then vowed that he would live life to the full, and then kill himself on that date. Inevitably, when the fateful day came, he could not bring himself to go through with it, and was doomed to spend the rest of his life as a beggar”.
Many thanks in anticipation of any help identifying this.

214B: Collection of Life’s Lessons For Children (Solved)

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This book is probably from the 40s or 50s. It was a series of stories that taught children how to make good choices. One story featured a greedy little boy who always grabbed the biggest cookie or cupcake for himself. To teach him lesson someone makes a nice spread of food featuring one very large muffin or potato etc. but something is always wrong with the biggest piece. For example a large pie has almost no filling inside! When he grabs the biggest one he always gets disappointed.

213C: Young woman accused of witchcraft in colonial New England, loved by two brothers

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My mother remembers with love a book she read in her youth. She describes it as follows:

“Book was available in the late 50s or maybe very early 60s – I don’t think it was published too long before then but I don’t know . I remember its style being like the Elizabeth Speare books as opposed to say the earlier Girl of the Limberlost.

Brackets are specifics I don’t remember clearly.

Young woman (YW) comes over from [England?] to stay with [distant relatives] in colonial New England. YW’s secret plan is to go back to a [cottage] in the wilds where [her family] used to live and where she believes she will be able to find [money? really don’t remember]. The family she is staying with includes a boy who is in terrible health and is very devout as he doesn’t expect to survive long. There is also an older girl.

There are also two rich brothers, the younger considered the most eligible bachelor in [Boston]; the older considered hopeless as a marriage prospect who accepts fines for not marrying rather than look for a spouse. One and I think both are sea captains.

YW does indeed run off to look for the cabin. Boy, who is convinced she is a witch and has written “witch, witch, witch,” sees her and follows her to bring her back or maybe just report on her. She is exasperated but by the time she discovers him it’s too late to send him back so she takes him with her. On the rugged trip he regains his health and comes to appreciate her.

She doesn’t find what she’s looking for and returns to [Boston] where she is arrested. The boy tries to testify for her but everyone thinks he’s bewitched. The younger brother comes to visit her in jail and promises to wait for her and marry her. The older brother comes in and says if the younger really loved her he’d help her sneak out of jail and would then run away with her – which he then does.”

212D: Mammals in Wisconsin

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Mammals in Wisconsin Children’s book with beautiful full page high gloss pictures and short narratives of common mammals (weasels, fox, deer, bear, etc.) in Wisconsin. Published around 1959-1961. A quote from the book is “When a weasel sets out to go hunting he always asks himself will I eat today or be eaten”? I don’t recall the title, but the book was most likely purchased from a Milwaukee, Wisconsin book store.

198B: Dog saves cat from fire

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My brothers and I are trying to recall the name of a book that we read when we were small in the 1950’s. Of course, we would also like to find a copy of it.
The book was about a dog (perhaps a German Shepherd) and a cat who were “friendly enemies.” My oldest brother thinks the cat might have been named Queenie and she might have had three legs. They lived with a family in a cabin near the woods. The story ends with a big forest fire where the dog, despite the abuse he took from the cat, saved the cat from the fire in an heroic sort of way.
For whatever reason, this story rekindles lots of emotion for us. My oldest brother is going through chemo and I am hoping we can find this story for him.

195H: Mouse picking up shiny things

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I am looking for a children’s book about a mouse (rat?) who would see something pretty or shiny and pick it up. He would get distracted by the next shiny thing and put down what was in his hands and pick up the next thing. My husband thinks it’s called “Pick it, Put it” or the other way around. It was his favorite book in the early 60’s. Can you help? Thank you for trying!