Category Archives: 1950s

355L: YA nautical adventure

My uncle remembers reading a novel in about 1950-1960 (not sure when it was written) about a sailor who traveled all over the world on a large ship, having adventures. He was not the captain and was not married. He would periodically return home with a sack of exotic gifts for his nieces and nephews. My uncle does not remember much else, but the novel influenced him greatly and he always brought me gifts from his travels. I would love to find this book for his 80th birthday. Thank you for your help

355F: Looking for old children’s chapter book about a squirrel (Solved!)

10 Replies

When I was a child, this would have been sometime between 1990-1995, I borrowed a fiction chapter book twice from my local library that I cannot remember the title of. At the time, the book was old, but I was a kid so it may not have been THAT old. I think it may have been written sometime around the 1950s-70s. It was a story about a boy who takes care of a squirrel. I think that there was a red squirrel on the cover, and the title of the book may have been the name of the squirrel but I’m not certain. I think the book had a bittersweet ending with the squirrel going back to live in the wild. I’ve not been able to find it on a google search so perhaps you can help!

355E: Young Boy Begins Broadcasting Career (Solved!)

4 Replies

One of my favorite children’s books, from the late 1950’s or early 60’s.

I thought that the title was “T.V.Jones” … but the only thing I found was a 60’s cartoon by that name.

This was the story of a young boy who gets a job in a Television station … and his beginning a career in broadcasting.

Certainly not a big seller, and not really well written … but it spoke to me as a young boy, and it started my interest in communications.

355C: Silly Goose Forgets to Invite Friends to Party (Solved!)

9 Replies

I’m delighted by this site and have a book that I’d enjoy seeing again. When I was in kindergarten in 1955, my favorite story was of a goose who decides to have a party for her friends. She cleans her house, and cooks and bakes up a storm. But no one shows up! Then she hears her friends chattering outside at the bus stop and learns that she forgot to invite them. They come in and enjoy her feast, so all ends well.

Obviously, this was a long time ago, so I don’t remember the name. Any one have a clue?

353X: Child gives last ration of chocolate away

2 Replies

This was a book I read in the 70s, but it might have been written anytime after WWII and it had a certain 50s or 60s vibe to it.

I am pretty sure it took place during WWII and was set somewhere in Europe.

I recall the character — a boy (I think) of around 12 — had a couple squares of his chocolate ration left. He was very hungry and they didn’t have much food, but he gave his ration away to another child — I think a girl, around the same age.

For the longest time I thought it was from Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan but I tracked down that book and read it to my son and there is no such scene.

352Y: Fireside Tales (Solved!)

5 Replies

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!

352W: Late 50’s early 60’s space fiction

3 Replies

Late 50’s early 60’s space fiction about a boy on a planet (possibly mars) with his pet. The boy needs to get to different city/friends home. Walks via an old highway but the temperature dips extremely, causing the boy to find refuge in a giant cabbage like plant that closes at night, saving him.

Read this from the 5th grade 1961/62 Ellis Elementary School library in Sunnyvale California.

352P: Old YA sailing adventure book

2 Replies

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.

351W: 11 Year Old Girl Rehabilitates Horse Named Black Baldwin (Solved!)

3 Replies

I am looking for a children’s/YA horse story from the late fifties or early sixties. It features a somewhat broken down horse named Black Baldwin, who was bought/adopted by an eleven year old girl desperate to have a horse. She rehabilitates him and eventually wins second prize in some kind of horse show event. The book had small pen and ink drawings throughout. I don’t remember the book jacket though, I believe it had one.

I searched for a long time thinking the horse’s name was the title of the book. Either it is and every copy is long gone, or there is some other title.

Stump the Bookseller

New format, same book stumper solving.