Category Archives: 1960s

324R: Teen Son and Father in 20th Century help Patient who speaks Ancient Greek return to hidden Greek location

For some time I have been trying to remember the name and author of a book I read when I was around 13 years old, in the 1960’s.  I believe the book would have been written in the 1950’s or early 1960’s, although maybe it was earlier from the 1940’s.  I borrowed it from the public library in town.

It was by a male author who also wrote adult mysteries.  My father recognized the author’s name and so also read this book and we talked and joked about it a little bit that year.

The plot is generally, that there is a boy, (young teen?) whose father is either a doctor or professor or archeologist ,who must speak Greek, because he is called in to talk to a patient who speaks ancient Greek.  The patient says that he is from Greece (somewhere in ancient Greece, only to him it is the current and only one).   Apparently he died and was sent out across the River Styx and ended up in a hospital or a mental institution in England, I believe.

So he wasn’t really dead when he was sent on his journey to the afterlife.   As the father and the patient talk, the father and the son decide to go with the patient to retrace his journey and find the ancient Greek outpost that has somehow survived into the the 20th century.  They find it and although I still can visualize this place, surrounded by mountains and cut off from the modern world, I cannot remember the ending of the book either.

I remember odd lines and scenes from the book.  For example, the son has decided to read the Bible front to back and reflects upon some of the odd customs and the many battles in the Old Testament.  Also, one of the things the patient says is that he prefers to clean himself by stepping into a basin of water and not the contraption where you pull on a chain and you are rained upon.

I have looked at many of the mystery authors of the time and have tried to see if they wrote such a book to no avail.  I also looked in the Public Library where I grew up but it was too overwhelming and there is a good chance that book is not only out of print but was put into one of their many book sales years ago.

I cannot remember the title.  Did it have “Zeus” in it somewhere?  Did it refer to the river Styx?  Did it have some cute title like the Greek Urn Cracked?   The title must have captured my attention.

I appreciate your help with this as periodically I become obsessed with finding it.

324L: A Hidden Room Mystery Story (Solved!)

1960’s-1970’s YA mystery short story–people search a castle for a missing keep or room wherein may be hidden a fortune.  Many people search.  They decide to put a cloth in each window as they search; then they can see from the outside which window has no cloth and is therefore the hidden room.  The story is possibly from one of the Alfred Hitchcock Presents Anthologies. It certainly had that feel.   Although many others are searching this castle for a missing keep or a room in a keep, only one person finds it.  There is some sort of secret entrance, I recall.  When the finder discovers the entrance and room, another character (the bad guy) goes with him and murders him there and “hides” the secret entrance to the room again.

 I recall (or believe I recall) a line at the end—part of the thoughts of the skeptical castle groundskeeper, I think– “there was no Norman keep.”

 

324D: A Young Boy At A Sheep Ranch (Solved!)

Seeking a copy of a book that my father gave me circa 1963 when I was almost 7—the only and last present he gave me before disappearing from my life forever. Narrative follows a young boy sent to a sheep ranch, perhaps as an orphan(?) I believe, but little else comes to mind except a blue cloth binding and white or silver spine lettering.  It was a YA book, over 100 pages, with some illustrations, which of course I could only read a few years later.

Inside he wrote: “Keep your right up” as he had tried to teach me to box, but I don’t think boxing is part of the story line.

(I had this copy until my sister sold it at a yard sale when I went away to school at 14!)

323P: Boy runs errands for mom, takes wrong advice each time

A male youth does an errand for Mom but does it wrong, and on each subsequent errand he follows the advice she had given him the previous time.
Ex: He is carrying a cat to give away, but it wiggles free from his hands and scurries away.
Mom says, “Next time, put it in your hat so it won’t jump free. “
So his next errand is to take a pound of butter to market.  He puts the butter under his hat.  But it melts.
“Next time,” mom says, put it in your pack.  So the next time, he is carrying something that cannot survive in his pack, but he puts it in the pack.
Great drawings, delightful in the 60s when I read it.

323M: Sisters split shared room down middle, realize mistake

I had a very favorite book which was either from the 60’s or early 70’s.  I was born in 1962, so I’m leaning towards the 60’s but I could be wrong.

I could have sworn the title was “It’s My Room”.  I have no idea who the author was, illustrator etc.  I might even be off on the title, but for some reason it sure rings a bell with me.

The book was about two sisters who shared a bedroom.  They were best friends until they weren’t.  Then they decided the only way to fix the problem was to split the room in two.

They did this right down the middle with tape or something like that.  One sister got to have the window to look out to see what was going on outside.  She thought she had the best deal, until the other sister left the room through the door…which the other sister would have to cross the line in order to leave the room.  She stayed in the room but realized her mistake.  Pretty soon, they become friends again and she could leave the room with her sister and all is well with the world.

I particularly loved this book because I grew up with many siblings and always shared a room and only dreamed of having my own room.  (Probably why my Mom bought this for me.)

I hope you can locate this book/title for me.  I would so appreciate it!  I have tried on my own and have not come up with anything, however I remember it vividly.

323I: Anthology for girls featuring Jane Austen and others

I am trying to trace an anthology that was in UK libraries in the 60’s/early 70’s, but may have been American in origin. I can’t remember the title or editor but it was aimed I think at girls and was well illustrated. One of the early stories in it was an extract from Northanger Abbey – the scene where Catherine and Isabella talk about gothic novels they are reading; a later extract has the Riding in Trains section from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s On the Shores of Silver Lake. Don’t think it was part of a set and don’t think it was a Clifton Fadiman or Louis Untermeyer anthology, as I have others of theirs, but I may be wrong. It was my first introduction to Austen and hence was significant to me. Wish there was a directory one could consult that would cross reference anthologized extracts so one could look up the Austen for instance and find all the collections in which it appears..
Hope you can help.

323G: Late Bloomer Finally Dates (Solved)

Young Adult book on library shelves in late ’60’s early ’70’s.  Has an old-fashioned feel.  Girl (first name starts with an M?) is slightly awkward, gets to date a boy she likes.  She overhears girls mocking her for wearing too much face powder.  Her yearbook quote was, “her voice was ever soft, gentle and low, an excellent thing in a woman”.  Good ending.

323F: Cassandra’s Star? Julie’s Star? (Solved)

Looking for a Young Adult book on library shelves in the late ’60’s or early ’70’s.  Julie wants to go steady, but her mother (Cassandra) does not think that she is ready.  Set in a part of the country where there is snow.  Julie is a cheerleader.  Somebody tightens the fit of the uniform sweater and gets in trouble.  Julie wants to wear her mother’s star-shaped brooch.  At the end, Julie gets to go steady and wears the brooch.

323D: Valley Prince Loves Mountain Princess

Elementary School book read between 1962-1967.  A Prince from a kingdom where everyone has the same color of hair, climbs a mountain to the enemy kingdom where everyone has the same, but different color hair from the Valley Kingdom people.  He meets the Mountain Princess, and falls in love with her.  Together they must overcome the prejudice against different looking people that is held by their two kingdoms. Fairytale style color illustrations with simple narrative.  I think the Prince’s hair was brown and the Princess’ hair was silver.

322O: Girl Makes Best Friend, Gets Matching Puppies

Best Friend(s) - title, I think, children's book. I read it about 1960. 3-6th grade reading. Girl's mom is her schoolteacher and she gets called teacher's pet. Grandfather lives with them and she has a great tree house. Half-French girl moves in next door and they become best friends. Archenemy is Millicent. End of story the girls get "matching" puppies. Remembering where it was in library, the author's name began with A-H. Hardcover, minimal illustrations. I think the phrase, "no more sense of time than a cricket" was used.