Category Archives: 1970s

360B: Girl Solves Mystery Using Library Newsreels

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I hope I’m not blending info from several books, but here goes:

I read the Braille version of this book—probably about 200 pages in print—in the early 1970’s. I don’t remember the title, and am on the hunt for books I read as a young person—to re-visit them through older eyes. The protagonist may have been named Kathy Hughes or had a friend by that name. She solves a mystery using library newsreels. There may have been a male co-sleuth. Finally, the book may have featured an elderly  character in a wheelchair, Mrs. Smallett. Alas, that is all I can remember!

359Z: Christmas activity book

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This is a book my family and I have tried quite a lot to find, but with no luck. It had fallen apart when I was a kid and I still had pages but no cover or publishing information. What I remember about it:
-It was all illustrated and most pages didn’t have color. It was kind of a taupe color, not black and white drawings.
-It was a kind of activity book, but there were also recipes and information about Christmas traditions.
-It was probably from the 1980s, maybe 1970s.
-The characters in the book were a family that all had Christmas names (Noel, Holly, etc). There was a son, daughter, baby, parents, and maybe a grandma and grandpa. Their last name might have been Kringle, but I’m less sure about that.
-I can remember the pictures pretty vividly, but have no idea what the cover looked like or what it was called.
I think that’s all I’ve got. Thank you for any help you can provide!

359K: Fantasy/Sci-Fiction 1970s/80s

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I read the book in the late 1970’s early 1980’s. It would have been a fiction/science fiction paperback book from the local library (Manchester, Georgia). I remember a female protagonist child (and her brother) who were lost members of technologically advanced race studying the planet but were members of private tribe? She was being called back (dreams). She had to run away from her tribe. While in route her brother stepped on something in the sea (perhaps a sea urchin) (Spoiler alert! ………. and died.)

358K: Modern Conservationist Noah’s Ark

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Looking for a book I read in elementary school in the mid 1970s.

Here’s what I can recall about it:

It was a modern updating about a “Noah’s Ark.” Not religious undertones, more of a (early) conservationist perspective about animals. About a man who as a way of saving animals collects animals. (I can picture him faintly, brownish hair with glasses.)

It was a picture book (although not simplistic pictures). For example, the schematic on the boat itself was detailed.

The main character build a modern boat (think a big cruise ship) to house the animals. And thereby “saves” a collection of species.

I know it’s not much. I’ve often recalled the book (I used to check it out continuously).

Let me know if you need any clarifications or if I can answer more questions.

357T: Three Interwoven Rings

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Would you please help me find this book?

The main character (could have been a girl) and a father who traveled to far off places or jungles a lot brought home a wooden crate and inside was a seraph. And it was in the attic or the main character played in the attic. Maybe someone was sick or dying in the hospital throughout the book. At the end something about three interconnected or interwoven rings.

I checked it out from a middle school library in the 1980s. It would’ve been a newer looking book at the time. That’s all I can remember.

357P: Schizophrenic Lady M.D.

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Book written in 1950’s, 60’s I think. But remotely possible published as late as 70’s, 80’s.  Autobiography (?) by woman (maybe named “Diane”, not sure…?) who suffered schizophrenia (I think, or some sort of mental illness) and became an M.D. despite this.

Probably a U.S. book, but not sure.  English language, anyway.

357G: The Little Old Lady (Solved!)

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This might actually be in the title of the book. It may have been published in the 70s or before but definitely not later than the early 80s. I believe it was a book of children's poems about an old lady and one of them was "There was an old lady who wanted to ski, she wouldn't take lessons - it's easy said she! She tried and she tried but she just couldn't go. Nobody told her she had to have snow."

357C: 70s Purple Dragon (Solved!)

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I was in elementary school in the 70s and I remember reading what I think was an early chapter book series with a boy and his purple dragon/dinosaur/monster. The illustrations in my memory were very minimalist and had a Quentin Blake feel to them but I’ve researched Quentin Blake’s work and don’t see it listed. The dragon/dinosaur/monster was very tall, definitely purple, and walked on two legs. I have a vivid memory of the boy riding on its shoulders. I don’t remember anything about the plot except they seemed somewhat surreal (maybe?) so I don’t know if the creature was real or imaginary. It’s possible the series was school literature only (not mass market published).