Looking for a book I read in our school’s library in around 1973 about a white horse named “Olympic” who became a show jumper (not the true story of “Snowman”). Set in the US I think. Softcover.
316Z: Olympic the show horse
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Category Archives: 1970s
316M: Colouring a grey kingdom leads to misfortune
A man (possibly the king of a realm) lives in a kingdom, its quite likely grey, and he discovers various colours in his castle / dungeon. You see a brilliant patch of colour in an otherwise totally grey scene as he discovers each colour. He rushes outside and paints the entire land colours, but this makes the inhabitants sick / depressed / angry etc. based on the characteristics expected of that color. Colors include (from memory) pink, cyan and yellow.
I first had this read to me in the late 70’s and as it was from my public library so may have been published considerably earlier, perhaps 1950’s or 1960’s.
316B: The mystery of the dead cousin
It’s a mystery/thriller, with some paranormal overtones. I was born in ’66 and I believe I’d read it by the time I entered high school in ’80, so it must have been written sometime before then. Possibly way before then, as I recall the book was a beat-up paperback when I picked it up.
It’s about a set of female cousins. One is dramatically beautiful, outgoing and rich, and kind of mean; she dies (I think before the book’s action begins) and leaves her estate to her cousin, who bears a certain resemblance to her but is kind and introverted. The good cousin moves into the house and begins thinking her dead cousin was murdered, I think? She also starts behaving oddly – more like the dead cousin. She dyes her hair to match the dead cousin. I vaguely recall a reference to “silver blonde” or something like that.
There’s a love interest for the cousin – I want to say he’s a lawyer? And that he also had some kind of relationship with the dead cousin? Maybe?
I think the dead cousin’s name is Cathy or Kathy, or maybe it’s the surviving cousin’s name? I don’t remember how the book develops the ghost angle – whether the ghost is real or just the cousin’s imagination – but I’m pretty sure it turns out she was murdered.
There’s a supporting character who’s a friend of the living cousin. I remember she shows up at one point and is described as an earth mother type, I think, and says something about the coffee she’s offered – like “heavens, yes, keep it coming” or maybe “I like my coffee like I like my men” but I could be wrong on that.
God I hope that’s enough because it’s driving me nuts, and I can’t find it, and this is all I recall.
316A: Garden of Dragons?
My book was read during my time in the Navy, probably about 1973-75. It was a paperback novel, and had some blues and purples on the cover and maybe said something about garden of dragons or something like that. I can remember that at one point these scientists were in the jungle and they were surrounded by massive bugs. I just remember enjoying the read but heck it was 40+ years ago and my memory just isn't cooperating!
315T: Psychedelic lollipop trees
I was born in 1975. There was a short children’s book that I have forgotten the name of. I seem to remember that it was more landscape format than portrait. The over-riding memory of the book was psychedelic landscapes and one in particular was made up of trees made of lollipops. Possibly other landscapes and scenes made up of different objects. That’s all I remember.
314M: A Silver Tree, Then A Golden Tree, Then a Diamond Tree
1970s book. Boy or girl goes to live with aunt, who is a good witch. The first thing they do is have tea; pastries grow from a plant in the center of the table. Kid meets another kid; they work to fight an evil witch, at one point, with rowan berries (“Rowan berries and red thread stop a witch in her speed”). They must go to a magical place, where they see a silver tree, then a golden tree, then a diamond tree. That’s pretty much all I remember. Thanks!
313Y: Alphabet Face Children’s Book
This children’s book was in the library at my elementary school in 1972. The main character was a boy whose face was drawn using the letters of the alphabet. I believe a capital Q made up the outline of his face. I don’t remember what sort of hijinks the boy got into, though.
313U: Visit to Aunt Rachel (Solved)
The book I’m trying to find is from the 70s. The protagonist is a teenage girl visiting her elderly Aunt Rachel for the summer, I think. There’s a handsome man who’s a caretaker, I think, named Ewain? Ewan? In any case, it turns out that he’s hundreds of years old, and he’s really Merlin, and the aunt has some sort of charm that keeps him under her power. He has to do her bidding, and that keeps her young. I think they kidnap a young girl every 20 years or so and all of Aunt Rachel’s physical problems and aging gets transferred to the girl. And the protagonist is next in line. But I think Merlin saves her. Jeez, I read this about 35 years ago, over and over again! I’d love to find out what book it was!
313S: Missing Clock Tower Automatons (Solved)
A girl goes on dangerous magical quest to find missing clock tower automatons. I read this book sometime in the mid-1970s. It may have been published from the 1950s-1970s. Statues or automatons have disappeared from the town cathedral or clock tower (I lean toward the clock) and if they are not restored by midnight (?) on a certain day, chaos will ensue. There is a European city feel to the magical yet current-day setting. Toward the very end, some adults are talking, “I’m letting her sleep. ” There is a sense that she has done things which were not quite lawful but she is excused because of her accomplishment. The adults may be a mother and aunt, or maybe aunts only.
312H: Black Silhouettes
The book I am looking for I believe was written in the late 70’s early 80’s. It had purple hard cover and I think it was about a witch on a hill? The images were mostly black silhouettes.