Category Archives: 1970s

232G: Steps to becoming a king

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Hello,

Around 1976 in the U.S., a librarian read our class a book about a boy that wanted to become king. He asked the king how. The king explained he became king by being able to jump to the top of the castle. The boy practiced with hay bails, but had no luck jumping so high. The boy’s dog could jump to the top of the hay bails by going one bail at a time. The boy then knew how to get to the top of the castle.

The book had pictures and could be easily read in one class period.

Thanks for any help in locating this book.

Charles Dorman
Jersey City, NJ

232F: Boyhood school series

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Boyhood book series from the mid 1970s or earlier, group of chums at school (New England? boarding?), one of whom may have been named Moose. They excel academically, and participate in various sports, seemingly always coming up with an unlikely victory.

 

231F: Young girl jealous of friend

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This book is from the 1960’s or 1970’s. I remember it from the mid 1970’s. Written for preK-2nd grade. Was even read on Captain Kangaroo. It was illustrated in black and white drawings. The main character had a long ponytail. She was jealous of her best friend. Her best friend had short hair. The 2 girls went to school together, I would guess preschool or kindergarten. The main character’s mother babysat the best friend also. The main character always tried to do what her friend does but it never works out and she makes mistakes. The best friend seems to do everything “perfect.” One page I remember has the girls painting at easels. The best friend has a pretty picture and the main character has a sloppy mess. Can’t remember title or author. Have searched for this book for over 10 years.

231E: Growing Girl with Floral Clothing

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Hi,

I am so excited by the possibility of finding this book remembered so fondly from my childhood!
What I remember is a children’s book (maybe ages 3-7) about a little girl, maybe born as a baby, who grew and grew grew, so fast or so big, that no clothing would do. So (her mother?) dressed her in clothing made of vines and flowers which then grew with her as she grew. Covering her as she got taller and bigger, growing as she grew.

I remember the book being very colorfully illustrated. Flowers, vines, perhaps she had long hair. I think the illustrations may have filled the pages – not been small.

I THINK the book was horizontal, rectangular in shape.

I was a young child in the mid-late 70s.

228F: Town’s largest yarn ball

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This book is an older children’s/YA book, set in small-town America. It was published in the 80s or earlier. The major competition in the town is which of two women had the larger ball of yarn/string. Everyone adds their spare bits to one or the other – I believe the POV character (a girl) brought the string from around a package to add to one woman’s ball.

Eventually, the town decided they needed to know once and for all. One woman’s was measurably a little bit larger, but there was the question of how tightly it was wound, plus there was the rumor that there was a peach pit in the center.

In the end, they decided to answer the question by unwinding each ball around a racetrack or something. I think they may have had to knock out walls to get the balls out of their owners’ houses. Partway through the unwinding one of the balls did indeed start looking notably peach-pit-shaped, and that’s the last I remember.

Thanks for any help!

227H: Plants go crazy!

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A little boy offers to help his neighbor take care of their houseplants while they’re away, and as each day passes the plants grow and grow, until they’ve filled up the house and are spilling out the windows and doors.  I would have seen it as a child in school or at the library in the early 80s, but the book may be from earlier.  I believe hardcover, with color illustrations ( I want to say ink and/or colored pencil?)  I’ve always been fascinated by plants and this book was my favorite!

227D: Girl embarrassed by weird family (Solved)

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A book from the 1970s, I think. I read it in the late 80s or early 90s. It centers on a teenage girl whose name *might* have been Margaret or Marguerite – not quite sure though. Her parents were super weird, and I think her family was kind of weird too. Her dad I think was kind of bald on top but grew out his hair on the back and sides. I think there may have been very brief black and white sketches too. Weird things I can remember that they did: sing opera in the back yard, have mattresses for furniture instead of real furniture, they also did a backwards progressive dinner one night (where they ate desert first and worked backwards to the appetizers) and brought home some kind of shrimp appetizers for the kids to eat, which was great for the kids because they had accidentally burned the pizza they ordered in the oven because the left it in the cardboard box and almost started a fire. I think she eventually learned to accept the quirkiness. Also, I think her siblings were kind of weird too and that she considered herself the only “normal” one. I don’t think it’s “Mom, You’re Fired,” nor do I think it’s “Me and Fat Glenda.” Neither of those descriptions seem to match. Thanks!