Category Archives: 1980s

356K: Dead Bird Virus causes Zombie Like Creatures

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I am looking for a book, possibly teen horror fiction that I read back between 1980-1983. The premise was a girl living with aunt/mom in a coastal town when a virus hits. She notices dead birds around the town and people start disappearing. The virus causes the infected to seek out the dark and they pass the virus by holding the person down and breathing into their mouth. Her family and friends become infected and she is left with a bunch of teen survivors who slowly get picked off. She ends up in an old house with a boy. I can’t remember the ending.

356I: Seeking the name of a YA book from the 80s

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So there’s this YA book I read as a kid that I’ve been trying to figure out for years. Here’s what I know/remember about it:

*It was about a girl, age 9ish-12ish, who was an only child.

*Her mom gets pregnant, which I don’t think the kid was thrilled about, but mom has a stillbirth or miscarriage.

*There’s a scene where mom comes home from the hospital after losing the baby and the girl is cuddling with her and there’s a rather detailed description of what the mom’s tummy feels like now that there’s no longer a baby in it.

*There’s also a scene where the girl’s aunt is babysitting her, I think while mom is in the hospital, and the aunt takes the girl to a bar for dinner where the aunt’s boyfriend’s band plays. The girl orders spaghetti and a chocolate shake. I remember this because it blew my mind at the time and sounded like the best dinner ever.

*I THINK there may have been another book to the story, wherein the mom winds up having another healthy baby.

*It was written in the 70s or 80s.

*I read it sometime in the late 80s.

*It was similar in style to a Beverly Cleary or Judy Blume, but I DON’T think it was written by either of them or by any of the other really well known children’s authors of that time.

*I am NOT thinking of the Anastasia Krupnik series.

That’s it. Any ideas? There’s no particular reason for me trying to remember, except that it pops into my head every once in a while and drives me bananas.

356G: People With Special Powers Live On Narrow Inhabitable Strip Of Planet

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This is about a two-book series that was likely written between 1975 and 1999. The survivors of a planet lived on a narrow inhabitable strip of the planet. On both sides there were less habitable areas. On one side lived mutants who were like vampires and werewolves. In the strip lived the main characters in a town, one a strongman, one a mind reader whose wife was a healer and operated a clinic, one a blind woman who could see the future. There were several towns. The mind reader has a female child whose skin changed colors and also had a son. The leader of the werewolves had a son who killed those living in the town where the main characters lived. When the blind woman got her sight back temporarily, she lost the ability to see the future. The healer’s wife died near the end of the book and the mind reader decided to move to another town where his children had previously moved.

355V: 1970s Judy Blumesque YA Novel

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I’m sure I got this book from Weekly Reader in the early 80s but was probably published in the 70s. Opens with protagonist making a homemade costume for school with spray painted gold boots and a sword. I think I remember parents getting a divorce. I remember main character going into his parents’ bedroom looking for help with costume and mom getting dressed and getting a run in her pantyhose and saying, “Damn!” which I perceived as scandalous as may mother would never use such language - ha! Protagonist has an older high school age brother who is enamored with girlfriend and their song is “Stairway to Heaven”.

355M: Messy kid, their stuff gets fed up and leaves (Solved!)

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I am looking for a children’s picture book I remember about a kid (can’t remember if male or female) who was so messy that all his stuff got up and left. I believe his toys left. His bed was tired of being unmade, so it walked out. I think eventually the whole house left. That’s about all I remember!

It was likely around in the 1980s or perhaps 1990s in the US. I hope you can help me, it’s driving me nuts! Thank you!

354P: A Girl Discovering Interesting Things in the Woods

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I don’t know the title, but this is my memory of it. I grew up as a kid in the 1990s, so it would be from around then or earlier. I think it was probably made in the 1980s or 1990s, but I could be wrong. My memory of the artwork is watercolors.
Synopsis: Girl goes out for a walk in the forest. I think she brings sandwiches with her (possibly peanut butter)? She might also have had a thermos to drink something. She goes and picks berries and puts them in a glass jar she has with her. I think she ends up eating all the berries and instead fills the jar with tadpoles. Not sure if I am remembering the tadpole part correctly. It could be that she sees tadpoles in the brook in the forest. My memory is that nothing extraordinary (no adventure) happens. It’s just the girl with her thoughts and discovering interesting things in the woods. My memory of the illustrations is lush and detailed and more sophisticated.
Sorry to be so vague, but this is as good as I got! Thanks so much for your help!