Category Archives: 1980s

344S: Boy with a Magic Pencil?

I recall a young adult chapter book from my youth (late 1970s-early 1980s) about a boy with a magic pencil. It is used like a regular pencil, but it might have been blue lead. Like a regular pencil, it needs to be sharpened, and gets slightly smaller each time. I can’t recall the things he made or did with it. Some dramatic emergency with the last bit of pencil.  Apologies but that’s all I remember.

344Q: Fruit and Vegetable Creations to Entice Reluctant Child

I am looking for a children’s book from the 1980s/90s era about a young boy left at home with a babysitter. He hates eating anything healthy and complains about the sitter wanting him to eat apples, carrots, etc until she shows him that you can make it fun and create animals and other creatures with the fruits and veggies. The back of the book had photos and instructions for making your own creations.

344L: Brother and Sister Run Amuck Through Restaurant

My book Stumper is a children’s book that I predict comes from the 90s (even 80s maybe). I had it read to me everyday when I was a kid (I’m 22 now).

I have no idea what it’s called, but the cover depicts night time (Navy blue) with a restaurant illustration! I remember the book being rather large and rectangle (long). To give you a visualization, it sort of resembles Van Gogh's “Cafe Terrace at Night” painting!

The book follows a brother and a sister who run amuck through the restaurant - they run through the chefs kitchen and hide under the tables. They also do a lot of magic tricks. I vividly remember a white rabbit in a hat and the extending handkerchiefs!

The girl has black hair in a short haircut, and I can’t remember what the brother looks like.

I suspect that it’s not a popular childrens book as I’ve looked at countless lists and it’s never been there!

If you can find this book, I will be beyond happy. I have literally been searching for it for YEARS!

343U: Foiled By a Tricky Sock

A friend and I remember a book from childhood and cannot find it. We are both in our mid 30s.
The book illustration is the most memorable one. A character has a sock, and is using said sock to collect and hold bright primary colored marbles or candy, but there is an unraveling and/or hole near the toe of the sock and the things are trickling out along the way.

343L: Boyfriend Sleeps in Snow on Cold Night to Prove Love (Solved!)

I have searching for this book for a while. It is something I read in middle school. I’m 36 years old. The book was about a high school girl that was dating her brother’s best friend. It takes place in a state in the US where it snows and some or all of the book takes place during winter. I remember there was a window seat where she drank hot chocolate and looked out and saw him in the front yard. There was also a scene where they got into a fight and to prove himself to her he built himself a place to sleep in the snow in her front yard. I remember the Mom remarking that it was cold out there. Unfortunately I don’t remember the title or author or names of the main characters but I remember the book being well written and very age appropriate for middle school and early high school. I hope you can figure it out!! I would love to grab a copy for my home library. Thank you!

343K: Jojo the Monkey

I am trying to track down a children’s book I had growing up in the late 70s/early 80s. It was a hardcover book (I think it was green) and it was entitled something like “The Adventures of Jojo.” The book had a lot of illustrations and featured a little monkey called Jojo. i used to LOVE the book, but can’t seem to find any info anywhere. Please help.

343G: Rhyming Alphabet Book

Searching for the alphabet book I had as a child in the late 80s/early 90s in Ohio. There’s no overarching theme for the entire book, other than alphabet. Each letter had a couplet as a sentence, so the book has a rhyming rhythm when read out loud. For example “C is for cookie, would you like a bite?” A few of the letters that I can recall are listed below. The book was printed in color.
A is for airplane, up in the sky
B is for bridge
C is for cookie, would you like a bite
E is for egret
J is for jumping bean
N is for nightingale
T is for taffy
Z is for zeppelin

343E: Grotesque Picture Book (Solved!)


I read this book in the 1980s. There were large pictures on every page. The art was reminiscent of Arthur Rackham or the 1980s movie "Flight of Dragons." The figures could be quite grotesque with pointy ears, grey skin, or warts. The main character is a young girl. At one point she has to cross a wide canyon or chasm on a very thin or invisible string. I believe there is an ogress, troll, or giant that she outwits. The layout of the book was landscape (not portrait) and the cover had a purple border. Any help you could provide finding this book would be greatly appreciated!

343A: Fixing Up Old House Leads To A Change Of Mind

The book I am looking for is about a couple who decides they want a better house and they will sell theirs and move. But to sell it they must fix it up. They then proceed to fix it up (the garden, new paint, etc.). At the end their current house is so lovely that they decide its what they wanted all along and decide to stay.
I read it in the mid 80s at my grandmas house.
I would be delighted if you could solve my mystery