Category Archives: 1990s-

337B: Dream Drawings

I’m looking for an illustrated book my grandma read to me in the late 80’s/ early 90’s. It is stories of a family where every night the parents ask the kids what they want to dream about, and while the kids are going to sleep the parents use their fingers to ‘draw’ the subject of the dream on the kids faces. Then they have the dream they asked for.   If I remember correctly it’s always a different animal the kids want to be in their dreams.

 

336V: Funny Dragon-ish creature (Kaz?)

I think the book was to be one of a series, but I only read the first one. It was set in a land with a limited map, like a world within a land, and the people who lived in the land where unaware of the wider world.

There was a red dragon or lizard named Jaz or Baz or Kaz who was funny and the best friend of the human, who I believe was female.

The cover had the lizard-type creature perched on a roadside boulder, with the road winding down a hill and maybe clouds around the edges.
I believe I read it in the 90’s or 00’s

 In addition, my son says this:
Kaz is the name of the dragon for sure. The land is separated by walls, and one or some start breaking down and that’s the main conflict. Later they find out that the world is set up that way because of fantasy space computers.

336M: Captive Mage Falls In Love With Woman Captive In Tower

I’m looking for a fantasy novel, likely written in the 90’s, as I read it between 1998-2003, I think.
It was about a woman who was captive in a tower with a Druid/mage who produced alchemical fireworks. He was also some kind of captive in the city-kingdom, and naturally they fall in love.
My parents pitched it out and I’ll never let it go

336F: Children Find Fine Art

This was a 90’s children’s mystery novel that I read as a 3rd or 4th grader in 1996 or so. It was an un-illustrated chapter book. I can’t remember much else about the plot other than the characters were sorting out someone’s estate and found a very fine piece of stained glass art (lamp, vase or pitcher perhaps). The author did an excellent job describing the art – that’s what all my friends and I loved about the book. I also remember at the end of the book they are able to see all of the other pieces of the art collection that belonged with it.

335W: Luton Cabbie Mystery (Solved!)

Mid-1990s to mid-2000’s publication date, more likely 1998-2003. Mystery novel set in Luton, England. Protagonist is black cabdriver of West Indian/Caribbean origin. Unfortunately, I can’t recall the mystery he gets involved in. I liked the author’s portrayal of an overlooked airport town, the character and the look into his culture. Although I read a lot of British mysteries, this one’s setting was unusual and the mood of it has stayed with me. I have wondered if it was part of a series or a one-off.

 

335R: Red-Headed Mischievous Princess

I read this book in the mid 90's, probably between 95-98. It was a picture book targeted at probably K-2. It was on the larger/taller size and it had a gray brick castle on the cover and a lot of the illustrations were of the castle. The characters were a young princess with long red hair and her friend who was a boy with blonde hair and freckles. They got into mischief together, led by her I believe. Most of the book was about the two of them playing together in the castle. The illustration style was clean and sharp, somewhat realistic but simplified, and more 3-d-ish than flat. . . I remember images where they were on upper levels of the castle and the girl was closer to the front, the boy farther away. I believe it might have come from my school book fair, so it was possibly Scholastic.

335Q: The Return Trip (Short Story)

I’m looking for a short story from about 10-15 years ago, title was something like “The Return Trip”.  The flight of a famous M.D. is grounded in Boston for weather.  In the airport, he receives a call from a young woman, the daughter of an old girlfriend who is dying of cancer.  Story ends with his burning the unopened DNA lab results of the (his?) daughter, ordered years ago by the mom.  Published in the July issue of an airline magazine (USAir?) about 10-15 years ago.

I realize it’s not a book, just a short story.  I recall Googling the author when I knew his name, he had several collections of short stories, but none included this particular story.  Not sure if it was ever published anywhere other than the airline magazine.  I don’t recall the airline, but United and USAir were the most likely.  I do know that it was a July edition of the magazine.

335M: Children’s Fable Anthology

I’m looking for a hardback collection of children’s stories/fables from the late 80's or early 90's. The illustrations for each story were very round-faced, cartoony characters, and the cover was blue. I remember there being around 10-15 stories and the ones I most clearly remember are a version of “Stone Soup”, a version of “The House with the Golden Windows”, and a story very like “The Giving Tree”.

The most unique story I remember that I can’t find anywhere online is a story of a King challenging his 3 children (two sons and one daughter) to prove who should inherit the throne. He gives them each a gold coin and sends them to buy something that will fill every room of the castle. The oldest son buys feathers and tries to spread them out but there aren’t enough. The second son hires a flute player to fill the castle with music but it can’t be heard in the tallest tower. Finally the daughter buys candles for every room and fills the castle with light and therefore wins her father’s challenge. I have been thinking about this book for so long it would be amazing if anyone could point me in the right direction!

335I: Fantastical Christmas sound effect book

I am looking for the title of a children’s Christmas book which had sound effect buttons down one side which you could press. This book was a Christmas favourite of ours as children in the 1990’s, and was likely either an English or possibly American book, sent over by relatives living there at the time (posting from the UK).
The book listed various fantastical Christmas themed items, possibly describing a Christmas wish list, or remembering things from an (imaginary) Christmas walk or dream? The bits we can remember are:
  • Magic shoes for walking on a beam of light
  • A magic ride on Santa’s sleigh
  • Pirates treasure and a gold doubloon

I think the items repeated on each page with one being added each time. The last line of each section was “white snow, bright snow, icy cold starlit snow”.

Can anyone else remember this book, or shed any light on the title?