Category Archives: 1990s-

262B: Girl can’t afford item she wants in store window and a richer girl gets it instead

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Children’s book, fiction. Hardback full illustration with words. I saw this book at library 3+ years ago. My daughter was attracted by the cover and took it out to read. There was a little girl who saw something in a store window (hat, but maybe purse, dress, doll, jewelry item?). Girl thought it was beautiful and really wanted it. One day snooty girl she didn’t like was looking through the shop window at the item, as well, and the poor girl was trying to figure out how get the item but the snooty girl bought it first. The little girl who wanted it was very upset, and ended up getting wise advice from a parent or grandparent (can’t remember) who comforted her. My daughter was so sad she didn’t get the item, that we put the book away. Now I’m sorry! What a lesson in coping with these moments when we realize we can’t have it all!

261D: Fairies Kidnap Girl (Solved)

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I’m looking for a children’s book that was available around 1990 (not sure if that is the publication date or not).  The story details I can remember are that a girl is either kidnapped or befriended by a fairy, and her mother tries to get her back.  When the mother finds the daughter, she is told she has to hold on to her no matter what.  The fairy then turns the daughter into different things trying to get the mother to let go (snakes, thorns, and finally hot iron).  As the mom holds on to the hot-iron version of the daughter, the metal melts and turns back into the actual girl and they can leave together.

 

The version of this book that I remember had gorgeous illustrations in sort of an art-nouveau/greek style.  Very detailed and beautiful.  Thank you for the help in identifying the title/author!

 

260D: Brothers trapped by tides meet a dragon

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I am trying to remember the title of a children’s book i read in the early 1990s. It was a short paperback chapter book. The story was about 2 brothers (they may or may not have been truly biological brothers) and they were opposite and did not get along. One was very athletic and the other was nerdy and more brainy. They go on a summer vacation together (grudgingly) to the East coast. I want to say the Maritimes? Somewhere with very high tides. Anyway they go exploring some caves together, but time passes faster than they expected, the tide rises and they are trapped in this cave together. But they find some magical way into a fantasy world. And there are dragons and magic. And the nerdy brother is the one who is more clever and able in this world than the jock brother. And there is a part where i think they have a riddle contest with a Dragon and the nerdy brother outsmarts the dragon. The brothers become friends in the end.

257E: Magical Gifts

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This is a fairly recent book, having had my hands on it sometime between 1996-1998.  It was definitely a picture book.  I can’t remember if the classroom copy was paperback or hardcover, but I don’t think the book was published any time before 1985 and it was more likely to have been put out after 1992.

 

My clearest memory is of a page showing a slim girl with cropped black hair who, as a thief, had a magical belt or girdle that made her invisible.  The belt may have been silver.  The story took place in an imaginary land or in the past; I think she was dressed in a very sort of medieval page way.

 

I am certain there were other girls with other specific talents and magical objects in the book, but I am unsure as to how many.  Judging from trends in children’s literature it was probably 3 or 7.

 

Thank you so much!

254E: Ella in the Woods

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Hi there,

I’m looking for a book that my parents bought for my sister and I in the early 90’s. It was soft cover book.
The illustrations are art nouveau-ish ( I remember that they have that “stained glass” look to them). The story is about a young girl with long dark hair who is wearing, to my memory, a flowing red dress who is either deliberately walking though or gets lost in the woods and she happens upon an abandoned castle what she wanders through. I seem to remember that there were climbing roses throughout the castle and animals that are watching her as she explores the castle. I don’t remember how it ends unfortunately. I feel like the girl’s name was Ella, but I could be completely wrong.

I have looked for YEARS to try and find this book; my parents remember it, but don’t know what happened to it and don’t remember what it was called or where they bought it; no idea if this is helpful, but I remember reading it on the ferry to Prince Edward Island, so I’m wondering if maybe my parents bought it in a nearby bookstore?

254A: Small chapter book on solving mysteries (Solved)

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Okay, this book was maybe from the early- to mid- 90’s, and is a “mystery” book, but wasn’t a series – it had several small chapters, with a story and a picture. Based on the story, and the picture, you had to try and solve the “mystery”. They were simple – one took place in a school classroom where a small windmill made out of popsicle sticks had been broken, and the reader had to figure out if the open window and a strong gust of wind broke it, or if another classmate did. The answers (and specific hints about the clues that helped to solve it) were all in the back.

253D: Secret Ancient Ruins (Solved)

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I read this book when I was in middle school in the mid-90s. This student (at a boarding school?) is blindfolded by another student and led through the woods following a windy path so he won’t be able to retrace his steps later. They reach a secret cave or something where the other student has discovered ancient ruins of tiny buildings (like maybe pygmies lived there, or some unknown tiny people?). Together, over a long period of time, they excavate these buildings. Then for some reason, (maybe this knowledge is going to get into the wrong hands?) the main character decides he needs to get back to the site on his own. He’s never seen the way, since he’s always blindfolded, but he remembers the twists and turns by feel. Once he arrives there, he destroys the buildings he worked so hard to uncover so no one will ever know they were there.
Thanks!

251D: A boy must find his strengths and his mother

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I am looking for a young adult book that I read between 1983-1990. (It may be marginally sci-fi or dystopian, I don’t recall.)

The story is: A boy/teenager’s mother disappears. As he tries to find her, he comes into his own skill-set (maybe as a mathematician, scientist or problem solver — something.) In the end, he finds his mother, and she explains that she is part of a group who intend to start a new society or colonize off planet — something along those lines. She left her life behind and vanished in order to begin preparations with the group because the time to start this new colony or society was drawing near. (I believe her skill is agricultural or scientific, etc)

The big revelation is that she couldn’t tell him about what she was doing or bring him along because every member of the group must have a special skill or contribution to make to this new society that they intend to form. She could only hope that her son discovered his skill and could follow the clues to find her. (Essentially, now that he has become worthy, they are reunited and he can be part of this new colony.)

Thanks in advance,
Jana P.