Category Archives: Anthology

207A: Kind girl befriends “house proud” trapped witch and orange tabby

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I read this story in a book of either just cat or animal short stories. I think they all had magic involved.

A witch tried a spell that backfired and trapped her in her own house, sitting staring at the fire. Years later the house was rented by a nice young woman who could sort of see the witch and treated her politely-offered her tea. The witch’s orange tabby was still around and got killed defending the young woman from the witch’s nefarious nephew. Some visitor came up later-obviously to be the boyfriend and he’d found the reincarnation of the orange tabby. The witch smiles as she fades away (I think) released. Nefarious nephew (or some relation) defeated. Written in late 90s maybe?
Anyone remember this story and what book it’s in? Any help appreciated. Thanks!!!

205D: Dancing Shoes story

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There was a book which was read to me as a child that had a series of one page stories in it. I remember it being a thick book (but I was a child) The one story I remember the most was one about all the shoes that came out of the closet at night and danced around there room during the night. I tried Hans Christian Anderson but couldn’t find it. Have no other information. Would love to see read that story again.

204C: Kids book jokes codes drawings funny stories riddles

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I was born in 1981, and when I was a kid around maybe 4-8 years old I had a book that I took with my everywhere. It wasn’t a novel or story, but a book with maybe a hundred different chapters (each chapter maybe 1-3 pages) of games/puzzles/poems/jokes/riddles/etc. Some of the specific items I remember were codes that you had to read by holding a mirror up to the page. I remember a page with funny looking monster heads. Pages with jokes, etc.

I had a hardcover book with maybe a couple hundred pages, that was outstanding. If my memory is correct the dimensions of this version were about 8 inches tall by 6 inches wide. My version had black and white pages, I don’t recall any color other than the cover. I do seem to recall that the cover has yellow as a prominent color in the design.

This my sound crazy, but I think having that book in my developmental years helped my brain in creating a high level of intelligence. I am about to have a son and would love to be able to give him the same book.

202E: Brightly illustrated story book (Solved)

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I am looking for a book that may have been published in the 1960’s. I think it had a red cover. The book was illustrated with very bright colors. It had several stories, but there are three I remember most clearly.

One was a story of a little pine tree that wanted different leaves. The illustrations included gold coins being plucked off the tree, a goat eating the oak leaves, and glass prisms hanging from the tree.

Another story was of a stingy old woman who was baking at on oven. She would not give visitors any of her pies. The picture of the pie she baked was huge. She was eventually turned into a woodpecker to peck out a living. There is a picture of her as a woodpecker: her red hat became the birds head and her black dress with a white apron became the body.

The last story that I can remember is one where a little girl went through the woods with a tin pan to fetch water for her sick mother. As she walked back giving sips of water to various thirsty people, the pan became metals such as silver then gold and then a diamond and then a group of stars (the big dipper).

200A: Children’s collection driving me crazy.

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Children’s collection driving me crazy.

My brother and I have been looking for our favorite childhood fairy tale/folk/fables/story collection from when we were kids in the mid-1980s. What we remember: It was a mostly white cover, with big letters, hardbound. Simple color illustrations that went along with the short versions of the tales. Stories we remember:

– The Honest Woodcutter
– Rumpelstiltskin
– King Midas and his Golden Touch
– Rip Van Winkle
– The Princess and the Pea
– Gingerbread Man
– Twelve Dancing Princesses
– The Fox and the Grapes
– The Salt Merchant and the Donkey

That’s all we can remember.

195C: The Magic Pencil (Solved)

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I’m looking for a book for my aunt. She remembers reading a story called “The Magic Pencil” to her boys (this would have been back in the 1980s and 90s), but the story is part of a larger book/anthology of stories that she can’t remember the name of. Based on the look and feel of the book, she thinks it was probably from the 1950s (though that’s just a guess). In the story, the pencil would only write if you used the magic word “please” (or something like that). Would love to find this for her for Christmas!

192F: Story collection with coloring book feel

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Story collection. Can’t recall if it’s bedtime stories or fairy tales. Had “coloring book” texture pages will uncolored illustrations. Divided into colored paper sections (ie: 1st fourth was on yellow paper, second on green, etc).
Some stories I recall: one about mermaids, one about an elevator that was alive, one about a lobster, and another about a mismatched sock I think. Also think there may have been a jungle themed one. I hope this helps, I can’t find it anywhere 🙂

189D: British Children’s Short Story Treasury from ‘80s or ‘90s (Solved!)

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This was a large, white-bound treasury of short stories and craft ideas, likely published in the 1980s or very early 1990s. The stories were all in British English, but took place around the world. One story was about a brother and sister exploring Montreal’s Underground City during the winter (I believe the brother’s name may have been Sean, with an accent on the e). Another story was about a girl named Tracey who had a pair of silver sandals that never got used. The sandals were sad when they saw her wear all her other shoes day after day, but they finally got worn for a fancy party. I would love to find this collection again! Thanks for your help!

188C: searching for remembered anthology

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I am looking for a favorite children’s book. Here is all I remember about it:

1) I think it was a Reader’s Digest anthology, but since I have not been able to find it, perhaps it was another common name from the time that sponsored the collection.

2) I believe the cover was blue–but I could be completely wrong about that.

3) I am quite sure that it was at least 9×12, possibly 10×14. It was large enough that I recall the depth of the book (spine width) being only an inch and looking thin in comparison with the rest of the book.

4) I read it between the ages of 6-12 (1960-1966).
5) The stories had enough words that they were either directed toward young adult readers (high school) or junior high.

6) My most compelling memories are of two stories in the anthology:

The first was about a family crossing the desert in the American southwest. Their car broke down and they had to survive by collecting condensation on parts of their car, which they dismantled. They also created signage so that a plane could see them.

The other story was about a pony or colt with a broken leg. The family suspended the colt in a hammock while its leg healed. The vet had told them it would never work, but it did.