Category Archives: Early Reader

274D: Girl with Possible Shepherd (Solved)

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Here’s what I can tell you about the book: It was published in or before 1988; which was when I read it in paperback. It was intended for young adults or children. The story is about a girl who either moves in with a farmer/shepherd and his family or she goes to live with them for an extended period of time (possibly a summer). I think it may be her cousin and his family. While  there she gets into a great deal of mischief. She climbs into the rafters inside the house and is afraid to get down. She tastes fresh milk for the first time while it’s still warm. She learns to ride a horse and won’t get off when they tell her she should and then she’s so sore that she can neither sit nor stand comfortably. There is some sort of celebration she’s to attend – she goes into her room to see lots of colorful skirts laid out for her. She wonders which one she should wear and is told to wear all of the skirts.

 

I genuinely appreciate any help you can give me. My mother and I read this book together and laughed until we cried over parts of this story. I’d love to find it again. 

272E: Mr. Apple’s Family (Solved)

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Collection of children’s stories containing Mr. Apple’s Family and also a story about a little girl and a goat who live in a house with a roof made of grass. I think the goat gets into mischief? The edition we had was an orange hardcover.

Additional info:  This was a book at my grandmother’s house, and she is a big second-hand shopper, so I have no idea on original publication date, etc.  I was enjoying this book in 90s, and it was in relatively good condition at that time.  The illustrations were not very colorful, mostly black and white I think with a few splashes of color here and there.  The above stories are the only two I can remember for sure being included in the book, but there may have been one about pancakes(?), and maybe also some poetry.

272B: Magical gift inhibited by silver in braces

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I’m wondering if you might be able to help me track down a book that my SIL vaguely remembers from her childhood. The main character is surrounded by people who have magical gifts, but he (she?) apparently has no gifts. Then he/she gets his/her braces removed, and it turns out that the silver was inhibiting the magic, and he/she actually does have magical powers.

She read it in the mid-80s, and the fact that there were braces in it leads me to believe that it wasn’t written too much earlier than the 70s or 80s.

 

267D: Dick-and-Jane-esque, Plus Gyp (Solved)

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I have to tell this story first – I found Stump the Bookseller around a decade ago when I was in grad school in Illinois, and you all helped me find some dear books.  Then, my husband got his medical residency in Cleveland and someone told me about Loganberry Books, and I went, AND FELL IN LOVE.  Then I made the connection, and it rocked my world.  Another reason why I adore Cleveland: it has Loganberry.  (When I was in grad school, it was just a theoretical cool bookstore, not a concrete reality!)  Visit here if you can.

My stumper: my grandma had this series of square, paperback books, probably from the 50’s, that were like Dick and Jane but not – the same kind of easy-reading format, but the little kids had different names.  There was a boy, and a brunette girl, and a blonde girl, I think.  They did various things (the books had little stories per volume, I think); one of them involved the little blonde girl going shopping with her mom in town, and picking a bow for her hat.  I don’t remember their names, but I do remember that they had a cute little brown dog named Gyp.  My grandma is still around, but someone in the fam (understandably) took the books, and I so want to find them again.

Thanks!!! 🙂