Category Archives: MG (grades 2-6)

250D: Two Brothers and a Flying Machine (Solved)

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I read a junior fiction trilogy in middle school in the early 70s.

It was about two brothers who build a flying machine (NOT the Wright brothers – as virtually all my searches return).
I think it was set in either England or New England, possibly on a farm; likely at the turn of the 20th century. I think their mother is one of the characters. I remember specifically a description of cool linen sheets – of all things!

I think both brothers may have liked the same woman. (They might have been cousins but I don’t think so…)

One of the brothers was injured at some point – either in a crash, or maybe in war? Walked with a limp and a cane after that.

I remember rich detail in the writing.

Any thoughts or ideas would be welcomed. I’ve been hunting for years!

249G: Treasure concealed in a barn

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I read this book in the 90’s but do not know if it was published prior.

There is a young boy whom begrudgingly goes to a family members home (may be a grandparent although I do not recall this aspect specifically). I think it was for his summer vacation. There is a local legend of missing treasure, maybe it was stolen? Many people have looked for the treasure over the years, but of course the boy finds it in a barn. I think the barn was on the property where he had been staying for the summer.

The treasure had been melted down and molded/crafted into items commonly found in a barn and covered or painted to conceal it. I believe he chipped off some paint of a candle stick or something, and the wagon in the barn actually was made of gold and also painted or covered in disguise. I hope this is enough to figure this out, I really loved the book as a kid and now want to read it to my children.

 

 

249F: A girl finds another world at the end of a tunnel (Solved)

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This was a three book series I read a few years ago. My library had them in the “young adult” section. I remember the book cover of one was green, I know one had vines on it. The book was about a girl and her family lived on a kind of farm and she finds this kind of tunnel. On the other side was a whole “colony” of these dwarf like things some of them had wings. There was this kind of Pegasus animal, it was small though and horse-like but had wings. I believe in the second book maybe the third the little girl gets sent to a boarding school and everyone thinks she crazy because she talks about these dwarf things.

One part of the book the Pegasus animal gets hurt and the girl takes care of it for a while in a sort of shed that her family no longer uses. At one point, I know, the two of them spend the night in a tree house sort of thing near the girls house. I know as you read the books it went back and forth of who was “narrating” like one or two chapters would be the girl side and then one or two chapters would be from the “dwarfs” side.

It was a kinda confusing series because it ended up that this little girl had had another life or something a long those lines. I don’t know how much help that is. There was something about a magical “touchstone” that guided the “dwarfs” they had migrated and at the end of the book they migrate again.

249A: A collection of fairy tales with animals

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I’m looking for a particular book of fairy tales. I could swear it was just called “Children’s Book of Fairy Tales”, followed by a sequel “Children’s book of more fairy tales” or something very similar. I’ve tried Googling with quotes and nothing comes up – without quotes I get hundreds of fairy tale books but none the one I’m looking for. Both were hardcover, medium thick. One of the books (I don’t remember if it was the 1st of 2nd – for some reason I think we got the sequel book first as kids) – I seem to remember had a busy cover that wrapped around from front to back, with characters and scenery that covered all over – and I picture mostly a green/blue color, possibly water or leaves (but I could be remembering that wrong). We received the books in the 80s, and they weren’t vintage so I’m guessing they were 80s published, probably mid-late 80s judging by my age. The illustrations, both cover and in the stories (all the stories were heavily illustrated on every page) – was more cartoonish then painting-like. It was not life like, like many of the vintage fairy tales. Oh and I’m pretty sure all the characters were animals. So like cartoon animals as fairy tale characters. I’d say there maybe 20 or so stories in each book. Some of the stories were classic fairy tales but I remember there being a lot I had never heard.

Anyway, it’s driving me crazy because I’ve found many of my favorite childhood books, even obscure ones, but this is alluding me, possibly because there are so many fairy tale collections out there and this wasn’t a classic vintage one (but the best I’ve ever seen!).

Any help would be great!

Thank you!! – Rachel

248I: children are turned into buttons (Solved)

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Probably read this in the early 1970s Two children, boy and girl, are turned into buttons by a woman (witch?). As buttons, they looked like carved bone and I think they were dressed as Pilgrims. They had to escape before they were sewn onto anything, because once they were sewn on, the change was permanent.

248G: Farida story in reading textbook

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Hello Book Stumpers,
I am looking for an old reading textbook from grade 4, 5, or 6. Publication would have been late 1970s to early 1990s. I recall the cover had an underwater photo of a scuba diver or snorkeler, but this memory is a bit fuzzy. The cover was dark in color; lots of deep blues and blacks. A particular story I remember from the book was a Middle Eastern, Arabic, or African folk tale about a girl named Farida (or something similar). The story illustrations included a camel. This story may have involved weaving or a loom, but I am not positive about that point.
Some other information that may be useful. This book came from my grandmother, who taught grade 5 and 6 reading. Her school tended to use the Scott, Foresman readers and Ginn readers. For example, she also gave me “The Sun that Warms” Ginn reading level 11 (c) 1973, “Dream Chasers” Ginn reading level 11 (c) 1989, and “Three Cheers” Scott, Foresman reading level 10 (c) 1987. The book I am searching for may be from one of those series.
Thank you for any help or advice you can give.

248B: He dreamed of pheasant hunting

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I am looking for book I read back around 1970 at our local library-already checked with them.

It is a short hardcover bound youth book written probably for ages 8-12. I suspect it was probably written no earlier than 1950 and no later than 1970, by I suspect a minor author.

The short story, as I recall, is about a young boy who obsessively thinks and dreams about going pheasant hunting, he eventually does go pheasant hunting, gets all scratched up in the thickets chasing the elusive ring necked pheasant and after a long unsuccessful day of hunting I believe his father ends up buying some pheasants to take home so his son does not feel unsuccessful.

As I recall the book had a blue cloth cover with black impressed line drawing of a pheasant or two and perhaps a shotgun.

I would like to buy this book, not really concerned about the price-want to give it to my son.

It is for sure not “Danny the Champion of the World.”

Thanks