Category Archives: MG (grades 2-6)

210A: kind of “charm school” in book form

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I regret very much that I cannot recall the name of the book, and I do not know who the author is (but I’m pretty positive it was a female author). The book was one of a stash of books my grandmother sent to me one Christmas — I think I may have been about 12 or 13 years old. I was born in 1956 so that would be 1969, but my memory is weak, and I cannot recall precisely how old I was.

The book had pen and ink illustrations, and basically, it was a “growing up” book for young ladies or teenage girls. It dealt with good manners, proper etiquette, poise, appearance — kind of “charm school” in book form. I remember some of the passages: advice on what to do when you are a guest in someone’s home, how to address an invitation; how to properly rsvp to a wedding invitation, how to set a table, proper table manners, etc. — I even recall the instruction to leave some morsel on your plate when you are a dinner guest, rather than leave your plate completely cleared…..so as not to give the hostess the impression that you were left still hungry..!!). There was a chapter on good grooming, and the mention of an anecdotal story about a young secretary who, earning a meager salary, owned only one blouse, yet nevertheless took care that it was always clean and pressed….the young woman’s attention to her neat appearance eventually gained her the attention of her boss, who ended up marrying her.

I’ve searched for more than 30 years for this book — I did not own it for very long, as I was foolish enough to loan it to an irresponsible classmate who never returned it to me.. But having 3 daughters myself, I have often thought of this book and wished I could find it to share with them. The author’s writing style and language had a certain refinement that I do not find in the books that I’ve come across in my internet search for this particular book.

I’ll be astonished, and more than grateful, if my Stump the Bookseller inquiry is unsuccessful and you do actually locate this book for me.

209D: shadow story

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Book I read in late elementary or middle school (1980’s-1990’s) . I think the main character was a boy and the story had something to do with shadows. I remember doing a book report on it and making a map of the city that I think I copied from the book. I also feel like there might have been a neighbor involved in the story.

209C: Girl’s discover magic tools in cave

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I’m looking for a book I read in the ’80s when I was probably 12. Pretty sure it was set in North America. Small chance it was Britain, as I grew up in Canada and read a lot of British literature. A girl goes to live with her aunt and cousins for the summer. In a bunker/cave/room they find in a nearby hillside they find some books about magic and the room is filled with magical/witch stuff. The girl becomes very interested and tries some magic. In one scene they discover there are repercussions for the magic they’re trying and when they get back to the house after a spell they discover the pet canary is missing. At some point they may have also accidentally made the aunt disappear too. ?? I feel like there was a lot of yellow on the cover, but that could be 100% wrong. I’m a librarian and I’ve been searching for this for YEARS and I just cannot find it. I’m really hoping you can find it for me! 🙂

209B: Telepathic Spelling Bee contestant (Solved)

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Brother and little sister with male friend try to save a neighborhood park slated for demolition by entering little sister into a series of spelling bee contests for the prize money. Sister can read the minds of the boys while the boys look up the spelling of each word in the dictionary during the spelling bee while it is her turn to spell. Don’t know what ending is because the school year ended and library closed while librarian was reading the book to our class. Please help!

208D: a sort of Little House on the Prairie-light set

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The book I’m looking for was actually a series of Juvenile books I read in the mid 1980’s. I remember 4 or 5 of them. They were a sort of Little House on the Prairie-light. Set in mid western prairie state, but in a town. During or around a big influenza epidemic. The publisher may have been a Christian publishing house. The protagnist was a red head, who was 10-12ish, prone to eavesdropping and misunderstanding. There was a sort of mystery to be solved in each book by the children, that was always just a misunderstanding. One of the books revolved around Valentine’s Day. Can’t for the life of me remember the name or the author, nor can the friends who read them with me at the time.
They were short trade papers, with illustrations on a few pages, but not “illustrated.”
Don’t know if that is even remotely enough helpful information to track them down 🙂

208B: Post-apocalyptic fairy story (Solved)

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My memory is kind of fuzzy, but it was either a children’s or young adult novel I read in the early-to-mid 2000s (I’m leaning closer to somewhere around 2004-2006, give or take a year). The main plot line was that there’s some sort of horrible acidic superstorm approaching the house of these kids. Their power goes out, so the older sibling tries to calm the younger ones by telling them a story about fairies. Their parents aren’t there (I think I remember them being out of the house scavenging for resources. The kids are worried about this, and I think it’s implied they might be dead, but I’m not sure). I remember this part of the story being pretty dark.

After this, the story then shifts to the kid’s story, following the exploits of the fairy and its mischief in a much lighter and happier world, while periodically interjecting dialogue between the siblings. I also remember something about an old lady meeting the fairy. I can’t remember the story very well from here, and I don’t think I finished the book.

If it helps, I remember the cover of the book depicting some storm cloud and a lightning bolt, with the title involving something like “Sprite” or “Fairy.”

207D: Dell Yearling paperback from the 80s

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I am looking for a blue paperback yearling book that was published between 1980 and 1984. The book is about a girl (possibly named Adelaide) who lives with her spinster aunts in a big old house. She and the house girl go up in the attic and find a trunk belonging to the girl’s dead mother and there they unravel the mysteries of the mother’s past. Throughout the book, the main character has memories or possibly fantasies about her mother’s life.

The cover was blue with a picture of two girls in an attic. One girl was caucasian with black hair and a dress. The other girl was African American and and had some type of kerchief in her hair.