Children's book--probably read in the mid-80's. Girl moves into a new house with her parents and triplet siblings. She is suspicious of the previous owner (deceased elderly woman) and investigates, eventually finding buried bodies in the backyard beside a fence. The book had a few sketch-like illustration of the sort a child would have drawn.
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335X: Lassie-Like Story, Dimly Recalled
It’s a book I read in the 1970s (but it may have been published much earlier). The central character is a family’s pet–a cat I think, but I’m unsure. Maybe a dog. The family lives on a river, maybe the Mississippi. (My family was living on the river at the time, and the story may have been presented as a “local” tale.) By accident one day the pet floats away on a raft. Far downstream it comes ashore. The heart of the story is akin to Lassie-Come-Home: the pet struggles to return to the family. In the closing pages I believe it does return to the house–but the family is just leaving and somehow there is no reunion. Possibly the pet is even in the yard as the family packs out, and it hears the son’s voice as he laments that the pet never got back. I could be imagining that last bit, but I’m pretty sure there’s no reunion. I recall weeping at the near-miss, but all the other details are fuzzy.
335W: Luton Cabbie Mystery (Solved!)
Mid-1990s to mid-2000’s publication date, more likely 1998-2003. Mystery novel set in Luton, England. Protagonist is black cabdriver of West Indian/Caribbean origin. Unfortunately, I can’t recall the mystery he gets involved in. I liked the author’s portrayal of an overlooked airport town, the character and the look into his culture. Although I read a lot of British mysteries, this one’s setting was unusual and the mood of it has stayed with me. I have wondered if it was part of a series or a one-off.
335V: Children’s Book Cir. 1955
The story – two young kids are in the park one day, somehow hear from the insects that tonight is the coronation of the King (or Queen) Bee. They sneak out of the house that night to attend the grand coronation in the park.
335U: Children’s Collection, Help Solve The Mystery
335T: Street Racer Wrecks Merc, Races His Friend’s Instead
Looking for a small red paperback I read in high school around 1982-83. It's about a street racer who drove a "Merc", wrecked it and an acquaintance/racer bought and built another one very similar, if not identical. He could not race it himself, so he hired the first guy who wrecked to race it for him.
335S: Captive Beautiful Woman and Her Captive Aesthetically Pleasing Children (Solved!)
335R: Red-Headed Mischievous Princess
I read this book in the mid 90's, probably between 95-98. It was a picture book targeted at probably K-2. It was on the larger/taller size and it had a gray brick castle on the cover and a lot of the illustrations were of the castle. The characters were a young princess with long red hair and her friend who was a boy with blonde hair and freckles. They got into mischief together, led by her I believe. Most of the book was about the two of them playing together in the castle. The illustration style was clean and sharp, somewhat realistic but simplified, and more 3-d-ish than flat. . . I remember images where they were on upper levels of the castle and the girl was closer to the front, the boy farther away. I believe it might have come from my school book fair, so it was possibly Scholastic.
335Q: The Return Trip (Short Story)
I’m looking for a short story from about 10-15 years ago, title was something like “The Return Trip”. The flight of a famous M.D. is grounded in Boston for weather. In the airport, he receives a call from a young woman, the daughter of an old girlfriend who is dying of cancer. Story ends with his burning the unopened DNA lab results of the (his?) daughter, ordered years ago by the mom. Published in the July issue of an airline magazine (USAir?) about 10-15 years ago.
I realize it’s not a book, just a short story. I recall Googling the author when I knew his name, he had several collections of short stories, but none included this particular story. Not sure if it was ever published anywhere other than the airline magazine. I don’t recall the airline, but United and USAir were the most likely. I do know that it was a July edition of the magazine.
335P: Time Traveling Glasses (Solved!)
Looking for a book about a girl who finds a pair of glasses in the woods. When she puts them on, they transport her back in time. I believe there were pioneers and Native Americans. I read this book probably in the late 80’s. Likely juvenile fiction.