I have vague memories of a book read to me in the 1950s about a family with children whose names began with B — possibly Biddy, Bantam, Bud, and Babe or Baby. But I don’t know either the author’s name or the book title. Can anyone help me?
My mother remembers with love a book she read in her youth. She describes it as follows:
“Book was available in the late 50s or maybe very early 60s – I don’t think it was published too long before then but I don’t know . I remember its style being like the Elizabeth Speare books as opposed to say the earlier Girl of the Limberlost.
Brackets are specifics I don’t remember clearly.
Young woman (YW) comes over from [England?] to stay with [distant relatives] in colonial New England. YW’s secret plan is to go back to a [cottage] in the wilds where [her family] used to live and where she believes she will be able to find [money? really don’t remember]. The family she is staying with includes a boy who is in terrible health and is very devout as he doesn’t expect to survive long. There is also an older girl.
There are also two rich brothers, the younger considered the most eligible bachelor in [Boston]; the older considered hopeless as a marriage prospect who accepts fines for not marrying rather than look for a spouse. One and I think both are sea captains.
YW does indeed run off to look for the cabin. Boy, who is convinced she is a witch and has written “witch, witch, witch,” sees her and follows her to bring her back or maybe just report on her. She is exasperated but by the time she discovers him it’s too late to send him back so she takes him with her. On the rugged trip he regains his health and comes to appreciate her.
She doesn’t find what she’s looking for and returns to [Boston] where she is arrested. The boy tries to testify for her but everyone thinks he’s bewitched. The younger brother comes to visit her in jail and promises to wait for her and marry her. The older brother comes in and says if the younger really loved her he’d help her sneak out of jail and would then run away with her – which he then does.”
My book is literary fiction published (probably) since 2000, by (I think) a man, but I cannot be certain.
The plot concerns a man (possibly a writer?) who returns to his hometown because his brother has been found frozen to death at the family’s vacation cottage and the man needs to figure out how the brother died and to clean out and sell the cottage on behalf of his parents.
While back in his hometown, the man has a romantic relationship with a woman (possibly someone he knew when he used to live there, but not certain). At the end of the book, the man successfully defends himself against an attempt on his life, possibly by an ex-lover of the woman he has taken up with. It’s possible that the man interrupted what would have been an attempt on the life of the woman, thereby saving her before turning to the task of saving his own life. The assault takes place on the property where the cottage is situated, with the would-be killer emerging from a garage, shed or barn, armed (possibly with an ax or some other tool).
Thank you in advance for your efforts to identify this book.
I am Looking for a children’s book, about the size of a Little Golden Book, although I am not sure that this was a Little Golden Book. I think it was called either The Magic Garden or The Secret Garden (not Frances Hodgen Burnett’s book). It was the story of a beautiful, generous queen married to a curmudgeon husband. She had access to a garden full of flowers, elves and fairies, beautifully illustrated. Of course, the husband is ultimately converted by her compassion and dealings with the poor. I recall it from the ’30’s and ’40’s so it was probably published about then.
Book written in the 60’s-early 80’s. Illustrations are photos (like stills from a movie) not drawings. Set in England in 1800’s or early 1900’s; poor boy is friends with rich girl. They play together a lot. I think at one point she’s not allowed to play with him. One scene they are on the street and roll a sixpence down a hill which they lose in a drain (or something like that). The two grow up and fall in love. I know there are scenes in her rich house. I believe his father works for hers or he is just a little scamp of some kind. He has blonde hair. They spend much of their days outdoors. That’s all I can remember. I just remember reading this around 1981 and I was 11 years old. It was a chapter book, kind of thick, written for older children, but not quite young adult. I remember their clothing was old fashioned. Please help! I’ve searched since my friend lost it in 1981-82. I would LOVE to find this book! It means so much to me. Thank you!!
I read the book in 6th grade (1990-1991.) The book most likely printed mid to late 1980s or early 1990s. Set in modern times in North America/USA. Male lead age 13-15. Junior high or high school student. He finds out one day he can some how summon abilities. Example in the only scene I remember he’s being followed. He confronts his stalker and summons the abilities of a boxer and fights off his stalker. Through out the book he summons skills. Sometimes he can do it other times the power fails. Doesn’t understand how he can do it.
Can anyone help?
Horse named Magic boy with asthma. Boy can’t kep up with his older brothers, but parents give him elderly horse named Magic, when time for the horse to die the groom arranges to have the horse disappear, stall door left open, boy is heartbroken but a little older and growing healthier.
Mammals in Wisconsin Children’s book with beautiful full page high gloss pictures and short narratives of common mammals (weasels, fox, deer, bear, etc.) in Wisconsin. Published around 1959-1961. A quote from the book is “When a weasel sets out to go hunting he always asks himself will I eat today or be eaten”? I don’t recall the title, but the book was most likely purchased from a Milwaukee, Wisconsin book store.
Children’s book about a little airplane called “Props”. Early 1940s. “Props” in the title, I think. Story line similar to “Scuffy the Tugboat” in Little Golden series.
When I was growing up ( I was born in 1968) my mother had a set of World Book Encyclopedias and on the same set of shelves she had this boxed set of four : grey with red/maroon lettering . I could be wrong but I recall all four of the books having nursery rhymes/poems e.g. Jack Spratt, Old Mother Hubbard, Itsy bitsy spider, there was one about black birds baked in a pie. There was even one about a purple cow and the last line of it was I’d rather see than be one – and on the top of the page was what you could tell was a color picture of a Holstein cow but they had mad it look purple. The quality of the books were the same as the encyclopedias- hard shell, thick feel of the paper. I loved those books. I have a co-worker who also remembers the same set of books but her mother also did not keep them to her dismay and she and I both have been trying to figure out who published them and could you still find a set. There were tons of poems/ rhymes and I loved them all but the purple cow was my all time favorite. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated .