Category Archives: Unsolved

363S: YA novel with a young woman and a portrait

3 Replies

Thank you for doing these. You helped me find another young adult book years ago, and I was so grateful. Unfortunately I can remember almost nothing about this one. It probably was set in the 18th century, and I believe it was in America. It might have been told from the point of view of a daughter or niece of the young woman in the portrait. All I remember is that the artist had captured her glowing and happy as she came in from out of doors. I think she was wearing a cape! There was a man beside her and it turned out the man who had made her so happy had been painted over with the likeness of her current husband. The other man’s portrait was underneath. Does that ring a bell?

363R: Kids Fly A Psychedelic Magic Carpet

1 Reply

I remember this book from my childhood in the 70s. I believe the cover had psychedelic kids art — a magic carpet, with maybe two kids on it, very colorful. It was about two kids (I think) who (ride? are captured? somehow are on a) magic carpet that takes them to (other worlds? Other dimensions?). It was a very weird book and I completely loved it, but have no idea about the title. It definitely had some kind of interdimensional aspect (although I could be confusing this with A Wrinkle In Time, but I think not). Probably published early 70s. 

363Q: St Patrick’s Day Nocturnal Mystery

Leave a reply

I hope that you can help me find a book that one of my former students is looking for! I taught her in 6th-8th grade in 2015-17 I believe. She messaged me on Instagram asking if I could help her figure out the title of a book she had borrowed from my bookshelf back then but I am coming up with no leads. Here is what she remembers: The main character is a girl who wakes up every morning at 3:17 am then goes back to sleep. (Not a time loop). She realizes at the end that it has to do with St. Patrick’s Day, between the time, and there are also St. Patrick’s Day treats and a party. My student thinks there is a paranormal mystery vibe and that the book ends on a cliffhanger. I’m going batty trying to figure this out.

363P: The Doll in the Attic

9 Replies

In 1958, I used a bookmobile for the first time. I was unfamiliar with the terms of borrowing a book.  I was in the middle of reading a book when I learned I had to return it.  I had not yet finished it. I tried in vain to re-borrow it.  The story was about a young girl who had a doll in her attic. It was not a picture book. The book did not have illustrations.  It was a chaptered book.  It seemed like it was an “old” book at the time. I’m guessing it was written on a 4th or 5th grade reading level.  I do not remember any dollhouses. I think the protagonist, a young girl, was hiding the doll from some danger. The character seemed to be a loner. It was not scary.
I would guess the book was from the 40’s.  Any help?

363O: A picture book about a house with too many books

Leave a reply

I am searching for a picture book I really loved as a child, but neither my mother nor I remember the title. It was published, we think, around 1996 (it was given to me as a gift around then). It was about a house with so many books, they piled up to the ceiling, they used books as furniture, and so on. It is a little like the 1980s book TOO MANY BOOKS, but with a very different aesthetic. More pastel or oil painting style art, full color full page paintings, no white space. There were cats and, we think, two ladies (maybe librarians?) who live in the house. I remember being enchanted and a little creeped out, in terms of vibe. We think it was either 8×8″ or 8×10″. We hope you can find it, because we want to give it to a friend who is expecting a baby! 

363L: Christmas-time story, possibly 1960’s

4 Replies

The story is about a boy whose father (parents?) left for a trip, leaving him with the cook/housekeeper. Before the present time, she had won a baking contest when the boy knocked some chocolate chips into her mix and she decided to leave them. After they were alone, he ordered a (real) magic kit from the back of a comic book and when he got it and used the wax to form a figure of the housekeeper and maybe cast some spell to make her very sleepy and she stayed in bed for the rest of the story until the end. He then set about on some adventures including one where he made a willow wand to help him find the perfect Christmas tree, which I believe he cut down and brought into the house. I don’t remember the other adventures but at the end of the book he warmed up the wax to break the spell and some of it melted into the fire and filled the house with smoke, just at the time the father/parents came back from their trip.

363K: Tree Competition

Leave a reply

I am looking for a children’s book, possibly from the 80’s, with beautiful illustrations of trees.  The trees are in competition to be king of the trees (?), with each tree arguing why it would be best.  May have an orange tree and an olive tree.  My adult son remembers liking this book and wants to find it now that he has a son. 

363I: Making Red Candles for Winter

6 Replies

I’m a librarian, and here’s how the patron described the book she remembers:
This would have been in the early to mid 90s. I recall a children’s book that described preparation for winter and the most vivid thing I remember was candle making with red berries. I think it was set in New England and possibly discussed pilgrims??
The candle making method was hand dipping these red candles for winter.
Very vivid pictures, deep saturated colors, simple illustrations, not too much detail, more landscape focused.

(Someone has suggested Tomie DePaola’s An Early American Christmas, but that’s not it.)

363H: Magic Mirror Leads to Another World

2 Replies

I’m hoping that you can help me, I’ve been up for hours googling all the details I can remember about a book that I read and loved in 7th grade. I read this book in 2013 and I believe it was a fairly new book that the time. It may have had a second book in the series but I don’t know for sure.
I recall that the main character was a middle school or perhaps elementary school boy. I think I remember him going into a suspicious shop and noticing something odd about a mirror. Somehow he becomes in possession of this mirror. 
He discovers that the mirror is a portal that he can crawl through to get to another world. In this world I recall a forest, and maybe a fairy-like companion. In this world there is some sort of crisis taking place. I recall several instances of the boy narrowly escaping the mirror after being chased by some kind of monster. I think the boy kept the mirror in his closet. 
I can almost picture the cover of the book too. I can see lots of purple and black, and maybe some swirling style designs around the perimeter. And an illustration of the boy crouching looking into the mirror.