Category Archives: YA (grades 7-9)

308V: Haunted Houses in New England

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These were several books by the same author, but not a series.  My 7th grade school librarian introduced me to the author.  This would have been around 1985-86.  The books all dealt with old, haunted houses in New England.  One had a creepy basement with a dirt floor, and bodies buried under it.  Another had a person look out a third story window to see a face looking back, and knew it was a ghost.  These books felt very grown up to me at the time, but were definitely Young Adult.  They were eerie and moody, but not Stephen King scary.  It was a woman author, and the covers usually had an old house in silhouette. I’d love to revisit this author, as I read all of the books in our school library over and over.  Some faint memory says the authors name might have been Barbara something……

308U: Boys who would sail

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Series or collection of books about boys who would sail on boats from 1700s or 1800s.  The boys were lower level people on boats.  Remember one part told about learning to use stars to navigate by.  Several books think by same author. Targeted junior high or high school readers.  Read them in 1970’s.  Loved them.  Would love to read again.

Thanks.

307Z: She visited a field of flowers

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I believe its a YA novel. Its a about a teen girl who’s mom is sick. Her mom has a hospital bed in their home. The girl and her dad take care of the mother while none of their neighbors really know that the mother is sick. Her dad continues his coaching job and acts as if everything is good. It flashes back to before the mom got sick. The girl is almost resentful of her sick mom. Her mom eventually dies towards the end. The girl visits a field of flowers that her and her mom visited before while shes driving her moms car.

This all I can remember. Hope you can get down to the mystery of what this book’s title is!

Thank you!

307M: There may or may not have been a brother

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I’m trying to help my daughter find a book (part of a series actually) that had a family, possibly from the Victorian era ( the sisters had poofy dresses) . There may or may not have been a brother. There was one scene where two of the sisters, or a sister and a friend, are talking and the conversation paraphrases 1 Corinthians 13:12 about ” through a glass darkly”. There is also a  different scene where one girl is on a balcony looking down on people. She read this book in middle school in the early 90s, but thinks the book was printed in the 70s or 80s. She read above her grade level, so it was not necessarily a middle school book. Also she remembers that where it was placed on the shelf in the library meant the authors last name was not at the beginning or end of the alphabet.

Thanks!

 

307F: Half-Dragon General

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In the 80’s (at around 10-13yrs old) I read a YA fantasy trilogy about a warring general who was half human half (lizard/reptile/dragon?) who’s skin is covered in (tiny blue) scales. He was looked down on for this deformity but his difference was part of his driving force. The trilogy follows a young girl who was captured or sold into the war party/entourage and follows her journey as the general conquers lands etc. I can’t remember much more but she eventually becomes his mistress or concubine type of slave maybe?

Paperback trilogy, Young adult section, fantasy fiction. It seemed new at the time but it could have been written in the mid to late seventies or early eighties? It seemed to be set in a slightly game of thrones non-era era? All three books were of average novel length. I partially remember the covers being full colour, maybe a central picture in a darker arched border?

307C: Important Tree Stumps

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My daughter’s class was reading a book a few years ago — she was in 5th grade, at a school I lovingly referred to as ‘the school for super smart, socially challenged children,’ and they listened to a few chapters of this book that she would like to finish, but we have no clue regarding the title or author. She says the story involved two boys at the outset, a book that they refer to as ‘the book with a big B,” a talking bird, and she vaguely recalls tree stumps as being important. Any clue?

Thanks!!

306P: Above a converted red barn

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I’m trying to locate the title and copy of a book from my childhood. I purchased it at a book fair at my elementary school in Chicago when I was between the ages of 8-10. 1988-1990. Maybe a scholastic title since they sponsored our books fairs and sales?

The book was about a family that lived above a converted red barn, kept livestock and were apple/orchard farmers (not the red barn book)! Beautiful pictures, almost like watercolors, that depicted the family in winter/ maybe fall. Father mother daughter, maybe more kids, based in New England or upper Midwest area. I’ve been searching for several years.

Thanks for your time

306I: Girl Rides Polar Bear

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I read this book in perhaps 5th grade (1975). An Inuit Girl lives with her mother but is either urged to leave or gets lost (set in Greenland?). She encounters a polar bear and is “adopted” by bear. The hardcover book jacket featured girl in traditional parka riding the bear, she has a spear I think.

Sounds suspiciously like East published in 2005, but this was long before that.  I remember her learning to fish.

Any assistance greatly appreciated.