Can somebody confirm that there is a children’s book series or maybe just one book about a flying chair? It may be by a British author and was available in the 1960s. If so, what is the name and is it still in print?
363I: Making Red Candles for Winter
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
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.
363G: College Romance Where Girl Has Gift to Know Soulmate
This is a college or sports romance. Main character named Brooklyn? Transfers to New college with bff. Meets love interest after football game. Instantly falls in love because family has a gift to know their soulmate when they find them. Not caveman series. I read it in 2014 on Kindle. She’s poor and he spoils her. I remember he got hers uggs in the book.
363F: Virtual Soldier Training Game
So I read this book more than likely between the years 2008-2014. The book is about a world where kids are forced to train or play a virtual “game” that determines their aptitude to be a soldier. I think the main character is a girl that lives in an apartment that’s in bad condition. If I remember correctly, they go to a mall of some sort to access this combat game. I wish I could remember more but that’s all I know.
363E: Girl Cooks Jam With Grandma/Mother
I don’t remember many details, but when I was a child, I had a book about a girl and her mother or her grandma (can’t quite remember). I had the book around 1994 and it didn’t seem very old. It had some text but mostly pictures. The illustrations were very realistic (not cartoon type, etc). The art style reminds me of an old vintage “Pears” ad. The girl wore an old style dress and in parts, a pinny/apron. I think the story was about things the two of them did together, like cooking. On one page, I remember they made strawberry or raspberry jam and put it in jars and cover the top of the jars with cloth. It might have even included the recipe. And on another page, there is a heap of bubbles and within each bubble is a picture of the girl doing things she has done through the book; making the jam, etc.
Very vague. Not sure anyone out there will know what book I’m talking about with so little to go off but worth a try.
363D: Medieval Kitchen
I am hoping you can help me find a book I read probably between ’78-82. I am not sure how reliable my memory is, but what I remember is this: it was a paperback with stories about a kingdom, or maybe a medieval fiefdom. At least one of the stories, or maybe all of them centered on the kitchen having to make a certain dish. There was a big penalty (death? that seems like a lot for what I think I read as an 8 year old) if they didn’t get the recipe right. I think the story was told through a boy getting introduced to the kitchen There was definitely a recipe for a pound cake, possibly a bundt cake. I know that because I made it many many times as a kid. I hope you can help me find it!
363C: Mystery by Italian Psychologist
The book I’m trying to find was a mystery written by an Italian Psychologist. I believe he wrote three books, all mysteries with different modes of transportation as the setting (an airplane, a train, and a ship.) The book I’m looking for was the mystery on an airplane. The murder occurred during the flight and the killer was exposed during the end of the flight. The author being a psychologist introduced some of his psychological theories into the story and I believe that this was the purpose of the three books – to explain his theories.
The book was probably written prior to the 1960’s but after the 1920’s. The title was short. I’m not sure if all the books were translated into the English language.
I enjoyed the story and wish I wouldn’t have sold my copy (it was a nice English first edition.) If you need more details, I’ll try to recall what I can. Thank You and good luck.
363B: Bronze Age slave girl saves metal items to purchase her freedom
I checked out this book from my school library when I was in upper elementary, 1971-1973, so the publishing date could be ’50s, ’60s, or early ’70s. I seem to remember a cream colored dust jacket, with black and white illustrations inside that resembled cave drawings. The girl kept her bits of metal under her pillow to keep them safe. I seem to remember a leader wearing a cloak pinned with metal and also wearing a torc around his neck. I don’t remember any psychic abilities or romance in the plot. It’s not “The Cave Twins” or “The Distant Lurs.” (I’ve gone through *most* of the queries until my eyes crossed. 😜) It might have been set in Britain, maybe another European country. She may have saved her owner’s clan by warning them of an imminent attack. And I think she was indeed able to purchase her freedom at the end of the story. Sorry, the details are very fuzzy but I checked the book out several times and loved it. (Probably one of the books that started my love for strong female characters.) Thanks in advance for your help!
363A: Little Match Girl Gets Pennies From Heaven
I have been searching for a children’s book since I saw it in a catalog when I was expecting my second child in 1996. The story is very similar to the Little Match Girl, but I loved it because instead of dying, pennies literally rain down on the girl and she does not die. I ran into an employee of a book store several years later and she said she had the book as a child and it was titled “Pennies from Heaven”. I have not been able to locate this book by the possible title or the description of the story. Thanks for your help!