Alice's Books for Sale
OUR LATEST REVISED LIST -- APRIL 2013
THIS IS OUR REGULAR LIST OF BOOKS FOR SALE
INCLUDING SERIES, "MALTSHOP ROMANCES,"
AND A LOT OF OTHER YOUNG ADULT BOOKS FROM THE PAST!
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BILLHEIMERS' BOOK SALE LIST FOR APRIL, 2013 Here's a new sale list for this month, with some exceptionally interesting books for you to examine and perhaps want to buy. They're predominantly vintage books for teens and young adults, but there are some for younger readers and a few that were originally meant for adults. We think you'll find this list fascinating and nostalgic, as well as reasonably priced! We have a lot of fun collecting books and compiling this collection! **** IMPORTANT **** ******We recommend asking your browser to reload or refresh to make sure you have the latest version of our web page. We might delete books several times an hour, as they're sold!******* SOME OF THE CONTENTS!! (Not necessarily in this order) 1. MANY JUDY BOLTON, CHERRY AMES AND OTHER SERIES BOOKS! 2. SEVERAL SPECIAL SALES HERE AND THERE! 3. A BIG SECTION OF YOUNG ADULT MYSTERIES THAT COULD ALSO BE "MALTSHOPS ROMANCES," OR TEEN NOVELS 4. Some CAREER-ROMANCES, a very popular category! 5. FOR HOME-SCHOOLERS, sometimes there are NEWBERY award winners, some non-fiction books, as well as other wonderful books to read. 6. FOR SERIES book collectors: you'll find many new additions of popular as well as unusual series to check out! You never know what I'll come up with! Usually including Judy Bolton Maida Beverly Gray Linda Craig Jean Craig Cherry Ames and some interesting ones you may never have seen before! 7. Lots of additions to the "MALTSHOP" novels from "the nostalgia years." Many used book shops don't bother to stock these categories, so this is an unusual chance to stock up up on these teen-girls' novels from the 40s through 60s. 8. BOOKS BY WONDERFUL AUTHORS!! INCLUDING SOME OF THE FOLLOWING, AND MANY OTHERS Mildred Wirt Elizabeth Hamilton Friermood Betty Cavanna Anne Emery Maud Hart Lovelace Janet Lambert Catherine Woolley hundreds more!! 9. MAINE books from our home state. 10. ALICE'S PICKS -- books that I love best 11 Alice's Wish List 12. And who knows what else? Contents won't be in the same order as this list, but everything is there, somewhere ******************************************************************** PRICES OF THE BOOKS REFLECT Condition Popularity Scarcity My opinion of them! *************************************************************************** We only use a few abbreviations, including these: HB -- hardcover book PB -- paperback book XL -- library discard book DJ -- dust jacket PC -- picture printed on the cover YA -- young adult (teen) book cond == condition If you don't understand something in our sale list, Email and ask us. ******We recommend asking your browser to reload or refresh to make sure you have the latest version of our web page.******* OUR POSTAGE POLICY We weigh all orders, and charge the actual postage that we figure out from a chart. If we feel that we will be using a lot of padding, and packaging, that's figured into the price. . All will be sent Media mail unless you want to pay more for 1st class or whatever. If you want insurance, we'll figure out how much extra that will be FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!!!!!!!!! WE ACCEPT PAYPAL!!! ******************************************************************************************* ALICE'S WISH LIST!!!! WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT TRADING FOR BOOKS ON OUR WISH LIST Condition isn't important unless I specify that I'm looking for an upgrade. MY WISH LIST! I'd like hardcover copies of the following Janet Lambert books: For Each Other Welcome home, Mrs. Jordan Jean Nielsen -- Walk Under the Trees good hardcover with DJ of Fair Exchange SOME BOOKS BY RUBY RADFORD that I don't have MORE OF MY WISH LIST -- REMEMBER THAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT TRADING! Jack and Jill magazines from the 30's through 50's. I'm missing a lot from the late 50's. Condition does not have to be perfect, but will affect how much I'm willing to pay! Usually, I've paid $1 or $2 per magazine. Also, American Girl Magazines (not the ones related to the dolls, but the Girl Scout Magazines from the '40s and '50s!) I have some, but would like to have more. Calling All Girls magazines from the 40s and 50s The Fabulous Year (Elisabeth Ogilvie) in HB with a DJ. Or if you have a copy with a DJ, maybe you could make a copy of the DJ to cover my "naked" book! MORE OF MY WISH LIST! Dorrance Doings by Carolyn Wells "Sunshine and Shadow" and "Sugar and Spice" by Lorraine Beim I have both of these very good books, but would love to have a dust jacketed copy of either one, or a laser copy of your DJ (we'll tell you how to make a laser DJ, and we'll trade one for a laser DJ for the book of your choice if we have it.) Books by Fjeril Hess, including Toplofty, Castle Camp, and others. REMEMBER, THESE BOOKS ARE NOT FOR SALE, THEY ARE ON MY WISH LIST!!!!! Dust jackets for Emery's Bright Horizons One of the Crowd Books by Virginia Fairfax -- Camp Pioneer, Secret of the Halliday House. REMEMBER, THE PRECEDING TITLES ARE MY WISH-LIST BOOKS! (Sorry, but they aren't for sale.) AND REMEMBER THAT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT TRADING SOMETHING ON MY SALE LIST FOR SOMETHING ON MY WISH LIST! --------End of Alice's Wish List ----------- ################################################################# NEXT, HERE IS AN INTERESTING SECTION OF BOOKS THAT I HAVE RECENTLY ADDED TO THE LIST. I'VE BEEN CLEANING OUT MANY NOOKS AND CRANNIES OF OUR HOUSE, AND FOUND VARIOUS GOOD BOOKS THAT I'D LIKE TO OFFER TO YOU -- WITH VERY LITTLE TIME ON MY HANDS TO DO SO! THEY'RE NOT IN ANY ORDER BY TYPE OF BOOKS OR ANYTHING ELSE. I WANTED TO GET THE LIST OUT IN A HURRY, AND TO LET YOU SEE SOME OF THE NEWER ADDITIONS ALL AT ONCE. IF THERE ARE ANY LEFT OVER WHEN I SEND MY NEXT LIST, I'LL BE RELOCATING THEM IN WITH OTHER BOOKS, OF THE SAME SORT ON THE MAIN LIST. I'M NOT DESCRIBING THEM IN VERY MUCH DETAIL, BUT THE PRICES ARE RIGHT. IF YOU WANT TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE, BUT YOU MIGHT MISS OUT ON THE BOOK IF YOU WAIT FOR ME TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS! A Girl From Yamhill (Beverly Cleary) 1988. Cleary had a strange childhood, really good in some ways, almost unbearable in others. You will understand her writing much better after you read this, and the sequel, Her Own Two Feet. This volume covers her ealy childhood and on through high school, all in Oregon. (The other continues through her college years, and parallels The Luckiest Girl.) Girl from Yamhill, hardcover, Xlibrary, with pretty DJ, all in very good condition. $4.00 MORE UN-CATEGORIZED NEW ADDITIONS TO THE BOOK SALE LIST Emmy Lou, Her book and Heart (George Madden Martin) 1901. Lovely collection of stories about a girl from primary grade age to high school. Large HB, fair condition, $2.25 Mary Jane (Dorothy Sterling) 1959. Nice girl caught up in integration experiment in High School. HB, XL, good picture cover. $2.00 Water Babies (Charles Kingsley) This is a "Young Folks Standard Library" edition, which doesn't sound nearly as beautiful as it is. watery multi-color dust jacket pattern, lots of good illustrations, high-quality paper. $3.00 Call Me Bronko (Rosa K. Eichelberger) 1955. Exceptional book for boys, dedicated to Phyllis A. Whitney, who apparently advised the author about this book. Scholastic PB in good cond. $1 NEXT, A SPECIAL SECTION OF MAINE BOOKS AND A FEW BOOKS FROM OTHER NEW ENGLAND LOCATIONS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULTS, TOO. We think that some of the greatest authors in the world live or summer in Maine! Try one or 2, and you may decide to come to Maine yourself. I can hardly believe how much some of these books are getting on Ebay and other places! I knew they were good, but didn't realize that other people knew it, too. My prices are no more than 1/2 of what they are getting other places. Most of my copies are x-lib, but some are very good! Saltwater Farm (Luthera Burton Dawson) 1993. Written by an old (in both senses of the word) of Dave's and mine, a pillar of the church where I've worked for many years, and the unofficial historian of the towns where she lived for so long. Luthera was born in Cushing, ME, just down the peninsula from Thomaston, where we knew her when she lived there in later years. She was a very quiet lady, but if she said something, it was worth listening to! She was called on to speak for quite a few organizations, and was interviewed by the radio and TV, to talk about her memories of early life in Cushing and Tomaston. This book is about her childhood in a remote farm, where she lived and played and learned along with her twin brother. She wrote the essays when she was homesick for Maine, so homesick that after years away, making a living, she returned without a tiny doubt. To our great benefit! Smallish attractive paperback, privately printed and autographed by Luthera. $3.00 Nine Mile Bridge (Helen Hamlin) subtitled Three Years in the Maine Woods. New pb edition of a 1945 original. Illustrated by nice sketches at the beginning of each chapter, and occasional photos and maps. There is some resemblance to We Took to the Woods, though neither author mentions the other one in her book! The first sentence of this one says "My grandfather was a game warden, my uncle is a game warden and I married a game warden." She taught school in a lumber camp, and after they were married, she and her game warden husband lived in the very remote wilderness where they could be snowed in for most of the winter. At some points, they almost ran out of food, their radio batteries died, and they weren't too thrilled with life. Other times, she wrote about their great happiness in living so far from civilization. This is the story of a few of those years. When you read the intro and preface, you'll find out how many other incredible things she did during a long life. By the way, this was on the best-seller list for months when it came out in 1945. Large PB, very good condition, $3.00 Contentment Cove IMiriam Colwell) 2006, from Islandportpress.com. Takes place one summer in the 1950s, in a coastal village in Maine. Told by a true Mainer, born here and lived here most of her life (with time off for the requesite New York years that authors seemed to desire in those days.) This book was written in the 1950s, but never published until a few years ago, so it should ring true. I haven't read my copy of the book yet, but did read the intro, which described it as being about a small Maine town that city people wanted to move to, for the simple life. Then they began to be disillusioned with the town and its people, and started trying to change things. Believe me, this is not a made-up situation. We lived through it at one point, we saw people move in, try to make drastic changes in the schools, the town government and even the town dump -- then eventually move away again in the face of anger and ostracism. That's not the way to influence things in a small town where people love their way of life and don't think they're hurting anyone by living that way. Large PB, like new, with a cover picture that looks like almost every coastal town in Maine. $2.50 MORE MAINE BOOKS AHEAD Here if you Need Me, A True Story (Kate Braestrup) 2007. 15 years ago, the town where we work and where our children went to high school, was shocked and horrified when their favorite Maine State Trooper was killed in an traffic accident while on duty. This book was written by his wife, Kate, who decided to go to seminary after his death, at the Bangor Theological seminary where he was planning to start studying. This is partly the story of the family's life before and after his death, but mainly is about her work as chaplain for the Maine Warden Service. She's a really good writer, inspiring in the best meaning of the word (though she can also preach a pretty good sermon, as I can attest, from her few substitute stints at the church where I work!) The cover says this book was a National Bestseller, and though some of us who work in books laugh at this ubiquitous claim on almost every book you run across, in this case, I think it's true. So it's not just a local oddity -- you will LOVE it if you are interested in search and rescue and in what goes on with the families while those searches are going on. And it's a very clever family tale, also. Large and quite pretty pb in fairly good condition, $2.50 The Lobster Coast (Colin Woodard) 2004. Subtitled Rebels, Rusticators, and the Struggle for a Forgotten Frontier. And extremely popular book here in Maine. From the back cover of this large paperback -- "Woodard reveals Mainers' increasingly difficult struggle to hold on to their communities and the early American ideals that have sustained them... in the face of uncontrolled growth and development." Sounds heavy, doesn't it! Well, if you are interested in Maine, in lobsters and how to snag them, or in the history of a place that many people feel extremely strongly about, give it a try. It isn't all that heavy! Big paperback (that originally cost at least $15.00) in fairly good condition, $2.00 The Lobster War (Ethan Howland) 2001. About a boy who wants to be a lobsterman more than anything else, but, young though he is, becomes mixed up in some territorial fights. This isn't all that unlikely, as there are always rivalries and sometimes vicious "wars" in the fishing business. Written by a Maine resident, for Maine young people, this is a pretty realistic story about how a Maine boy has to make up his mind what he should do with his life. HB book, great condition, with a beautiful DJ, not a library copy. $2.00 Fifty Hikes in Northern Maine: Walks, Day Hikes, and Backpacks in the Northern Mountains and Lake Country (Cloe Caputo) This is a good book to read in the winter, by the fire, thinking about how beautiful it would be to hike in some of the nation's last real wilderness. Simple, moderate, very difficult. Short, medium, quite long. Lots of maps and pictures, beautiful descriptions and directions. This book looks nearly new, and you'll soon know about some places that you never realized you'd find in Maine (not an inch of the lobster coast in this book, but some of the highest mountains anywhere in the East coast states, and how many ponds and lakes!!!) Enjoy reading about these hikes, or come along and backpack this wonderful territory! Large PB, like-new condition. $2.50 MORE MAINE BOOKS AHEAD! The Lobster Chronicles : Life on a Very Small Island (Linda Greenlaw) 2002. I'll just copy what's written on the back cover of this book. "After 17 years at sea, Linda Greenlaw... decided it was time to take a break from being a swordboat captain... and return home to a tiny island 7 miles off the Maine coast with a population of 7- year-round residents, 30 of whom are her relatives. She would pursue a simpler life, move back in with her parents; become a professional lobsterman; and find a man and settle down..." As you know, things never work out as you think they will! It's a true story, and you sure will learn a lot about lobstering, as well as what it's like to live on a very small island. Large PB, XL, wonderful condition, $2.50 Books by Anne Molloy, who wrote some really good Maine mysteries and maltshoppy type books. She certainly knew what Maine was like (beyond the touristy veneer) though the biography in back of her books mentions that she actually is a summer visitor. We won't hold that against her! I hope we'll have more books by Molloy very soon. The Mystery of the Pilgrim Trading Post (Anne Molloy) 1964. 3 cousins arrive reluctantly for a visit in far northern Maine, with their older Cousin Mary. She's the village pharmacist, plus lots of other things (this IS a very small town) and pretty much leaves the kids to their own devices. They kids are sullen, mad about having to leave their home towns and summer plans. But something catches hold of them, and after a few days they change their minds about leaving on the next bus. The old family home seems to be much too interesting to several other people, and Cousin Mary is very worried about losing the place. Cover picture shows 3 rather nice-looking kids looking up the rocky shore towards the perfect example of an old New England house, 2 stories, persumably a chimney at each corner, and a fanlight over the front door. Seagulls, rocks, it's Maine allright! HB in very good condition, picture cover. $4.00 MORE MAINE BOOKS COMING UP Wintering Well (Lea Wait) Takes place in 1820, boy has had a terrible accident and loses his leg so he feels he can't do the only thing he's ever wanted to do, to be a farmer. This book, like Stopping to Home, takes place in and near Wiscasset, Maine, a town very near where we live, and where the boy and his sister move after they leave the farm. If you fear this will be a very sad book, you are right to some extent, but it's also a tale of fun, courage, and building new dreams. Aladdin Historical Fiction paperback edition in very good condition. $2.00 The Maine Dictionary (John McDonald) OK, we don't really talk like that, of course! But if you want to sound the way you think, or wish, Mainers talk, this is the book for you. If you just want a chuckle, that's another use for the book. I think, from the cover cartoon (which is really quite funny in a dreadful way!) that you're supposed to think this is an all-humor book. But there are definitions of words that I sort of wish we'd understood when we first moved to the absolute sticks, our first few years in Maine. And I'm ashamed to admit it, but I laughed (hard) over some of the shaggy- dog type jokes. Tall and wide paperback, very good condition, $2.50 How Many Days Until Tomorrow? (Caroline Janover) 2000. I don't know why, but this PB book has a price-tag of $11.95, which sounds high for me, but I guess it's from a small press (Woodbine House) and is written especially as the sequel to another book about the same boy, who has dyslexia. In this one, he and his rather mean big brother spend the summer with their grandparents on a remote Maine island. Gramps is better named Grumps, though the grandmother does her best to make the boys happy. Wonderful contrast between the 2 boys, but in the end (and it tells you this right on the cover, so I'm not spoiling the ending) the boy with dyslexia learns that there are other ways to be smart, besides being a good reader. PB in great condition, $2.00 The Maine Reader: The Down East Experience from 1614 to the Present. This huge paperback has chapters by a wide variety of authors including Sarah Orne Jewett ("The Town Poor") and Kenneth Roberts ("Seamen and Sea Serpents") plus Thoreau, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Longfellow, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Sinclair Lewis ("George F. Babbett Takes a Maine Vacation.") Lots of contemporary writers, too. We like to think that Maine produces the best writers in the world -- who knows why? The beauty? The solitude and long winters that give authors a chance to settle down and write? Well, you can make your own decision, and see the sweep of history through the eyes of many Maine authors of great talent. Very large PB, $3.00 (it may take more postage than most books, but we'll weigh the order to make sure!) MORE MAINE BOOKS HERE -- Lost on a mountain in Maine (Donn Fendler, as told to Joseph B. Egan)1939. All Maine school children read this story and are entranced by it! I didn't grow up in Maine, but I read it when I was about the age Donn was when the story took place, and I never forgt it, and was thrilled to find it when I was an adult. The true story of Donn Fendler, who was lost in the enormous wilderness surrounding Mt Katahdin, and wanders for 2 weeks with almost no food or shelter. Told pretty much in his own words, as related to the co-author. This nice pb edition has pictures, a map, and an Afterword, continuing the story. PB, $2.00 ++++++++++++++++++++++++ EVEN MORE MAINE BOOKS! The Country of the Pointed Firs, and Other Stories (Sarah Orne Jewett) preface by Willa Cather, reprint of a 1925 edition. Jewett has had a lot of attention in recent years, as a very fine American woman author. Most of her books take place in Maine, especially the title story, which shows what life was like in a peninsula town, way out in the ocean, well over 100 years ago. When I read this, after moving to the same town, I was struck by the description of a trip to Thomaston, which was the town where our daughters went to high school, so we sometimes ran up there a couple of times a day, 15 minutes each way. Well, for the people in this story, it was a major trip, not to be taken without days of preparation! This is just one of the lovely reminiscences in the respected and loved story. There are 11 short stories in this book, too. Large PB, very lovely cover picture, fairish condition, $2.00 Books by Maine writer, Lew Dietz. These have had great appeal to young people who really love the back-country forests. He wrote about boys, but anyone would enjoy reading them for the authentic (but very entertaining) stories of life in the wilds. His writing style is breezy, reading these books is great fun along with the adventures you'll love! Especially The Savage Summer -- I laughed a lot while I read it! Savage Summer (Lew Dietz) 1964. 2 boy cousins spend the summer entertaining a 15-year-old girl, who is "a pain in the neck." She's visiting the family of one of the boys, and the boys will get paid for the time they spend with the girl! The DJ picture shows the 3 teens in the Model A Ford belonging to one of the boys, and no one seems to be very unhappy about the situation -- at least at that point. Summer in Maine, with its influx of crazy Summer People, is well portrayed. This book might be read by either boys or girls, but I think it has its greatest appeal to girls. HB, excellent condition, XL, laser copy DJ. $6.00 The Year of the Big Cat (Lew Dietz) 1970. If you are an avid outdoorsperson (even if only from your comfortable chair) you will be fascinated by the cover picture of several views of a "big cat" prowling, snarling, etc. And an anxious-looking young man -- wouldn't you be? But there's more in this story, family life, joy of being in the wilderness. HB, XL OK condition, PC. $3.50 The Year of the Big Cat -- a very nice hb copy with a laser reprint of the original DJ, showing the boy and the "cats" with a snowy background. First ed. $5.00 Another copy of Year of the Big Cat (Dietz) with a very nice dust jacket, $4.00 Wilderness River (Lew Dietz) 1961. How's this for a begining sentence? "It was a warm Indian Summer day in late October that my friend Nick Fales and I found the body in the woods." Deitz wrote "boys' books," but anyone who enjoys reading about adventure in the Maine woods, would love them. Most of them are about Jeff White, but this one stands alone. It's a former library HB, but in almost pristine condition. Someone put a clear plastic cover over the library picture cover, and it would leave marks inside the book if you removed the plastic, so I didn't try. Enjoy it! $4.50 Pines for the King's Army (Lew Dietz) 1955 (first edition if this means anything to you.) Historical 1721. Maine woods when they were the true wilderness, complete with "savages." Several dramatic full-page illustrations. XL, HB, Somewhat worn, but tight binding and clean pages. $3.00 YET MORE MAINE BOOKS! Elspeth Bragdon doesn't have the reputation that many of our Maine YA authors still have (like Ogilvie and Coatsworth) but her children's books are every bit as full of Maine atmosphere and joyous interest as any Maine writers. That Jud! (Elspeth Bragdon) 1957. What a nice story!!! Jud is an orphan, and feels unloved and lonely, even in the close-knit community of Spruce Point, Maine. He spends a lot of his time getting into trouble, or escaping to his "secret" island hidout. Things will go badly wrong unless he can redeem himself. It's a really nice book, a Maine book -- so don't worry too much about this appealing kid! HB with laser copy of the original DJ, looking very attractive (Jud in jeans, sloppy shirt, and wind-blown hair, your typical country boy, with his hound dog, ocean in the background.) HB, LDJ, $4.00 Three Children's books by E. B. White -- this is a large PB and includes his classic books (and when I call something Classic, I really mean it!!) IN very good condition! INclueds Stuart Little, Trumpet of the Swan, and Charlotte's Web. 2 have the wonderful Garth Williams illustrations, Swan has interesting Edward Frascino illustrations. These are the original art. Pictures of all 3 covers are pictured on the cover of the book. Very nice one-book set. $2.50 Mysteries by Barbee Oliver Carleton, who wrote nicely about the coast of New England. Mystery of the Witches' Bridge (Barbee Oliver Carleton) 1967. Orphan boy returns to Maine or is it MA?) after living most of his life in Europe. He livea in the old family home, but it seems to be inhabited by ghosts -- or are they people who are envious of his background, or trying to keep him from finding out some family secrets? His grandfather seems to believe that it's ghosts, but the boy isn't convinced. Nice coastal story for older teens, even the cover of this pb is creepy in an attractive, compelling way! Good Halloween reading. PB, very good condition, $2.00 Secret of Saturday Cove (Barbee Oliver Carleton) 1961 illustrations by Charles Geer Dedicated to the boys and girls of Friendship, which is the town right next to the one where we live. And according to the biographical note at the end of this book, the author was born in Thomaston, the town where my children went to HS, and where I work part-time. I do know several Carletons there now! This story is about a girl and boy who try lobstering to help the family, as well as solving the secret mystery! Personal copy in very good condition, HB with PC, $4.00 Abbie Burgess, Lighthouse Heroine, Jones and Sargent. Abbie is celebrated in this area where there are still many lighthouses! True story of a young girl who has to keep the lighthouse going during an emergency. Takes place on an island that is so close to here that some of the kids who live there, come ashore to our town for high school. Good quality Down East 'aperback in good condition $2.50 Abbie Burgess, Lighthouse Heroine in hardcover, XL, fair condition, with very attractive dust jacket picture of wild sea waves, and lighthouse. $3.00 EVEN MORE MAINE BOOKS! WE GROW SOME VERY FINE AUTHORS HERE! BOOKS BY LOUISE DICKINSON RICH If there aren't very many, then I hope to have more books by this popular and very fine author on my next sale list. Probably my only "claim to fame" is that Louise Rich was my first cousin, once removed, in other words, her mother was my grandmother's sister. But that's not why I love her books so much. My own grandfather was also an author, he wrote books about religious education -- and I was so bored that I couldn't get through the first one, though he was very well thought of at the time these books were written. No, Dave and I love Rich's books because they are beautifully crafted and very entertaining, with a surprisingly wide reach for books about tiny places where very few people live! Three of a Kind (Louise Dickinson Rich) 1970. This is one of the 2 books that she wrote about foster children who were given homes on Star Island, Maine. The other one is about a boy, this is about a nice girl who loves living there, but when the grandchild of her foster parents arrives, she really doesn't like it very much. We would call him Autistic now, but the child's chilly, unsympathetic parents call him dumb and want to send him away to live in an institution. The grandparents can't stomach that solution, so he joins the growing family and they start to work with him. Very warming story. I wish life were really like it. HB, XL, worn edges, but generally very good. Has a nice DJ (the art work in this book is lovely!) $5.00 Star Island (Louise Dickinson Rich) 1968. This IS the same book as Star Island Boy, in a slightly different format. She wrote 2 books about the foster children who found homes on Star Island; this one is about the boy. He is always wary and doesn't trust anyone, but starts to feel happy in his new home until he overhears something that makes him suspicious all over again. Maine island living, lobster fishing (absolutely authentic cover picture of a lobster boat and the bay) and such great family scenes as only Rich could write. HB, very good cond, PC, $3.50 Start of the Trail: The Story of a Young Maine Guide (Louise Dickinson Rich) 1949. Reading between the lines on the front DJ flap, I find that I'm not the only adult who thinks this book is wonderful! It was written for young people, but if you have any affection for the wilderness of northwestern Maine, and the beautiful writing of Louise Rich, you'll cherish this book -- as well as the sequel, Trail to the North, which I will offer if I ever find a copy of it again. I think people and libraries hang onto these 2 books, so I felt lucky to be able to give you a chance at this one. Bill is just out of HS, and gets his Maine Guide license so he can take "sports" out on fishing and hunting trips. I enjoy this part of the story, though I don't hunt or fish, you just feel as if you were there in the wilds seeing their beauty and mystery. My favorite parts are the human interactions, Bill's nice family (his father is a warden) and the various people he takes out on his trips. Especially one man and his son. And there IS a lot of mystery and adventures in the story, too. Everything. HB, XL, good condition, not beautiful but solid and sturdy. I've covered it with a laser copy of our very good DJ, showing a canoe on a wide stretch of water with woods and hills in the background. $10.00 Only Parent (Louise Dickinson Rich.) 1953. Mrs. Rich wrote beautifully, anything she wrote. In this book, I think she was writing for the people who loved "We Took To The Woods," "My Neck of the Woods," and other books about living in the middle of nowhere in the Maine woods. I imagine these people were wondering what had happened to their favorite author and her children after her husband died and she moved back to town. Like her Maine wilderness books, this one combined humor, practicality, and poignant observations. Very nice DJ picture by Paul Laune, showing pretty dining room and slim, stylish mother looking out the window at beautiful children. Probably some of this picture is only a figment of the artist's imagination -- these people had recently lived in the back of beyond, but it's possibly realistic! HB, fairly good condition, with laser copy DJ that looks wonderful. $7.00 Happy the Land (Louise Dickinson Rich) 1946. A review on the back cover says "This is one of those rare books -- a sequel that is every bit as good as the original." The original, of course, is We Took to the Woods, and it may be an exaggeration to say that this one is as good as that wonderful, very popular and influential book, but it is something you really do have to read if you loved We Took... This copy is a Down East pb reprint, and if you've had any of these high-quality reprints, you'll know that I'm not kidding when I say they are almost "every bit as good as the original!" Very good condition, large PB, $4.00 Happy the Land (Rich) 1946. (Read description above.) But this copy is the Original hardcover with the original really beautiful DJ, and a first edition. They made very fine books in those days, deckle-edged page block, thick paper, map endpapers, a few untouched black/white photos of the Happy Land, including the dearest picture of my 2nd-cousin Dinah at about 2 years of age. HB in very nice condition, with a DJ that's all there, but a bit ragged around the edges. Well protected by mylar cover. $6.00 The Natural World of Louise Dickinson Rich (1962) with nice nature illustrations by Margaret Cosgrove. The dust jacket flap says it's a companion to We Took to the Woods. Chapters tell about Louise's various animal companions, but of course there are side-trips to tell about people, the land and the events around them. Large and very attractive book -- personal copy in very good condition, with very good DJ. $4.00 $4.00 The Coast of Maine (Louise Dickinson Rich) with photographs by Samuel Chamberlain. Sub titled "An informal history and guide." 1956, revised several times, this is the 1970 edition. You'll find lots more than just facts; there are characters, books, little-known interesting sights to see, and all those very fine photos by Chamberlain who compiled quite a few photographic collections around New England. Chapters on history, of course, islands, all the varied locales in this large state, things to do and see, and Rich's beautiful conversational style of imparting information. Very large paperback book, fairly good condition, a cover picture that looks like what you think Maine should look like -- ships, shoreline, and a lobster boat, among other things. You'll even get a kick out of the introduction to this edition! $3.00 The Peninsula (Louise Dickinson Rich) 1958. Drawings by Grattan Condon, whom I've never heard of before or since, but they're perfect. This is the entertaining story of the Gouldsboro peninsula, but what she tells us about that peninsula, is pretty much equally true of the St. George Peninsula where our family lived for many years, or most of the other fingers of land jutting out from the Mainland of Maine. There's a recommendation by Rachel Carson, printed at the front of this book -- what high praise! Geography, history, lives and livelihood of the people living in that area, "a lot about lobsters and the lobstermen" according to the front DJ flap, names of people and places, food (including recipes that aren't fancy like the ones in gourmet magazines, but taste a lot better!) HB book in good condition, with maps on the endpapers. laser copy of our DJ, which is in good cond except for small pieces out of the top and bottom of the spine -- things like that, come out as white spaces on the copy. $5.00 Here's a book that wasn't written by Louise Rich, but has a lovely introduction that WAS written by her. The book is The Down East Reader, and it's composed of selections from Down East, The Magazine of Maine. Most people who love to read about Maine, would recognize a lot of the contributors, vintage essays, humorous bits, historical reviews, reminiscences, tour guides -- quite a variety! And right at the beginning, you'll find out why parts of Maine are referred to as "Down East," when any fool can see that it's "up North!" Big paperback with beautiful cover and lots of illustrations from woodcuts. Very good condition (and of course it's a Down East publication, which means it's a good quality pb.) $2.50 --------------------------------- A New Hampshire book -- The White Mountains of New Hampshire (Alan Nyiri) A Beautiful PB, brand new, with information, but mostly unbelievably stunning color pictures of the White Mt region. Some taken from the top of Mt Washington, some from the forests, lakes, waterfalls, and woods of this area of great natural beauty. Snow. Fall Color without equal anywhere! $2.00 YES, THERE ARE STILL MORE MAINE (and New England) BOOKS! Mystery of the Black Moriah (David Crossman) a Bean and Ab mystery, 2002. Brand new copy of this book from Crossman's YA mystery series about a pair of kids (girl and boy) who find extremely curious mysteries on the island where they're spending the summer. Author grew up on a Maine island, and now lives in the next town to this one, writes adult mysteries, too. This is a beautiful new cpy of the book, so obviously in great condition, with a mint DJ, too. $4.00 Books by Elizabeth Coatsworth --- One of my all-time favorite authors since I was a little girl! Most of these book could be listed as Alice's Picks. She lived only a few miles from where we now live, but I never met her. I have heard her daughter speak about her mother's works, at several seminars or meetings. She concentrates on her mother's poetry, as the daughter is a poet herself, but I'm convinced that her stories are even better! Coatsworth's historical books are almost as good as her stories about contemporary children. Poems (Elizabeth Coatsworth) The poems were written over more than 20 years, put together in this little book in 1957. Catagorized by season and a few other subjects, these are poems that you can enjoy yourself or read to children. I bought a copy of this book for my much-younger brother for Christmas many years ago; it was the first new book that I'd ever bought! (Now I have it in my library for some reason not to be discussed here!) Beautiful DJ, 2 tones of green, with a dandelion pictured -- they ARE attractive, despite what you know about them. $2.50 The Enchanted (Coatsworth) 1951. She wrote several (3 or 4) what she called Incredible Tales, which you could interpret various ways, but probably you'd lean toward the magical explanation! This one starts out logically enough, a young man buys a remote farm, and fixes it up so he can live there and raise horses. Then he starts to meet his neighbors, the man who tells fantastic stories about what happens in "The Enchanted," an area with a river of the same name. And he meets the large happy family up the road, including Molly. And the strangeness of certain things that happen. You can take my word, this another Maine writer who can delve into the strange -- and it's a lot more subtle than Steven King. A rather slim book, with line drawings that capture exactly the right moods. Suitable for teens and adults. HB, PC, $3.50 Silky (Elizabeth Coatsworth0 1953 -- another of the Incredible Tales by Coatsworth. A beautiful fantasy, set in rural Maine, "hailed throughout the country as a lyric masterpiece" full of the feeling of poetry and silvery beauty as it says in the DJ flap description. Hardcover with misty picture on the laser copy of the original DJ. Art by John Carroll. HB in fair condition, DJ is beautiful. $3.50 Golden Horseshoe (Coatsworth) historical, with adorable, terrific illustrations by Robert Lawson. From the description in the book -- " a tale of high adventure ... a story of Tamar's growing up, loyalties and friendship... the children's picturesque life in aristocratic Colonial household, relations with Indians and slaves and the Quakers..." The girl is half Indian princess and half daughter of a wealthy American father. HB, XL, in very good condition. $2.50 Another copy of Golden Horseshoe, this one with a good library printed picture cover -- $3.00 George and Red (Coatsworth) "is the story of two boys' sharing theclose moments of growing up... a century ago... When the Civil War breaks out, they don't have to create excitement..." Written for youngish readers, with a lot of amazing illustrations. HB, XL, good condition, $2.00 The Children Come Running (Coatsworth) 1960. The illustrations are all former UNICEF greeting cards, mostly by well-known illustrators; Coatsworth spins stories and poems that interpret those pictures. Nice hardcover book, with a dust jacket picture of children of all lands, running together. XL, good condition, $3.00 All-of a Sudden Susan (Coatsworth) 1974. She wrote and published for a very long time! This is a story for fairly young readers, but if you collect Coatsworth, you need this in your collection. Includes an antique doll and several animals, plus heroic feats by the young heroine, during a flood. HB, XL, DJ, $2.50 MORE BOOKS BY ELIZABETH COATSWORTH HERE -- Maine Memories (Coatsworth) This is a collection of some of the stories that first appeared in "Maine Ways" and "Country Neighborhood." In a way, this one is easier to read, as the 54 vignettes (that's how they are described on the cover) are given titles, so you can find them again and again. There's a wonderful prologue, filled with nostalgia for Elizabeth's earlier years, and a good map with a little sketch of Chimney Farm, which helped us to locate it when we went searching the back roads. Printed by a small press in VT - a very good-looking tallish PB. Good condition! $3.00 Country Neighborhood (Elizabeth Coatsworth) 1944. To begin with, this is a lovely-looking book. Cover picture shows what looks quite close to the home of Coatworth and Beston, a sweep of green field, with a classic Cape Cod house halfway up the hill, the typical New England "continuous architecture" with a woodshed hitching the house to the big red barn. Trees, flowers, and in the background, the hint of a church steeple. The whole effect is as unpretentious as the tales and reminiscences within. As I've been writing this description, I've had to stop and re-read about 3 of the sections, so enticing as they are! Simple sketches and illustrations throughout. HB, DJ, all in very good condition, $3.50 Personal Geography (Coatsworth) "Almost an Autobiography" In her 83rd year, Coatsworth put together this compilation of many selections from her private journals, public writings, poetry, and reflections. The date on the title page is 1968, but there are entries that date from later than that, so this must be a 2nd edition. Nice HB book in good DJ with a picture that covers both back and front of the book. Imposing woman stands in a meadow, overlooking Chimney Pond. $5.00 Sword of the Wilderness (Coatsworth) 1936. Takes place in 1689.Captured by Indians! Trekked through the wilderness, starving, freezing, eventually learning to live together. Much more than just an adventure story, of course, as Coatsworth was a fine author and observer of humanity. HB, PC, good condition, $3.00 Jock's Island (Coatsworth) Sheep dog trying to keep guarding his sheep when the island's inhabitants are evacuated before a volcano eruption. PB, nicely illustrated. $1 Jock's Island (Coatsworth) Volcano formed the island, and now it's suddenly becoming active again. The boy and his wonderful sheepdog have a huge job protecting the sheep. The illustrations in this book are amazing (Lilian Obligado) and full of animals -- from the dog and sheep, to cats, gulls, cattle. And the pictures give you an amazing sense of the power of the volcano and storms. HB, XL, $2.50 Outermost House: A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod (Henry Beston) 1928 I don't usually sell things that could be called Classics, but this one is too good to miss! If you've ever vacationed on The Cape, you probably didn't see anything like what Mr. Beston describes, but when you read this, and you'll know why people are trying to save the Real Cape. A year of almost total seclusion (try finding THAT in the touristy areas of Cape Cod today!) and observation of nature. You probably know that Beston was later married to Elizabeth Coatsworth. PB, $1.50 Especially Maine: The Natural World of Henry Beston From Cape Cod to the St. Lawrence, selected and with introductions by Elizabeth Coatsworth. All that is on the front cover of this lovely and large paperback book, reprinted from the original by a small press in Brattleboro, VT. The blurbs on the back cover seem to indicate that Coatsworth's notes are as important a part of this book as the stories of the natural world by her much-revered author-husband. There are letters, short notes, longer essays, poems.. and personal reminiscences by Coatsworth, about buying their Maine farm, about their daughters, travels and everything! Such a good book, if you love Elizabeth Coatsworth, you'll love to learn more about her husband (includes 2 pictures of this handsome man!)PB, good cond, $2.50 End of books by Elizabeth Coatsworth and Henry Beston ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MAINE BOOKS BY DOROTHY SIMPSON All Illustrated by Dorothy Bayley Morse, who probably is one of my 4 or 5 favorite illustrators of children's books -- right up there with Mary Stevens! These books are about the Marshall family, who live on an isolated island off the Maine coast. They are poor from our point of view, but to them, the island life is a wonderful adventure, and they really don't want to leave it for anything, or for anything to change. The books are treasures, from any point of view. that Island in the Bay is the first in this series, but actually it's a stand-alone title. The first in this series is "The Honest Dollar" and "Lesson for Janie" is next. There aren't any of Simpson's books available right now, but you can look for them in thrift shops and book stores, and you can be sure I'll add them to my list when I can find more! MAINE BOOKS BY ELIZABETH LADD, one of the best authors of authentic Maine YA books from all of the 20th century. She lived just about all her life on a rather remote island, enjoying animals and children, all of which contribute to her wonderful books! Most of them were illustrated by Mary Stevens, another favorite of ours, and another Maine native. Some of Ladd's books form series, but any can be read separately with great pleasure. I'll certainly try to find more book by Ladd very soon. The Year of the Pheasants (Elizabeth Ladd) 1957. Illustrated by Mary Stevens. Like the author, the children in this story live deep in the country, close to nature. The girl decides to raise pheasants from eggs, and this book tells about the many things that can happen in a project like this one. Nice family scenes (she has to get have the cooperation of her brother!) and adorable pictures. XL book is in fairly worn condition, but has a nice printed library picture cover, plus a fairly good DJ. HB, XL, PC and DJ -- $4.00 Meg of Heron's Neck (Elizabeth Ladd) 1961. This is the first in the Meg series, and tells about Meg's going to live with relatives, while always wishing that she could still live on the boat with her big brother. The cover is quite worn, but shows Meg with her black pets -- cat and crow -- with an ocean background. As in all the Meg books, there is plenty of action and mystery in this one. PB, luckily it was a good solid Down East reprint to start with, as it's had a bit of a rough life. But it's still holding together, and actually the interior pages are clean, with all those dear Mary STevens illustrations. $1.50 A Mystery for Meg (Ladd) 1962. Takes place on an island, and Ladd knows what she's writing about, as she lived most of her life on an island, too. During the summer vacation Meg goes with her brother to a small island where Alan has a job fixing up and old house. Very soon they run into what might turn out to be a dangerous mystery. Mary Stevens' illustrations are perfect, because she knows Maine pretty much as well as Ladd does -- she grew up here, too. Cover shows Meg lying in the grass looking across a tidal river, toward a house -- black cat Repulsive, lying beside her looking as if it, too, sensed something wrong across the water. PB in fairly good cond, XL, $3.00 The Indians on the Bonnet (Elizabeth Ladd) 1971. The Bonnet is a point of land on the Maine seacoast. As with most of Ladd's books, the characters are true Mainers, working and living under the harsh but beautiful conditions of the Maine coast, a life that summer visitors don't see. In this book, the plot goes beyond small-town fun, to touch on the subject of prejudice against Native Americans. I love reading anything by Ladd, whose heroines are always the nicest of girls, and whose settings are always gorgeous! This one, while entertaining reading for sure, also makes you think, and isn't quite as "cozy" as some of her books. Mystery element is especially interesting! HB, XL, in very good condition inside and out. $4.00 END OF BOOKS BY ELIZABETH LADD. MORE MAINE BOOKS COMDING UP! Ben of Old Monhegan (Sidney Baldwin) 1932. Subtitled A Boy's Life Among the Fisher Folk off the Coast of Maine. Ben is a quintessential island boy from the 19th century, when your whole life certainly centered around the island (no phones or email, not much snail mail even!) Very entertaining for child and adult alike, and some really good illustrations. This large PB book is in good condition, except for a curiosity, that the latter half of the book is bound upside down, so after you've read the first half, you turn it over and read the rest of the book from the back to the middle -- no problem, right? Reprint from a publisher right there on Monhegan island (which is off the coast of Port Clyde, near where we lived for many years. It's a place that everyone falls in love with, believe me! When you're there, you can imagine that it's still the years when Ben lived there, it's that romantically remote.) $2.50 Seven Steeples (Margaret Henrichsen) 1953. The story of a Protestant minister, but not a cloyingly religious book -- rather, it's a book by a religious woman with a sense of humor, a wonderful writing talent, and an eye for everything that makes Down East Maine so special. After her husband's death, she studied for the ministry, and ended up serving SEVEN churches in seven small towns in north-eastern Maine. It didn't start out that way, but she was so popular in the small town where she started, that people in towns that had closed their small churches, asked her to reopen them and start having services. Plus she joined in all the other town activities, became friends with people from all 7 towns, and had a wonderful time! The family of one of my sister's and my childhood friends used to go to one of the 7 towns each summer, and the family became friends with Mrs. Henrichsen. I remember hearing them talk with extreme enthusiasm about her when I was a kid, and I was thrilled when I discovered that she had written this book! HB, DJ, very beautiful People's Book Club edition (they always have lovely endpapers.) $3.50 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MAINE BOOKS BY MARY C. JANE. She wrote some of the best and most popular mysteries for young people in the '50s and '60s! Each one has a different setting. almost all of them somewhere in Maine. They're nothing fancy, but they show children enjoying their lives amid some pretty mysterious happenings! All of them feature girls and boys equally, which is quite unusual and very pleasing. Animals of several species are quite often part of the stories. Maine kids love them, I love them, and so will you. You really need to have all of them! All have pleasant Raymond Abel illustrations. Mystery of the Red Carnations (Jane) 1968. Girl has to write a theme for school, telling about something exciting that happens over the weekend, but nothing ever does. She remembers the town mystery -- each year, red flowers appear on the grave of a stranger who was shot many years ago, and no one knows who puts them there. And this was the yearly date when the flowers appear! So -- she decides to investigate. She writes about it, but the investigation gives several friends a wonderful adventure. HB, sturdy though not beautiful, XL copy with laser copy of the original lovely DJ. HB, XL, DJ, $5.00 Mystery behind Dark Windows (Jane) 1962. There are a lot of old and empty factory buildings in Maine, as in most of New England. In this story, the aunt owns an old factory but is sure it will be reopened eventually, so she refuses offers to buy it for other purposes. She and the 2 children are having money troubles, and at the same time, mysterious things are going on at night in the abandoned buildings. The kids need to figure out what's happening and try to help the family problems. PB in very good cond, $3.00 Mystery in Old Quebec (Mary c. Jane) 1955. One of the very few books she set outside Maine. Sister and brother go on a business trip with their father, to Quebec, explore the city while he's busy working during the day. They meet an unhappy, lonely boy, and while they're enjoying the beautiful old city of Quebec, they help the boy solve his problems. Fun and satisfying! XL, HB, with a picture cover, in fair cond. $2.00 The Ghost Rock Mystery (Mary C. Jane) 1956. Really good reading! I love this one. The kids visit their aunt and cousin at the B&B that she's started up in rural Maine, way off the beaten track. Some of the guests are quite questionable, and that's not all the mystery surrounding this new enterprise! PB in fairly OK condition. $2.00 Mystery at Shadow Pond (Mary C. Jane) Set on a remote farm, near a mountain and pond. Strangers are coming around their home and searching for some old letters that must be very valuable. If the family finds them first, the letters might make them enough money so they won't have to sell their property and lose their beloved horse. PB with the kids-and-robot cover, $2.00 Mystery on Nine-Mile Marsh (Mary C. Jane) What is that very strange noise over on the island? Crossing the marsh to get there, the children make a wonderful discovery and find a difficult mystery to crack. Excellent story, especially for animal lovers. PB in good condition, $2.50 Mystery on nine-mile marsh, HB, in worn condition, but the picture cover is still nice. $1.50 END OF BOOKS BY MARY C JANE Now is Not Too Late (Isabelle Holland) 1980. This very good book has a realistic Maine setting. The main character is an unhappy, rebellious 11-yr-old girl who is caught up in various family situations and secrets as she spends the summer at her grandmother's island summer home. The girl's pretty much her own worst enemy, but you can't help feeling sympathy for her under some pretty strange circumstances. There is mystery in here, and a wonderful story! HB, XL, nice DJ, $2.50 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ BOOKS BY MAINE'S FAMOUS ELISABETH OGILVIE -- for both adults and young adults My late Maine "neighbor", Elisabeth Ogilvie, wrote some wonderful YA books in the 1950s and 1969s, I should include most of these in the Maltshop section of this list, but they are such true depictionf of Maine life in the area where we live, near the coast and on the islands. Ogilvie, who died a few years ago, lived near here, and was a very nice lady as well as a very talented writer for both adults and teens. I treasure my books by Ogilvie, and love to find duplicates so I can let other people read them! I wish there were more available -- and I will list them when I get any! By the way, I'm still looking for a copy of the DJ for Fabulous Year. If you have a copy with a DJ, and would be willing to make a laser copy of it for my book, I'll happily trade a LDJ for anything in your collection if my copy happens to have a DJ. The Pigeon Pair (Ogilvie) 1967. A "pigeon pair" is a set of boy/girl twins. In this case, they are part of a large and growing family who live in poverty in a small backwoods shack. Now, this is NOT the Maine you read about in most of the YA novels of its time -- these are really, really poor people with a father who doesn't have the urge to work very hard, and a mother who stays home with one baby after another. The kids know that they don't have much of anything, but one day they learn that their great-grandparents lived in the big white house on the hill. Their father cheerfully says that his father was "cheated out of that house" -- and the twins vow that they'll figure out a way to get it back. That's the premise of this story, but it leads in many directions, leading the reader eagerly along with it. HB, XL, with a good DJ. $7.00 Ceiling of Amber (Ogilvie) 1964. Sister and brother decide to go out lobstering after their father dies. It's not an easy life for a teen girl and younger boy. Their mother worries, and a persistant young man seems to be there whenever they need help or advice -- but she is still SO in love with someone else. If you've read Ogilvie's adult novels, you might like to know that this is a Bennett Island book with a few of the continuing characters from other books. HB, XL, good condition, with a good DJ, too. $7.00 Masquerade at Sea House (Ogilvie)1965. Brother and sister return to the US after years in Europe. They remember the good times with their father when they all stayed in Sea House on a Maine island, so they decide to spend a few weeks there again -- but do they belong there? And what on earth is happening to the place and the people around them? Mystery within a mystery, one for them to figure out and one for you to figure out, too, while enjoying the fun of staying in a cottage on a Maine island with interesting people and the famous scenery. Very good hardcover, personal copy, with a good DJ, too. Romantic cover picture of a girl with her hair blowing in the sea breeze, sand dunes, and two man in the background. HB, DJ, $7.00 Come Aboard and Bring your Dory! (Ogilvie) 1969. Parents have died, the oldest 2 children are determined to keep the 6 kids together. As you may know, you can run into a few problems when bringing up teenagers, so imagine doing it while you're barely out of your teens yourself! Set on Ogilvie's fictional but very realistic island, Bennett Island. HB, XL in pretty good condition, with a copy of my original DJ which is in beautiful condition. I'm not crazy about the front cover illustration, but it's appropriate enough, and the picture on the back cover is lovely. HB, LDJ, $7.50 Storm Tide (Adult book by Elisabeth Ogilvie) #2 in the Tide Trilogy, reprinted by Down East Books here in Maine. From the back "Return to Bennett's Island with Joanna Bennett, Nils Sorensen, and the other idlands who have come back to their true home after several years of mainland exile." The other books in this trilogy are High Tide at Noon, and The Ebbing Tide. As far as I know all of these are still in print by Down East. Large PB in very good condition, $4.00 I'll list books by Ogilvie as soon as I possibly can! BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THIS IS THE END OF THE MAINE BOOK SECTION! NOW FOR ..... ALICE'S PICKS -- A SPECIAL CATEGORY OF BOOKS I LOVE! I'VE LOVED SOME OF THEM ALMOST ALL MY LIFE! SOME ARE NEW DISCOVERIES THAT I WANT TO SHARE *********************************************************** Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938 (R. A. Scotti) 2003. Until this past year, "The Hurricane of '38" was pretty much the worst weather disaster the Northeast ever went through. I won't go into all the reasons it was so destructive, that's part of what this book tells you about, but I can't tell you how much we heard about it when I was growing up. A family joke is that when I was old enough to understand a bit about numbers and dates, I was amazed to realize that I hadn't lived through it; I'd always thought I had, but it actually happened before I was even born! This hurricane hit an area that didn't usually have hurricanes, and at a time of year when they don't often happen anywhere. It was before they started to give names to the storms, and well before weather predicting was much more advanced than guesswork, hopes, a few phone calls and telegraph messages from places where the weather people thought that the weather came from. And the mistakes that were made, caused some vast problems. You'll read about them in this book. The hurricane-of-38 inspired a lot of new research into weather predicting, and helping people to know when to evacuate. There is quite a bit in this book about Katherine Hepburn, whose house was pretty much right in the eye of the hurricane. Though a fairly scholarly book, this is very compelling to read -- the author followed several families from the day before the hurricane, when people didn't even have the slightest idea anything was about to happen, through the storm, and into the aftermath. I've read it several times, with greatest fascination. By the way, if you've read We Took to the Woods, which I've sold to several of you, there is a lot about the hurricane, which came right up through the middle of Maine, too. Large paperback with photos, very good condition, $2.50 Your Craft Book (Louis V. Newkirk and LaVada Zutter) 1946. Subtitled A Treasure of Craft Projects, and believe me, that's just what it is, a treasure. Just the illustrations alone are worth the price! I think the authors are also the illustrators, though this isn't specified. In any case, wonderful pictures, with a vintage feel. This is a very large hardcover book, and has a very good DJ (just a very few small rips along one edge.) Inside the book has dozens and dozens of projects from really simple ones like the first --- a pin wheel -- and bead stringing, to more advanced projects like marionettes, sewing projects, doll houses, musical instruments, even a wooden chair and table! For each, there are clear pictures detailing every single step along the way, or pictures to trace for patterns. A very special book (by the way, I really like the DJ, which is made to look as if it's printed on a brown-paper sack! Very appropriate and craft-y) HB, DJ, all in surprisingly good condition, $10.00 Bud, Not Buddy (Christopher Paul Curtis) 1999. I thought it wasn't "my kind of book," but it kept me up way past my bedtime to finish it last night. By the author of the very popular, "The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963," which won a great many awards, this is also set in the past, in 1936. Young boy lives in an orphanage but imagines that his father is a famous musician. When he's sent to an abusive foster home, he escapes and sets out to find his supposed father. Told in the first person by this imaginative and very clever and wise but also childishly innocent boy, it's everything a book should be -- realistic, sometimes scary and sad but often funny in a laugh-through- your-tears way. There are some really lovely characters, including Bud-not-Buddy, but The Depression is a constant reality. HB, personal copy in near-new condition, with a very good DJ. $2.50 Junior Fun in Bed (Virginia Kirkus and Frank Scully)1935. No, I'm not starting a new section of books with suggestive titles. It's a book about things for kids to do while sick, and bored with being stuck in bed. The cute cover shows a boy looking quite peppy though his dotted PJs suggest he may have measles or chicken pox. The large hardcover book contains an amazing collection of puzzles, games, stories, funny poems, short stories. There are patterns for making things that don't require the patient to get up out of bed. I would have LOVED this book when I was a girl and had all the various illnesses that were still going around in the '40s and '50s. My husband was sick for a long time with rhumatic fever, and really could have used this amazing big book. It could be a life-saver even today in the realm of electronic games -- don't kids still love riddles, magic tricks. I was having so much fun with this book that I forgot what I was supposed to be doing -- entering it on this sale list! This vintage book was very popular in its time, too, going through quite a few editions. This copy has a nice DJ, with just a few tears along the edges. There's a nice vintage-looking book plate on the first free page, but I couldn't see any writing inside. Give this as a gift to someone who is recovering from an illness or surgery -- they'll love it! HB, DJ, $10.00 SOME MORE, VERY INTERESTING, ALICE'S PICKS AHEAD Tin Tin (3 complete adventures in 1 volume) Includes Tintin in America, Cigars of the Pharaoh, and The Blue Lotus. Nice hardcover book, in very good condition. Cover picture shows the covers of all 3 adventures that are included. $2.50 Another big lot, but this time its emphasis is on the illustrator! I don't know whether any of you are as enamored as I am, of children's book illustrations. I'm not artistic, can't draw, not good at recognizing famous artists; but since childhood, I've loved certain illustrators for their appealing, detailed, realistic pictures of children. Dave's and my all-time favorite is Mary Stevens, who was a Maine native, and illustrated many series books including a lot of the early Trixie Beldens. Here I'm offering a little pile of "her" books for you. They're former library books, fair+ condition, but full of pictures in great shape! Including: Two Dog Biscuits by Beverly Cleary, with Mary Stevens illustrations. This is my favorite, because of the cats! I've never seen a happier cat, or one who is so satisfied at the end of the book. And the twin children? Priceless! A picture book for little kids. Nobody Listens to Andrew by Elizabeth Guilfoile, a beginning-to-read book illustrated by Mary Stevens. Kids love the story, too The Snake That Went to School by Lilian Moore, with Stevens pictures. For somewhat older readers, maybe about 3rd to 4th graders. Even the printed library cover is hilarious! Wishes and Secrets by Mary Elting with Stevens pictures -- aimed at about 4th to 5th grade -- and I think you'll get a kick out of the book as much as the pictures in this one. 4 books with Mary Stevens illustrations -- $6.00 DO YOU LOVE CATS? LIBRARIES? Well, here's a non-fiction book for you -- Dewey, The Small-Town Cat who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. 2008. Even the cover is beautiful, showing a yellow and white cat with a very sweet face, in front of shelves full of books. As a tiny kitten, Dewey was rescued from the book drop on a freezing cold morning. He lived his whole life in the library, became the pet of the town -- and changed lives all over the world. There's a nice parallel story about the author's life, too. I loved this book, and wouldn't be selling this copy if I didn't have another to keep for myself. HB, personal copy, very good cond with a very good DJ. $3.00 MORE OF ALICE'S PICKS AHEAD! Peter Pan (J. M. Barrie) 1911. This is the original story of Peter and Wendy, not the play or movie version that we're all familiar with. It's a novel, and the play pretty much follows the story, but there are interesting differences that make it a story that's as much for adults as for kids. Very adorable illustrations in this 1950 edition. HB in good condition, with DJ in fair cond (front cover picture intact, but edges are worn.) $2.50 Ready-Made Family (Frances Salomon Murphy) 1953. The 1950s were a good decade for books that really warm your heart. There are problems, of course, because that's what makes a plot interesting. But these aren't the awful problems that leave you feeling that mankind is doomed, like even some of the YA books of later years. No, -- they show you that you can work things out, and end up feeling optimistic and happy. In this story, 3 siblings are placed in a foster home with a childless couple. The oldest, a girl, is the classic helpful, good girl (can you guess that I am the oldest in our family?) as well as a world-class worrier. The little girl relies on being cute and adorable to make things go her way. The boy, in the middle, is a trouble-maker -- asserts his rights even before anyone contests them. Will the kids be able to stay with this nice couple, or will their many problems cause them to be separated and taken away? Nice middle-class town, family and school. Be prepared to weep a little. Scholastic PB in pretty good cond. $2.00 MORE OF "ALICE'S PICKS" RIGHT HERE! The First Four Years (Laura Ingalls Wilder) pictures by Garth Williams. Laura and Almanzo's wedding, and their first 4 years of marriage, through thick and thin. Very happy trio (quartet if you count the dog) on the front cover. Hardcover with DJ, XL, fairly good condition. $2.50 BIG LOT of LITTLE HOUSE books. If you don't happen to have all these Laura Ingalls Wilder books, here are 3 in very good condition -- or maybe you can pass them on to a child who loves to read. These are nice paperbacks with the Garth Williams illustrations Included are Farmer Boy, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake. All 3 for $4.00 BIG LOT of books that are continuations of the "Little House" books by Wilder. Did you know that other authors have continued the stories of Laura and her family? These books have very good reviews and most of them were authorized by the author herself, or by her heirs. Here are 4 of them. Included are: Missouri Homestead (Book one in The Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder) The World's Fair (Book 5 in The Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder) The Great Debates (book 7 in The Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder) The preceding 3 written by T. L. Tedrow Little House in Brookfield (from The Caroline Years by Maria D. Wilkes) Lot of 4 Little House Continued PB books in good cond. $6.50 Stories for Children (Isaac Bashevis Singer) collection of stories originally from 1962-1984. This is a large, beautiful, paperback book in very good condition. The stories are really entertaining! Some of them are old traditional tales, some are about things that have happened to the author, some were translated from the Russian or Polish, some are really, really funny. All will please children as well as adults. There's an opening note by the author, and an afterword, "Are Children the Ultimate Literary Critics?" Very enjoyable! Trade size pb $3.00 MORE OF ALICE'S PICKS AHEAD -- Babyhood Years Step-by-step (designed by Louise Rumley) I think it says 1956, but the writing is faint, so I may be a little off. It does look like that era of adorable illustrating: chubby babies in classic styles of overalls and little dresses, with cute pets and simple toys. It's a record book for keeping track of Baby up to the beginning of school. You can fill in almost all the important information from birth on up, year by year. Just a slim paperback, but if you're a nostalgic person, it would be exactly right for you! The original price-tags are still on the front, just for feeling rueful about what things used to cost (one sticker says 37 cents, the other says 3/1.00.) With inflation and all, how about $3.00? Oh, by the way, nothing has been filled in! Black River: A Wisconsin Story ( Vera Andrus) 1967. It's not a Maltshop, not a series, not quite a mystery. I've seen a lot of novels labeled "coming-of-age-stories" and I don't really like that designation -- partly because I'm never sure just what it refers to -- but it might fit this small story with a vaguely historical setting. Before automobiles, I think, but after electricity. Farm family runs a very fine creamery where they make award-winning Wisconsin cheese. The girls are free and happy and a bit mischievous, but there is something dark hovering over the family. Not a heavy book at all, and written for middle-grade readers, but well worth an hour of your time. When you finish, you can even use it as a gift, this book is in very nice condition except for a tiny tear on the DJ. Pretty DJ picture and nice internal illustrations (I think they're charcoal.) $2.00 The Silver Pencil (Alice Dalgliesh) 1944. If you've read this list for a while, you may know that this was my favorite book for years as a teen. Not because it was a Newbery honor book, but because I felt as if I really was beside the girl in the book, as she grew up from childhood in Trinidad, through trips to England and Scotland, to college in the US, a teaching job, a new career, and eventually a summer home in Canada. PB version has a cover that doesn't look appropriate to my imagining, but is attractive. Inside, exactly as I remember it from the library as I borrowed it over and over! PB, fairly good cond. It's a growing-up story, it's a career-romance (light on the romance, but if you look, it's there!) and an altogether delightful book that I still love! $2.00 (2 copies) ALICE PICKS OUT SOME COOK BOOKS! SOME COOKBOOKS! I've been cleaning out my cook book collection, and I hope some of them will look as good to you, as they did for me. I've read all of them, which is my favorite way to use cookbooks! Used a few recipes from each, but I didn't cut anything out of them. Have fun! Elairs & Brown Bears: The Young Gourmet (Arielle Rosin) 1994. Baking! It's aimed at a young cook, but an adult would love to make these yummy treats, too. Very easy directions, wonderful illustrations of the food, utensils, vintage cooking pictures, historical notes, and exciting photos of party buffets. A very decorative and entertaining book! Picture-book size HB, $2.00 Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook Book (For Beginning Cooks of all Ages) 1972 Good, easy recipes that you can actually eat. This book has been USED! It's stained and a little bit warped. But it's still nostalgic, with its red and white checked cover and down-home recipes. HB, $1.50 Better Homes and Gardens Junior Cook book -- HB with PC, good condition, $2.50 Betty Crocker's Cook Book for Boys and Girls. This is a small spiral-bound hardcover, nice 1950s cover, fairly good condition. Campfire cooking, Breakgast, Lunch, Dinner recipes, and actually if you like down home cooking, you probably would never need another cook book! Apple Crisp, Mac and Cheese, Chili, Spanish Rice, fancy cakes and cookies, you get the idea! Lots of hints to help the beginning cook. Fairly good condition, $3.00 I'll Have what They're Having: Legendary Local Cuisine (Linda Stradley) Really big pb, nearly 250 pages, recipes from just about every state and region of the US. The book is in great condition, nearly new, and the food is amusing, delicious, odd, or familiar, according to how you feel about it, I guess. $2.50 MORE ALICE'S PICKS COMING UP! All-of-a-kind Family is a series about a Jewish family in New York at the beginning of the 20th century. Probably one of the best children's series ever written, and so loveable! I'll try to have more of these nice books soon. All-of-a-Kind Family (Sydney Taylor) 1951. Illustrated by Helen John. I don't have to tell you about this one, do I? Just one of the best books for reading to young children, for middle-readers to read to themselves, and for us adults to love. In fact, I was already the mother of 2 when I first read it, when my children were reading it to themselves. And I couldn't have loved it more if I'd been their age. HB, XL, worn but sturdy and fairly clean. Has a good DJ. $3.00 Lucky Orphan (Ida Cecil Moore) 1947. The orphan is a darling little lamb, and the reason this book is Alice's pick, is that it has supremely appealing illustrations. The artist is called "Primrose" and I'm amazed that she isn't very widely known. She is especially good at doing children and animals, and that's what this book is about. This is a fairly short book, a bit over 120 pages, but contains a very good story about a "touching... friendship between a dog and a lamb" that is "true in all its essentials." It was a Junior Literary Guild book, which was always quite a reliable recommendation. Hardcover with beautiful DJ, $3.00 Joy in the Morning (Betty Smith) 1963. This is so obviously a VERY popular book. All you need to do is look at the list of printings, up to 33 just in paperback and just up to 1973. There have been more since then, for sure. A very young couple, in 1927, struggle through their first year of marriage. The book starts just before their wedding, with some background on their family lives, then takes them through the familiar (to us, anyway) story of being married while going to college, and coping with financial straits and keeping house. Extremely recommended! This is a hardcover copy of this book, probably the first one I've offered since starting this list. It's in deplorable condition, as someone mended several pages with scotch tape, which has turned yellow and brittle. Oh well, there is a dust jacket, and that tape probably saved the pages, so they're still attached. Enjoy the original DJ picture of a single daisy on the front and a nice picture of Betty Smith on the back. HB, DJ, $2.00 MORE "ALICE'S PICKS" COMING UP!!! -- BIG LOT OF BEATRIX POTTER BOOKS! This is a stack of 9 of the little, original-looking, Potter books that I loved way back when I was a little girl. They are SO cute, and I know children still love them. 8 of these books are Potter's own tales, and I've added a copy of Peter Rabbit's Diary, which is a repro of a vintage book -- as far as I can figure from what it says, this was written by Beatrix, but wasn't generally available. The illustrations are her own, and the format is exactly like that of the stories. All except the diary have dust jackets. Most of the books themselves are in very good condition, while the DJs are somewhat less than perfect. All the DJs are pretty much complete, but some are stained or discolored, and most of them have small rips at the tops or bottoms of the spines. In general, this is a beautiful set and I think you'll love to have it in your "tiny book" collection. 8 Beatrix Potter books, HBs with DJs and one Diary. $20.00 The titles are: Tale of Peter Rabbit Tale of Flopsy Bunnies Tale of Benjamin Bunny Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle Tale of Two Bad Mice (used to be my favorite when I was a kid!) Tale of Tom Kitten Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck Peter Rabbit's Diary CONTINUING THE LIST OF ALICE'S PICKS! Onions in the Stew (Betty MacDonald) 1954. This is a sequel to that old favorite, The Egg and I. When Dave and I visited Vashon Island in Puget Sound, Washington, a few years ago, it was easy to understand why this beautiful place was so appealing to the MacDonalds. And the best-selling books are still remembered by everyone (names of restaurants, books for sale in the used book store, etc.) In this book, the girls become teenagers, with all the fun that means! A nice combination of humor, appreciation of the surroundings, and serious information. By the way, MacDonald also wrote those excellent books about child-care, the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series! This HB book is like new, the Dj is good. $2.50 Jumbo Story Book for Boys -- subtitled "A Collection (from Authentic Sources) of Exciting Adventures, Heroic Deeds and Self-Denying Acts of Bravery." Edited by E. T. Roe, no date, but it certainly looks vintage! Large book, cute cover shows a boy with long blonde curls, and sitting on a bored-looking donkey. The stories aren't as bland as the cover, for sure. Lots of very exciting stories, plenty of frightening pictures (just what boys liked then, I guess, and probably still do.) Lions, bears, savages, floods, and in case you thought the connection between heart disease and cigarettes was just discovered in our generation -- a short paragraph stating that "several boys who were candidates for a naval cadetship from the Eighth Michigan district were rejected because the examining physician found that their hearts had been affected by smoking cigarettes." I think this book comes from around the beginning of the 20th century. Large format HB, fragile but holding together and as far as I can tell, complete. $3.00 Tornado Jones (Trella Lamson Dick) 1953. Mary Stevens illustrations. Charles W. Follett Award winner (picture of the medal on the cover.) This is a 3-book series about a boy named Tornado! Dave and I love this series very much, and recommend it to just about everyone. the boy's called Tornado because he seemed to appear out of a tornado, and no one knows where he belongs. He lives with Gram, and loves being outdoors, rescuing hurt animals, exploring the wilderness. Then -- the wild country is going to be tamed by a dam, which probably will drive Tornado and Gram out of their cottage home. He's torn between friendship with the son of a man working on the dam, and his hatred for the project. It sounds heavy and sad, but just look at the pictures by Mary Stevens! Her illustrations make you love any kids she draws, and these extra-special pictures show how much fun and adventure the kids have! The mystery of Tornado's past plays a big part in this story, and a surprise romance (don't worry, it's not Tornado!) Love, love, love these books! The other books are Tornado's Big Year, and Tornado Jones on Sentinel Mountain. Tornado Jones, XL HB with a picture cover -- $6.00 Tornado's Big Year (Trella Lamson Dick) 1956. After the move to town, Tornado finds that he sort of likes going to school and doing other things with the kids he meets. Sports, helping needy neighbors, and a huge adventure with Scouts that makes him a hero -- I won't go any further, but it's wonderful. HB, fair condition exterior, very nice interior, with plenty of Mary Stevens illustrations. A book you will love very much. $4.00 Tornado Jones (Trella Lamson Dick) Paperback edition. illustrated by Mary Stevens. 1953. There are 3 books in this impressive and enticing series, this is the first. Tornado lives with his grandmother in a secluded Nebraska cottage, and that's how he likes it! But "progress" is coming, and with it, another boy that he finally allows to be his friend. The rest of the book deals with how Tornado got his very unusual name, and who is making all the trouble around the area. What an amazing ending! We could not make up a better one, that's for sure. I don't find any of the books in this series very often, but here it is in paperback (large) in moderately fair condition. $2.50 The Railroad Children (E. Nesbit) New, large, and exceptionally beautiful edition of this classic about 3 British children whose lives are vastly and positively changed by living close to the railroad and the people who work on the trains. Large HB with a very pretty DJ (and if you lose or damage the DJ, there is also a picture cover just like it, underneath.) Every Child's Bookshelf edition. Nicely illustrated interior, also. $3.00 MORE OF ALICE'S PICKS COMING UP!!! Good Housekeeping's Best Book of Dog Stories (edited by Pauline Rush Evans)1958. A very large hardcover book with tons of stories for dog lovers, or short-story lovers (I'm the latter, and I had a lot of fun with it!) Here are some of my favorite authors who contributed to the book -- Alice Dalgliesh, Lavinia Davis, Marguerite Henry, Carol Ryrie Brink, Doris Gates, James Thurber, and of course, Betty Cavanna. Lots more, too. The book was compiled for young readers, and is part of a series put out at the time by Good Housekeeping. Nearly 400 pages, HB in good condition, with a somewhat water-marked dust jacket, but the DJ is all there, and has a colorful picture. Book is full of pictures, too. $3.00 Patricia's Secret (Ruth Daggett Leinhauser) 1956. I've put this book on my Alice's Picks list quite a few times, and each time, it is gone right away. I hope that once again, it's found by someone who loves the very sweetest of pre-teen books from that lovely period in the past generation. I've read and loved it about 4 times, and will read it again soon. Despite the cover, which shows a pouting young lady standing in front of an airplane tail, with a uniformed man watching her from the other side of the plane, this isn't a story about war or refugees or any other sad subject. No, the girl is just angry because she has to leave the home of her beloved aunts, who have cherished her for most of her life, and go off with her father to an Air Force Base in California. She envisions tents, open fires for cooking, and Borrrring times. And a father that she barely knows? She vows to return "home" as soon as humanly possible. Don't miss reading how this plan works out... sort of! PB in fairly good condition, $2.50 Trolley Car Family (Eleanor Clymer) 1947. Ursula Koering illus. One of my all-time favorite books in the world! I've loved it since it was brand new! Happy reading, very enjoyable family who are given a trolley car after busses take over from tro trollies, and their father is out of a job. They drive it to the end of the line, and set up housekeeping there. It's in the middle of nowhere -- but they seem to attract lots of interesting people and animals to visit and/or live with them, and have more fun than I could possibly describe! My favorite part is the 2-page spread showing the floor plan of the trolley's interior, like a travel trailer! PB in good condition -- $2.00 MANY MORE OF ALICE'S PICKS AHEAD -- Books by Lee Wyndham, author of Maltshop type books, Career-romances, and short stories, as well as being editor of young adult magazines in the Maltshop era, and complier of those very good collections of short stories that I've offered on my list in the past. I doubt if she had it in her to write a story that wasn't really wonderful! If there aren't any here, I'll do my best to find some soon. Candy Stripers (Lee Wyndham) 1958. I'll quote the author's note at the beginning, as it tells you what you need to know. "Candy Stripers is a romance woven around the fascinating hospital field open to teenage girls..information gathered and observed and turned to the fictional uses best suited to the ramifications of my plot." Wyndham was an educator who knew just how to teach about a subject like being a Candy Striper, in the most entertaining manner! I remember how much my daughter's good friend in High School loved this book -- said it was her favorite book. HB, XL, picture cover. A bookplate in the front shows that it came from the tiny, adorable library in the town of South China, where my family spent several of the happiest of summer vacations. HB, XL, PC, $3.50 Candy Stripers, paperback edition in good condition (I really like the cover on this Scholastic edition) $2.50 Gone-Away Lake, Newbery prize-winning and very popular book by Elizabeth Enright, illustrations by Beth and Jo Krush except for the cover, which is new. 1957. Paperback in beautiful condition, 2 copies available. $2 EACH Return to Gone-Away (Elizabeth Enright) 1961. Illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush. Wonderful sequel -- the family moves into an extremely elegant empty house at Gone-Away, and make astounding discoveries there. And solve a mystery, too! HB, XL, in fair-plus condition, with a pretty good DJ. In other words, it's not perfect, but looks good. I've really never met anyone who doesn't like the Gone-away Lake books. $3.50 Return To Gone-away, pb copy with original interior illustrations but a decidedly NOT original dust jacket. Good cond PB, $1.25 Light a Single Candle (Beverly Butler) 1962. Girl loses her sight, eventually learns to do almost everything she wants to do, with the help of a guide dog. Thi is somewhat autobiographical, and certainly has an authentic feeling. PB, $1.25 CONTINUATION OF ALICE'S PICKS AHEAD! A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt (C. Coco De Young) 1999, written about and for middle-grade students, but I loved it, too. Girl's family is doing OK during the Depression, but things changed fast then, as now. She found a beautiful way to help out. book in very good condition with a nice DJ, a small but very good book with some historical notes. HB, XL, DJ, $1.50 3-book set of Dick and Jane hardcover books. These reproduction books contain material from several primers and first readers. They don't have the very old, really cute illustrations, but slightly later (thankfully, integrated) pictures. Some of the little girls wear pants, but the mother still wears housedresses, aprons, and shoes with heels. And you have to see the station wagon with fins and streamlining! In each of the 3 books, the text progresses from single words to fairly complex stories. These books would be fine for teaching, home-schooling, or just for a beginning reader to have fun with. And you'll have fun with them, too! Printed in 2005, the books are in nearly perfect condition. Titles are "We Play and Pretend," "Fun Wherever we Are" and "We Play Outside." 3 hardcover books, $7.00 MORE ALICE'S PICKS AHEAD!!! Told Under the Stars and Stripes: Stories of all of America's Children, Rich and Varied in Custom and Origin. Selected by The Association for Childhood Education, International. Long, long title, for a rather large book that I REALLY LOVE! Some of the wonderful authors of the 27 short stories -- Maud Hart Lovelace, Carolyn Haywood, Marguerite deAngeli -- others that you have heard of, and some that we wish we had heard much more. At the end of the book, there's a list of sources for the many stories, some are chapters of excellent books, some from children's magazines, a few written especially for this book. Modern stories, historical, humorous, serious, long-time Americans, new Americans from lots of cultures, all taking place somewhere in the United States. Large book (345 pages) in great condition, with very good dust jacket. I did mention that I LOVE this book, didn't I? HB, DJ, $3.50 Books by Doris Gates, one of the 20th century's best YA authors, in my opinion. Lovely stories, great characters, fine situations and solutions. Especially Blue Willow! Blue Willow (Doris Gates) 1940. About the MOST satisfying books you can ever read. Absolutely sweet story about a very poor migrant farmer girl who wants a home. Newbery Honor book and one of the most deserving! Everyone I know who has read it, loves it very much. The ending will probably make you cry, but with joy. PB in good condition, with the clever original Paul Lantz art. $2.00 PB in fair condition -- I get lots of requests for the book, so I'll offer this as a reading copy for $1.25 (2) A Morgan for Melinda (Doris Gates) 1980. Girl does NOT want a horse -- that's almost unheard-of! Father buys her one anyway, and in a way, the horse teaches her some very good lessons! Horses, people, especially a lovely elderly lady who becomes Melinda's mentor and dear friend. Nice cover picture of a horse in a field filled with flowers, a girl's darling face superimposed over the field. HB, XL, pretty good condition, with a very good DJ. $3.50 The DEAR AMERICA books are beautiful hardcovers, usually with a ribbon book mark to make them look like real diaries. Every one that I've read was wonderfully written, covering a very interesting period of history. On this list, I only include books that I've read myself and love (I usually re-read them in a few years, I like them so much!) They always include historical notes and pictures either of sites and artifacts, or prings of original photos from the time. They are not sugar-coated, but appropriate for pre-teens, so you won't cry too much while you're reading them. Here's one! So Far From Home, the diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl, Lowell Massachusetts, 1847. She comes to the US from Ireland, only to go to work in huge weaving mills, where girls have to work very long hours in terrible conditions -- she's only 14 going on 15. But, she asks herself "what could be worse than what I had already seen back in Ireland?" The diary of a brave girl who did her best for herself and her relatives, and also the story of the industry that brought America into the Industrial Revolution with the great help of young women. Beautiful condition, $2.00 HERE ARE SOME MORE OF ALICE'S PICKS --- Miracles on Maple Hill (Virginia Sorensen) 1956. This one is a Newbery Medal winner, plus it's illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush -- besides being a story that you'll love! Girl's father comes home after being MIA, but he is tired and depressed, and the whole family is in trouble. They move to a farm, and as the maple sap starts to run, things start to change. HB with the original Krush picture on the DJ, showing a very happy girl, Marly, toting a sap bucket. XL, fairly good cond, with fairly good DJ, $3.00 Plain Girl (Virginia Sorensen) 1955. Author of Curious Missie, Miracles on Maple Hill, Lotte's Locket, and other really good books, wrote this one about a Pennsylvania Amish girl who has to go to public school, or else her father will be put in jail. Trouble is, her brother also went to school, and left their community. His name is never mentioned in their house again, and the father is apparently terrified that Esther will do the same thing. She does experience doubts, and a little envy of the pretty clothes her classmates wear. This is a lovely and memorable story. Scholastic PB in good condition, $2 A FEW MORE OF ALICE'S PICKS: Books by Patricia Beatty, a recent favorite author for me! She writes historical stories, but these girls are NOT fussy, prim Victorians, they are feisty, active, girls who make things happen in a very practical -- and often humorous -- way. I really, really like every one that I've read! Behave Yourself, Bethany Brant (Patricia Beatty) Bonanza Girl (Beatty) After her father had died, girl's mother needed to make a living for the 2 kids, and thinks a schoolteacher would be just what was needed in the new Idaho territory. So they set out and end up in a mining camp, where a teacher is pretty much the last thing anyone needed. So they open a restaurant, and you will LOVE reading about how they cope, the life they live, and the things that go on in a mining camp! Very nice PB with a pretty and interesting cover picture. A favorite book of mine! $2.50 The Nickel-Plated Beauty (Patricia Beatty) 1964. Set in 1886 in Oregon. Seven kids in a very poor pioneer family set out to buy a new stove for their mother, after the old one becomes too rusted to use. This is the story of the many, many things they do to get the stove COD before Christmas. Large and nice paperback book, former library copy, in good condition, with a rather artistic-looking cover. $2.50 Charley Skedaddle (Patricia Beatty) 1987. Takes place during the Civil War, when Charley, only 12 years old, enlists in the Union Army. When he can't take it any more, he deserts, or skedaddles, then has to prove that he isn't a coward. Most of the story is about what happens to him after he skedaddles. pB, good condition, $1.50 EVEN MORE OF ALICE'S PICKS! Big, Big Story Book (no author listed -- Whitman publishing Company) Several dates listed from MCMXLIV (1944?) to MCMLV (1955?) Does this nostalgic book ring a bell for you? The cover picture is a circus, with the crowds, tents, and rides in the background, and an extremely tall thin man, plus a clown, in the foreground. There are 29 little stories, by a variety of authors, most of whom I've never heard of. Obviously something for everyone, as the yard sale ads always say -- stories about circuses, animals, airplanes, cowboys, a lighthouse. Several poems. Very large book, with a very colorful cover, many two-color interior illustrations, fair condition (given that designation because I had to mend the bottom of the spine to prevent further tearing, and the pages are a little brown with age. Otherwise pretty nice.) $2.50 Love From your Friend, Hannah (Mindy Warshaw Skolsky)1998. I was attracted to this book by the cover picture, a cute young girl sitting on a maltshop stool, writing something. At the bottom of the page, it says "PS, You'll never guess who I wrote to.." The picture on the wall, a dashing FDR with a flag stuck into the picture frame, might give you a hint! But it gets even better. Set in 1937 and 1938, this letter-writing girl has several pen pals, and the letters they write back and forth form a story that I pretty much guarantee that you will really love! This book won a lot of prizes. For me, that doesn't always mean that I'll actually love it, but in this case, I agree totally. Enjoy it! PB, $2.00 MORE OF ALICE'S PICKS COMING UP! The Littlest Rebel (Edward Peple) 1911. In the Shirley Temple Edition from 1939. Lots of b/w photos of Shirley and the rest of the cast, in historical costume from the time of the Civil war. Colorful cover picture of Shirley in pinafore and pantaloons. HB, PC, very cute, good condition. $3.00 The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett) illustrated by Tasha Tudor. This would be a beautiful gift to a little girl, so you can share a book that you loved when you were a child yourself. It's a pb edition, but has the beautiful Tudor illustrations all through it, and a color picture on the pretty cover. Good condition. $2.00 (2) The Secret Garden (Burnett) Hardcover with Tasha Tudor Illustrations -- including the beautiful dust jacket! This is a lovely book. I treasure my copy that is just like it. There are B/W illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, and several full-page, full-color illustrations throughout the book. All of them are treasures, even the endpapers which are green sketches on a white background. HB in good condition, with a DJ in fairly good cond. $4.00 A Copy of The Secret Garden with Tasha Tudor illustrations -- this former library copy and the DJ are both in fair condition. The DJ isn't too bad, and the book mainly is downgraded due to wear along the bottom of the covers. The cover picture is intact and oh, so darling! $2.00 A SELECTION OF DOLL BOOKS (THESE ARE ALICE'S PICKS, TOO) The Dolls' House, a Do-it Yourself Book (Venus and Martin Dodge) 1983. Large and incredible PB book! Everything from making several types of dollhouses themselves, and the furnishing that's appropriate for each one. Victorian, Tudor, etc. You'd never believe the details of the furniture and accessories -- oh, and there are instructions for making dolls to live in your houses! $4.00 The Ultimate Doll Book (Caroline Goodfellow) a Dorling Kindersley book from 1993. This is a huge and beautiful book, hardcover, tall, with probably thousands of photos, dolls of every possible kind. I wouldn't be selling it if I didn't have another copy of it because I love to look at the dolls, from Shirley Temple, to Barbie, to dolls of all nations, to very ancient dolls and their clothes. Heavy, the postage may be a little more than average. The hardcover book is in very good condition, with a beautiful dust jacket. $3.00 The Handbook of Doll Repair & Restoration (Marty Westfall) Cover says "A Storehouse of Workable Methods and step-by-step directions for the doll collector/restoration artist." This is a huge paperback book, 282 big pages, with incredible details for making old dolls look like new. The book was first published in 1979, this is a new and beautiful reprint. Back cover says "thousands who began using this book as a guide have gone on to develop profitable careers in the restoration field..." Well, you may or may not want to become a professional doll repairer, but even if you just want to restore your grandmother's doll, this is the book for you! Info on kid, wax, leather, and all other body materials, and joints, and wigs -- all you need to know. Like-new condition PB, $3.00 (2) Here is your Hobby... Doll Collecting (Helen Young) 1964. Collecting and making all kinds of dolls, A lovely book in very good condition, with an attractive picture cover. It's in a library binding, but there aren't any signs that it was ever in a library. HB, PC, $3.00 The ABC's of Doll Collecting (John C. Schweitzer) 1981. OId, but entertaining. Large paperback, full of fabulous pictures, both color and b/w, and lots of information. Since this book doesn't talk about values, it doesn't matter that it's 25 years old; the dolls are wonderful! Very large PB, good condition, $2.50 End of Doll Books +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MORE OF ALICE'S PICKS! Books by Eleanor Frances Lattimore. She wrote and illustrated a great many books for young readers, all of them very darling! I've read quite a few of them, and all are quite lovely little stories about children who act a lot like real children, not odd people in strange situations. If you see any of them, grab it! I hope to have more Lattimore books in the future. Books written and/or illustrated by Kate Seredy. I'm listing these in this section because I've just finished writing about Seredy's life (the article appeared in the May, 2007 issue of Whispered Watchword.) If you are intered in reading bookswritten and illustrated by her, or other people's books that she illustrated, here are a few of them. If there aren't many here, I'll try to find more very soon. The Good Master (Kate Seredy) Very highly recommended Newbery honor book. This is a former library hardcover, with printed picture cover, all in excellent cond. HB, XL, PC, $2.00 LOIS LENSKI books -- we really like these books about children from all over the country, mostly living in poverty but usually joyful and adventurous. She wrote and also illustrated all of her books. It took me a very long time to collect the books in HB, so I'll try to find some for you, too. I'll try to have more Lenski books to offer another month. ++++++++++++++End of Lenski Books ++++++++++++++++++ MORE OF ALICE'S PICKS Books by Frieda Friedman. She wrote the most beautiful books for middle-grade girls! Since I was a girl myself, I've loved her books, and re-read them when I need something to counteract the complexities of adult life in the 21st century. Wonderful families in every-day situations, realistic stories, and believable happy endings. New York City settings. Although I didn't understand it at the time, these books also gave me some subtle lessons in tolerance and understanding. I'll be sure to list any Friedman books that come my way. The Janitor's Girl (Frieda Friedman) 1956. I've been trying to figure out which of her books is my favorite, and I can't do it. Either Dot for Short (the first of Friedman's books that I loved) or A Sundae with Judy, or this one.) The family moves into a new apartment, in the basement of the building where the father is the new building superintendant. Or "Janitor," if you want to insult the kids! On the back cover it says "Then, for the first time... Sue feels lonesome and left out." Incredibly appealing Mary Stevens illustrations make the story even better. Scholastic Pb in fairly good condition. $2 (2 copies available.) END OF "ALICE'S PICKS" SECTION -- AND I HAD NO IDEA THERE WERE SO MANY BOOKS IN THIS SECTION UNTIL I SCROLLED THROUGH THEM. I HOPE IT WASN'T TOO LONG FOR ANYONE! NOW ON TO THE SERIES, MALTSHOP, MYSTERY, AND OTHER GOODIES. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SERIES BOOKS -- HARDCOVER UNLESS NOTED First, a section of $1 series books ONE DOLLAR HARDCOVER SERIES BOOKS! PLEASE NOT THAT MOST OF THESE BOOKS ARE ONLY IN FAIR CONDITION! DON'T LOOK FOR BEAUTY IN MOST OF THEM!; MAINLY, THEY ARE READING COPIES! AND MANY OF THEM ARE REALLY VINTAGE! Donna Parker on her own (2 copies) with picture cover Donna Parker a Spring to Remember, with picture cover Trixie Belden and the Mystery off Glen Road picture cover Trixie Belden and the Gatehouse Mystery with PC Trixie and the Gatehouse Mystery -- small HB Trixie and the Mysterious Visitor with PC The Bobbsey Twins in DJ Tod Hale at Camp Herb Kent, West Point Full Back MORE ONE DOLLAR HARDCOVERS -- MOSTLY IN FAIR CONDITION. The Circus Comes to Town by Lebbeus Mitchell Tom Swift Jr and his electronic retroscope Ruth Fielding at Lighthouse Point Agent Nine Solves his First Case The Scout Patrol Boys Exploring the Yucatan Polly and Eleanor Scranton High Chums on the Cinder Path Dick Kent on Special Duty MORE ONE DOLLAR HARDCOVER SERIES BOOKS, MOSTLY FAIR COND. Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine with DJ Roy Blakeley, Lost, Strayed or Stolen The Three Scouts by J. T. Trowbridge Cash Boy by Horatio Alger, Jr with DJ Do and Dare by Horatio Alger Jr -- with DJ Making His Way by Horatio Alger Jr with DJ MORE ONE DOLLAR HARDCOVERS -- MOSTLY IN FAIR CONDITION The Boys of Columbia High Caught in the Forest Fire (campfire and trail series) Captain of the Eleven (with dust jacket) Andy Lane, 15 days in the air Dick Prescott's Third Year at West Point We Win (The Life and Adventures of a Young Railroader) MORE ONE DOLLAR HARCOVER SERIES -- MOSTLY IN FAIR CONDITION Boy Scouts in a Submarine: or, Searching the Ocean Floor Two Boys of the Battleship Bill Bolton and Hidden Danger The Mystery Hunters at Lakeside Camp by Capwell Wyckoff Mystery Hunters on Special Detail (Capwell Wyckoff) END OF THE ONE DOLLAR SERIES BOOKS! ON TO THE INDIVIDUALLY PRICED SERIES BOOKS ... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ********************************************************************************** JUDY BOLTON ! Start your Judy library at reasonable prices, or get started on an extra set of the very best of series for your niece or daughter! Or your son -- lots of men love the Judy books, including my husband, Dave. We have made laser copies of the DJs for many of these books, to make them look much nicer than the "undressed" copies. Most of us have a very hard time telling the difference between an original DJ and the copy, the LDJs look so beautiful. The later numbered Judy Bolton books are unfortunately much harder to find than the early ones, and are therefore much more expensive. I looked at Ebay and ABEbooks for guidelines, and tried to be more reasonable than either one. I love to get these wonderful books out to people who really want them! I've recently realized that some of my customers/friends don't read Judy Bolton books. So I'm going to try to explain why so many people are in love with this series, which is really different from other series! What I came up with is this -- each book is, of course, a complete story that can be read and vastly enjoyed by itself, the entire series is also a very long, continuing story about a girl, her friends, her romance, and in a way, the history of a town. Judy grows in age and experience, and (in contrast to most of the other series of that era) never forgets what has happened to her in the past. You will get to know what happens to Judy, but also you can follow her friends and acquaintances, as well as her own family. The mysteries are really interesting, and the side stories are full of the kinds of things that most of us love to read about -- summer camp, parties, friendships, marriages, pets. Many people read all the Judy's in order every few years, as if we are reading one long, long continuing story. Here are some Judy Bolton stories -- these are old books, some in fairly good condition, some kind of worn out, and some wrapped up in nice laser copies of the original dust jackets. The pictures are vintage Pelagie Doane art, and in some ways, as collectible as the books themselves. Remember, if you take a laser copy of anything, it will have pictures of the same flaws that appear in the original item, so the LDJs have pictures of holes or tape or creases, wherever the original had any of those things. These were all taken from my own personal copies of the DJs, so my beloved books have these same holes, tapes, or creases! In many cases, what you are paying for is actually just above the cost of making the copies of the dust jackets -- the book comes along for the same price! Dates from the early 30s through the mid-60s. The classic series book era! I'll certainly try to have more Judy Boltons in the near future! #2 Haunted Attic --Thick green cover. The cover is a little stained but not badly! Covered with copy of the original DJ, made by Applewood press. I can't remember why I have this combination of book and cover, but it looks really good. Except for the applewood logo, this could pass for a vinate, white-spined original with dust jacket. $4.00 #2 Haunted Attic -- thick green book in good condition, with original DJ, in fair cond. DJ is all there except part of the spine. The front and back covers are all there, and there's a plastic dj cover to protect everything. $4.00 #4 Seven Strange Clues -- The high school burns down, and Judy wants to know what caused this disaster. A poster contest provides some clues. tweed thin edition, in moderately good condition with a Dj showing Judy and friends in the creepy cellar. Looks very good! $4.00 #7 Mystic Ball -- Judy exposes a fraud once again. Crystal-ball fortune teller is making a mess of a lot of lives, but how does she know so much about Judy's friends? A wonderful vintage story of trickery. Lovely surprise ending. This book is in rather poor condition, though all present and readable. Treat it gently. It's covered and protected by a laser copy of my original dust jacket, showing a mysterious person looking into a glowing ball, and Judy trying to see over her shoulder. Dark, murky colors contrast with the light coming from the mystic ball. $3.00 #11 Unfinished House -- Thick, slightly stained green cover. Sturdy book, fairly good interior, Laser copy of original DJ with was in Very very good condition, so the repro cover looks great, too. This was my favorite Judy when I was a girl, reading them whenever I could get a chance, which wasn't all that often since the library didn't carry series books. $5.00 #14 -- Clue in the Patchwork Quilt, thick green-cover edition. Book in what I think of as the typical green-cover condition -- a little faded and worn, but pretty darn good for its age. Laser copy of the original DJ, making it look very nice! $6.50 #20 The Warning on the Window (Judy Bolton) Peter is badly injured, and even while they're very worried, Judy and Roberta have to figure out who did it and why. Their only clue is written in steam on a window, so it's gone very quickly. HB, fairly good condition, with laser copy of my original dust jacket, showing Judy in a very creepy, scary situation. $8.00 #21 The Clue of the Stone Lantern (Judy Bolton) This is the Judy that breaks your heart and makes you realize that this series is about real life, not a dream world where every single thing turns out perfectly. There certainly is a happy ending for some of the characters, don't imagine that there isn't. But there's such a what-if quality to the ending -- it makes you love Judy and her books more than ever. And if you love gardening, it tells about a special garden that you could duplicate in your own yard. HB in moderate condition, covered with a laser copy of the original dust jacket, showing the lantern held by an apprehensive Judy, in a night-time garden. HB, LDJ, $10.00 OTHER SERIES BOOKS INCLUDING GIRLS' AND LITTLE CHILDREN'S SERIES!! First -- books by our wonderful Mildred Wirt! They don't stay on the list for long enough to let very many people see them, but I'll keep trying! By the way, you do know that Mildred W was "Carolyn Keene," and a lot of other writers, as well as writing her best books under her own name. Penny Parker Mystery Series by Mildred Wirt -- A girl whose father is a newsman, and she wants to follow in his footsteps. Mystery follows in HER footsteps wherever she goes, as she revels in danger and adventure! I'd love to have more Penny Parkers for you in the future! The Wishing Well (Wirt) Penny Parker #8. First, I have to let you know that the book isn't in good condition. "Fair" would be generous. There's a bit of an odor. But it's all there and readable, and I've covered it with a nice laser copy of the original DJ, showing a figure in black, lantern in hand, looking down an old well, with Penny and Louise watching from behind a bush. I love every book in this series, so if you don't have this one, look beyond its flaws and enjoy it! HB, LDJ, $3.00 (just to cover cost of the LDJ and purchase price of the book.) Sometime I'm sure I'll have more Scouting books by Mildred Wirt! She wrote a number of books about Girl and Boy Scouts, Brownies and Cubs. They're mostly mysteries, something she did wonderfully! Each series is very well suited for the age group that would be in that particular branche of scouting, and I think that even scouts of today would love reading them! Several of the books have been reissued, I just found out, but these are "on demand printing" in paperback editions, and quite highly expensive. Anyway, I would far, far prefer the wonderful old original hardcovers with their good, heavy paper and tight bindings. Plus they come with super-beautiful dust jackets, by Marguerite Gayer, who was one of my favorite illustrators, up there with Mary Stevens, Paul Frame, and the Krushes. By the way, these books are truly series books, featuring the same members of a particular Boy or Girl scout troop in all the books about the same branch of Scouts. Most of these books have laser copies of the original DJs, made from my nice originals. These pictures are worth the price of the books! The Brownie Scouts at Snow Valley, 1949. A Brownie Scout book by Mildred Wirt! Very seasonal, with the wonderful DJ picture by Marguerite Guyer, snowing the Brownies out of uniform, in snowsuits, building a snowman. I especially like the background of the picture, snow-covered pine trees and the roofs of cozy-looking houses. The book is in fairly good condition. The pages are clean and the binding is firm, but there is some staining along the edges of the first few pages, and there is a slant to the shape of the book. With the laser copy of the beautiful DJ, the book looks very good. $5.00 Dan Carter Cub Scout (Mildred Wirt) Illustrated by Marguerite Gayer. First in the Cub series. Book is in very good condition, and there's a laser DJ showing 3 Cubs in uniform, around a campfire, with log cabin in the background. Beautiful pheasant on the spine of the DJ. A very nice book and jacket. $5.00 Dan Carter and the Great Carved Face (A Cub Scout book by Mildred Wirt) 1952. Hardcover book in very good condition, with a laser copy dust jacket showing a Scout leader, a Cub, and a Boy Scout, all in a cave with flashlights aimed at the carved face on the spine. A bit of the original DJ was missing, so of course the copy looks as if some of it is missing. HB, LDJ, $5.00 Dan Carter and the Money Box (A Cub Scout book by Mildred Wirt, illustrated by Marguerite Gayer) 1950. Hardcover book in good condition. Gift inscription and a little message and a sketch inside the front cover -- cute! The book is covered with a laser copy of my original DJ, showing 3 Cubs and a Boy Scout holding a money box and looking very happy. Spine shows a picture of an iconic New England white church with a spire. $5.00 Dan Carter and the Cub honor (Mildred Wirt) 1953. Plenty of mystery, and fine examples of honorable behavior to inspire us! The HB book is in fairly good cond, except that someone carefully cut around the writing on pages 5 and 6, and then stuck the cut-out part elsewhere in the book. I've taped it back in place, nothing lost, but you won't be able to miss seeing it. Not honorable behavior, surely it wasn't a Cub Scout who did such a thing. HB, with laser copy of our book's dust jacket, showing a Cub and Boy Scout in uniforms, shying away from some unseen shocking danger. $4.00 Dan Carter and the Haunted Castle (Wirt) 1951. Beautiful condition hardcover, with an equally beautiful laser copy of the original DJ, showing a Cub and a Boy Scout gazing at the ruins of what was obviously once an impressive castle. Except for a gift inscription on the first inside page, this is like new. Apparently Marilyn and Patty weren't impressed with this boy story! But like all of Wirt's books, it is impressive to those of us who like a good mystery. HB, LDJ, $6.00 Books from the Girl Scout series by Wirt (and these are my favorites, since I was a GS myself, and the books are aimed at older girls, which makes them extra readable for a series-book and Maltshop fan.) I'll add more Girl Scout books when I can. Penny Nichols series by "Joan Clark" are actually by Mildred Wirt, and many people consider these to be pretty much clones of the later Penny Parker series. Penny N. is also a lively girl with a slightly less lively sidekick girlfriend, and a widowed father who is in this case, a detective. She zoooooms around town in her little car, and helps her father with his cases. To me, judy as good as the Penny Parker series! I'll try to have more Penny Nichols books very soon! Mildred Wirt is still a very popular author, and her books sell out quickly. End of Books by Mildred Wirt. I hope I'll have more next time. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MORE SERIES BOOKS AHEAD! BIG LOT OF 6 BUNNY BROWN BOOKS! The series is actually Bunny Brown and his Sister Sue, and the authorship is given the "Laura Lee Hope" designation, probably to link it with the Bobbsey Twins books. I think these books are aimed at readers of the same age range. Bunny and Sue are 5 and 6, and have to have their adventures and solve mysteries without the help of the older brother and sister that the Bobbseys have. So these are small adventures, and to us, quite cute. Another difference between these and the Bobbseys, is that I don't think there were any further editions of the Bunny Brown books, so they're all oldies but goodies (1916-1924.) The covers are alike and extremely cute, showing a pair of chubby children looking like Dottie Dimple and a friend, in their big hats, sweet clothes, and sandalled feet. Sue is holding a doll and Bunny has a sandpail and shovel, as they walk along the sandy shore. These are paste-down color pictures that cover nearly all the front cover of each book. The books range in condition from fair to very good. The books have pretty frontispieces and a few glossy internal illustrations by Walter S. Rogers, Florence England Nosworthy and Thelma Gooch. The books include: Bunny Brown and his Sister Sue (first book in the series) And Their Shetland Pony At a Sugar Camp Keeping Store At Christmas Tree Cove On an Auto Tour 6 Bunny Brown books, $21.00 for all 5 NOW FOR MORE SERIES BOOKS -- Recent Whispered Watchword reviews rate the Marjorie Dean series highly! Loyal friends, high morals (except for the girls who have low morals!) parties, schooldays, clothes, and a tad of romance. Life of upper-middle class girls in the 2nd to 3rd decade of the 20th century. I'll try to include more Marjorie Dean books in the next list! Marjorie Dean, College Freshman (Pauline Lester) 1922. Off to Hamilton College with several of her high school friends. There are 3 sub-series of MD books, this is the first in the middle sub-series, College Series. Fairly good condition, this book shows Marjorie in cap and gown in a cameo printed picture on the cover. On the spine, there is a torch and book, symbolic of higher learning. $3.00 Marjorie Dean, Marvelous Manager 1925. This is the 2nd book in the Post-Graduate sub-series of Marjorie Dean books. Cover has printed picture of girls in what looks like flapper-style desses, on the golden steps leading up to a college building. Golden pillars hold up the building. This book has a few issues such as age-stains along the outer edges of the pages, and a few stains on the pages themselves. Aside from that, it's firmly bound and has a nice glossy frontispiece. Books in this 3rd sub-series of the Marjorie Dean books, are about her life after graduating, while she still stays at Hamilton college while she works in various positions. $4.50 DANA GIRLS MYSTERIES!!! By "Carolyn Keene," so if you love Nancy, you'll love Louise and Jean. The entire series has been re-written, edited, and dressed in a new look, several times over the decades. But always, the 2 sisters are students at Starhurst boarding school (when they aren't on vacation, or taking a trip, or otherwise off campus!) Orphans, their home is with their Uncle Ned, a sea captain, and his sister, Aunt Harriet, that is, if they're ever home very long. They love mysteries but have to ward off the bumbling and jealousy of another student, the ever-hated Lettie Briggs. These are the basic facts, but what a lot of interesting, entertaining, and fascinating plots come out of those facts! If you haven't tried this popular series, here's your chance! By the Light of the Study Lamp (Dana Girls #1) picture cover hardback. Good condition, 1934 date. Shows the girls, one in a skirt and cardigan, one in a 2-piece designer dress, both with pearls and permed hair. So well groomed and beautifully dressed, for spying from behind a tree, while a shadowy figure sneaks into the dormatory. $5.00 Mystery of the Stone Tiger (Dana Girls #1 in the 1972 edition) Picture Cover shows the girls in antique costume, watching a caped figure sneak past a tiger statue in front of a brick mansion. Good cond, except for some rubbing of the cover color, and bumped corners. $4.00 The Secret at Lone Tree Cottage (#2) Tweed book in fairly good condition, with a laser repro DJ showing the 2 girls beside their convertible, with the lone tree and the cottage in the background. I always love books set in lonely cottages (it's amazing how many people and incidents happen in these remote places!) HB, LDJ, $7.00 The Secret at the Hermitage (Dana Girls #5 in the original numbering) 1936. This is a good copy of the edition with the thick dark pink cover printed with the 2 girls using a magnifying glass to examinine a necklace. I'm sorry that my copy of the book doesn't have a DJ, because both this one and mine would be even more beautiful if it did have one! Glossy frontispiece and a few internal illustrations. $4.00 The Circle of Footprints (Dana Girls #6) The HB book is in fair condition, with one page (117-18) pulled right out, but set back in. I don't know how it happened, as the binding is nice and tight. All pages are present. The book is covered by a laser copy of our nice dust jacket, showing the girls at the mouth of a cave, examining a circle of footprints (naturally!) It's dated 1937, and the spine has the classic "Blonde on right" picture of the sisters. I found that the lowest price on ABE for a copy of this book in a "real" DJ, was 12.50. With the LDJ, I'm going for $6.00! The Phantom Surfer (Dana Girls #6 in the 1975 edition) This has a picture cover showing a surfer on a gigantic wave, with the sisters on shore watching the dangerous maneuver. Cover is a bit worn, some edgewear, but the book is tightly bound and the pages are clean. $4.00 Clue in the Cobweb (Dana Girls #8 in the old numbering) Starts out with Jean trying to invent a machine that will print music on paper as someone plays the tune on a keyboard -- and everyone laughs heartily at her. And that's just the mere beginning of this intriguing story. Tweed edition, some wear but quite sturdy with neat, clean pages. $2.75 The Mysterious Fireplace (Dana Girls #9 in older numbering) Green cover, sturdy and tight, but some of the pages are a bit warped. $2.50 Mystery at the Crossroads (Dana Girls #16 in older numbering) 1954. The girls help some Gypsies who have been wrongly accused of crime. Unusual story and setting! Tweed book in fair condition, perfectly readable but not beautiful. $2.00 Ghost in the Gallery (Dana Girls #17 in the older numbering) 1955. About working on a show, but the theater is haunted! Wow, could that really be true? This tweed book is in very good condition. $4.50 Clue of the Black Flower (Dana Girls #18 in the older numbering) 1956. Off to summer camp, but of course not without problems on the way. And why on earth do all those strange people want to take the lovely flower away from Louise? Tweed book has a cover in fair condition, interior in very good condition. $3.00 The Winking Ruby Mystery (Dana Girls #19 in the middle numbering.) Spine of DJ shows "blonde on right." Dated 1957. Cover shows the girls, primly dressed in sweater sets and nylons, among the historical European ruins. Very dramatic! Book itself is in moderately good condition. HB and LDJ, $5.00 END OF DANA GIRLS BOOKS, NOW BACK TO SOME OTHER GOOD SERIES BOOKS! Here are some books by Dorothy Whitehill, who wrote lots and lots of good books -- or at least someone did, whether she was a real person or a pseudenym. Anyway, they're always fun to read and exciting to follow through the years. If there aren't any left here, I hope to have more very soon. Polly's First Year at Boarding School (Whitehill) 1916. Polly Pendleton Series. The title says it all! First book in the series. Polly makes friends with Lois, who is in most of the rest of the books in the series. HB with printed cover picture which I love -- a stone arch with ivy growing around it, a vague view that suggests a beautiful vista through the arch, and a girl wearing a college sweater with SH (Seddon Hall) on the front. She looks as if boarding school suits her just fine! Book has a few rough places, but it's not too bad. Has a jolly scene on the endpapers. There are 3 internal illustrations, but the frontispiece illustration has been lost, strayed or stolen. $4.00 The Twins and Tommy Jr (Dorothy Whitehill)1922. There are 13 books in this series, this is the 6th. The twins were separated at birth, and know nothing of each other until they're 13. Once they're reunited, the fun begins! Tommy Jr is their older brother, and responsible for several of their adventures. This is an imaginative and quite interesting seris. This copy of Twins and Tommy Jr is in fair cond, perfectly readable and firm, but not pretty! $3.00 Joy and Pam (Dorothy Whitehill) 1927. If you've read Joy and Gypsy Joe, this is the next in the 6-book series. All the books deal with both the life of a regular girl and her family, and the story of a Gypsy boy. The dust jacket picture on this book is especially stunning -- 2 girls (dressed in probably late-'30s to mid-40s dresses and saddle shoes) sitting in a woodsy glade with rays of the sun behind them. Book in very good condition, with laser copy of the original DJ. $5.00 Joy and Her Chums (Whitehill) 1928. 3rd book in the series. Joy and friends to away to school, but there is time to spend with the boys whose pictures, along with the girls', decorate the very colorful and interesting DJ for this book. Also, more about Joy's very good friend, Gypsy Joe. All the fun of boarding school, organizing a "sale of articles" with dainty refreshments, summer plans, all kinds of interesting things! Book in fair condition, with separation of the page block from the front and back covers. There's a laser copy of our beautiful DJ. But it holds together, and with the LDJ, it looks nice. If you buy both Joy and Pam, and Joy and her Chums, you'll have an attractive duo! $3.50. HERE ARE SOME MORE SERIES BOOKS! Does Anybody care about Lou Emma Miller? (Alberta Wilson Constant) 1979. Third in the Miller Girls series about a family of girls in 1909 Kansas. In this one, Lou Emma is 15, and wants to be taken seriously despite her shy nature. XL hardcover book with a very pretty dust jacket. Give this interesting series a try! $2.50 Nan Sherwood is a nice old series (there are 7 in all) about a girl who starts out facing poverty but like most of these old series, eventually can go to boarding school and chase around the world. I'd like to have more Nan Sherwood books for you in the future! (Written by Annie Roe Carr.) Nan Sherwood at Pine Camp, subtitled The Old Lumberman's Secret. 1916. Are there any other series books that take place mainly in a northwoods lumber camp? This is the book that gives you the background of the rest of the series, but of course any of them can be read separately. Book is in OK condition, maybe a little better than is typical for these really oldies. $2.50 Nan Sherwood's Winter Holiday, subtitle: Rescuing the Runaways #16. 1916. The girls do good deeds while having fun -- now that's the way to live your life, isn't it? The book is quite firm, though edges of the pages are brown and the cover has a few "age spots." #3 in the series. $3.00 Linda Carlton - Air Pilot (Edith Lavell) 1931. There are 5 books in the series, but 2 of them are so rare that most of us have never seen them: this is the first book in the series. The aunt she lives with really wants her to marry a rich man and settle down, but Linda just want to fly, which is just what she does in this book. In this and the other books, she gets into dangerous situations and has a bunch of adventures. Poor Auntie! The HB book is in fair condition, old, with brown pages, but holding together. Covered by a laser copy of the original DJ, showing a very happy Linda climbing out of her plane, assisted by a young man. Oh, did I mention that there is romance here and there in this series? HB, LDJ, $4 MORE SERIES BOOKS -- Grace Harlowe series -- one of the longest of the old, old series. Takes Grace through high school, college, helping out during the Great War, and into the world. It's unusual to find any of these books in good condition, as they were not made to last through the ages. However, they hold together, and are complete and readable. Beginning in the year of 1910 and continuing through 1924, with several coming out in some years. I hope to have more Grace Harlowe books soon. Grace Harlowe's Plebe Year at High School (Jessie Graham Flower) 1910. if you like reading about jolly doings of high-school girls who are fairly rich, but like to help people who aren't as fortunate, you will want to read this and all the other books in the series. This is an elderly book, somewhat worn and with brownish pages from age. But it looks really nice with a repro of the original style DJ showing a group of girls sitting on a brick wall with a misty rendition of the high school in the background. One reason I describe these DJ pictures in detail, is that they are artistic and often very beautiful. They show styles of the era when they were painted, clothes, hair, shoes, etc. I like this one a lot! By the way, a plebe is like a freshman! HB, LDJ, $4.00 Grace Harlowe's Junior Year at High School (Flower) 1911. Jealousy, rivalry, treachery - - just girls being girls! I'm just being silly; they had lots of fun and parties, too! And even went to school. Book in good condition, with a printed cover picture of girls playing tennis in long, long skirts (but sleeves rolled up!) $3.00 Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders Among the Kentucky Mountaineers, 1921. This book has a printed picture cover, several riders in the background, one in front, brandishing what surely looks like a gun! Fairly good condition. $3.50 Polly Brewster Series -- 1920's and '30s. Polly lived at Pebbly Pit in the Southwest, where her family owned a mine. Soon though, she branched out, and lived the life that seemed to be so dear to the hearts of rich series book girls in those days -- traveling, dabbling in business, giving and attending grand parties, going everywhere with a group of loyal friends. She still loved The Southwest (Colorado in this case) and returned there from time to time. I'll try to have more "Polly" books very soon. Author is Lillian Elizabeth Roy. Polly of Pebbly Pit, #1 in the series. 1922 Polly lives on the ranch, and loves it there -- adventure is everywhere. A city girl spends the summer, and they become friends. Each one has something to offer the other, a bit of sophistication is traded for knowledge of the mountains, woods and ranching. You CAN understand the rest of the series, but as always, it's more interesting to read the first one first, to understand "where she's coming from." In this case, that overused phrase really means something. The first book tells about her simple life on the ranch, while later on, she lives pretty much all over the world. Her heart is always in Pebbly Pit, though. So now you can read about it.. in this book, which is in fair condition, but luckily the pages are all firm and intact. Cover is good, and I've mended the spine so it looks good, too. HB, $2.00 Polly Brewster series #2 -- Polly and Eleanor. Polly's richer and more sophisticated friend is staying at the ranch, when they discover a mine -- now Polly can go off to New York, to school, and on to the Great World! HB, Old, but pretty good cond. $2 Tabatha's Glory (Ruth Alberta Brown) 1912. This is #2 in the 3-book Ivy Hall Series. You can call it the Tabatha series, if you want! Boarding School stories, with some really nice twists. Her original home is in the desert and ranch country of Nevada, the school is in Los Angeles. Her name is Tabatha Catt, and her brother is Tom Catt (which sometimes causes them embarassment and shame.) HB, quite good condition, black line drawing on a red cover. $3.00 MORE SERIES BOOKS -- Rose's Story from The Girls of Lighthouse Lane, a Thomas Kinkade Cape series Novel by Erika Tamar. I'm not quite sure what this is all about, whether Kinkade has anything to do with it except for his name and a cover picture that he might or might not have illustrated: there's nothing inside to credit anyone, but the picture looks like one of his. No internal illustrations. It's a very pretty paperback book in good condition. $1.50 Merriweather Girls! Here's an unusual series, including 4 books, all about a group of girls who help people and have a whale of a good time while doing it. I'll try to have more Merriweather Girls in the future! Merriweather Girls at Good Old Rockhill (Edholm) 1932. 4th and last book in the series -- in which the girls go away to school and have the familiar fun and frolics while as usual, solving a mystery. This is actually one of the better-looking copies of any Merriweather books, though the binding is pulling away from the pages. The cover is clean, and the pages are probably the original slightly-off-white shade. HB, $3.00 THERE ARE MORE SERIES BOOKS AHEAD! ENJOY THEM A LOT! Five Little Peppers Series by Margaret Sidney. This is a very early series book, that seems to have been in print ever since the first one came out at the end of the 19th century! About 5 kids in one family who have tons of small adventures. Despite their age, these books are easy enough to read, and one of the good things about them is that there are a lot of these books, so you can follow them through the years. Of course there are attitudes that seem dated to us, but you find things like that in the early Nancy Drews and Bobbsey Twins books. These books are long enough that you certainly get your money's worth, up to 300 pages in each one. I'll be keeping an eye out for more peppers in the future! The "Melody Lane" series by Lillian Garis is quite unusual. I guess it's one of those series that you either love or hate. I happen to like it VERY much! It's atmospheric and creepy in some ways, but very down-to-earth and realistic on others. Like Judy Bolton, the girls of Melody Lane lived during the Depression. Carol, the main character has to work at least part time, but has many chances to solve mysteries and expose the same type of evil-doers that Judy does -- scam artists, fortune-tellers, fake ghosts, and people who prey on innocent children. I highly recommend the books, but be aware that some people find them less snappy and concise than the Nancy Drews. 1933 and 1934. I'll try to have more Melody Lane books in the near future! In the meantime, good luck finding some yourself -- I think you will really enjoy them! While you're looking, try some of Garis' other books, which are similar but present other characters. MORE SERIES BOOKS! Betsy-Tacy Books by Maud Hart Lovelace, just about the best of all series books in the whole world! Shame on you if you haven't discovered them, but I can't say much, since I didn't read them until I was an adult. My daughters loved these books when they were young, and Carrie even read them to our oldest grandson when he was little (I like to think that it's one reason he's grown up to be such a nice young man!) About 15 years ago, Dave and I were going to our first PF reunion, in Mankato MN where these books are actually set (its called Deep Valley.) I started to read them out loud to him, After this, I'll always take my daughter's recommendations about books! There's one thing you need to know before you start -- the first book is just right for early readers, and each book gets just a little bit more advanced, until the last book, which is about Betsy's first year of marriage. All the books are indescribably good, but it's best to read them in order, as I fortunately did. They have all been reissued in the past few years, so you can do just that. And remember, they are incredibly good! (If I don't have any Betsy-Tacy books for sale, watch for some in the future!) Betsy in Spite of Herself (1946) Betsy and her crowd have made it to their sophomore year, and they are having FUN, fun, fun. Really nice cover (Vera Neville illus) with picture of Betsy looking very grown-up in her gown and with her hair pinned up on top of her head. XL HB in good condition, though there are a few stains on the pages. There is a library printed picture cover, plus I've covered it with a laser copy of my original dust jacket to make the whole thing look really good! $10.00 MORE BETSY-TACY BOOKS Betsy-Tacy -- small paperback in moderate condition) $1.00 Betsy-Tacy and Tib small pb $1.25 Betsy and Tacy go over the Big Hill -- pb in pretty good cond $2 Betsy in Spite of Herself (Lovelace) paperback in the really attractive edition, with Betsy showing through an oval hole in the decorative front cover. Original interior pictures. Good condition. $3.00 Heaven to Betsy (Lovelace) PB, Vera Neville interior illus, new, not my favorite, cover illustration. Freshman year in HS. $2.00 End of Betsy-Tacy books +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Beany Malone and Belford family series by Lenora Mattingly Weber. OK, I'll say it again, this is one of my all-time favorite series, beginning when I was a high school girl myself. Correction -- there are NOT two "series of books," they're the stories of real people (aren't they?) who will never leave your mind once you've read all the books in the series. They are available in beautiful PB editions from Image Cascade, but most of us want to have the original HBs in our collections. There's just something about touching and owning "the real thing!" There are 2 series by Lenore Mattingly Weber, the Beany Malone (or Malone family) books, and the slightly later, slightly more edgy, Belford family (Katie Rose and Stacey) books. I hope you can take my word that these are just about the 2 best series in the world! I certainly hope to add more Beany books and Belford family books in the near future! If there are no Weber books available, I certainly hope to have more at another time. MORE SERIES BOOKS AHEAD! The Maida books are So Beautiful! By the way, the Maida series is just about my favorite series, along with Judy, Trixie, and Beany. Maida is different from any of the other series, and entirely loveable to me! The author is Inez Haynes Irwin. I would like to explain that some people just don't care for this series. Quite different from any other big series, it's about a group of children, probably aged about 12 to 14, who live together in a lovely environment and learn by doing things themselves (with expert adult supervision.) They are enthusiastic and cooperative, and it isn't until well into the series that they start to solve mysteries! After reading all the Maida books, I collected my observations about them, and realized that the overall idea behind the "school" system was that children learn through experiencing and experimenting. Don't worry, there isn't a single line of boring philosophy in the books. Outwardly they're stories of a group of really nice children, having fun and exploring their world. The latter books in the series are nearly impossible to find, or at least at prices that most of us can afford. Since I love the series myself, I do recommend that you try them. I'll TRY to list more Maida books in the future, but in the meantime, maybe you'll spot some and give them a try. Maida's Little Shop (#1 in the series) This is the book the rest of the series hinges on, though it was written many years before the others. Maida is unwell, you never knew exactly what was wrong with people in those days (1909) but it disabled them considerably. Her father is desperate to cure her, and will do anything she wants -- so she asks for her own little shop to run, in the middle of Boston. Amazingly, this is just what she needs, and it does help her. Meantime, she meets the other kids -- also adults -- who will play huge parts in the rest of the series. An adorable story, a darling book with a laser copy of the 2nd version of the dj, showing Maida in a cute folky-looking jumper, and a group of nice children looking into her shop windows. HB, LDJ, $4.50 Maida's Little House (Irwin) #2 in the series. Maida's friends from her little shop, are invited to visit her at her father's estate, where they eventually spend the rest of their childhood. The sweetest of stories! Book looks rough, but is firm and clean. Nice picture of 4 children, one of them a baby, sitting on a brick wall in front of the "little house" which isn't small except in comparison with her father's mansion. Laser copy of the original DJ. $5.00 Maida's Little Island (Irwin) #4 in the series, 1939. This book is in fair condition, but looks much better due to the copy DJ that we made for it. The book is in OK readable condition, the DJ shows 5 of the Big Eight in what looks to me like mid-1940s casual wear, at a picnic on the island. What a wonderful setting! Their own little island (Spectacles Island) with a cottage where they can spend a few days exploring, swimming, surfing, and solving a few mysteries. The DJ shows 5 of the Big Eight in what looks to me like mid/late 1940s casual clothes (they look like what I wore when I was a kid) sitting or standing around a picnic basket with the Atlantic in the background. As always, the cover is really beautiful. HB in fair condition, LDJ, $5.00 Maida's Little Camp, 1940. Wonderful combination of one of my favorite settings (a "camp" in the Adirondacks, in one place it's described as a chalet) and Maida's group, the Big Eight. Nature, small adventures, and in the end, a wonderful surprise which I won't spoil for you. Polka-dot edition, good condition, with a near-good dust jacket showing some of the kids on the bank of a stream, with a dream view of the mountains and cottage. I want to go NOW! $8.00 MORE SERIES BOOKS AHEAD!!! Books by Catherine Woolley was one of my very favorite authors. She lived to be 100 years old! One whole issue of Whispered Watchword was dedicated to her, with many very loving reviews of her books (some written by me.) You can read some Woolleys to honor her along with people on Cape Cod, who are all celebrated her birthday!!!) All the Ginnie and all the Cathy and Libby series go on my best-loved lists! I'll try to have more Ginnie and Cathy books, as well as other Woolley books, pretty soon. Ginnie and the mystery Doll (Woolley) 1960. She's an antique doll of great beauty and value, but she's been missing for many years. The book takes place on Cape Cod, and you'll feel as if you were there to share in the summer season -- an art exhibit, an antiques auction, clamming, a square dance, a nice shingled Cape cottage. HB, XL, worn but moderately good condition, covered by a laser copy of our DJ, showing Ginnie uncovering Lady V, the doll, under some beach grass. But that's just the beginning of the mystery! $5.00 PB copy of Ginnie and the Mystery Doll (Woolley) fair, very readable, condition. $1.25 Ginnie and the Mystery Light (Woolley) 1973. Ginnie goes to South Carolina for the Christmas vacation, to visit Geneva who has moved there temporarily. Their curoisity urges them to solve the mystery of a light that comes and goes mysteriously and might even be dangerous. They come across quite a few possible explanations, some of them plausible, some of them seeming like superstitions -- the solution might surprise you! Another of the wonderful Ginnie books! HB, binding is loose but holding together. XL with a pretty good dust jacket. $4.00 Ginnie and the New Girl (Woolley) 1954. When 3 girls try to be friends with each other, it's almost always a recipe for trouble. Geneva is Ginnie's best friend, but then another girl seems to be horning into their duo. This PB has a different cover from the original book, but the interior illustrations are by that wonderful artist, Iris Beatty Johnson. The clothes, hairdo's, and home interiors, just say "the 1950s" to me. PB, goodish condition, $2.00 YES, EVEN MORE SERIES BOOKS AHEAD!!! CHERRY AMES -- the most popular nurse series ever printed, a nurse with 1,000 specialties, all of them interesting and romantic -- and connected with fascinating myseries! I'll try to have more books in this series very soon! #2 Senior Nurse, good cond inside and out. #2.75 #6 Veterans' Nurse -- reddish tweed covers, fairly good condition, $3.50 #12 Mountaineer Nurse -- Pretty good condition, has a sweet inscription to the original owner! Picture Cover shows Cherry in white uniform and scarlet-lined cloak, in front of a mountain shack, barefoot little girl waving happily. $5.00 #13 Clinic Nurse (Tatham) Cherry and her twin brother are in their hometown for the summer. Sounds idyllic, but besides nursing, she ends up solving a dangerous mystery! Fairly good condition, with a very good picture cover. $5.00 #14 -- Cherry Ames, Dude Ranch Nurse (tatham) 1953. This is one of Cherry's many jobs that I would love, she spends time as resident nurse at a dude ranch, where many of the boarders are there for the fresh air and a chance to rest. She works with cranky people, spoiled brats, and -- what's this? The cover shows her looking as if she's actually flirting with the Roy Rogers look-alike, with a bucking bronco in the background. The book's in good condition, DJ has some problems, especially missing pieces from both the top and bottom of the spine. But it's a "real" DJ, and the front cover is quite attractive. $5.00 #15 Rest Home Nurse. Good condition. $3.50 #17 -- Boarding School nurse. How about this -- 2 of our favorite genres, nurse-romance- mystery, along with a boarding school story. I'll term the book as being in fair/poor condition, mainly due to missing half the spine. But you'd never know this, as I've covered it with a copy of my very nice DJ, showing Cherry with a tennis-playing student, and a very cheerful and attractive young man doffing his hat in the background. HB, LDJ, $5.00 CHERRY AMES PAPERBACK BOOKS The Clue of the Faceless Criminal (Cherry Ames Camp Nurse, pb edition.) Tall PB fairly good condition. $2.25 The Case of the Dangerous Remedy (Cherry Ames, Rural Nurse, pb edition) PB in good condition, $2.25 Mystery of Rogue's Cave (Cherry Ames Island Nurse.) PB, fair condition, perfectly readable, very romantic. $1.50 Cherry Ames: The mystery of Rogue's Cave (pb title of Cherry Ames, Island Nurse.) This is a small hardcover version of the pb edition, looking very much like a gothic romance, with Victorian mansion on a crag above a cliff leading down to the ocean. Cave in the foreground, and a troubled-looking Cherry. A sort of collector's item! HB, PC, $3.00 END OF CHERRY AMES BOOKS. OTHER SERIES BOOKS BELOW! BOOKS BY HARRIET PYNE GROVE -- unlikely name, and I've heard that it wasn't even a pen name! She did write very good stories. I especially like them because they are the attractive, thick Saalfield editions with colorful dust jackets. Some of the different books have the very same DJ pictures, some have their own. I guess in the 1930s, publishers like everyone else did what they could to keep] prices low and attract the few dollars that were around. The Phantom Treasure (Grove) 1928. Believe me, you'll be hooked from the first pages of this book! Girl at boarding school, knowing almost nothing of her background. Mysteriously, someone discovers her and sends a package of goodies for a midnight feast (why or why didn't they still have those when I was in college?) And that's the beginning of a fascinating mystery story. Cover shows 2 girls in a dark attic, searching with flashlight (wearing what looks like their Sunday best.) Nice mysterious candle and bag of money on the DJ spine. The book's in fair condition to be generous, but covered by laser copy of the DJ, so it looks pretty good. $3.00 The Secret of Steeple Rocks (Harriet Pyne Grove) Another of the books that have such detailed descriptions on the DJ flap, that you need to issue a spoiler alert! Anyway, I'll just say that the book is set on the coast of Maine, where a group of children are camping and run into a mystery, while having a wonderful time! On the back of the DJ, there is a list of "Fiction for Girls, Oversized Editions... Mystery, Adventure, Exploration." This title is listed under Girls' Mystery Series -- where you also find The S. P. Mystery and The Strange Likeness. If you like one of them, I'm sure you'll like all of them as I do. Just such great settings and leisurely investigations of the mysteries. Have fun! HB, LDJ, $5.00 THE S. P. Mystery, (Harriet Pyne Grove) From front flap: "Rewarded for good work in school, the 7 girls of the S. P. Club are given a cottage on a little lake, where they are to spend the summer." There, they do more good work! This time, helping a poor orphan girl,who lives nearby. These books can be as much as 75 years old! So they often have darkened pages and slight age-spots on the covers. HOwever, it's in pretty good condition, with a bright yellow cover! HB, 3.50 The Strange Likeness (Harriet Pyne Grove) 1929. I would advise you not to read the DJ flaps on this author's books, because someone summarized the entire story, including the supposed surprise endings, right there before your eyes. If you'd rather be pleasantly surprised, just dig right in! I'll just tell you that this book tells about 2 girls who end up at the same boarding school, where everyone is amazed at how much they look like each other! I just read this book for the first time, and it was a lot better than I had thought it would be. VERY good, in fact! And it didn't end quite the way I thought it would, which is always a bonus! Nice condition Saalfield book with a good DJ! $4.50 The Amy And Laura series by Marilyn Sachs is aimed at a younger reader than the Maltshop books, but they appeal to the same audience of adults. 2 sisters move to a new apartment in NY, and deal with a number of problems, including a mother who has to spend a long period in a hospital, being the new kid on the block, and a bad bully. But there are wonderful, nostalgic scenes of jumprope rhymes, school adventures, pets, lots of family scenes. Laura's Luck is a camp story -- always popular! If you like the same books that I do, I can almost guarantee that you will like these books very much. I'll try to have more Amy and Laura books soon! Laura's Luck (Sachs) 1965. The girls go to camp, and Laura has a lot of trouble with her jealousy of her sister, Amy, who makes friends so easily and looks so cute all the time. She's scared of camp, worried about her sick mother, and almost misses finding out how wonderful camp can be! Library HB copy, nice picture on the reinforced cover, nice and clean inside. $2.00 Amy and Laura (Sachs) 1966. Their mother had a terrible accident, but now she's home, in a wheelchair, and everyone's waiting on her and being quiet and good. The girls' aunt takes care of them, and she just isn't Mother. The girls are at sword's point, but they can't fight it out. PB, good condition, $2.00 The Meadow-Brook girls series is an early outdoors-adventure series, based in New Hampshire (I think it's the only relatively major series that is mainly set in New England.) Enjoyable in the mold of the first few Ruth Fieldings or the Outdoors Girls. I hope to have more from this series, quite soon. Meadow-Brook Girls by the Sea (Aldridge) 1914. The girls set out in an automobile with their adult companion, on the way to a mystery destination. You know how it was with car trips in those days -- just getting there was an adventure. Since we've read the title, we know their ultimate destination, but we have no idea of all that they'll go through, until we read this exciting, adventurous, mysterious story! Fairly good condition, with an occasional illustration and a 1-color printed cover picture. $3.00 LOTS MORE SERIES BOOKS! Kim Aldrich series -- There are 4 books in this series, written for somewhat older readers than a lot of our books, but certainly within the teen years. The Girls' Series Companion compares them somewhat to Nancy Drew Files, but I like them better. Kim Aldrich Mystery -- Miscalculated Risk (Jinny McDonell) 1972. First paragraph -- "Some people are accident -prone, Kim, but so help me, you're adventure-prone" said by her father. They were going to have a nice, quiet day, but you know how seldom that happens to girl sleuths! Cover shows Kim in her wet suit. HB, picture cover, good condition, $3.00 Every Boys Mystery and Adventure Stories, 1935. This isn't a girls' series book, but I have most of the boys' books on sale, so I had to list this one elsewhere. It contains 3 complete books, Brothers of the Senecas by Walter E. Butts, Detectives, Inc by William Heyliger, and Vanishing LIner by George Morse. It's a gigantic volume, as each of these books is about 250 pages long! There is a DJ, pretty nice looking but missing the back flap. DJ has a picture from each of the books that are included in the volume. Book itself in good condition, though I think the great weight has caused a little strain on the spine. But it's an interesting oddity, and very attractive. $4.00 Ruth Fielding series. Ruth starts out as a motherless girl, just like Patti Fairfield and a lot of other old series heroines! But she goes in a different direction, after the first few books full of rollicking adventures in boarding school, in the north woods, and at the shore. In later books of this very long series, she becomes a career girl, role model for feminists, and pre- courser of Nancy Drew and other series females. Yet, she keeps her femininity, and eventually even marries (take notice, Nancy!) I've enjoyed all the Ruths that I've read, from beginning to end. I'll add books about Ruth when I find them for you! Ruth Fielding of the Red Mill (#1 in this series) 1913. Subtitled Jasper Parloe's Secret. HB with Ruth's picture on the cover, fairly good condition. $2.50 Ruth Fielding at Snow Camp, subtitled Lost in the Backwoods, 1913. Ruth #3. Don't you love to sit in your cozy. warm house and read about people lost in the snowy forests? Or cringing in cabins while the blizzard roars around them? The book is in moderate condition (worn corners and edges, pages slightly loose, but everything holding together OK. Brown but clean pages.) Covered by a laser copy of the original DJ, which was in fair condition itself, but the LDJs always look better than the originals because they don't have any tears or holes! Front cover picture intact, 5/6ths of the original spine is showing. $5.00 STARTER SET OF 4 RUTH FIELDING BOOKS! Start your set of this long, long series, with this nice selection of the books! If you absolutely love long series, this is almost as good as Nancy Drew! In fact, you probably know that some of the same ghost writers wrote books for both series. So here you are! These 4 books do not have dust jackets, but each one does have a picture of Ruth on its cover. All Ruth F books have one of two cover pictures, depending on when the particular copy was printed. Ruth morphs from a girl with the hair style of the 2nd decade of the 20th century, and a longish skirt below a middy blouse (red sun in background) to the other covers, that have Ruth looking very 1930ish, bobbed hair, short skirt, "pumps" for shoes, sitting on a log, writing in a notebook. The books are in fair to fairly good condition. These 4 books are: Ruth #1 -- Red Mill, subtitled Jasper Parloe's secret. Ruth #3 -- Snow Camp -- subtitled Lost in the Backwoods Ruth #4 -- Lighthouse Point -- subtitled Nita, the Girl Castaway. Ruth #8 -- The Gypsies -- subtitled The Missing Pearl Necklace Four Ruth Fielding books for #12.00 Ruth Fielding #8 -- And the Gypsies. Most of the old series had at least one book about Gypsies -- come to think of it, so did Nancy Drew. Kind of a complicated plot, but you learn how Ruth can eventually fund her movie company. The book is in pretty good condition, and has a laser copy of my nice dust jacket. It's the newer style, I think it's probably called multi-pic, due to the many small pictures surrounding a very attractive picture of Ruth. $5.50 Ruth Fielding #18, On the St. Lawrence Subtitled, The Queer Old man of the Thousand Islands (shades of Judy Bolton!) 1922. Book in good condition, with a very good ("real") DJ, multi-pic style. $8.50 Ruth Fielding in the Far North -- #20 in series, 1924. We're not talking Maine here, Ruth travels to the FAR NORTH -- "the ice-bound country" -- to make a movie. Book is in pretty good condition with clean pages and tight binding. Cover has some typical wear. $3.50 Ruth And Her Great Scenario -- #23 in the series, 1927. This one is getting right up there near the end of the series! This one is especially appealing to me since it takes place on the Maine coast! Book in fair condition, with loose hinges, but it's all there and holding together. Laser copy of the original(older style) DJ. $7.00 End of Ruth Fielding books. OTHER SERIES BOOKS HERE -- Betty Gordon series -- Betty was a penniless orphan, staying with horrid guardians who also had young Bob working for them, and they treated him terribly. Betty and Bob eventually find a much happier home with her uncle, who owns oil wells and takes them all around the country where they help him out by solving mysteries. This series is similar to the Ruth Fielding books in appearance as well as age, and a little like it in plot. I'd love to have more Betty G books soon! Main Street series by Ann M. Martin. She's the author of those hundreds of Babysitter Club books. This series is very different. It first caught my attention because the town is Camden Falls. Camden, Maine, is about 25 miles from here, but this town is supposed to be in Massachusetts. It's described as "an old New England town" of 14,000+ residents. Two girls move to the town, to live with their grandparents, and begin to get acquainted with other girls, as well as the town itself. Here are the first 4 books in the series, nice paperback books with several interesting features. The front endpapers open up to show a picture of the whole town. The back endpapers open to show various interiors or stores, including a nice picture of one of the girls' bedrooms. One of these books is also autographed by Ann Martin. These books are aimed at age 9 and up, so this set might be a good present for a girl about that age. 4 attractive paperbacks, $7.00 The Phantom Stallion -- #1 in the 2-book series about Penny of Paintrock. The book is a Golden Press hardcover, similar to the Kathy Martin books, and a few of the early Trixies -- in other words, it's a very attractive and sturdy hardcover book. There are only 2 books in this series, so you'll only have to find one more to complete your set. Authors Jane and Paul Annixter. Nicely illustrated with a horse in every picture along with Penny, other young people, and Western scenery. HB, PC $2.50 Jean Craig series by Kay Lyttleton. This 5-book series is actually about the whole Craig family, and a lot of their friends. Jean features prominently, but all the rest of the family is part of each book. Fairly recent dates, but the books are re-runs of an earlier series, Greenacres. Only the names have been changed to protect the plagerist or at least borrower. Very entertaining, whatever the story may be! Look for Jean Craig books on a future list! MORE SERIES BOOKS! Billie Bradley Series by Janet D. Wheeler. Between 1920 and 1932. There are 9 books in this series, which take place in suburban NY state, probably not terribly far from Trixie and the Bob-Whites, and they also follow the adventures and mystery-solving of a group of young people. These books are green, with a printed picture of Bilie (and you understand that this is a GIRL named Billie?) in darker green. Billie Bradley at Treasure Cove, subtitled The Old Sailor's Secret. book 6. in good condition. $4.00 PATTY FAIRFIELD series. Patty starts out as a motherless girl who stays with various relatives, and is a simple, sweet young thing. She soon becomes acquanited with life in the lap of luxury, and you can visit her there in the many books in this series. Descriptions of parties, costumes, mansions, travels, decorations -- I've never read of more opulant settings! Of course there are adventures and mysteries, friendships, and romances. Patty ends up married in the end of the series. Due to their original good quality, they are sometimes found in fairly good condition, considering their extreme age! Interesting series. I'll add more Patti books as soon as I can, in the meantime, try to find them yourself, I'm sure you'll enjoy reading these extravagant stories! Author -- Carolyn Wells. I will list more books as soon as possible. Patty's Friends (Wells) 1908 #6 in series. Title page says it's from 1935, but I can't imagine where that came from -- this printing, maybe? Patty, her father, and her young step-mother have a social time in Paris as well as solving an old mystery. If you like reading about teas, dances, and grand country estates, this will satisfy your appetite! If mystery is what you want, this will make you happy, too. HB, good cond, laser copy of the DJ, which shows Patty in cameo on a light blue background. HB, LDJ, $4.00 Also by Carolyn Wells (a very prolific author, if that's her real name) is the Marjorie Maynard series. This is aimed at younger readers than some of our favorite series, but much more fun to read than some of the younger-kid series! This one is about a family with 4 kids who love to do things together. No twins -- this isn't about the Bobbseys, though the time is just about right for the beginning of that series. They're a lively bunch "The fundamental principle of Mr. and Mrs. Maynard's training was common-sense, and this, added to deep parental love, made their discipline both wise and kind." But they get into all kinds of scrapes, anyway, while having a great old time together. I believe these books are written for kids between the Bobbsey Twins' age, and the teens. They are 240 to 280 pages long. Frontispiece, but no internal illustrations. I will be listing more Marjorie books from these and other of her series, as soon as I possibly can. Marjorie's New Friend (Carolyn Wells) 1909. 3rd book in the series. New friend starts out on the wrong foot, but eventually everything evens out. The interesting thing about this book is the way that you learn how serious the precautions, quarantines and laws are, when someone in a household has diptheria. Fairly good condition, $3.50 Marjorie's Maytime (Wells) 1911. 5th in the series. All kinds of early-summer, late spring activities for the family! In case you think the books in this series are short because they're about some fairly young children, think again! This one has 241 pages, and is full of nice descriptions of pleasant places, exciting little adventures, family happenings. HB, old but holding its own! $2.00 (2 copies available?) Marjorie's Maytime with a beautiful DJ! The picture shows 3 girls dressed in the lovely long white dresses that girls wore in those days, having a picnic in a flowery glade amid trees and vistas. The colors are sepia or mauve, so I'm not sure if this is how they originally were, but it makes a lovely atmosphere. Book in very good condition, with laser copy of original DJ. $5.00 MORE SERIES BOOKS! THE LITTLE COLONEL SERIES! This vintage series was quite popular in its day (obviously, since there are at least 16 books in the series.) The first book follows a very much-loved pattern that will warm your heart! This copy of the first book, is the Shirley Temple edition with endpapers and a frontispiece picturing scenes from the movie. These are Southern books, including some outmoded racial attitudes, and dialect, but they're full of fun, adventure, romance, with a sweet, kind heroine and a slate of interesting secondary characters. The 4 books that follow #1 are the original editions. They are BIG! And I imagine that they were originally very, very decorative. The covers are still very pretty, each one with a different printed picture from the story. These books have 8 very attractive internal illustrations, including a frontispiece. The books are in fairly good condition, quite well bound. They look their age, but not bad at all! Later books concentrate on Mary Ware, who is a character in some of the earlier books. You will be getting: The Little Colonel (by Annie Fellows Johnston)1895. The Shirley Temple edition The Little Colonel at Boarding School (1903) The Little Colonel's Christmas (1905) The Little Colonel: Maid of Honor (1906) Mary Ware, the Little Colonel's Chum (1908) 5 Little Colonel books by Annie Fellows Johnston -- $14.00 Dorothy's Schooling (Evelyn Raymond) This is a true Oldie, from 1908. It's the 3rd in an 11-book series about a girl who, as a baby, was left on a doorstep, if you can imagine it! She has a happy and busy life, and in this one, she and her friends do things like taking "a nutting frolic," various entertainments, and rescues, adventures, everything that series-book girls are required to do. The illustrations are interesting: I guess it's the style of clothing that the girls wear that make them look like little old ladies without the benefit of good, "uplifting" undergarments. You'll see what I mean. Book in fairly good cond, with a good printed picture cover. $3.50 Peggy Stewart is a series that takes place in Anapolis area, where Peggy is a naval officer's daughter, and later, at a private school. The description describes the setting as "an old southern estate." There are 3 books in the series, all have the same picture on the cover, Peggy looking serious and dressy, sitting down -- in a carriage? with a cane or whip in hand. You'll read about rich girls and fancy parties and homes, while you'll have to have a tolerance for southern attitudes of a century ago, and occasional dialect. Certainly they are period-pieces and enjoyable as such! These books appeal to me especially, since my mother's first and middle name are Peggy (or Margaret) Stewart. I'll try to have more Peggy Stewart books soon. Ginny Gordon Mysteries (by Julie Campbell, hooray, a Trixie author!) Ginny is another of the Schoolgirl Sleuths, part of a group like Trixie's Bob-whites, called The Hustlers. They are always looking for ways to make money, and run into plenty of mysteries while doing so. Some of their ventures include a "swap shop" which you might term a sort of antiques or highclass thrift shop, a snack shop, and a used book booth. I'll add more Ginny Gordons as soon as I find them! Ginny gordon and the Missing Heirloom (1950) This is the original, I think, edition, with a wonderful DJ and a lot of internal illustrations, all by Margaret Jervis. The cover gives you a good idea of what you'll find in the story. It shows Ginny in a fabulous attic full of treasures like a dress form, a hat tree full of old hats, high-button boots, portraits, packages tied up with string, and so much more. Ginny is searching frantically through a box, looking for (of course) the missing heirloom. Super story -- mystery while the kids run that swap shop! HB, very good condition, with a good DJ (a couple of pieces missing, but not bad at all!) $4.00 "The Mexican Mysteries" series is about 3 American girls (main character is Jo Anne) who spend their summers in Mexico, helping people and having rather wild adventures. A really great series, I only discovered it a few years ago, but loved it immediately. These are beautiful books, in the thick Saalfield formats, with rather brittle pages, but good sturdy bindings. I'll try to have more Mexican Mysteries (by Randolph) soon. Peggy Lane Theater Series By Virginia Hughes. These books are to a theater career what the Vicki Barrs are to stewardess career, or the Connie Blairs are to an advertising career. The books even look the same as those series, with similar attractive picture covers. The books all look good, they are almost always in very good condition, standing up well over the years. They're the story of a young girl who starts out in her career, and enjoys a variety of theatrical experiences as she advances in the theater world. As in almost all series books, there are mild mysteries in all the books. Series book collectors need to have these interesting and attractive books on their shelves! Of course, they're especially fun to read if you're interested in the theater. But they're entertaining even if you aren't a theater fanatic! I'll add Peggy Lane books when I have more of them. Peggy Goes Straw Hat (Virginia Hughes) 1963. Summer theater in the Adirondacks! HB with nice PC (I love the woodie wagon in front of the theater/barn!) $4.00 BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE ARE STILL MORE SERIES BOOKS TO GO! The BEVERLY GRAY series is fabulous! It's a long series that was popular from the 30s through the 50s, and is still very much read, especially by subscribers to Susabella Passengers and Friends magazine. We will try to list more Beverly Gray books soon -- they've been very popular! 2 Bagthorpes Saga Series books. "Bagthorpes is... a wacky, whirlwind comedy about the foibles of family life." The first 2 books are Ordinary Jack, and Absolute Zero. Here we have parts 3 and 4. These are former libary copies, but in excellent condition, with new-seeming dust jackets illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Author of the books is Helen Cresswell. Titles include: Part 3 -- Bagthorpes Unlimited Part 4 -- Bagthorpes V. The World 2 Bagthorpes Saga books -- 5.00 Dorothy Dixon Series is about a very adventurous 16-year-old who gets her pilot's license and flies around solving mysteries and rescuing people, little things like that! There are 4 books in the series (and a phantom title) all from 1933. They were cheap books to start with, and pretty much always have brown, slightly brittle, pages. I will try to have more Dorothy Dixon books very soon! Dorothy Dixon Wins her Wings (Wayne) 1933. That's just what happens -- she learns to fly after she meets "the famous Bill Bolton" (who happens to have his own series of books.) And of course she doesn't escape danger and adventure even in this first book in the series. Book in good condition, with a copy of our very nice laser dust jacket showing a scene that shows how very dangerous and thrilling her adventures might end up being! $4.00 Dorothy Dixon and the Mystery Plane (Wayne, 1933) A nice copy of this book, in its original DJ, too! The DJ pictures for this series, were all alike except for the titles. A seaplane, a survivor in the water, and a fully-clad aviator leaping onto the wing of the plane to go to the aid of the girl hanging onto the side of the boat. I think I have it right, but it's a very busy cover, and I've never seen one of those planes up close. Strong colors and lovely sea and sky shading. $5.00 Dorothy Dixon Solves the Conway Case (Dorothy Wayne) 1933. Fairly good book in a good DJ, altogether a nice presentation. $4.00 Nurses Three is a short (7 books) but very good hardcover nurse series. There are 3 sisters, all nurses, all daughters of a famous doctor that they seem to want to live up to. The 3 girls have different personalities and interests, and each one has a couple of books all to herself. A unique idea for a series, and quite wonderful! The books have attractive picture covers, in a different color for each of the girls. Written by Jean Kirby. Each has several nice internal illustrations. If there aren't any Nurses Three books here, I hope to have more to offer soon! A Career for Kelly -- Nurses Three, a Kelly Scott Story (Jean Kirby) 1963. First book in the series, first sister to go out on her own. Mild mystery, career. Very nice picture cover, front and back. Good condition. I get a kick out of the various original 1961 price tags on the covers. 2011 price -- $5.00 STILL MORE SERIES BOOKS! Polly series by Lillian E. Roy. Mostly with light blue covers. The Polly series tells about a girl who started out on a ranch in the southwest, and really loves her life there. The first 2 books are set on the ranch. Many adventures, and a bit of romance. After that, Polly goes out into the big world, and is very successful in every way, but of course it never changes her sweet nature! In a later book that I don't have for sale, she goes back to the ranch for a while, and then sets off for fantastic trips and adventures. Romance intrudes, but as in all of these very old series, it's very mild and treated a bit humorously. Eventually, she marries. This is a fairly long series, and worth collecting and reading. I'll try to list more Polly books very soon! Emergency Rescue!! Trouble at Moosehead Lake (James and Lois Cowan) A short series, I think only 2 books so far, set in Maine. Kids help with the emergency rescue group. Exciting cover shows snowy scene with kids, dog, stretcher being loaded into the ambulance, and in the background, a glimpse of huge Moosehead Lake. PB, $1.00 Kathy Martin nurse series. Kathy Martin books are like slightly more modern Sue Barton or Cherry Ames. A long and very interesting nurse-mystery series.) They were written by Josephine James, starting in 1959. Kathy has a very interesting family, who live on an apple farm in California, she has a nice boyfriend (but just can't make up her mind to marry him!) and she is just as good as Cherry Ames at nursing and finding mysteries to solve. All the books have attractive picture covers, and are Golden Press HB editions to match several other popular series that you probably already have in your collection. I certainly hope to have more Kathy Martin books in the future. A really good series, you should try it! One of the good things about it is that there are 13 books in the series, so you won't run out of them in a hurry! I hope to have more Kathy Martin books very soon! A Cap for Kathy, Kathy Martin book #1. Along with being a very fine story, this book has a darling cover picture -- Kathy in a blue/white striped uniform, with her first nurse cap, and a background of the family's apple orchard in springtime bloom. Reading copy of A Cap for Kathy. Picture cover is fine, pages are OK, but spine is weak. $2.00 End of Kathy Martin Series MORE SERIES BOOKS AHEAD! -------------------------------------------------- Susan Sand series, from the early 1980s, is popular with Nancy Drew fans who love this feisty, brave teen girl detective who's also a mystery writer! The titles are enough to catch anyone's attention! Too bad this is such a short series (8 books.) The first few are fairly easy to locate and reasonably priced. The next 3 or 4 are not too hard to find, while the last couple of them are quite rare. Good luck finishing your Susan Sand series! Author is Marilyn Ezzell. All are paperbacks. I'll try to include more Susan's on my list, very soon. Susan Sand #1, Mystery at Hollowhearth House (1982) Fairly good cond PB -- $2.00 Susan Sand #2, Secret of Clovercrest Castle. Good cond pb -- $3.00 Sue Barton Nurse stories! In my opinion, this is the best of all the nurse series. Yes, they are outdated as far as the nursing techniques and information, but the human interest is exceptional, and the writing is beautiful. If you read them in order, there's no other series that keeps your interest as compellingly as this one, unless it's Beany Malone. One of the things I like best about this series, is that lots of the books take place in New Hampshire. I'd like to promise that I'll have more Sue Barton books soon, but that's a hard promise to keep. I'll certainly try! Timber Trail Riders. Timber Trail is a horse farm, and there are both boys and girls in the riding club. I only started collecting this series recently, but I do enjoy them and want to share them with my friends. They were cheaply made and cheaply bound, so they're never in excellent condition, but they have very attractive picture covers, and well-illustrated interiors. Whitman "cellophane" style. I'll try to include some more Timber Trail Riders books as soon as I can. Complete set of 5 Timber Trail Riders books! These are in fairly good condition, better than you usually find them. Each one has a beautiful picture on the cover, and a firm binding. One of the books has been mended, and isn't in quite as good condition as the rest, but overall they look good and are a nice set. The titles are: Luck of the Black Diamond -- Sunny Saunders story The Long Trail North -- Mike Casey Story The Mysterious Dude -- Dave Talbot Story Texas Tenderfoot -- Dave Talbot story Mystery of the Hollywood Horse -- Peggy Lewis Story 5 Hardcover Timber trail Riders books from 1963 and 1964. $10.00 A FEW MORE SERIES BOOKS FOR YOU TO LOOK AT! BOOKS BY L.M. MONTGOMERY -- The author of "Anne" was a very prolific writer! Here are a few! Anne of Green Gables -- Three volumes in One! This large HB includes unabridged texts of Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, and Anne's House of Dreams. There is a ton of reading in here, with the occasional illustration, too. XL book with a pretty dust jacket -- fairly good condition. There's a nice introduction, too. $2.50 Rilla of Ingleside "The Anne of Green Gables Novels #8" according to the cover. This is billed as a Special Collector's Edition, showing a beautiful girl in a filmy dress in the foreground, and in the background, a sea scene with lighthouse and uniformed officer, all under the moon. Nice PB in wonderful condition, $1.75 Some L. M. Montgomery books, great condition, beautiful pbs, and only a dollar each -- Rainbow Valley ("the Anne of Green Gables Novels #7")$1.00 Anne's House of Dreams ("The anne of Green Gables Novels #5") $1.00 Anne of the Island ("Anne of Gren Gables Novels #3") $1.00 Anne of Avonlea ("Anne of Green Gables Novels #2") $1.00 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MORE, MORE, MORE -- SERIES BOOKS OUTDOOR GIRLS is a very long series, 23 books in all, about an adventurous group of girls -- if you like the older series about girls who seemed to be paving the way for today's active women, you ought to start collecting these books! Oh yes -- they're really interesting and fun to read, too, historical impact notwithstanding. They can be read out of order with no problem, though later books add characters as the original girls marry and leave the group. By the way, both this series and Moving picture Girls are for much older girls than "Laura Lee Hope's" Bobbsey twins. I'll add more Outdoor girls as soon as I can find them! THE MOVING PICTURE GIRLS books by Laura Lee Hope. The author's name is fictional, here and in the Bobbsey Twins series. This series is for older girls, and is very interesting. The Moving Picture girls were way before their time, and very modern in their day. I'll add Moving Picture Girls books when I come across any. Good luck finding them yourself, in the meantime! BLYTHE GIRLS are supposed to be written by Laura Lee Hope, but if you're thinking "Bobbsey Twins," forget it! This long series appealed to teens of yesterday and appeals very much to PFs of today. The girls are in their late teens, no slapstick situations like those the Bobbseys were always involved in. Mystery, yes, but much more "mature" sleuthing. The girls are orphaned, and actually have to work hard for a living! Each has a totally different type of job, so there are lots of opportunities for interesting mysteries. I'll add more Blythe girls books as soon as I can! Blythe Girls -- Helen's Strange Boarder -- this is in bad condition, Spine is missing for instance. But all the pages are there, so you can read it. FREE with any other series book purchase. SOME MORE GOOD SERIES BOOKS AHEAD Betty Wales Decides (Margaret Warde) 1911 #8 in the series. Betty is quite a gal, especially for her day. After the typical 4 college-year books, she stays near campus and starts a tea shop. Eventually she and her friends starts a fad and makes money by selling statuettes of Ploshkins, little figures that were made in real life, too. And at some point, also "in real life," Betty Wales clothing was franchised -- beautiful old gowns that you can look up on google. This was a very popular college series, and quite enjoyable, I must say, for all that it's about 100 years old. Maybe college hasn't changed all that much, except for the clothes and the ploshkins! And guess what she decides at the end of this story??? This book is in good condition; they were well-made books. HB with pretty printed picture on the cover -- Betty in a white gown, sitting on a beautiful settee with a romantic background, all in black and white on gray. $5.00 HUGE LOT OF 7 POLLYANNA, OR "GLAD BOOKS" This big lot includes a good portion of the Pollyanna books, all blue vintage hardcovers in at least fairly good condition. No dust jackets. Before you snicker about this excellent series, let me tell you the truth about "Pollyanna-ism." She does what she calls playing the Glad Game, which is to try to make the best of a dicey situation, all the while trying to make things better. I'm as guilty as anyone of calling someone "a pollyanna" when that person is too, too sweetly optimistic, but when I do, I know I'm doing a dis-service to a lovely character. Pollyanna grows from an orphan girl in the first book, to a grown-up, to wife and mother, goes through good and bad times, helps people in almost every book. When her beloved husband has to be away, she supports her family, sometimes as a social worker -- what a perfect occupation for her! I think if she'd been named Judy or Nancy, no one would be making fun of her today, only enjoying her books. Which, by the way, are written by several people. Most of the books are in the Grossett and Dunlap editions. Here is the big lot -- Pollyanna, 1912, by Eleanor H. Porter Pollyanna Grows Up, 1914, by Porter Pollyanna of the Orange Blossoms, 1924, by Harriet Lummis Smith Pollyanna's Western Adventure, 1929, by Smith Pollyanna in Hollywood, 1931, by Elizabeth Borton Pollyanna's Castle in Mexico, 1934, by Elizabeth Borton Pollyanna's Golden Horseshoe, 1939, by Borton 7 Pollyanna books, good condition, 18.00 Pollyanna's Golden Horseshoe (Borton) #11? in the series, with most of a dust jacket. Pollyanna is a wife and mother, and social worker who helps people attain happiness, but these books are nowhere nearly as sappy as their reputation. In fact, they are quite wonderful career and family books. Nice condition book, DJ has a piece missing from the front cover, otherwise it's quite nice, very colorful, with birds on branches. $3.00 Little Women (Alcott) adapted by Monica Kulling for young readers. This is a "Bullseye Step into Classics" book for about grade 3. Attractive cover picture. PB, good cond, $1.25 MORE SERIES BOOKS -- Donna Parker series. All are Whitmans eds with picture covers. You'll probably never see any books from this series in perfect condition. They've deteriorated with age, and weren't too sturdy to start with. But they're colorful looking and very good stories! The books are dated between 1957 and 1964 Complete set of Donna Parker books! There are 7 books in the series, here are all of them so you won't have to wait to read them all in order. Donna does a little growing up during the series, has lots of fun and solves mysteries and problems. So good! Their conditions are just about as good you'll ever see for these Donna Parker books. All are hardbacks with picture covers that wrap around the front and back. Books include: At Arawak In Hollywood A Spring to Remember On Her own At Cherrydale Takes a Giant Step Special Agent Complete set of 7 Donna Parker books -- $20.00 Donna Parker -- The Camp Summers, a 2-book set. If you, like a lot of us, love to read about summer camps (campfire songs, hikes, bunks in cabins, mess hall food, frightening mysteries, hostile campmates.....) you should start your Donna Parker collection with these 2 books about her 2 summera at camp. In the first, Cherrydale, she is a junior counselor in charge of 4 little girls. She meets a boy who plays a big part in the other books in the series, and together, they solve a really perplexing mystery. In the 2nd book, Arawak, she is a somewhat less junior counselor at another, bigger and more elaborate camp. Her bunkmate and fellow young counselor, is obnoxious, and Donna ends up doing work that both of them should share. The reason for all this, is the basis for the mystery. I think I didn't figure this out until the last minute. Really interesting! 2 HBs, good cond, $5.50 Donna Parker at Cherrydale (1957) First in the series! Donna gets a job as a junior counselor at camp. Creepy man is watching the camp from the woods, so Donna and her friend Ricky solve their first mystery! Very nice cover on this cello edition, square dancing picture goes around to the back cover, shows the campers in their wonderful "hillbilly" '50s outfits, in a barn, with a couple of cute old guys playing the music. Pretty good condition! $3.50 (2 copies available) Donna Parker, A Spring to Remember -- was reviewed in April's Whispered Watchword and given high grades as a well-written book, a good link between Maltshops and series books, and all-around enjoyable. Cover shows Donna and a good-looking boy, in front of a fence. In this book, Donna is called on to help both this boy, and her girlfriend Ricky, with weighty problems, while growing up considerably herself. Fairly good condition HB, $3.00 (2) Donna Parker in Hollywood -- no, she didn't become a movie star! Maybe she went to Hawaii then? After all, the cover pictures shows her dressed in Hawaiian clothes, sitting by a pool with tropical flora all around and a pineapple beside her. Actually she was given a trip to Hollywood, where her uncle and new aunt lived, and one of their friends gave a Hawaiian luau for her. Being Donna, a mystery appears, and a nice young man to help solve it! She runs into a few movie stars, and some teenagers who are every bit as temperamental as stars are reputed to be. An especially nice Donna Parker, and adorned with Mary Stevens illustrations! HB, moderately good condition, $2.50 Elsie's Holidays at Roseland (Finley) I swore I wouldn't list any more Elsie books, but this one is so pretty that whether you read Elsie or not, you'll like to look at the cover. This is a picture of a lovely girl with big wondering eyes, scads of ringlets, bright red lips, a pretty and demure dress -- gazing at a little canary in a cage. Sky and leaves form the background. They just don't make kids' books this beautiful any more! This is the 2nd book in the Elsie series, from 1868. This copy doesn't have a date in it, possibly so a purchaser won't think it's as old as it is. It's a Red Star Classics edition, from Goldsmith Publishing Co -- no date given for this edition, either. Book and DJ are in very nice condition. $2.00 MORE SERIES BOOKS -- If you like to read about the outdoors, camping, jolly fun and dangerous adventures, then the Campfire Girls stories will please you as they please me! There are several Campfire series, from various years and by various authors, and this can be confusing, but just dig in and enjoy them when you find them, don't worry about reading them in order or anything. Usually, they're episodic and unrelated to one another, and also, there's always plenty of explanation and descriptions of personalities, so you can catch right up on the previous books if necessary. I'll try to add more Campfire Girls books very soon. A Campfire Girl's Chum (Jane L. Stewart) 1914. #2 in the Stewart Campfire Girls series. This book is in good condition except that the pages are brown and the binding is just a little weak. It's holding together nicely! Hardcover. $3.00 Campfire Girls in the Maine Woods (Hildegard G. Frey) 1916. First in this particular Campfire series. When I bought this copy, someone cheated me out of the first few pages. Luckily, I had another copy that was all there, so we made copies of the missing pages for you. It's complete now, and you can read the fascinating story of the girls in Maine nearly 100 years ago (I don't suppose the woods have changed all that much, anyway.) Nice copy for one of these originally cheap vintage series books -- picture coverwith a nice printed picture cover, girls in amazing camp outfits, tents, a cook fire, etc. $2.00 MORE SERIES BOOKS! Mary Jane Merrill (Clara Ingram Judson) 1918- 1930. Mary Jane is a little girl, who is just turning 5 in the first of the 19 books in this series. . By the time she and her family have had a great many adventures and traveled all over the world, she's about 9 years old at the end of the series. She has the kind of adventures that the Bobbsey Twins and Honey Bunch have, innocent but a bit scarey, involving animals, being lost, misunderstandings, usually cute and innocent. But you also learn a lot about the countries where they travel, at least what they were like pre-WWII. Nice series for kids or nostalgic adults. I'll try to have Mary Jane books in future lists. Kay Tracey mysteries ("Frances K. Judd") If you haven't read the Kay Tracey mysteries yet, you're about to get a treat. They are among the long series from what I think of as the Golden Age of "classic" girls series books, the 30s through 50's. Actually, I love all of the series from that era, but Kay is one of the really good ones -- possibly that's because there are quite a few of them, so when you get interested in them, you are happy to find out that there are lots more! You are probably like me, and never want to get to the end of a series, so I'll certainly try to include Kay Tracey books in future lists. There were several editions of the Kay books, from dust-jacketed hardcovers, through attractive picture-covers, to a couple of paperback editions. The books were updated off and on and the numbers were changed from one edition to another. The Strange Echo -- #7 in the paperback edition numbering. Very exciting and quite attractive picture on the cover, 3 girls in a boat, racing the storm. Very good condition Berkley Highland book. $3.00 The Double Disguise (Kay Tracey #1 in the Bantam pb edition from 1980.) Good quality paperback with especially attractive cover picture (except for the ugly old crone that Kay is watching over the railing. And you know that anyone this ugly has to be a villian -- or in this case, a witch!) PB, good condition, $2.50 The Six-Fingered Glove Mystery (Kay Tracey #3 in the Bantam pb edition from 1980.) This has to be the most unusual series-book title of all. This copy isn't in good condition, but it's readable, and the front cover is in pretty good shape. The picture is very appealing, showing Kay and her 2 friends in quite stylish clothing, bending over that famous glove, while a sinister-looking (of course) man peers out the upstairs window of a nearby home. Readable condition, sturdy enough to stand up to several more readings. $1.25 2 paperback Kay Tracey Mysteries - Books, Inc paperbacks that are the same size and have the same cover pictures and formats as the Books, Inc, hardcovers. A good way to decide whether or not you want to read more of Kay and her friends. These books are re-numbered from the original Cupples and Leon books, but most of the plots are the same as the originals from the 1940s. These were cheaply-made paperbacks, and the ones I have for sale are in fair to good condition, but not perfect. Some have been mended to prevent any further tears. The cover pictures are attractive, action-oriented, and imaginative. The 2 titles are: When the Key Turned The Double Disguise 2 Kay Tracey Paperbacks for $4.40 I will try my best to have more Kay Tracey books in the near future! Linda Craig -- get acquainted with this good series!!! It's gone through several incarnations, including a beautiful hardcover edition (which is pretty hard to find,) a beautiful PB printing of the original edition, and a new, slightly smaller PB set, with mostly new titles and quite a few changes. I've read all of them, and I will admit that I liked the older ones better, but even for a non-horsey gal like me, the new ones were good reading, too. If there aren't any Linda Craigs listed here, look for them when you have a chance, and I'll try to list some of them next time! Linda Craig BIG LOT! (Ann Sheldon) Larger paperback editions, with the original texts from the 1960s hardcovers, but with different covers. They are very attractive, with Linda's name written in rope along the top, and a different picture of Linda and her pony on the front cover of each one. Various colors, making this set a very nice addition to a series-book shelf. Books are in good condition. If you buy both sets, they make an interesting comparison. # 7, 8 and 9 were only printed in this paperback format, so these are the originals. Titles include: #1 The Palomino Mystery #2 Clue on the Desert Trail #3 Secret of Rancho Del Sol #4 Mystery of Horseshoe Canyon #5 Mystery in Mexico #6 Ghost Town Treasure #7 Haunted Valley #8 Old Sleigh #9 Emperor's Pony Big lot -- first nine of the older paperback Linda Craig books. $20.50 Linda Craig BIG LOT! These are the smaller paperback editions, from the 1980s. If you've read the old editions, you might want to read these. I'll tell you about some of the differences (I think of these are "Linda Craig Lite" or Linda the Younger.") In the originals, she's 16, in the newer ones, she's 12. The originals have around 200 pages, the newer ones have more like 120 pages. Those are unimportant changes, you can just figure the new ones are about Linda when she was 4 years younger. However, in the newer ones, her horse is named Amber, instead of the wonderful name of her horse in the originals -- Chica D'Oro. Despite all these differences, the new ones are worth reading, and a great suppliment to the older ones. Here's the big lot - 10 paperback books in the Linda Craig series, all in good condition except for #2, which is a little beat-up. The titles include: 1. The Golden Secret 2. A star for Linda 3. The silver Stallion 4. The Crystal Trail 5. The Glimmering Ghost 6. The Ride to Gold canyon 7. A Horse for Jackie 8. A Star in the Saddle 10. Anything for Kelly 12. Kathy in Charge Big lot of 10 Linda Craigs, $22.00 Linda Craig, Clue on the Desert Trail, taller pb, 1962 edition. PB, former library book, but in good condition. $2.00 CONTINUING THE LIST OF SERIES BOOKS! Polly French Takes Charge (Francine Lewis) 1954. You may remember my saying that books in this series are NEVER in good condition. They were very cheaply made, and haven't stood up at all well over the years. This one, #2 in the series, is a bit better than average for the series. I've mended the spine, and otherwise it's not too bad. Front cover picture is really good, showing a group of well-dressed (by today's standards) teens around a fireplace. Polly gets into school government and gets somewhat too big for her britches. The best things about this short series are the illustrations, which are pure mid-50s in every way, especially clothing and hair styles. HB, PC, $2.50 If you need 2 of the 3 books in the Polly French series, here's your chance to get them! "Takes Charge" is in fairly good cond, while "Surprising Stranger" is not quite so good. As usual with this and other series that were constructed as they were, the spine is the worst part of the book, while the pages are no more than yellowed, and the front and back cover pictures are clear, clean and nicely detailed. Set of 2 Polly French series books -- $3.50 The Callahan Cousins series (Elizabeth Doyle Carey) This is a "new" series, which isn't what I usually offer for sale, but what the heck -- it's a New England series, and the books are very attractive, and you'll like them! There are 4 young cousins who don't know each other very well, until their grandmother invites them all to stay with her for the summer at her seaside estate. The cover pictures give you a good idea of what kind of story you'll find inside -- girls sailing alongside the dock, with the town spread out above. The 2nd book shows a nice white picket fence, a flowering hedge, and a very typical Cape Cod house in the background. Penny of Paintrock series by Jane and Paul Annixter. Unfortunatly there are only 2 books in this series! They're very attractive, with strong bindings and beautiful picture covers (they are in the Golden Griffin edition, like a few Trixies and all the Kathy Martin series for instance.) With a Wyoming setting, these are mysteries, horse stories, tales of ranch life. They have something of the "Maltshop" about them, and they're good family stories. I am pretty sure there were supposed to be more in the series, but for some reason they just didn't get off the ground. Too much like Trixie's maybe? I'll try to have more Penny of Paintrock books in the near future. The Adventure Girls (Clair Blank) A short series by the author of the superb Beverly Gray books. You'll only have to find 3 books to complete the series! The name says it all -- they have adventures. HS and early college age girls. If there aren't any Adventure Girls books listed here, I'll try to add some to the next sale list. In the meantime, you can be looking for these interesting books yourself -- good luck! By the way, one of the best things about this series is that the girls live in Maine! But they travel far and wide. I hope to have more Adventure Girls books in the near future. Adventure Girls at Happiness House (Blank) 1936. College freshmen who have lots more mystery and adventure in their lives than we had when I was at college! Cover shows 2 girls in relatively modern clothes, searching the woods surrounding a couple of brick college buildings. Very pretty. Like the previous entry, I warn you not to read the DJ flap if you don't want to know everything about the book before you start it! Why do they do that? HB in fairly good cond, with a laser repro DJ from my good original DJ. $5.50 The Adventure Girls at K-Bar-O (Clair Blank) 1936. Off to an Arizona ranch where the father of one of the girls lives. Desert exploration, camping, riding, and capturing bad guys. Well, the title promises that these are Adventure Girls, doesn't it! And I haven't given away anything that isn't right there on the front DJ flap. HB, moderate condition with brown pages, but it has the original (real) DJ. This has a nice picture of 2 girls on horseback, with the welcomingly lighted windows of a small house in the background. $5.00 MORE SERIES BOOKS AHEAD -- Vicki Barr series. This is a major series from the same era as the Cherry Ames and Connie Blair books. If you don't have this series, GET STARTED ON IT!!! Vicki is a flight stewardess. This might be one of my very, very favorite series -- I re-read the books every few years, because they are so beautifully written and such great mysteries. If I don't have any Vicki books for sale, I'll certainly be looking for them during our book-searching travels. In the meantime, now you know about this series, and maybe you'll find some yourself! Good luck! Vicki Barr #2, Vicki Finds the Answer (Helen Wells) 1947. The question she is trying to find the answer to, involves a young lady passenger who is running away from home and needs help in figuring out what's gone wrong with her family. Some interesting new flying experiences for Vicki, too. HB, fairly good cond, with a laser copy of my DJ, showing Vicki in her unform and cap(remember them?)in the doorway to the cockpit. $4.00 END OF VICKI BARR BOOKS ----------------------------------------- Connie Blair series was written by Betty Cavanna under the pen name of Betsy Allen. There are 12 books, from the 40s and 50s, and they're all well written (of course,) neatly bound, and very attractive if you can find them in DJ. The titles all have colors in them. Connie's an artist who gets involved in various mysteries through working for an ad agency. I hope to have more books from this series to offer you very soon, but they're very popular and not always available. Good luck -- they are really good reading!!! Connie Blair #1, Clue in Blue -- Connie gets a summer job in Philadelphia at the store where her aunt works. It's the start of a long career at an advertising agency, art school, travel, and plenty of mystery for Connie! HB in fairly good condition, with a laser copy DJ. $5.00 END OF CONNIE BLAIR BOOKS -- I'll try to have more Connie books soon! Meg Duncan series (Holly Beth Walker) This is a wonderful series about a "schoolgirl Sleuth," set in Virginia. Other than the setting, these books remind me of Trixie's or Robin Kane's or a few of the other series from that wonderful era of sweet, mild, friendly girl detectives! The books started out in hardcover editions, with very pretty picture covers. Then they came out in nice paperbacks with different, but also attractive, pictures on the covers. If you like YA mysteries and Siamese cats, you can't help loving the Meg books. I hope to have more Meg books soon. Meg Duncan #1 -- The Disappearing Diamonds. 1964. First in this nice series. Cover shows Meg with her black braids and beautiful Siamese cat. Meg and her friend Kerry go to a tea party at the home of a very rich lady who wants to show her fabulous diamonds to her guests. You can guess what happens to them, from the title! Meg sets out on her first detecting adventure. HB, good condition, $3.00 Meg Duncan #2, Secret of the Witch's Stairway. Meg, Kerry, Uncle Hal, and the cute Siamese cat, all work together to help an old couple who remind one of the Baldwin Sisters on The Waltons, except they sell eggs, not "recipe." There is a fabulous doll collection, and a Civil War diary that might provide a clue to where the treasure might be. Oh, how could you resist this one?! PB, in pretty good condition, $2.50 Meg #2, Witch's Stairway, hardcover with picture cover (contemporary scene of girls and uncle in a beautiful Rolls Royce, back cover scene of Colonial-dressed people.) Nice condition. $3.50 Meg #3, The Treasure Nobody saw -- HB in good condition! $2.50 Meg #4, Ghost of Hidden Springs 1970. Meg and her uncle are on a picnic near the old mansion, when they have proof that it's haunted -- or is it their imagination? That's the big question in this book, and the cover is a good clue to how interesting the story is. Front cover shows Meg and her friend in costumes from the plantation days (long dresses with pantaloons.) The back cover shows them in modern clothes, looking at an antique picture of people in clothes from the era that the front cover is imitating. HB, pretty good condition! $2.75 MORE OF THE NEVER-ENDING LIST OF SERIES BOOKS! Mary Poppins and Mary Poppins Comes Back. (P. L.) Travers) This is the edition that I had as a girl, with the first 2 Mary Poppins books in one large volume. Except that mine didn't have a small picture of Julie Andrews in the middle of the front! This one has all the original illustrations by Mary Shepard. XL book in fairly good condition, with a good dust jacket. $3.00 Robin Kane Series (Eileen Hill) mid-1960s. These books are very much like the Trixie Beldens, as they are about a group of kids who have fun and solve mysteries, ride horses, and generally have a wonderful time. Like Trixie, Robin's best friend is rich, while she and her family live a middle-class life (though they feel poor, maybe in contrast with her friends.) There are superficial differences from the Trixies, such as the California setting rather than Hudson River area. I think that if there were 39 Robin Kanes, this series would be every bit as popular as Trixie. The real author is Nicolete Meredith Stack, who also wrote some of the Trixies and some very good Maltshop type books. Some Robin Kane books: #1 -- Mystery of the Blue Pelican, 1966. The kids get to act in a movie with one of their favorite stars (thanks to Mindy's father.) Mystery and danger crop up, and Robin leads the assult on these problems. Nice cover picture if you aren't afraid of heights (a canyon, but also a beautiful redwood forest with a cabin under the trees, and Robin leading Nugget, her palomino.) Good condition, $2.50 (2 copies available) #2 Mystery of the Phantom, 1966 This book got good reviews in a recent article in The Whispered Watchword! Really nice California setting, and some interesting characters throughout. Fairly good condition -- $2 (several copies available) #3 -- Mystery of Glengary Castle. The creepy cover picture is a good indication of the very good story inside! It looks exactly like a site on the Southern CA shore where we used to walk when my parents lived there and were agile enough to climb a bit. Except for the castle -- unfortunately there wasn't a castle where we hiked! Robin and Mindy have to figure out what's causing an apparent haunting in the castle, so Mindy's father can use it as a movie set. HB, PC, pretty good condition, $3.00 The Ranch Girls series. The ranch is in Wyoming, but as usual in these very old series, the girls soon branch out and travel, first in the SW, then later in Europe. I'll try to add some Ranch girls books very soon! END OF SERIES BOOKS FOR SALE. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ __________________________________________________________________________________ REFERENCE BOOKS TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE SOCIAL LIFE OR AUTHORS FROM THE ERA WHEN MANY OF OUR FAVORITE BOOKS WERE WRITTEN! AND A FEW OTHER REFERENCES FROM MORE MODERN TIMES. YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THE NONFICTION SECTION OF THIS LIST, WHERE THERE ARE BIOGRAPHIES AND BOOKS ABOUT AUTHORS WHO WROTE FOR YOUNG READERS. Letters to Jane (Gladys Denny Shultz)1947. This book is supposed to be composed of real letters that the author and her daughter exchanged while the daughter was in college. She shared her letters with other girls at the college, and those other girls started to write to "mother," too. The letters deal with dating, sex, and related intimate questions -- and these people wrestled with their concerns very seriously! Remember, this book was written in the era when our favorite Maltshop authors were considering morals and activities that would be appropriate for the girls they were writing about. Think about "more-thanning" that girls in some Beany Malone books were accused of, and the wrestling that Beany herself went through in Tarry Awhile. And all those books about the evils of "early marriage." The girls were really worried about what they should allow their boyfriends to do, and whether they would be able to wait for marriage. Very interesting book. HB in fair condition, being a popular library book in its day. $3.00 Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women who Created her (Melanie Rehak) 2005. Described on the DJ flap -- "a behind-the-scenes history of Nancy and her groundbreaking creators." This loving book is much bigger than an actual Nancy Drew book, at well over 350 big pages. It's all here, the fore-runners to Nancy, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the movies, and a whole lot about Mildred Wirt! A very scholarly book, but a VERY entertaining one. Eye-catching picture on the DJ -- and the DJ is made to look as if it's a very old, wrinkled book with little pieces missing from the edges. Actually the book and the DJ are in near-mint condition. $4.00 Another Copy of Girl Sleuth, large print edition -- Brand New. $4.00 Facts of Life and Love for Teen-agers (Evelyn Millis Duvall) 1956. This was THE book for teaching teens about life when I was a mid-teen. Very detailed, frank, scientifically and medically complete but written so it's easy to understand, with no preaching. No wonder teens read it. PB in good condition. $1.50 For Young Adults Only (Frank Howard Richardson, MD)1961. Subtitled: The Doctor discusses your Personal Problems. This one has a seriously moral and religious tone. Chapters like "Going Steady isn't as good as it looks" and "You can enjoy dating more without Petting," and "Owning a car may cost you your education." are heavy-handed and unrealistic, good though some of the advice may be. Interesting research tool for understanding problems our Maltshop girls were wrestling with. HB, fairly good condition, $1.50 MORE REFERENCE BOOKS -- A Treasury of Christmas Plays (edited by Sylvia E. Kamerman) Subtitled "Royalty-free stage and radio dramas for young players."1958, 1972. There are 40 plays in this very large book, all aimed at junior and senior high school students. Some are original to this book, some are adaptations of well-known books like Dickins' Christmas Carol, and The Birds' Christmas Carol and one of my favorites, Christmas Every Day. 509 pages including production notes. HB, XL, good condition, with DJ. $3.00 MORE REFERENCE BOOKS -- Children's Plays from Favorite Stories (edited by Sylvia E. Kamerman) "Royalty-free Dramatizations of Fables, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales and Legends." 1959 and 1970. A huge book! There are 50 plays, all written for children in lower and middle grades of school. Some of the familiar stories dramatized in this book -- Princess and the Pea, Three Little Kittens, Robin Hood, Pandora's Box -- you get the idea! Some of the stories are less familiar to us, maybe from other cultures, or other times, but all of them would be very interesting for school-age children. 582 pages, with a long section of production ideas, costumes, lighting, etc. HB, XL, very good DJ, $4.00 MORE REFERENCE BOOKS -- Singer Sewing Skills Reference Book, 1955. A large PB that teaches techniques of sewing the types of clothes that we wore back in the Maltshop years. There are lots of small sketches of people wearing the types of clothes that they're teaching you about (even one in a bridal gown, if you look closely!) This was someone's home ec manual, so there are notes written in some of the exercises, but otherwise, the folio is in great condition for being 50 or so years old. If you're interested in how really fine clothes were tailored, or if you need to make costumes for the Maltshop era, this is your book. $2.00 Play a Part (Bernice Wells Carlson) 1970. There are quite a few plays, puppet plays, and "playlets" in this book, but it's more than that. Instructions, suggestions, and fun! Also a glossary and a bibliography. Cute illustrations. HB, XL, PC, $2.50 That Girl in your Mirror (Vonda Kay Van Dyke) She was Miss America in 1965, and she'd like to tell you what teens of that era needed to know! On the cover it says that she talks sense to every girl about popularity, poise, faith, dating, goals and individuality. From the picture, I wouldn't take advice from her about hair styles, but that was 1965! HB, DJ, $2.00 Special Plays for Holidays -- a Collection of One-Act Plays for Young People. (Helen Louise Miller) 1986. 15 short plays for young people of varying levels of acting ability (according to the introduction.) Plays for quite a few holidays, and even one for Book Week! Suggestions for props, costumes, and sets. Hefty PB, XL, but in good condition, $2.50 MORE REFERENCE BOOKS! Best Books for Children, A Lively, Opinionated Guide, for listeners and readers from birth to Age 14 (this is the title and some of the description from the front cover of this very large paperback book.) By Valerie V. Lewis and Walter M. Mayes. 1998. See if you agree with these authors' opinions -- I'll warn you in advance that our beloved series books do NOT form a big part of these lists! That's MY opinion, for what it's worth. Otherwise, a very, very interesting book of about 700 pages! Huge PB, XL, $2.75 Dear Gay Head: Questions from the Mail Box, answered by Gay Head. This cute little book answers questions mailed to various teen and slightly pre-teen magazines in the 1950s -- the era of our favorite Maltshop books. Dates, school, clothes, family, all the things that concern kids the most. PB, a little old but I'm not kidding when I say it's cute! $1.50 You're Asking Me? Questions from the Mail Box (Gay Head) 1958. Small PB Teen Aged Book Club (TAB) with chapters about families, dating, proms, the future, etc. Also a section of quizzes (for example, "Do you use deodorant after you bathe? ... Do you often have original ideas? ... Can you say NO to a goodnight kiss, and still leave your date feeling happy?" PB $2.00 That Girl in your Mirror: Miss America 1965 Talks Sense to Every Girl. (Vonda Kay Van Dyke) light book of advice from a big-haired beauty of the late Maltshop era. Quite chatty and interesting, with advice like "If there is anything more unattractive than thoughtlessness, it's rudeness, and that's downright ugly." I know a few people who should read this one! PB copy of That Girl in your Mirror -- $1.50 Ann Landers talks to Teenagers about Sex 1963 This is the book that Beany and Katie Rose probably read and lived by! pb, $1 _________________________________________________________________ "MALTSHOP BOOKS" --TEEN NOVELS FROM THE NOSTALGIA YEARS, AND OTHER GIRLS' ROMANCES AND NOVELS OF THE LAST 65 YEARS!!! Please note that I have mixed hardcover and paperback books in this portion of the list. There will be an indication of whether it is HB or PB Nancy Herself (Erick Berry) 1937. Girl has a lot more adventures than most art students! Adorable cover picture on the laser copy of the original DJ. The books in this series (Goldsmith Books for Girls, which are all listed on the back cover) were very cheaply made so girls of the Depression years could afford them, and they are almost always found in somewhat worn condition. This one is holding its own quite well, though all the pages are darkened. The story is really fun, and quite interesting, well written (have you read Berry's Nancy Steps Out, and other books she wrote during that time period? If not, find them!) HB, LDJ, $4.00 SOME MORE MALTSHOP-ROMANCES! Ski Fast, Ski Long (Helen Markley Miller) The right date (1960) and the right type of subject, but about a boy instead of a girl, and boy books don't have a lot of romance in them, usually. Takes place in Idaho, when the boy starts college there, and feels as if he's "the greenest freshman ever to set foot in Snowbelt." He makes his way through skiing, and of course some girls enter the story here and there. If you love skiing, and want a beautiful, like-new hardcover book with a lovely near-perfect dJ, this is worth the price and more! $2.00 Blue Ribbon Romance (Jane McIlvaine) Originally published as Copper's Chance. 1951. I'll quote the back cover -- "girl with coppery hair ... knowledge of horses... blue-jeaned tomboy .. also a pretty party-frocked Copper whose warmth and spirit win the heart of handsome young ..." but I'll save that to surprise you! "A story of growing up, of friendship, young love, and above all - a Girl, a Boy, and a Horse!" Berkley Highland teen paperback, $2.00 THE FOLLOWING MALTSHOP TYPE BOOKS ARE BY BETTY CAVANNA BETTY CAVANNA, who died a few years ago, was one of the most popular teen authors from the 1940's through the 1960's. She is still extremely popular with all of us who love the "MALTSHOP" type of book. Her earlier books are absolutely wonderful, perfect reading for nostalgia and simple romance. Later, she wrote a lot of mysteries, including the Connie Blair series under a pen name. Every collector of old girl's novels ought to have every Cavanna title! And you can afford them at these prices! The Black Spaniel Mystery (Cavanna) 1945. This very early Cavanna is irresistible! Twins, a boy and a girl, find 2 cocker spaniels, which are claimed by a mean neighbor. Just about the same time, they meet a girl who claims that these dogs are hers. The mean neighbor is very rich, the girl is on the edge of poverty. How could the dogs be hers? Underhanded deals, cruelty, and danger. Super story! PB in fair condition, the only real flaws are a stain extending down the back of the spine and across the bottom of the back cover, plus some puckering of the interior pages. The book was damp at some point, but looks good and is very readable anyway. $2.50 MORE BETTY CAVANNA BOOKS FOR YOU! Paintbox Summer (Cavanna} 1949. Paperback copy of this very much-loved book. It's the story of a protected and pampered girl who gets a chance to spend the summer at the Cape Cod shop/studio of Peter Hunt, a real artist who employed young artists to hand-decorate furniture and decorator items that were extremely popular at the time (and very valuable "antiques" now.) She loves her new freedom and the companionship of the other young people. Reminiscent of The Seagulls Woke Me, though that one is by Mary Stolz. Both tell about girls whose parents were smothering them, who needed to learn to live independently and develop easier relationships with other teens. As you might imagine, this book is full of Peter Hunt decorations, though the cover of the PB copy has pictures by another artist. It's nice, though! Nice picture of Peter Hunt and Betty Cavanna on the back cover, and a little information about how the book came to be written. You'll love it! PB, good condition, $4.50 Paintbox Summer (Cavanna) see description above. This one is a hardcover copy, in good condition, with a very good dust jacket, too. Rare to find such a nice copy of this very popular book! $10.00 Peter Hunt's How-to-do-it Book, 1952. OK, this isn't a book by Betty Cavanna, but you can be pretty sure she owned a copy of it while writing Paintbox Summer. It's a very large hardcover book with nearly 300 pages of projects, information, stories, pictures, examples of homes decorated with folk art, pictures of Hunt himself at work. Most of the pictures are black and white, but there are some beautiful full color pictures, too. Furniture, accessories, dishes, Christmas decor, you can learn to decorate just about anything with simple or complex designs -- and you'll have a pretty good idea of what Cavanna was talking about in Paintbox Summer when her character worked in Hunt's Cape Cod studio. HB, good cond, $8.00 Paintbox Summer in hardcover -- WARNING -- this copy isn't in very nice condition. It looks OK with a laser copy of my nice dust jacket (Peter Hunt illustration) but the HB, XL book itself is very worn, stained, and a little loose at the hinges. The library pockets were torn loose from the endpapers, leaving residue. The pages of text are fairly clean, but worn, and the edges of the page block are brownish. I'd keep this book if I didn't have another copy, since it's a wonderful, beautiful thing to have in your collection. But don't expect it to be pretty unless you keep the laser DJ over the cover! By the way, a better copy of this book fetched over $24 recently on ebay! Oh, you could also buy this one and put the LDJ on your own nicer copy, and possibly sell the damaged book for a bit. Whatever you want! This copy with LDJ is $5.00 Mystery at Love's Creek (Betty Cavanna) 1965. Again, Cavanna takes us to an amazing location -- this time, Australian outback. American girl goes there to get acquainted with her mother's family, and incidently, "save the ranch." But first, she had to learn to like life, so far from civilization as she knew it! HB, PC, $4.00 MORE BOOKS BY BETTY CAVANNA Love, Laurie (Cavanna) 1953. Girl's mother has died, she and her father decide to build a new house where there aren't all those memories. Then the father has to go away on a business trip, and the girl has to oversee the construction project. So interesting to learn, with her, about planning and working on a new house. And some of the young men who work on the house are... well, also interesting! Really nice story. Berkley Highland paperback edition, good cond, $2.00 Jenny Kimura (Betty Cavanna) 1964. Using her own experiences to help make this authentic, Cavanna writes about a dear young girl from Japan who comes to spend the summer in the United States with her American grandmother. Grandma doesn't seem to approve of anything Jenny does, and seems a very unbending character. The mother of an American boy who falls for Jenny, also is biased against her. I hate to think that these 2 women are typical, but maybe it was a less tolerant age? "In this.. story Jenny compares Kansas City and then Cape Cod to her home in Tokyo, giving readers the... opportunity to see their country through another's eyes...." Fortunately the story is far from sad or serious -- it's lovely in places, and full of romance. HB, former library copy in good condition, and covered with a laser copy of the very pretty DJ. Nice picture on the back cover, of Betty Cavanna sitting in the garden of a Japanese Inn. $4.00 A Time for Tenderness (Cavanna) 1962. Takes place in Rio, Brazil, where a family from North Carolina is spending a year while the father does some work there. The young boy quickly adjusts to the mixing of several races, and the girl eventually falls in love with a Brazilian, but the mother has a hard time with all this. Then the girl starts to volunteer at a clinic for the poor -- and how do you think her mother feels about her tending filthy, neglected babies among other tasks? A very unusual book, but full of the human interest that pervades all Cavanna's works, romantic twists, family interaction. HB, with very nice picture cover, all in very good condition. $4.00 More Betty Cavanna books -- Joyride (Betty Cavanna) 1974. It was the roaring 20s, and teens were on a joyride without thinking of the future. The girl in this story is mainly an observer of the ride her classmates are taking, as she is shy, somewhat disabled, and worried about whether she'll ever find love. Very entertaining look at teens who seem to be acting a lot like the 1950s teens Cavanna usually wrote about. HB, XL, with good DJ. $4.00 Ruffles and Drums (Cavanna) 1975. One of Cavanna's few historical novels. Takes place in the midst of the Revolution, right there in Concord MA. Romantic, probably as authentic as you will ever come across (Cavanna lived in Concord herself, and loved to do research.) HB, particularly good condition, with a very good DJ. $4.00 Boy Next Door (Cavanna) 1956. What can I say? It's a Cavanna from her best Maltshop period -- from the best of the Maltshop era, actually! He's only The Boy Next Door, the boy she played with when they were both kids, certainly not someone she could possibly have any romantic ideas about! She could date much more interesting people, and she wouldn't mind at al lif he dated interesting girls, right? Well, you know the answer, but reading Cavanna's take on this wonderfully familiar plot, is a comforting and loveable experience. HB, XL with a dust jacket over a picture cover. The interesting thing is that they have different pictures! Neither picture is from the original edition, but the one on the dust jacket is quite appropriate. The picture printed on the book itself, is my least favorite of the cover art for this book, but it's interesting to see it (it's from the last hardcover edition, I think) and you can leave the pretty DJ over it. Good condition Hb with good cond DJ. $5.00 Paperback copy of The boy Next Door, Berkley Highland edition (Betty Cavanna) 1956. Nice pb copy of this dear, romantic Maltshop book. $2.00 Lasso Your Heart (Cavanna) 1952. Not only a really good book to read, but also it has one of the most interesting DJ pictures of all Cavanna's books. The title is written within a lasso or larriet, and under it, in cowhide brown, is a picture of a cowboy with 10-gallon-hat and guitar, and a girl dressed in what probably was a fashionable square-dance outfit at that time. Girl and her cousins visit each other, the ranch girl trying to fit in at her rich cousin's debut, then the city girl learning how much she loved living on the ranch. Cavanna was the greatest maltshop writer (don't try to argue with me -- she WAS!!!) so this story is about a lot more than that, and a lot of surprises. Oh, and the endpapers show beautiful scenes of ranch life. HB, DJ, personal copy, very, very good condition. $5.00 Lasso your Heart (Cavanna) HB, personal copy with DJ, all in fairly good condition. Best Loved Girls' Books edition. $3.00 MORE BETTY CAVANNA BOOKS COMING ALONG' Mystery on Safari (Cavanna) 1970. Kim's grandmother is a cool character, who persuades the headmistress of the girls' boarding school that Kim can go on an African safari during the school year. It's the trip of a lifetime, but it's marred by the realization that someone is poaching and killing precious animals. When I think about this book, I have a vision of the girl and a boy that she meets on the trip, sitting on the 2nd story deck at night, watching the animals drink at the oasis beneath the deck. Very romantic -- very scary! The mystery is dangerous and serious, not a kiddie story -- but just right for teens, and something of a Maltshop for us. HB, XL, with an exciting printed picture cover (not for the squeamish, but probably very realistic.) $4.00 Mystery of the Emerald Buddha (Cavanna) 1976. Girl and her photographer father, go to Bangkok to get photos for an art book. Complicating the situation -- the girl barely knows her father, as he's done a great deal of traveling, while she's lived in a French boarding school. She's in for a big change now! And then there's that mystery to solve! Exciting, exotic, but with the usual Cavanna touch that makes you feel as if you could be that girl yourself, things like her getting sick and having to understand a doctor who doesn't speak English or French! HB, XL, with a very colorful and clever dust jacket, all in good condition. $4.00 MORE CAVANNA BOOKS! The Country Cousin (Betty Cavanna) 1967. This is one of Cavanna's semi-career books. Girl has no idea what she wants to do after HS graduation and worse, she hasn't been accepted at any college. Her cousin offers her a job at an upscale "junior sports clothes" store, a job that means she has to live with the cousin away from her home. She doesn't hesitate for a minute, and this opportunity changes her life! Nice views of what it was like to work in the fashion industry when it was quite different than it is now, quality of clothes was very important even to college girls, these clothes were dignified and preppy! But style was a huge challenge, too. Well, I'm going on and on since I love the fashion scene, even if I usually wear jeans and sweats! Hardcover, XL, quite worn. Has a nice copy of our original dust jacket, showing the girl in front of the Eiffel tower -- guess where she goes to check out the fashion scene? $4.00 STILL MORE BETTY CAVANNA BOOKS! Spurs for Suzanna (Cavanna) 1947. This is one of her early, really great, books! Suzanna is a city girl, living the good life, maybe a bit spoiled. Does she need a "spur" to get her going? Well, things are a little unsettled in her family, so she is sent to spend the summer in the country with a big and busy family. There, she has to take responsibility, learn to put up with teasing. But there are compensations -- mainly beautiful horses to ride and train -- and maybe a small romantic interest in one of the country cousins??? HB, XL, fairly worn copy. Has a laser copy of my original DJ, which has a very colorful and exciting picture of 3 riders jumping a fence. $4.00 Spurs for Suzanna (Cavanna) paperback copy, fairly good condition, nice vintage cover on this small Scholastic edition. $2.00 Angel on Skis (Cavanna) 1957. The 3 divisions of this book take Angela from age 14 to 16, and tells about her mother's purchase of a ski lodge in Vermont, the work and fun of running it, and Angel's determination to learn to ski. She didn't have any spare money, so this took a lot of time. On the way, you will enjoy the family, and their new venture. And did I mention a light, typically Cavanna,romance? PB copy of Angel on Skis in good condition. $2.00 (2 copies available) Runaway Voyage (Cavanna) 1978. Betty cavanna wrote an incredible number of books, and did wonderful work in a variety of genres. She wrote for young teens, high-school age girls, she wrote mysteries, historical YAs, and non-fiction -- all very well. There's a list of her books at the front of this one, and it takes the whole page. This book takes place in 1866, and tells about sea voyage from New York to Seattle, with 100 unmarried girls aboard. They're on their way to make a new life in the wild West, either finding husbands, or working at various jobs. This is based on a real historical event, but of course Cavanna makes it come alive by giving us the story of what might have happened to one of the girls. HB. No DJ, but a fairly nice copy otherwise, $2.50 Runaway Voyage, very good condition HB, with very attractive laser DJ copy. $4.00 Even more Betty Cavanna Books --- Every Maltshop collector should have a copy of Going on Sixteen, it's just about the definition of the late 40's teen novel! School life, family, dogs, clothes, dates, a little sweet romance. It's a wonderful early (1946) Maltshop type book. Going on Sixteen -- personal copy, good condition, with a nice laser copy of the original DJ. $4.50 (2) PB copy of Going on Sixteen in good condition, with girl, dogs, and a tree, on the cover. $2.00 (2) END OF THE BOOKS BY BETTY CAVANNA. NOW FOR THE CAREER-ROMANCES! ---------------------------------------------------- CAREER-ROMANCES.... ...And I want to apologize in advance if there are very few books left in this category by the time you get to it. They sell out FAST FAST FAST! Sometimes even before I have time to delete the titles. I almost never sell a book from this category if I don't have another copy of it in my own collection! They are a wonderful adjunct to your Maltshop books, as they have the same appeal, while also being accurate descriptions of what it's like to work in a specific occupation (at least at the time they were written.) Check out some of the Maltshop authors for more career-romance, though not officially designated as that category. Jan Nickerson is a good one to look at, and if there are ever any books by Marjory Hall. Cavanna does well with that sort of subject, and so does Marjorie Holmes, and --- and --- Just take a look! Mary Ellis, Student Nurse, sequel to A Cap for Mary Ellis. 1958. Her 2nd year in nurse training, and there are plenty of things to learn, some of them to learn the hard way. There's enough lighthearted student fun and romance, to make this short series quite exceptional. HB, XL, good printed picture cover, very good cond. $4.50 MORE CAREER-ROMANCE BOOKS! 2-book set of the books about Mary Ellis by Hope Newell. They're both Berkley Highland paperback editions, but one is library-bound as a small hardcover. The 2 books are A Cap for Mary Ellis, and Mary Ellis, Student Nurse. They're in good condition, and each one has a pretty picture of Mary on the cover. Both books for $5.00 Dr Kildare Takes Charge (Max Brand) Remember Dt Kildare? I used to watch that show a lot, though I liked Ben Casey even better. This one says "Kildare's choice, his career and a beautiful nurse, or the salvation of two young lovers." I bet he'll figure out a way to have all 3. Original from 1940, this Dell PB, from 1962. $2.00 Some Career-Romances are more "romance" than "Career," but they are similar to the ones that describe careers in detail. Many of these are about nurses, as this was a wildly popular genre for about 30 years from the 40s through 60s. I always enjoy reading these light novels, as they are fairly similar to Maltshops, though aimed at adult women. These "Nurse-Romances" and other adult career-romances, were very common at one time, but are getting harder to find due to their being discarded from many libraries in the past 10 or 15 years. Here are some of the most interesting: Hospital Hill (Adeline McElfresh) 1961. Charming old Dell pocket book edition, in fairly good condition. Cover shows tall, dark and handsome doctor looking sternly backwards, cigarette in hand (can you imagine that??? a doctor???) with the inevitable blonde in a sport convertible in the background. "The doctor had come back to the Hill to fulfill a dream that was almost shattered by reality." $1.50 And here's a BIG LOT of nurse-romances. I've read some of these, and I also have a pile of about 50 more nurse-romances to entertain me, so I'm going to let these go for now, and hope to find them again when I catch up on the rest! Nurse-romances used to be extremely popular, but somehow the genre has slipped away. You are the lucky ones to get a chance to return to the halcyon days of yore with these goodies! All paperbacks, all romantic, varying conditions. Each one will be $1.50 A Nurse Involved (Peggy O'More) Very dramatic cover, with a Ben Casey look-alike doc Nurse in Acapulco (Jane Converse) Nurse Harriet Goes to Holland (Betty Neels) a Harlequin nurse romance Psychiatric Nurse (Jane Converse) Psychiatric Nurse (Fern Shepard) Yes, they both have the same title, different stories. Miss Doc (Peggy Gaddis) Ok, this one is about a doctor. They have romantic problems, too Surgical Nurse (Diana Douglas) (2 copies?) EAch of these books will cost $1.50 each. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ END OF CAREER-ROMANCE BOOKS -- BACK TO A VARIETY OF MALTSHOP BOOKS BY VARIOUS AUTHORS!! Best Friend (Shirley Simon) 1964. It's one thing after another for this nearly-teen girl. Her best friend moves to a different apartment house and makes friends with another girl -- and both of them snub our girl. Then her grandmother moves in with them, and is that woman ever embarassing! This is a book for slightly younger readers then the average maltshop book, but I found it a lot of fun to read, and I've had good reviews of it from other maltshop fans. This copy has a library printed picture cover, sturdy binding. Some of the pages have finger marks, but not too bad! HB, XL, PC $3.00 PB copy of Best Friend (Simon) Good condition -- $2.00 The Unchosen (Nan Gilbert) 1963. Gilbert wrote excellent Maltshops -- I wish there were more for you right now. In this one, 3 "unpopular" and probably fairly unlikeable girls team up and try to help each other learn to get somewhere in the social life of their High School. When this scheme actually starts to help, there is some inevitable jealousy. If your favorite Maltshop books are about trying to break into the social scene, and about teen social concerns, you'll like this book as much as I did! If I've made it sound like a bitter story, don't worry! Scholastic PB, $1.50 Freckled and Fourteen (Viola Rowe)1965. 14-yr-old girl doesn't want to stop being a tomboy, loves sports and doing "boy stuff." Her best friends start to act silly around boys, and she just doesn't understand. Then she finds out -- I won't spoil it, but it's a big shock -- and feels as if her life is a mess. I really liked reading about how she deals with all this in a way that doesn't compromise her ideals. And it's fun to read about how she deals with her four obstreperous brothers! PB in very good condition, $2.50 MORE MALTSHOP BOOKS AHEAD Mabel Esther Allan wrote over 100 good books for young adults! Some are romances, some are more travel stories than anything else, some are mysteries. Most take place somewhere in the British Isles, but there are some taking place in Europe and a few from the US. I'll try to have more Allan books really soon. Drina Dances Alone (Jean Estoril) 1959. You might wonder why I'm listing this book along with Mabel Esther Allan's books -- well, Estoril is one of her pen names, and there are 9 Drina books about a young ballet dancer. I'm not sure how many of them made it into paperback, but this is listed as #3. Fair condition, $1.00 Sometimes Magic: A Collection of Outstanding Stories for the Teenage Girl. Book was put together in 1965, but the stories are collected from many generations! Some are wonderful classics -- chapters by Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, Sarah Orne Jewett. Some are humorous -- I laughed very hard over the one by Shirley Jackson. Some of them remind you very much of a Maltshop! A beautiful big book, in very good condition, and with a pretty dust jacket (a dreamy girl, lots of flowers around her!)320 pages, 22 short stories, a foreward to give you an idea of why these particular stories were chosen, and an afterword to explain why all the stories were written by women! HB, $2.50 MORE MALTSHOP NOVELS AHEAD! The Seven Sleuths' Club (Carol Norton) 1928. How can they live up to their club's name if they can't find a mystery to solve? And how will they prove to the snobby new girl, that it's fun to live in a small town and help people? (She is used to having servants do everything for her, and is astonished that these girls actually like to do their own picking-up and errands.) Those are some of the problems that the club members have to solve! And guess what? A mystery DOES come along and they finally find something really special to do. This is one of the very attractive, thick, Saalfield editions, in the "Girls' Detective Series" as it says on the spine. I've made a laser copy of the original DJ. The book is somewhat loose and worn, but not too bad! HB, LDJ, $4.50 Books by Jane D. Abbott. She wrote before the era that we think of as the "Maltshop" years, but if you like those stories, you will really enjoy the cute books by Abbott. She wrote about girls in a variety of situations and settings, but I've liked every one that I've read. They are written for the teens of the early decades of the 20th century, co they are fairly long (you get your money's worth!) but fast reading since you are eager to find out what happens next. I hope to have more books by Abbott for you very soon! The S.W.F. club (Caroline E. Jacobs) 1912. This book has a darling DJ picture, which is obviously not from 1912, more like the 1930s. This should give you a hint that the book stayed popular for a long time. The premise of the club is that since the girls can't travel far and wide, they ought to have the best time they could, right there in their home town. In other words See Winton First. And fun they did have -- it might be a lesson for some of the rest of us! This is a very enjoyable book, especially for those of us who love the old series books about girls in their teens who have adventures, help other people, and seem to have all kinds of independence. Vermont setting. HB, pretty good condition (the usual slight weakness) with a laser copy of our very cute dust jacket. $3.50 Laura Cooper Rendina is the author of the popular Debbie Jones series. She wrote quite a few books about teen girls and their adventures, problems, romances, and mysteries! All with an interesting twist! I'll try to add more books by Rendina, as soon as I can. I think I've mentioned this story before -- but it is amusing to me, so I'll add it to my description of these books. When I was in 6th grade, the first book in the series (Roommates) was extremely popular. One day, a group of the most popular (bossy) 6th-grade girls surrounded me, and demanded that I return "Roommates" to the library, because THEY wanted to read it! I couldn't convince them that I did not have that book out of the library. I guess they thought I was the girl who read the most books, so who else would have borrowed it? That was in the early '50s. Love is a Blanket Word (Honor Arundel) original title, The Blanket Word. 1973 Scholastic paperback. I think of the Arundel books as British Maltshops. Sad things and happy things are happening to the girl in this book, causing her to wonder just what "Love" means. Romantic cover picture! PB, $2.00 MORE MALTSHOP TYPE BOOKS -- Three's a Crowd (Marie McSwigan)1953. Teenaged twin girls -- in maltshop novels, this is a recipe for heartache. Well, these girls did very well until they reached the end of teen age, their 20th birthday. Then one of the girls decides to start dressing differently from her sister, and that's just the start. This sounds like a light- weight story, but don't let down your guard. This story is as emotional as one of Lenora Mattingly Weber's later Beany book, which is a very high recommendation. PB book in very good condition except for one tiny price-tag tear. $2.50 BEVERLY CLEARY'S MALTSHOPS are even better than her Ramona books, which are something wonderful themselves. I wish she'd written many more books for older girls, but unfortunately, she only wrote 3 or 4. Try them -- you'll discover books that are as good as Cavanna's early novels, or Emery's best. Fifteen is a true Maltshop classic! I think everyone who loves Cavanna or duJardin or Emery, should read this Cleary if no others. BIG LOT ALERT! -- Here is a set of all 4 of Cleary's Maltshops -- an easy way for you to find out how entertaining and lovely they all are! Believe me, you'll wish she's written as many as Betty Cavanna! The books are all paperbacks, in very good condition, and include The Luckiest Girl, Sister of the Bride, Jean and Johnny, and Fifteen! 4-book set of Beverly Cleary young adult "Maltshops," $6.00 Beverly Cleary: FIRST LOVE: A Treasury of Three Favorites. This one volume includes Jean and Johnny, Fifteen, and The Luckiest Girl. I think they are exact replicas of the original HB editions, and the first 2 of these books have the original Beth and Joe Krush internal illustrations. Wonderful volume! There's also a long list of Cleary's many books. Extra-large book in good condition, with a nice DJ. $3.50 Luckiest girl (Beverly Cleary ) 1958. Highly Recommended! Very enjoyable Maltshop! Over-protected girl spends a school year in California with family friends, finds out what it's like to live with a more casual family, gains independence as well as a bit more appreciation of her family back home. I think, however, that she will decide to move back to CA when she grows up -- I certainly would! One of my favorite Maltshops -- in fact, everyone loves this one! I read it out loud to Dave, and he loved it (takes a good "maltshop" to appeal to a grandfather!) Reading it makes a person feel happy. By the way, we read Cleary's autobiography, and realized that this book paralleled her life in many ways, though her time in CA was during college, rather than high school. Luckiest girl in very good condition PB $2 Luckiest Girl, HB, XL, fairly good condition, but covered by a nice copy of the original dust jacket, showing Shelley wearing the hated pink raincoat and rainhat! $3.50 Fifteen (Beverly Cleary) 1956. All you have to do is to look at the cute cover picture of this paperback, to know what fun the book will be. Girl in signature "'50s" clothes (rolled-up jeans bobby sox, etc) sitting in a closet, talking on the phone. Girl has never had a boyfriend, but "today I'm going to meet a boy" is the first sentence in the book, and she actually makes it happen! A touching, wonderful first-love book with those unmistakable Cleary touch. PB in very good cond, $2.50 Sister of the Bride (Beverly Cleary) 1963 Girl plans on being part of a big, fancy wedding when her college-age sister gets married. Sis has other plans! Meantime, what about her own love life? Adorable story! If you love to read about wedding plans, this book will be especially entertaining for you, but the Maltshop atmosphere is strong, too. The HB is illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush, another great thing about this book! And if you've read other Cleary books (who hasn't?) you won't be surprised at the fun and humor in this one. Weddings can be funny, and so can families, especially if Beverly Cleary has something to do with them! PB fair copy $1.50 ******************************************************** Maltshoppy books by Phyllis A. Whitney. This author certainly could write well in a number of genres! Mysteries for younger readers, romances for young adults, and of course good novels for adults. In all of her books, there are central problems of family relationships, reactions to changes, and a strong sense of location -- often an unusual setting. All of these things play well in her Maltshop type books -- I'll try to add more Whitney maltshops as soon as I can! Willow Hill (Whitney) 1947. A Maltshop book that takes place during the integration of a high school. This is a paperback book made by a library service, into a very small hardcover with the PB cover as its picture cover. Looks very good. $2.00 The Highest Dream (Whitney) 1956. Girl gets a job at the UN, and figure it'll be her dream come true. Being a career-romance, of course there are complications, but overall, this is a wonderful tribute to the United Nations. and living in New York. PB book, reading condition, not bad, but corner-worn, $1.50 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ MORE MALTSHOP BOOKS.... Helen Girvan wrote some of the very best "Maltshop Mysteries." Her settings are always interesting, and her heroines are often trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. If I happen to have any of her books for sale, they would be in the Young Adult Mystery section, since I've started putting the Maltshoppy type mysteries in that area. Blue Treasure (Helen Girvan) 1937. Nice vintage Scholastic edition, with a sort of rebus picture on the back cover -- "An artistic girl, a resourceful boy, a strange will, a long-lost painting, a charming, seemingly-peaceful house in Bermuda, two snoopy strangers, an underwater cave, a tropical hurricane..." That's what it says along with those small pictures, and those are the subjects of this book for middle-to-older teens. The list can't give you any idea of how much fun I had reading this one! I like the slightly less sophisticated teens in these older books, and the utter depravity of their villains! Attractive Scholastic edition paperback, fairly good condition, $2.25 Blue Treasure PB, slightly more worn -- $1.75 MORE MALTSHOPPY TYPE GIRLS' BOOKS! Lavinia Davis is one of the best Maltshop authors! She could write about families, horses, mysteries! She writes about teen girls and boys equally expertly. Plenty of humor, but not laid on with a trowel! Her families are funny and interesting -- you'll love the families that she writes about. Nice settings, too. Janey's Fortune (Lavinia Davis) 1957. Things weren't going quite as nicely as she could wish, at home in CT, so it was probably a blessing when the letters were forwarded, inviting her to spend the summer in New Mexico. Her grandfather had died just after he made the plans for her trip, and charged her with trying to find his hidden treasure. "Fortune" had several meanings, a town, a possible bonanza, and Janey's changed outlook for her future. She found new outlook on her future, met quite a cast of interesting people, and, if you look at the beautiful dust jacket picture, she became a true Western girl. There she is, dressed in a western shirt and kerchief, jeans and a 10-gallon hat. Behind her, a ghost-town spread out, and on the other side of the picture, a smiling cowboy in his lively horse. I think Janey has a horse in the picture, too, but it's hard to make it out. Anyway, she's ready to ride! HB, with DJ, both in nearly-new condition. $6.00 Sandy's Spurs (Lavinia Davis) 1951. Written for kids just under the Maltshop age, this is a book that I liked even though I usually find horse stories a little repetitive. A boy goes to stay with a family that pretty much lives for horses, while he has no interest in them whatsoever. He does enjoy the family, and 4H, and the intriguing mystery that comes their way. A Beautiful book, with very nice illustrations by Grace Paull. I'm always fond of pictures of kids wearing clothes of the mid-20th century, cars from the same era, and a few interior scenes. There's a mystery in this comfortable book, too. Virginia setting. Laser copy of our DJ on this HB book. $5.00 CONTINUING WITH MORE OF THE MALTSHOP AND SIMILAR BOOKS I love BIANCA BRADBURY's writing, and recently, one of my daughters discovered how much she loved Bradbury, too. She read 4 of them during a very short visit with us, and wants to read the others the next time she visits! There are usually several of Bradbury's books in various sections of my sale list. Lots of Love, Lucinda (Bianca Bradbury) 1966. This Bradbury book is definitely a Maltshop, and pretty much also a romance, but with a strong message for a book from the mid-1960's. Lucinda's a poor African American girl from the south, who is chosen to spend her high school years living with a Northern family, in a very affluent Connecticut suburb. It seems to us that the potential problems should be obvious, but to the teen girl in the CT family and her parents, it feels like "something we can DO to help." There are plenty of lighthearted teen moments in the book, and you might be able to look at the growing tension between the girls as something that might happen to 2 sisters in any family, or to a couple of girls when one of them is a foreign exchange student. But there are a few complications that are unique to this situation, in the days when things hadn't changed quite as much as they have today. Thank goodness they have. I imagine people like the nice, average family in this story, helped make those changes happen. PB, very good condition, $2.00 (2 copies available) Lots of Love, lucinda, pb in poor condition, but this is a very good maltshop type book! Free with another book by Bianca Bradbury Love is Never Enough (Bianca Bradbury) 1971. One of my all-time favorite books! It's one of those books that are trying to scare teens out of getting married until they're old enough to make a good living, finish education, etc -- but I believe these books only make the whole situation look romantic and dramatic to teens, don't you think? In this case, the guy is in college, the girl dropped out of HS because she was pregnant, and they live in a little trailer on the college campus, with the baby. Life is very tough. This book was called A New Penny in the hardcover edition, I have no idea why the title was changed. Paperback in very good condition, $3.00 STILL MORE MALTSHOP BOOKS! Junior Miss (Sally Benson) early 40s stories.(Sally Benson)1939-1941 I think these stories appeared in magazines before they were put together into a charming maltshoppy type novel about a girl, her friends, her pets, and her family. Very funny, and very sweet. If you haven't read it, it's time you Maltshop fans did read it! Here is a beautiful hardcover copy with a DJ (moderately good cond.) The DJ picture is adorable! Pink, with an overall white flower design, there is a cute freckled girl in a fluffy white prom gown, surrounded by what we used to call "callow youths" mainly in tuxes, all obviously trying to figure out how to get the attention of a girl! Meantime, Judy looks unconcerned, her long hair in what I think was called a bob, and a pouf above her brow -- it's a period-piece for sure. There's a nice list of books "for modern boys and girls" on the back cover. I always love to read those, to figure out what books I "need" next, for my collection. By the way, Sally Bensen wrote Meet me in Saint Louis, one of the most amusing family stories I've ever read (amusing in a sly sort of way, and the present book is similarly funny!) HB, PC, good condition, nice cover graphics. $3.00 Another HB copy of Junior Miss, good condition, but the cover has white smudges here and there. HB, $2.00 WE'RE STILL IN THE "MALTSHOP" SECTION! MILDRED LAWRENCE is one of the unsung Maltshop greats. Some of the settings sound odd but they aren't emphasized to the extent of overshadowing the lighthearted stories. If there are no M Lawrence books at this time, I'll add more as soon as I can. MALTSHOP BOOKS BY JAN NICKERSON Nickerson was one of the finest Maltshop authors, on a par with Marjorie Hall and Betty Cavanna. She often starts by exploring a career choice, but includes lots of the best Malty aspects -- dating, family relations, "teen angst" and school situations. I hope to have more of Nickerson's books again soon! Rosemary and the Princess (Josephine Lawrence) 1927. Lawrence's books are entirely charming, both in content, and in appearance. In this one, the doctor-son of the family invites a girl to stay with them, with the notion that Rosemary and her sisters, sweet, simple, normal girls, can change "The Princess" from selfish and demanding, to a nice kid. This doesn't happen overnight, if it happens at all. One of the best things about Lawrence's books is that they are longer than some YA books, so they don't end just when things get interesting. The DJ picture shows a pair of very pretty girls at a frilly dressing-table with mirror. Spine picture is of a pampered pup. Wonderful book -- read all of Josephine Lawrence's books if you can. HB, fairly good condition with a small printed picture on the cover. Laser copy of the original DJ. $5.00 Mary Jane (Dorothy Sterling) 1959. Sterling wrote a wide variety of books, including cute ones (Cub Scout and Brownie Scout Mysteries), education ones (Caves, Ferns and Mushrooms) and mysterious ones (Silver Spoon mystery and Old Post-Box Mystery.) Here she writes a semi-Maltshop, semi-dramatic book about a nice young girl who is one of the first to integrate her junior high school. It's a very good book about school, home, and friendship, as well as a poignant story that can help young teens learn that people are all brothers and sisters. HB Copy of Mary Jane, XLibrary with nice dust jacket slightly torn, but over an identical picture cover! Pretty girl looks apprehensive but hopeful, in front of a school. $2.50 Sycamore Year (Mildred Lee) 1974. A rather dark love story, but very entertaining! Girl's friend has a gorgeous voice, but no confidence and a tough family life. She falls for Mr Wrong. Both girls are impacted by this friend's subsequent pregnancy. Nice family scenes, including little kids. A serious growing-up story. PB copy, $1.25 MORE MALTSHOP BOOKS AHEAD! The Paris Hat (Mary Cunningham) 1958. To enjoy this one to the fullest, you have to understand that sometimes a teen girl will aspire to an unrealistic goal, because she has a crush on a boy! I imagine it's happened to a lot of us -- all of us? In this book, a girl with a family full of characters and responsibilities, decides to become a ballet dancer at an "advanced age" and has quite a few adventures along the way. The Paris Hat refers to a hat in a beautiful box that's delivered to the home in advance of the arrival of her travelling brother-in-law, who helps her to see reality in a very upbeat way. Unusual but popular and lots of fun. This copy is in unusual condition itself, with a hole that was apparently bitten by the original owner's dog. Nice pup didn't chew through the text at all, just took a corner out of the pretty DJ and front cover of the book. HB, interesting condition, all for $1.00 -------------------------------------- Books by Rosamond Du Jardin -- who is one of the 3 best authors from the MALTSHOP era of books for teen girls. Her 3 series, about Marcy Rhodes, Pam and Penny Howard, and Tobey and Midge Heydon, have been reprinted beautifully, but I still like to offer these relatively inexpensive vintage paperback editions that many of us bought from Scholastic when we were in school. Terrific family scenes, social life, school, friends -- and just enough serious thinking to satisfy teachers and librarians, but not so much that it even barely starts to get too heavy! Wait for Marcy (du Jardin) 1950. First of the wonderful Marcy Rhodes series. You can read the others without reading this one first, but it's more fun if you can read them in order! Marcy has one romantic problem after another in this series, and there are lots of good family and school scenes, as in all of du Jardin's books. Du Jardin is one of the Big Three or Four or however many we count as the best maltshop writers! a cute small paperback -- $2.50 Practically Seventeen (du Jardin) 1943/1949. First in the Tobey and Midge Heydon series. Simple problems, simpler times, or at least it seems that way from our perspective. Tobey meets all kinds of situations including first romance. The reason for the uncertain publication date is that several of the chapters appeared as magazine stories prior to the full book, which came out in 1949. Practically Seventeen (du Jardin) PB with ugly cover picture, but the same really good story inside. $1.25 (2) ----------------------------------------------- ***The Following entries are Whitman Authorized editions. Good, fanciful, often mysterious stories, supposedly about famous actresses or comic strip characters. Some others are about young women who are active in the service or the home front during WWII. Good authors, MALTSHOPPY type stories. Lots of "atmosphere" in most of them. If you've read one of them and liked it, you'll probably like them all. I certainly do like them!!!! Many illustrations, some very artistic and romantic, some done in cartoon style. No DJs unless noted, but the books are in good condition. Some of the pages are a little fragile, due to the wartime paper they used. Anne Rutherford and the These Whitman Authorized editions always have wonderful cover pictures and internal illustrations. Glamour for girls in the 1940s! This cover shows a very, very creepy dark house against a navy blue sky, with lights showing through a few windows and bright red shadows! Also, there's a framed picture of Ann Rutherford, I don't know anything about her, except that the title page says she's "a famous motion picure player." Written by the very talented Kathryn Heisenfelt and illustrated by the equally talented Henry E. Vallely. Book in fairly good cond, with a nice laser copy of the original dust jacket. $4.50 Rin Tin Tin and the Ghost Wagon Train, by Cole Fannin, takes place in the Old West. Lots of Western action, and a very colorful cover picture (back of the cover shows a circle of covered wagons, front shows the boy with Rin Tin Tin, that famous TV dog, running out of the woods.) Whitman authorized edition about a dog who was once one of the most familiar animals in the world. Good enough condition! $2.50 Quiz Kids and the Crazy Question Mystery. There actually was a Quiz Kids program, a radio favorite at the time this book was written (1946.) I don't know whether the kids really did get together and solve mysteries, but if they did, this is what those super-smart kids would have done! From front flap "they are fun-loving boys and girls who do... the same things all boys and girls their age enjoy, from drinking double malteds to picking up a clue and tracking it down." So -- it's really a Maltshop, isn't it! Nice condition book with interesting map endpapers, and a good copy of the original DJ. Back cover has a long list of Whitman "Mystery and Adventure Stories for Girls and Boys" for you to look for. $5.00 Ann Sheridan and the Sign of the Sphinx (Kathryn Heisenfelt, and illustrated by Henry Vallely) 1943. Described as An original story featuring Ann Sheridan, famous motion-picture star as the heroine. Well, maybe so, though I don't remember Ann Sheridan, do you? She is certainly beautiful, as the front cover photo shows, along with the sphinx! You probably remember how much I love the pictures in the books from this series. SO romantic, and I love the dresses, hair styles, and especially the hats. This is a very mysterious story, and some of the characters are really creepy! Heisenfelt was mistress of writing in ways to make things seem strange and dangerous. Very enjoyable book! It has a Dj that isn't perfect, but all of the front cover is there, with that photo of Ann, also 9/10ths of the back cover, and at least that much of the spine. The book is in good condition, and has interesting Egyptian pictures on the endpapers. $3.50 Joyce of the Secret Squadron, a Captain Midnight Adventure, 1942. Based on a popular radio series. Joyce is part of Secret Squadron, "an unofficial organization that served as an auxiliary intelligence and air arm for the United States." Headquarters for this adventure are on island 542 somewhere in the Pacific. It's amazing how many girls in these exciting Whitman stories, are responsible for saving the world for democracy. And they invent wonders like the Codograph, and find time to look very, very glamorous (there are a lot of pictures in these Whitman books.) There's humor and romance, entirely a book that's full of escapist fun to read! HB in average condition for these vintage Whitmans, which is fair-to-good, with laser copy of the dust jacket, showing Captain Midnight in his black suit, Joyce Ryan with "as she appears in the radio series" under her picture, and a couple of airplanes. $4.50 Annie Oakley in Danger at Diablo (Doris Schroeder) Whitman authorized edition, story featuring Annie Oakley "of the Famous Television Show." Actually, it's a very nice story about Annie and a young boy and adventure. Very nice cover picture of Annie in her Western regalia, flourishing a pistol. Back cover picture of a Western town and the boy in a big hurry. HB, PC, pretty good cond for one of these books that were made of cheap materials. $2.00 Patty Duke and Mystery Mansion (Whitman Authorized TV adventure) Good mystery, Beautiful Patty Duke picture cover. HB, not bad condition.$2.00 MORE WHITMAN MALTSHOP-TYPE BOOKS Janet Lennon and the Angels ("Singing Star from the Lawrence Welk TV show" as subtitle) Fourth in a 4-book series about Janet and her sisters, who are presented as singers who are not working at the time the books take place. They're on vacation, or visiting friends. They are all mysteries, in the mold of the Schoolgirl Sleuths. In this one, Janet goes to a ranch, where she spends most of her timw with a Mexican-American family, the Angels. Such a beautiful cover picture -- Janet in a colorful and wide skirt with frilly blouse, by a fireplace, and next to a very handsome young man! HB, picture cover, Whitman Authorized TV Edition, good condition. $3.50 Janet Lennon at Camp Calamity -- subtitled, Singing Star from the Lawrence Welk Show, but in this story she is just Janet, a camp counselor at a camp that's NOT really named Calamity, but that's what it turns out to be when a rich camper is kidnapped, and Janet has to help figure out where she can be. Most of us love stories with a summer-camp background, and this is a very good one. Front cover shows Janet helping a girl learn to float in the pool, and back cover shows a dream-come-true log lodge, with many log cabins around, and in the background, trees, green hills, and high, snow-topped mountains. Let's have a PF meeting there very soon! Good cond, which isn't always the case for this series of Whitman Authorized TV Adventures. $3.50 Janet Lennon: Adventure at Two Rivers (1961) The singing girls go on separate vacations. Janet's vacation takes her to a dude ranch belonging to relatives. Too late, she finds that the ranch is decrepit and actually dangerous, and someone is trying to drive her relatives off the land. From the beautiful cover pictures, you can tell that it's not all detecting and danger -- front cover shows Janet on a beautiful horse, and back cover shows square dancing and a darling puppy, as well as another rider, handsome male variety this time. HB, Whitman TV authorized adventure. Nice condition. $3.00 MORE MALTSHOPPY WHITMAN OR WHITMAN AUTHORIZED EDITIONS AHEAD! THEN THERE ARE MORE MALTSHOP BOOKS AFTER THAT! Annette books by Doris Schroeder, from 1960 through 1964. These are not really about that popular girl, "Annette" Funicello, from the Mickey Mouse Club, so very recently deceased, but about a girl based on her character, and her adventures in the Southwest. Whitmen's Authorized Editions used Annette's popularity as a draw to sell books, while giving us a really well-written series of 5 books about this girl. They pretty much follow each other in order, but can certainly be read separately if you want to. The covers are very lovely, showing that pretty girl that so many young teen boys had crushes on, each one in a different situation. Two of them feature horses, one has her in a little sailboat, and there's an Elvis-look-alike on the back cover of the 4th. Each book has a picture cover that wraps all around from front to back. Nice-looking series, though they suffer as all the typical Whitman PC "cello" type books -- with weak bindings and mono-color interior pictures. I'll try to have more Annette books soon! Annette and the Mystery at Smugglers' Cove (Doris Schroeder) 1963. Good condition! $3.50 ***End of Whitman authorized editions.*** *********************************** Books in the Whitman Fighters for Freedom Series weren't anything like the grim stories that you might imagine. They are wonderful stories about girls in various aspects of the war effort in the early '40s, something on the line of the Cherry Ames books from that era. There are books about Army Nurse, Canteen Girl, member of the Girl Orchestra, etc. I'll try to have more of this interesting series very soon. *************************************** RETURNING TO THE MALTSHOP BOOK AFTER LISTING THE WHITMAN BOOKS! Mystery in Mission Valley (Grace and Olive Barnett) 1947. I've done some searching to try to find out who these authors are, but there isn't much to be found. Are they sisters? Mother and daughter? Or even a married team, since I did find one man named "Olive" on the internet. Anyway, their books are excellent adventures, with boys and girls equally involved. In this one, the father invites a boy to spend the summer with the sister and brother, while the family builds a cabin on a very remote lake in the Montana wilderness. They rebel at the idea of being babysitters for a weakling, but they're in for one of life's big surprises! Many mysteries surround the land where the cabin is planned to be built, especially after the father has to go home to take care of an emergency. Super story for anyone who loves reading about camping, outdoors fun, teens coping with life. I just finished this book, and really loved it. Another thing about the Barnett books is that they have wonderful cover pictures that wrap all around the front and back. I wouldn't mind framing any of them. Personal copy hardcover book with dust jacket, all in good condition. $5.00 Mystery of the Missing Wallet (Grace and Olive Barnett) 1946. Not very far into this story, the missing wallet becomes important. The father of a boy and girl, has been injured in a riding accident -- or was it an accident? The doctor, an old friend, can't understand where the wallet had disappeared to. After all, it seemed very important to him, and he was never seen without it. Was there something very valuable in there? And did someone else want it enough to cause that accident? The kids have to help run the ranch while their father is recovering, a very lengthy process. And they need to figure out why their father might have been hurt by someone whom he trusted. The dust jacket is one of the Barnetts' great beauties, showing the 2 kids on horses with mountains, trees, the desert floor, boulders, and in the distance, a tiny log cabin. If I had to choose my favorite book jackets, the ones on the Barnett books would be serious contenders. HB, personal copy in very good condition, with laser copy of our original DJ. $6.00 MARY STOLZ was my favorite teen-book author when I was a teen. Very emotional, even a bit heavy sometimes! Always extremely well written, realistic and worthwhile. Mary Stolz died, in her late 80s, in December of 2007. To Tell your love (Mary Stolz) 1950. Stolz's first book has several story lines, some ecstatically happy and some not so happy. Main characer is a nice teenaged girl who's in love with a charmer, who doesn't always act as charming as he looks! And her close friend is married (very young) with a baby. Really good contrast between their lives (Extremely realistic picture of the young family, by the way, emphasizing that fearful mistake that writers of that era loved to preach against -- a Young Marriage.) Main character has a wonderful family, including a sister who surprises everyone when she falls in love with... well, you don't need to know everything before you read it! I've read it many times, yet when I sat down to write this description, I had to read it again! a Scholastic PB $2 The Noonday Friends (Stolz) 1965. I've noticed that this book is often suggested reading on school lists -- though in my mind it's no better than a lot of Stolz's wonderful books. Like all her books, this one has lots of domestic details, the girl thinks seriously about herself and her family and friends, and there is a compelling story line. This was written for a somewhat younger reader than her earlier Maltshop books, so the problems are a tad less serious, and there is the possibility of a very happy ending! HB, XL, with a pretty picture cover. $2.00 Ready or Not (Stolz) 1953. Probably my favorite Stolz book, though The Sea Gulls Woke Me is another candidate for that. This is the story of a family, 3 chidren, and their father who barely makes a living for them. The older girl has to run the home and take care of everyone. Like many of Stolz's books, this one is made up of small, domestic, family scenes, or ordinary activities by the teens -- but always fascinating. Things happen, whether you're ready or not. Including, especially, love. Ready or Not, PB, $1.25 Ready or Not, HB in excellent cond, DJ in fairly good condition with a very nice DJ picture, and beautiful end papers. $3.50 Leap before you Look (Mary Stolz) PB $2 (2?) The Edge of Next Year (Mary Stolz)1974 Quite a hard story to read, as it's about a boy whose mother has just died. This is so different from the easy acceptance of parental loss that we see in series books ("her mother had died when she was very young, and a motherly housekeeper took her place...") All of Stolz's books are excellently written, as this one certainly is. XL with PC, also a very good DJ. $3 End of books by Stolz ******************************* MORE MALTSHOP-TYPE BOOKS... BOOKS BY BARBARA CLAYTON, one of the best of Maltshop authors. She wrote about my native New England (Maine, Mass, VT, for instance) And about changes that happen to teenage girls and lead to wonderful new ways to look at life. Some of her books are Skates for Marty, Halfway Hannah, Pepper Pot, Second Best. I'll try to add more Barbara Clayton books soon. Skates for Marty (Barbara Clayton) Awkward and shy, Marty goes to live with her grandmother in a small Massachusetts town where skating seems to be a mania. The grandma is sure Marty will learn grace and confidence if she, too, learns to skate very, very well. Lessons before school, practice afterwards, she hates it at first, but gradually gets better. Lots of other problems with the other kids, it's interesting to read about her as she copes and learns, and even dates... HB in very good condition, personal copy, DJ is good except for a place where some "criminal" tore off a price sticker and left a small spot. $5.00 MORE MALT SHOP (MALTSHOP?) BOOKS AHEAD New Girl (Janet Adele Bloss) 1984. I haven't read this one yet, so will rely on the description on the back cover: "Pretty and popular .. is the new girl in a school far from her friends. Making friends is hard... but when (she) has an unexpected talk with one of the popular girls, she learns something about herself.." Well, I guess I'll have to read it before this list appears -- sounds very interesting! PB, fairly good cond, $1.25 Rich Boy, Poor Boy (Theodora DuBois) 1961. You may think this is the classic "should I marry a poor boy that I love, or a rich boy that I don't love?" book, but it's NOT! The question is -- is he actually a poor-relation of the rich and snobbish cousins that he lives with, or from a rich family? It doesn't matter to the girl, who likes him whichever the case may be, but when he's accused of theft by his snooty relations, he and the girl have to figure out who really did steal the aniques. Tons of fun and adventure, teen-age romance, and of course mystery. The cover shows a girl and boy driving a vintage car. This is a Best Loved Girls' Book edition, which almost totally guarantees that we Maltshop/Series lovers will like it a lot. I think you'll get a kick out of some of the characters in this story, not your average boring little kids or adults! HB, DJ, personal copy, $4.50 Light a Single Candle (Beverly Butler) 1962. Teen girl gradually loses more and more of her sight, and finally goes to a School for the Blind. She is NOT a happy camper for a long time. You'll find this a very amazing book, partly due to the fact that the author writes from personal experience. Getting a guide dog is a very nice part of this story. A book that you really shouldn't miss. PB, $2.00 Along with Light a Single Candle, I'll list this non-fiction book by Beverly Butler, about getting acquainted with a new seeing-eye dog. The book is "Maggie By My Side, from 1987, a small hb with DJ. Ms Butler had just lost her beloved dog at the beginning of the book, and knew she needed to get another one in order to keep her independence. This book tells about going to the training school, meeting her new companion, and the process that gets each of them accustomed to the other. There are plenty of photos, and a bit of the legalities of taking a dog everywhere with a disabled person. This book was written for youngish readers, but both Dave and I read it with great interest as well as enjoyment. HB, DJ, XL, good condition, $2.50 Make-Believe Daughter ("A Mystery Featuring The Three Matildas") by Laura W. Douglas, 1972. A Whitman Teen Mystery. Would you believe 3 girls of nearly the same age, all officially named Matilda? Luckily they have different nicknames. There are lots of other good characters in this mystery, which makes you wish it really were the first of a series about The Three Matildas, as the cover would lead you to believe. Actually it's a single-title mystery, though it looks like a lot of the Whitman picture-cover books. You'll love the city neighborhood, which is described in detail. 'Tilda's father runs the International Restaurant, and the first picture inside the book is the girl, sitting at a restaurant table doing her homework, with all the condiments and bentwood chairs in sight. A tiny dog plays a big part in this mystery, too. Well, you'll like this book a lot! HB, PC that wraps all around the back, too. Fairly good condition. $4.00 MORE MALTSHOPS or similar books! -- Foster Child (Marion Dane Bauer) 1977. "Renny couldn't talk about what happened to her at the foster home..." from the front cover of this PB. I've read this book twice, it's fascinating and powerful, though simple and and easy to read. Young girl always lived with her grandmother, so when the grand has a stroke, she has to go into foster care. It's not a cozy place, to say the least, and there are things going on that shouldn't be happening. PB, fairly good cond, $1.25 Zoa Sherburne wrote quite a few very readable and entertaining books about somewhat serious subjects. You will be very glad you discovered this author of books from the Maltshop era. I hope to have more books by Sherburne in future lists. Almost April (Zoa Sherburne) 1956. Girl hadn't wanted to live with her father in Oregon, after all these years. It was just as she had feared, he thought he knew what was good for her (for example, he didn't think she ought to go around with a certain boy, but what does he know?) Then his new wife has a baby with some problems, which makes a lot of tension in the home. Will her love for a new baby brother give the girl the key to helping all these people become a real, loving family? And what about that boyfriend? PB in good condition, $2.00 (2 copies available) Stranger in the House (Zoa Sherburne) 1963. Girl's mother has had a mental breakdown, but now she's coming home for good. Girl feels she should be glad and welcoming, but she has one doubt or problem after another. Unusual for a maltshop story, but it does fit into the maltshop pattern. Plenty of romantic problems, friendships going awry over -- of course -- boys, a school play, and so much more. PB, good condition, $2.00 A Batch of the Best (Stories for Girls) 1970. Only frustrating part of this collection is that there isn't a list of where the short stores came from originally. Maybe written just for this book. Anyway, they are all GOOD! 12 stories, all could have come from American Girl or Calling All Girls back in the good old days. Careers, dates, jobs, animals, Christmas, sadness, elation, humor. Most of them have a distinct flavor of Maltshop. Whitman HB with a nice picture cover. Good cond. $3.00 Girl's Choice: A New Book of Stories 1965. A British publication, but has stories from various countries and authors. Romance, mystery, adventure, animals -- quite a few of these stories would fall into the Maltshop category. Others are just plain good short stories that would have appealed very strongly to us when we were kids, and still appealed to me all these years later. And some of them are just cute! This book is a sequel to another similar book -- A Book of Girls' Stories. By the way, I've placed the apostrophies in the place that they editors of these 2 books put them. HB in very good cond, with a very good DJ, personal copy. $3.00 AHEAD -- MORE MALTSHOP TYPE BOOKS! By JANET LAMBERT *************** Even though most of the Lamberts are now available in pb reprints, some of us still want to hold the old, hardcover, "originals" in our hands and feel the nostalgia that they generate. I've made laser copies of a lot of the Lambert DJs. They make the hardcover books look really nice! Star-spangled summer (Lambert) 1941. First Lambert book. Chapter headings -- Carrol Meets the Parrishes, Carrol Meets the Crowd, The Moonlight Picnic... It's the start of a very long, pleasing series! PB, good condition, $2.00 Candy Kane (Lambert) 1943. One of the best things about this book is the adorable picture on the DJ. Candy, the main character, is a very cute young teen with braids and bobby-sox, and the background is candy-striped! The spine features the famous locket design with a #4 in the center. The HB, XL book itself is pretty worn, but very sturdy and well-bound, the laser copy of the original DJ is really beautiful! HB, XL, LDJ, $4.50 Introducing Parri (Lambert) 1962. Daughter of the famous Penny Parrish and her husband Josh, decides that she, too, wants to become an actress. Despite one of the odder cover pictures in paperback history, this is Lambert at her best. PB, $2.00 A Bright Tomorrow (Lambert) 1965. One of the scarcer Lambert books. Features Bitsy Jordan, art student, living in New York. Of course the story features her family, even though they live apart for a time. XLibrary HB in very good condition, with a beautiful DJ that's also in good condition. $9.00 END of books by Lambert MORE MALTSHOP BOOKS BY VARIOUS AUTHORS AHEAD -- +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Betty Baxter (assumed to be the same writer as Betty Baxter Anderson) wrote quite a few excellent career-romances, mysteries, and nurse novels in the '30s. They all feature girls, many of them in what have been traditionally male positions. I seriously doubt if you'd be disappointed in any of her books! Daughter of the Coast Guard (Betty Baxter) 1938. One of the girls is the daughter of a Coast Guardsman, the other girl's father is a newsman -- so they certainly do have plenty of scope for adventure! Like all of Baxter's stories, this one shows girls being brave, intelligent, and a bit reckless! Lots of fun. HB, fair condition, $2.50 Becky Bryan's Secret (Betty Baxter) 1937. I have to tell you about the DJ picture first. You've never seen anything quite like it before. There's a girl, dressed in the extremely popular sailor middy of the period, but in very, very short shorts, tiptoing along an electric wire from the pole to a rooftop, to rescue a helpless little girl who is crying piteously from the very edge of the roof. Below, several helpless adults are looking on in horror. Beautiful trees, sky and water background. It's a winner! Other than this little adventure, Becky is a normal schoolgirl, with the normal activities like riding her horse, entering school events, helping with the school newspaper, solving mysteries... The HB book is elderly but holding together; the DJ is a laser repro of the original, and makes the book look great! $4.50 High Trail (Vivian Breck) 1948. Breck wrote very good books about the outdoors, for girls who may or may not ever climb a mountain or go white-water boating, but who sort of think maybe they would like it if they ever tried it. Girl is hiking and camping with her father in the wilderness of the Sierra Nevadas, when her father is injured. She has to find her own way out of the forest and get help. And would you believe that she found romance in these trying circumstances? Of course you would -- you are a Maltshop fan, aren't you? HB, personal copy, very good cond, with a dramatic DJ also in good cond. HB, DJ, $5.00 White Water (Vivian Breck) 1958. Girl had an accident and injured her leg, but still, her dream is to shoot the rapids in her foldboat with the others in her outdoors club. Good co-ed camping and boating trip through Colorado (there's a decorative map of their route, too in which the girl starts to change her bitter outlook. There's lots of teen fun, all the things you like in a Maltshop plus the boat trip! HB, XL, good condition, with a nice DJ that has just a few worn spots. $4.00 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ BOB AND/OR JAN YOUNG, a husband/wife team, wrote wonderful MALTSHOPS. Each book is different from the other, various settings, various problems to be faced, but these writers really know how to grip the reader. Try any or all and you'll be glad (that's not advertising, I just like to introduce Maltshop readers to the best books in the genre!) Janet Randall is the same as Jan Young The Undecided Heart (Bob and Jan Young)1963. As their Spanish Club project, a group of kids take up the cause of migrant workers living in a very run-down camp. They're having a lot of fun and satisfaction with this project, but some other kids in the school don't like it very much and cause trouble. There's another really interesting plot that I won't spoil for you. PB, good condition, $2.50 Run Sheep Run (Bob and Jan Young) 1959. Near pristine copy of this popular book. Title is pretty much illustrated by the interesting cover picture -- a girl in playclothes, running along a beach with her hair flying out-- followed by a group of other teens running just behind her. Driftwood, gulls, waves. Girl's mother is sick, and they move to a secluded beach house so she can recover in peace and quiet. The girl develops a scientific and artistic interest in sea life, which causes her former friends to think she's gone crazy. Why follow the crowd like a sheep? But she still hopes her boyfriend can start to understand her. Then, there's the crisis when her sister goes into labor and no one else is around to help. HB, DJ, all in very, very good condition. $5.00 Jellyfoot (Janet Randall) 1964. The title refers to a horse, and yes, this is a horse book to some extent, but being a Janet Randall book, it's a lot more, too! There are other animals, a lot of adventures, and a troubled foster sister for the girl to get used to living with -- and to help. Excellent story, mainly for mid-teens, which certainly didn't stop me from loving it. HB, XL, with library printed picture cover. It's in moderately good condition, a bit worn, but sturdy and with a very good picture on the cover. $3.50 I'll try to include more books by the Youngs in my next list. they are obviously popular! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MORE MALTSHOP BOOKS COMING UP! Champlain Summer (Marjorie Vetter) 1959. If you've ever seen Lake Champlain, you'll understand the appeal of that enormous lake -- if the Great Lakes weren't so close, you'd think of it as The great lake of the north. The girl has spent many summers in the family cottage there, and loves the mystique and history of the lake. She does NOT care for boys or dressing up, but things have a funny habit of changing when a Girl meets a Boy. Especially when the girl next door is Elaine, the lily maid, next door attracting every boy in the area. This is a contemporary book (to 1959, anyway) but does touch on history, especially the local historical events inspiring a pageant that you'll be reading about. Boats, lake cottages, lots of family tensions and joys, friendship and rivalry, acting, and a bit of romance, all in this nice Maltshop type book. HB, personal copy in good condition, with a laser copy dust jacket showing cute Kit -- background of the lake. $4.450 All of HOPE DAHLE JORDAN's books could go under "Maltshop Mysteries," but I'm trying them here in the straight Maltshop list, so you can decide which place they fit. Either way, they're suspenseful and wonderful reading. Haunted Summer (Hope Dahle Jordan) 1967. Girl driver hits a child on a bike, then runs away. This is the story of her summer, full of guilt and dread but hope, too. PB, fair condition, $1.00 Merediths' Ann (Elizabeth Janet Gray) 1927. Cover says "They wished for mystery and adventure -- and found both in the White Mountains." The DJ picture is obviously from a later edition, as the girls and boy have 1940s hair styles and clothes. An interesting contrast, the frontispiece looks VERY 1929, with girls in middy blouses and bobbed hair (at least I think that's what they call bobbed! Very short and slick.) The title page lists the date as 1949, which is confusing, but it's really from the earlier date. However, it's a wonderfully readable book about kids who aren't prim or worried about the upper-class traditions that rule in so many of the girls' books from the '20s. Takes place in small-town New Hampshire, where Ann lives, and the others come for a winter vacation. Full of mystery and warmth. Back cover has an interesting list of "young Moderns, a growing library for modern boys and girls.." that you might like to check to see how many of them you want to search for. XL, HB, with DJ, fair condition, looks really attractive. $3.50 HB copy of Meredith's Ann, good condition, no DJ. $3.00 MORE MALTSHOP TYPE BOOKS COMING UP! Marty on the Campus (Bialk) 3rd in the 3-book series about Marty. After all her wonderful adventures as a cub reporter with amazingly good luck, she goes back to college to study journalism. PB in fair condition, 1.50 Dorothy Gilman Butters is one versatile writer! Her adult mysteries (dropping the "butters" part of her name, are world-famous. She wrote her YA books before starting the adult books, and of course I love them much more. She wrote very good historical books for girls, and only a few cherished Maltshops. Try them all! The Bells of Freedom (Dorothy Gilman Butters) 1774 Boston setting. Boy apprentice is having a terrible time, when he's rescued by a stranger who buys out his term, and gives him the job of a lifetime, in his printing shop. Boy has enough to eat for the first time, and would do anything for his master. As you may guess, he's put to the test. Lovely book by such a talented author. HB Young America Book Club edition. PC. $3.00 MORE MALTSHOP TYPE BOOKS RIGHT HERE -- Megan (Iris Noble) 1965. I'm including this in the Maltshop section of the list, because of the publication date, the fact that it's a Scholastic book, that it's about an teenaged girl, and that it will appeal to the same people who love maltshop books. However, it's set in 1902, and is about an orphan girl who travels from her native Wales, to western Canada to work and live on a ranch, and finds more love than she'd ever known before. Scholastic PB, very good condition, $2.00 (2 copies available) Seventeenth Summer (Maureen Daly) 1952. All about the summer after HS graduation, and the girl's first love, or whatever it was -- even she wasn't sure! A misty, beautiful story, really sweet and dreamy. I wonder if most of the other Maltshop books were trying to emulate this early one? There's a "Seventeenth Summer literary competition" that is named after this quintessential Maltshop. Also, this was a prize novel in the Intercollegiate Literary Fellowship. Which leads me to believe that college juries were pretty smart in those days -- choosing a very lovely Maltshop book for their prize-winner. PB, $2 Seventeenth Summer (Daly) a nice hardcover copy with the most romantic picture on the cover -- trees, sky, lake, sailboat, rolling hills, and a couple standing on the shore, all very misty. XL with library PC, nice copy. $4.00 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Anne Emery is one of the Big Three of MALTSHOP writing, and some of us think she was the best! If you haven't read all the Burnaby family stories, for instance, you have the greatest of treats ahead of you. She also wrote very good historical novels for teens! Scarlet Royal (Anne Emery) 1952. (Paperback copy.) Scarlet was a beautiful horse, and the girl loved him. But their family finances were in bad shape, and she had to sell the horse to another girl, one that she really hated, and who didn't care that much for the horse. In this book, the girl and her family open a riding stable at their home, in order to be able to keep up the expenses of living there. Of course it's always enjoyable to read about starting and running a business, especially if the book is by such a wonderful author as Emery! PB in fair condition, mended spine. $1.00 Sweet Sixteen (Emery) 1956. "An Exciting, magical year in a young girl's life" is what it says on the cover of this paperback.. but like most teenagers, Jane doesn't really think her life is always exciting and magical. This is the 3rd and last book in the Jane Ellison series, and both true to life, and wonderfully nostalgic. PB, pretty good cond, $2.50 Sweet Sixteen (Emery) 1956. Hardcover copy of the book, with a DJ picture that I've never seen before. It's lovely, though the girls and their dates look at least 18 to me. It's the same book inside the cover, anyway. XL book with quite a bit of wear, with DJ in good condition. $3.50 Going Steady (Emery) 1950. Sally and Scotty are in love! You'll be enchanted by the story of their wonderful summer together. I'm not giving anything away -- it's all on the back cover of this paperback -- when I tell you that they're trying to decide whether they should get married that summer after High School graduation! Such a romantic story, you will love it a lot! PB in very good condition, $2.50 A Spy in old Detroit (Anne Emery) 1963. When Maltshop author, Emery, turned to young adult historical novels, of cousre she wrote some of the best. This one takes place in 1763, when fighting is tearing apart French, English, and Indians. The book is about a young boy who is in conflict about where his loyalties should lie, with his family divided.At that time, Detroit was at the frontier of the land, and pretty much controlled by whoever could wrest it from the others. Very accessible story, family scenes, beautiful illustrations. Clear and attractive maps and diagrams on the endpapers. Good personal copy of this book, with a good dust jacket. Add to your Emery collection! $4.00 A Spy in Old Philadelphia (Anne Emery) 1958. Takes place in 1776. The spy is a fictional but historically accurate boy of 14, who ends up helping Washington's troops! As all of Emery's historical novels, it's a "comfortable" story, with lots of family scenes as well as his spy missions. Good quality large paperback book, good condition. Nice illustrations, too. $2.00 A Spy in old West Point (Emery) 1965. Boy is 14 in 1779, his father has him mending guns for the Army. In the Hudson Valley, where they live, the family is even afraid of stating their loyalties to their own neighbors. But it's an exciting time for a boy, who can help his new country. Plenty of homey details, but plenty of action. You'll be reading about Benedict Arnold, among other real people, as well as our fictional hero. Good quality paperback in good condition, with some nice illustrations, $2.00 End of books by Anne Emery, more MALTSHOP books ahead ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Books by Grace May North -- She wrote at least 2 series in the '20s. Here'e one of her non-series books that would have been a fine additions to any series! Well constructed coherent plot, with interesting characters and attractive settings. I'll try to add more of North's books very soon. Rilla of the Lighthouse (North) 1926. Do NOT read the DJ flap, as it tells far too much about the plot. Unless you don't like any surprises, it's better just to dig in! HB in pretty good condition, except for the almost inevitable separating at the "hinges" front and back. Actually, it's fairly firm anyway. Laser copy of the original DJ shows a boy and girl facing sideways, a common DJ picture for several of North's books, very artistic with a cove or bay in the background. HB, LDJ. $4.50 BOOKS BY MARJORY HALL, one of the very, very best Maltshop authors (or would you call her a Career-Romance author?) Her books are all different, but similar in that they deal with a girl who has a lot to learn before she can be thought of as mature, and who is exploring options for her future, in both career and romance. Hall also wrote several historical novels for young adults, and these are very good reading, too! She even wrote several lovely books for slightly younger readers, under the name of Carol Morse. I will certainly add more Marjory Hall or Carol Morse books as soon as I can. Excellent historical books by Marjory Hall! Buy all 3 of them for $7.00, or order them individually -- A Hatfull of Gold (Marjory Hall) takes place in 1769. Fictionalized story of Molly Pitcher, who started her independent life as a maid in a doctor's home. From there, she went on to be married and then followed her husband as he joined Washington's army -- and walked into history. This is a former library copy of the book, and it's worn enough to show you that it was loved by the kids! HB in fair condition, with DJ in good condition. Oh, the DJ shows a lovely girl being handed an actual hatfull of gold by a uniformed soldier! $2.50 See the Red Sky (Hall) 1963. Takes place in 1777. This is a fictional story of a real girl, Sybil Ludington, who rode in the manner of Paul Revere. Nice printed library picture cover of a girl on horseback, riding wildly along in her skirts and cape. One of the nice things about fictionalizing a footnote in history, is that you can include interesting minor characters, and also romance. HB, XL, PC, all in very good condition. $3.50 The Treasure Tree (Hall, 1964) Quote from inside cover of the book "Based on events of the 1730s, this is a romantic account of newlyweds Eliza and Edward Seaward, who were shipwrecked in the Caribbean and with courage and industry found treasure of many kinds." HB, XL, with nice library printed picture cover (showing a couple on a desert island, under a huge tree.) Good condition. $3.00 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MALTSHOP TYPE BOOKS BY AMELIA ELIZABETH WALDEN: When I was a teen, I read all the Amelia Elizabeth Walden books that I could get my hands on. She was still writing when I left my teen reading years, but I've renewed my friendship with her books since then. She wrote beautifully, about girls in sports, the theater, and school and home life -- as well as quite a few very engrossing mysteries! Most of her books are appropriate for anyone from good readers in the 6th grade, to adults who appreciate beautifully-written suspense mysteries. In particular, they're recommended Maltshop writing! There are 4 books in the Lisa Clark series -- she works with Jake, but often has to strike out on her own. Valerie Valentine is Missing (Amelia Walden) 1971. A Lisa Clark mystery, takes place in Spain. HB, XL, with colorful picture cover. Very good condition. $3.50 To Catch A Spy (Amelia Elizabeth Walden) 1964 Girl looks just like another girl who was killed during a spy case, so she is coached to take the other girl's place and break into the spy ring. HB, XL, with a good library printed picture cover. Good condition, $3.75 The spy with Five Faces (Walden) 1966. "Why are you offering this to me?" "Miss Carlos, you are aware that I am head of a branch of the CIA... I want to send you down to The Golden Angel on a mission." So she goes to Mexico City and finds, as the title pages says "three people: a girl who lost her brother, another girl who lost her beauty, and a spy who lost his courage." Unusual, entertaining! HB, XL, good cond, with good and artistic DJ. $4.00 Where was Everybody when Sabrina Screamed? (Isn't that a good title?) 1973. A Lisa Clark mystery, takes place in Morocco. PB, pretty good cond, $1.50 Where was Everybody when Sabrina Screamed? (Walden) 1973. Lisa's partner in the spy business, Jake, is badly injured, and she's pretty much on her own. Romance intrudes, which doesn't help too much, does it ever? She isn't sure whom to trust. HB, XL, nice picture cover, fairly good condition. $3.00 A Spy Case Built for Two (Amelia Walden) 1969 Romance is difficult if you're involved in spying, and these two are really too busy and hard-working, to say nothing of having some very frightening adventures. Lisbon (?) setting. HB, XL, with good library picture cover. Quite good condition. $3.75 The Spy who Talked too Much (Walden) 1968. "Newspaper readers.. would hardly have connected the news item about the CIA, the fashion notice, and the classified ad.." But the men working on a case for the CIA, pick Kim to work undercover for them. Istanbul setting. HB, XLibrary, nice picture cover, good condition, $3.25 The Spy on Danger Island (Walden) 1965. From the author's description -- "This is not the story of a Mata Hari. It is a novel about an impecunious and unsuccessful young actress who was recruited by .. CIA for two reasons: she was notably successful with an unusual hobby, and she was reputed to wear her heart upon her sleeve." How could you resist that??? The special interest, by the way, was scuba diving. West Indies setting. HB, former library book, sturdy, with a slightly smudged library picture cover. $3.00 Escape on Skis (Amelia Walden) 1975. The title is certainly descriptive. Walden wrote about sports, and she wrote mysteries -- both very well. Put them together and she's hard to beat. This story is about training for Olympic Skiing and the mystery concerns some shadowy international Anti-American group that is planning to subvert or sabotage the games. Don't expect the book to be all danger and frightening scenes -- there's romance and fun -- and skiing! HB, XL, very pretty picture cover, all in good condition. $4.00 Some of Amelia Elizabeth Walden's books aren't spy stories.... Stay to Win (Walden) 1971. Girl's Basketball. 1971. Girl's basketball, plus all the other subjects that make Walden's sport stories interesting for those of us who never played basketball or anything else. Teen girl has a boyfriend that her parents -- and others -- don't approve of, for good reason. She sees the potential good in him. Maybe she's right? HB, XL with a picture cover -- all in very good condition. $3.50 Heartbreak Tennis (Walden) 1977. Girl is given tennis lessons from a Wimbledon champ, and tries to concentrate on nothing except her game. Romance (of course) rears its head, and complicates everything. If you love tennis, this will be your favorite Walden book. If you don't love tennis, it will be on the list just the same! HB, good condition XL, with a good DJ. $4.00 Three Loves Has Sandy (Walden) 1955. I've just finished reading another book by Walden, and renewed my amazement at her writing -- she knows how to write about teen girls, animals, older people with lots of character (rather than the colorless adults that most authors describe in teen books) and of course, the course of true love, which never does run true! Sandy loves softball! Wyoming Bill loves horses. When they get together, each one teaches the other a lot! Horses, sports, and BOYS. a good paperback copy, $2 Go, Phillips, Go (Amelia E Walden) 1974. Another of those wonderful Walden sports stories about a girl with a boy's name, Pete. She has 7 brothers, and knows how to play basketball -- but something is going wrong this year. Sports, family, romance (of course) and as always, a well-written story. PB, Scholastic, $2.00 Go, Phillips, Go (Walden) hardcover edition with dust jacket, both book and DJ in fairly good cond. There's a nice list of more Walden stories on the back cover. HB, DJ, $4.50 ++++++End of books by Walden ++++++++++ More Maltshop books Ahead Senior Trip (Marjorie Holmes) 1962. Senior class vote to take a trip to Washington DC, but that's a long way from Iowa, and they have only $1 in the class treasury. The book takes them through the fund-raising process, and on to Washington! It's a lot of school-related fun, and, being a Maltshop about high school seniors, it's full of gentle but exciting romance, too. PB pretty good condition, $2.00 Don't Hurt Laurie (Willo Davis Roberts) 1977. Abused child has to learn to trust and to reach out for help. Very touching, wrenching story, but simply told for middle-grade readers. HB, XL, with DJ. Fair condition. Someone did a bit of scribbling in it, but nothing that keeps you from reading it. $2.00. The American Girl Library is SO good, and SO popular! They rarely stick around on my sale list for more than a day. This series includes short stories originally published in American Girl Magazine in the prime Maltshop years, some from other magazines of those same years, and also several books of advice and other subjects of interest to the teen girl from the 50's (and to us, of course!) They're good-looking books, too. American Girl book of Sports Stories (American Girl Library)10 stories from American Girl Magazine between 1949 and 1965. As you can imagine, there are other interesting themes to all these stories, as well as the sports slant. The stories (as in all the American Girl library books) have a Maltshoppy feeling. Large PB, $2.00 American Girl Book of Horse Stories (American Girl Library) Selected by the editors of American Girl Magazine, and illustrated by famed horse artist, Sam Savitt. These 10 stories first appeared between 1946 and 1963. You've probably heard of many of the authors, including the most well-known, Janet Lambert. Nice large HB with a happy, horse-riding girl on the cover. Inside front and back covers, there is the American Girl Library motif of a charm bracelet, charms showing a dog, pennant, soda (malt) with 2 straws, heart, phone, juke box, jalopy, skate, and a lot more Maltshop era teen symbols. $4.00 (2) MORE MALTSHOP AND OTHER TEEN NOVELS AHEAD: Sister of the Quints (Stella Pevsner) 1987. What an interesting plot! She's been an only child up to this point, now her father and step-mother have QUINTS! From that time on, she's known as "sister of the quints" and worse, she has to help with them instead of having fun with her friends and playing after-school sports. It doesn't seem at all glamorous, as it was at the very beginning. How can she ever be herself again? Written for early teens, but I loved it! There is a sequel about one of the quints, but I haven't found another copy to share. HB, XL, DJ, fair condition. $2.00 Denise Cass Brookman wrote several very romantic Maltshop books. I think if she'd written quite a few more, she could be one of the most well-known and best-loved of Maltshop authors. I'll try to have more Brookman books very soon. Jeannette Eyerly, who died last year (if you get Whispered Watchword, you probably read my short eulogy to her) was know for bridging the difference between the Maltshop era and the much more modern, graphic depiction of true tragedies that are typical of teen books from the period following the Maltshops. I have read her books, they are well written and keep your attention. They're just not as comfy as earlier books for teen girls. When died at 100, and there were many complimentary articles about her role as go-between in teen literature. Enough Maltshop elements to make us happy, enough newer elements for those of you who grew up in the '60s and '70s. I'll have more Eyerly books in the future! The Girl Inside (Eyerly) 1968. Girl faces several tragic situations, and has to figure out how to grow out of the frightened and sad girl inside, before she can face her life without depression. PB, $1.25 Cress Delahanty (Jessamyn West) Parts of this book were published earlier, in various magazines including Lady's Home Journal and The New Yorker. It was compiled as a novel about 1953. At the beginning, Cress is 12, and yearning to be a poet. Progress in the next section, when she fights with a boy! Continues (season by season) up to her first year in college. In between, all the sweet, innocent, Maltshop elements. Full of humor of my favorite kind -- subtle, tongue-in-cheek, situational. California ranch setting. This, I think, is a book aimed at adults, but I read it as a teen, and absolutely loved it -- loved it again when I read it as an adult. Author of The Friendly Persuasion, which was made into a movie when I was in love with Pat Boone -- who starred in the movie and sang that beautiful song. But I digress! Dust jacket and chapter head illustrations by Joe Krush. HB, XL, moderately good condition with pretty good DJ, $3.00 Escape from Nowhere (Eyerly) 1969. She comes from a rich family, but they are what we soon started calling "dysfunctional" and the girl doesn't function too well herself, in the face of it all. She goes through a lot before she turns her life around. Berkley Highland PB, $1.25 LOTS MORE MALTSHOP TYPE BOOKS TO COME! The Flea Market Mystery (Virginia B. Evansen)1978. Right up my alley -- lots of the action takes place at a Flea Market! The kids aren't looking for books, but for handmade items that senior citizens made, which were stolen and are being resold. Not only did they stake out a flew market, but they had a yard sale to make money for the seniors who had been robbed -- even more up my alley than a flea market! California setting, with plenty of good Mexican food being eaten. HB, XL, with nice DJ, everything in good condition. $2.50 Have you discovered Elisabeth Friermood? She may have written one book that you could honestly call a Maltshop, but all her books appeal to the same people that love the MS books. Most of her books haveistorical settings, particularly within a couple of decades of the early 1900s. Her books usually feature plucky girls who either fight for the right to have careers, or just plain work at them. I love several of them very much, especially One of Fred's Girls, which I don't have for sale at this time. But all of them are engrossing, never heavy, full of interesting details and fun. If they took place in mid-20th century, they would be called Maltshops or Career-romances! A few of her books take place in contemporary times, and they're excellent, too. I'll add more Friermood books as soon as I possibly can! Molly's Double Rainbow 1966. One of the books Friermood wrote about the current year, as it takes place in 1965. Girl's father is given a teaching job in Hawaii, and the girl is avid to get to this lovely place and start college there. I don't know how much Hawaii has changed in the past 46 years, but I'm sure it's still as beautiful as Molly found it to be. Good condition HB, XL, with a good DJ, $5.00 Focus the Bright Land (Elisabeth Hamilton Friermood) 1967. Girl goes on a summer trip with her father and brothers, who are traveling photographers. She wants to work with them, but they don't think a female can take pictures! I guess she shows THEM a thing or two! But politely and carefully, as befits a girl in the late 1800's. Another wonderful story by one of the 2 historical-novel-authors that I can't resist (the other is Patricia Beatty) HB, PC, XL, in good condition. $4.00 (2 copies) The Wind Blows Free (Loula Grace Erdman) this could be listed under series book, or malts, but it's really a historical novel as much as either of those things. There are 3 books in the Pierce family series, this is the first, and the story of Melinda, who is 14 at the beginning. The family has just moved to the Texas panhandle, in the 1890s. HB, XL, with a DJ, all in fair condition. $2.50 Many A Voyage (Loula Grace Erdman)1960. This is the story of Fanny Ross, wife of Senator Edmund G. Ross of Kansas. She followed him around the country and helped him in his newspaper business, then in his political career. He was either famous or imfamous, depending on your point of view, and was written up in Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy. Quoting the jacket flap -- "Many a Voyage is the remarkable story of one woman's odyssey in following her husband through the most trying years of America's past..." It's a novel, but author tried to be true to all the facts that she could find in much research. Covers years between 1848-1889. HB with DJ, XL copy in fairly good condition. $2.50 Many a Voyage (Erdman) in a pretty good hardcover, no DJ -- $1.50 TEENS' and CHILDREN'S MYSTERIES Many Excellent Young Adult Mysteries!!!!******** If you have been reading Richard ZainEldeen's articles in The Whispered Watchword for the past few years, you will know about a lot of these old children's mysteries. I love this genre. A lot of them are similar to "maltshops" in that they deal with young people's personalities as well as the actual mysterious happenings. Most of them have a strong sense of setting, interesting locales or situations. SO ... MANY BOOKS IN THE MYSTERY SECTION ARE "MALTSHOP MYSTERIES" THAT WILL PROBABLY APPEAL TO THE SAME PEOPLE AS THE MALTSHOP BOOKS. MOST WERE WRITTEN IN THE APPROXIMATE SAME ERA AS THE MS BOOKS, AND WITH MANY OF THE SAME ELEMENTS. AND THEY WERE WRITTEN FOR TEEN GIRLS, AS THE MALTSHOP BOOKS WERE! I'VE READ MOST OF THEM AND CAN RECOMMEND THEM HIGHLY. THE MALTSHOP MYSTERIES ARE NOT SEPARATE, BUT MIXED WITH THE OTHER MYSTERIES, SINCE THE DIVIDING LINE IS NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR-CUT! PLEASE ENJOY ALL THESE YOUNG ADULT MYSTERIES. What Happened to Amy? (Jane Edwards) 1961. Girl gets a job helping a woman author of of mysteries, and runs into a mystery of her own -- what happened to the author's former secretary? Will the same thing happen to her? Career, mystery, romance! Scholastic PB, $1.50 Mystery of the Inca Cave (Lilla M. Waltch) 1968. Ancient caves, modern criminals. A very good Scholastic book, taking place in the Peruvian Andes. Fairly good cond PB, $1.50 The Ice Ghosts Mystery (Jane Louise Curry) 1972. Green Turtle Mystery (Ellery Queen, Jr) 1944. OK, there wasn't really anyone named Ellery Queen, so of course there wasn't any nephew named EQ Jr (Djuna) but it's a lot of fun to pretend or even believe that both of these people did exist. And this mystery is also a lot of fun. I've loved these teen mysteries, many with a color in their titles, almost as long as I've loved Queen's adult mysteries. Scholastic paperback, very good condition, $2.50 Mystery of the Vanished Victim (Ellery Queen Jr) 1962. This book features Gully, another nephew of Ellery Queen, who lives with him in the city, and takes over Queen's cases when Uncle Ellery is away. This time, he teams up with a Sikh boy from Jalpuri, and a mynah bird, to say nothing of Police Inspector Queen, Ellery's father. 3-generation mystery solvers! Nice hardcover book with an exciting picture cover. $4.00 Mystery of the Island Fires (Elaine Macmann Willoughby)1991. Weekly Readers Book Club small hardcover book with cover picture of some very frightened children. Sister and brother find a mystery when they get to their summer cottage on the New Hampshire coast. The mother opens an antique shop and the kids try to figure out who is starting fires. $2.00 Don't Look Behind you (Lois Duncan) 1989. This is really different -- and exceedingly hard to put down once you start. The family's life changes in a second, when they are shunted into the Witness Protection Program. They can't let anyone know where they are, even their relatives -- or the girl's boyfriend, which is what starts even more trouble. Not a cute little lightweight romance, but just right for a teen (or for me.) Duncan, of course, is a major YA writer, and she knows what she's doing, for sure. PB, good cond, $2.00 MYSTERY, MYSTERY, MYSTERY -- MORE COMING UP! Mystery at Deer Hill (Virginia Frances Voight) 1958. Wonderful Maine setting! Somewhat spoiled girl has to give up her usual summer at the shore with the smart young set, for a summer deep in the woods that she hates and fears, near Bear Paw, Maine (ed note: as far as I know, this is a totally fictional town!) with her young aunt. This story is a cross between Catherine Woolley's Libby books, and The Seagulls Woke me -- the girl is quickly in love with the woods and the boy next door. But is he involved with illegal activity? The mystery is pretty easy to solve, but the story is excellent. PB, $2.00 (2) Brains Benton mysteries are funny, fascinating, and usually in very nice shape. Each one has a humorous picture on the cover, and this cover is bright and attractive. Here are a bunch of Brains! Brains Benton #1 -- Missing Message 1959 Good condition! $3.00 Brains Benton #2 -- Case of the Counterfeit Coin 1960. Good condition! $2.00 Brains Benton #3 -- The Case of the Stolen Dummy, 1961. Good condition, bright and clean picture cover. $2.50 Brains Benton #5 -- Case of the Waltzing Mouse --1961. Very good condition! $2.50 Brains Benton #6 -- Painted Dragon -- 1961. Very good condition! $3.00 Indian Ghost Mystery (Bonnie Highsmith Taylor) 1986. Girl's mother is pregnant, the girl and her brother get on her nerves! So they go to their grandparents' farm for the summer, and have quite the adventures. PB, very good cond, $1.50 MORE MYSTERIES AHEAD!!! Tree House Island (Scott Corbett) 1959. The 2 men claim to be ornithologists, and keep everyone away from Tree House Island, presumably to keep people from scaring away the rare birds. But why did they work by night, and even more strange, why did they need a gun? Nice map included, and very friendly illustrations. The cover is especially attractive -- if you love tree houses and moon-lit islands. This author wrote a number of other good mysteries including Cutlass Island, involving the same kids that solve the mystery of Tree House Island. HB, XL, good cond, with a good DJ. $3.50 Mystery of Mordach Castle (William MacKellar) 1970. You'll think you've taken a trip to scotland when you're reading this book! This book takes place in modern (1970) times, so it's probably more myth than truth, but it deals with old feuds, old legends, mysterious lights in a castle, and tinkers (gypsies.) Whether it's in the least true, it's a very good story, and I especially like the relationship that develops between the boy who wants to win the biggest race of the year, and the gypsy boy who lives in a tent and has nothing but his nice personality. You'll like the way they team up to figure out what's really going on in the castle! HB book, picture cover, very good condition, $2.50 Mystery Horse (Margaret Goff Clark) 1972. What a good title, combining 2 things that kids love to read about -- mystery and horses! And in case you're thinking that you don't want to read a whole book about learning to ride, falling off, getting back on, and entering a race -- this is a different horse story. It's a mystery, it takes place on an Indian reservation, and features some very nice teenagers, including one non-Indian girl who is boarding for the summer with a family there. It's a mystery, for sure, but also full of community fun, some teen problems, and a bit of romance. Scholastic PB, good condition, $2.00 (2 copies available.) The Silver Spoon Mystery (Dorothy Sterling) 1958. One of the things that's most fun about this book, is that a lot of the action takes place in an old, classic library building. Silver spoons are stolen from the display case, and the Hill Gang (much nicer than they sound -- they're neighborhood kids) are following the clues. A vintage electric car is important in the story, being driven by lady of about the same vintage as the car. Enjoy this cute book! PB, $2.00 Secret of the Old Post Box (Dorothy Sterling) illustrations by Grace Paull. 1960. Dorothy Sterling wrote a lot of fiction and non-fict books, listed at the front of this book. I think Silver Spoon mystery and Old Post Box are her best or at least most favorite. In this one, there's a girl who moves to the suburbs from New York City, and loves her new home very much -- even before the mystery appears! Hidden treasure! SEcret codes! A mystery going back to Revolutionary times! Ghosts??? Nice mystery, attractive spooky illustrations, good kids having fun. It's a former library book, sturdy enough, a few of the pages are stained. HB, XL, with laser copy of the original DJ showing 6 kids exploring a very ancient-looking fireplace. $4.00 LOTS AND LOTS MORE MYSTERIES AHEAD!!! Mysteries by Elizabeth Honness are superb! They usually center around a very interesting subject (care to read about a doll hospital, for instance?) and include both girls and boys. Usually you'll learn something about history while you read these books. No formula-writing, not terribly scary, but compellingly written for kids of maybe 10 to 14. And happily read by me when I crave a really good juvenile mystery. I don't come across them too often, but I'll try to have some more for you very soon. Mystery of the Maya Jade (Elizabeth Honness) 1971. From the DJ flap "Toby Burns never expected to meet a very special girl on the top of a Maya pyramid in the jungles of Guatemala. Nor did Pam have any thought of meeting a spceial boy!" Well, that's a clue that this mystery includes some romance, too. But it's certainly a mystery story, too, and a very exotic one. The back DJ flap has a picture of Ms. Honness herself, in front of a Mayan ruin in Guatemala, so she knows her subject first-hand. This is a HB, former library copy, with the DJ pasted down to form a sort of picture-cover edition. It looks very nice, anyway. Dramatic cover picture HB, XL, PC, $3.50 Mystery of the Pirate's Ghost (Elizabeth Honness) 1966. New Haven CT setting. As so many lucky people do in old books, the mother inherits a mansion full of antiques, from relatives who are so far removed that there isn't any grief or guilt at benefitting from their demise. The family moves to the old place, and before long, they run straight into a mystery. Great descriptions of a wonderful old house, full of the requisite secrets. Excellent story, great Beth and Joe Krush pictures. HB, Picture cover, in excellent condition. $4.00 Mystery of the Pirate's Ghost, HB, has all the interior illustrations by Beth and Joe Krush! $3.00 What Janie Found (Caroline B. Cooney) 2000. Fourth in a very exciting mystery series, which starts with the famous "Face on the Milk Carton." One of the most interesting things about this series is that when you finish each one, you think you've solved the entire story of what happened to Janey and her families. Then there is the "onion-peeling" phenomenon, and you find that there are more layers beneath what you thought was solid ground. Just as Janie found out. Since there hasn't been another book since this one came out 10 years ago, maybe everything is finally straightened out. In any case, I was caught up in each of the books in turn, and this one just as much as the others. HB, XL, with nice DJ, $3.00 The Curse of Ravenscourt (A Samantha Mystery) American Girl book by Sarah Masters Buckey. A Victorian era mystery. These American Girl Mysteries are a lot longer and more involved than the books that come with the dolls -- this one is 173 pages long, involving a dangerous elevator, a possibly fake "medium" and a lot of vaguely possibly supernatural occurances, and of course Samantha does her part in exposing the truth. Historical notes and photos at the end of the text. Very nice paperback copy. $2.00 MANY MORE YOUNG ADULT MYSTERIES COMING UP!!! The Case of the Threatened King (Robert Newman) 1982. Andrew Tilbert has to figure out what could have happened to his friend (and partner in solving many mysteries) Sara Wiggins. She never returned from dancing class, and even Scotland Yard can't seem to find her. Then another girl disappears, and Sara proves that she can work with Andrew even when they aren't together. Political and international intrigue. HB, XL, very good condition, with fine DJ. $3.00 Dig Here (Gladys Allen) 1937. Maybe it's a pre-Maltshop YA novel, maybe it's a mystery, who cares -- it's a bit of both, and great fun to read. Girl and her boarding school roommate spend the summer with the girl's unknown aunt (her parents are abroad for a long period) in "a New England village." They expect to be bored by a narrow-minded old woman and a quiet town, but life has a few big surprises in store for the girls. Including a mysterious well, a cat, and a switched suitcase, and some teenagers who don't seem to be too repressed by living in a small town! HB, small picture on the cover. fair condition but firm and clean, $2.50 HELEN FULLER ORTON -- When I was in grade school, it was really not too easy for us to find good mysteries in the library (of course they didn't stock Nancy Drew or Judy Bolton in their children's room.) Helen Fuller Orton books were their very best mysteries for young readers, and I read them over and over again, no matter that I knew the endings by heart. Friendly kids from happy homes, but able to help less fortunate people (lonely kids, desperate old folk, neglected animals.) When I need something truly satisfying and simple to read, I still re-read Orton's books. Most of them were illustrated by Robert Doremus, who knew just how to draw the nice children in the stories! I'll add more as soon as I can. Mystery Over the Brick Wall (Helen Fuller Orton) 1951. Wow, I've enjoyed reading this book several times. Brother and sister move to a new huse in the city, hoping to find some friends there. But the big house behind theirs, is shuttered and empty -- or is it? They get permission to play in the yard on the other side of the wall, and start to see mysterious things at the big house. The hurricane has an amazing aftermath. HB, XL, in good condition with a better-than-usual printed picture cover. $3.50 Mystery in the Old Red Barn (Helen Fuller Orton) 1952. Girl goes to the barn to fill a basket with the apples they store in there, and hears -- a sneeze! No one wants to believe her, but soon enough, other mysterious things happen. No more clues from me, but another mystery is whether the kids will ever get a horse of their own. HB, XL, PC, all in nice condition. $4.00 Mystery in the Pirate Oak (Helen Fuller Orton) 1949. Orton's mysteries are short, sweet and nostalgic. This one stars 2 nice children who try to help an older neighbor find a treasure, and also befriend a lonely boy. Aimed at young readers, but heartening for the rest of us. I love the cover picture, 2 kids in cute clothes from the '50s, up on a platform in the most wonderful old tree that you ever saw! Tree climbing was an obsession with me for many years, and this one would have been a dream come true for me. good condition PB, $2.00. Fair condition pb, $1 End of books by Helen Fuller Orton MORE MYSTERIES AHEAD! ******************************************* Annette Turngren wrote some of the VERY BEST mysteries for girls. Each one has a different and interesting setting, and includes the elements of a Maltshop as well as a complex mystery story. I'm close to positive that you would really like any of them! I'll include more books by Annette Turngren as soon as I can! Mystery of Hidden Village (Turngren) 1951. You can tell this is going to be exciting as soon as you look at the DJ -- a boy and a girl in the desert, looking with horror at something happening in a mesa or mountain next to them. The picture wraps around to the back, where there's a twisted desert tree amid a very desolate scene. Turngren's mysteries are close to The Best -- I've loved all of them. Now I add the Arizona setting, which makes this one even closer to the best. Mysterious notes showing up, a buried Indian pueblo, an hitch-hiker with a secret. HB, XL, rather worn, somewhat stained, but hardy. Has a laser copy of our original DJ, with that picture I described to make it look very nice. $4.00 Augusta Huiell Seaman's books have been very favorably reviewed in some recent issues of Whispered Watchword. Her vintage books are always interesting, and were very popular in the 30s through 50s. These vintage mysteries are always interesting!!! Often a nice Carolina shore setting. Sorry if there aren't any Seaman books at this time. I'll list more just as soon as I can get them. Paperback mysteries by Augusta Huiell Seaman: The Mystery of the Old Violin (Seaman) hardcover title: The Inn of the Twin Anchors 1932. Girl's family runs an Inn in a secluded seaside location. When 2 young people stay with them, the 3 kids have to solve several mysteries. Cute, fun, and has some nice illustrations. PB, $2.25 Worn copy of Mystery of the Old Violin -- has one more "good read" in it. $1.00 Snowshoe Mountain Lodge (Lisa Eisenberg) 1987. This is one of a nice series of 3 mysteries about Kate Clancy, who manages to get to some interesting locations like this ski lodge and Cape Cod -- and always runs into mysteries. A veritable Nancy Drew! These books appeal to Nancy's fans including me! PB, good condition, $2.00 The Mystery of the Great Swamp (Marjorie A. Zapf) 1967. Okefenokee swamp setting. Boy explores the swamp in his boat, with his pup. This book might appeal more to boys than girls, but if you enjoy wilderness adventure, wild and tame animals (including a pet alligator!) and a totally unexpected and amazing mystery, this is your book. HB, with a PC, in almost new condition -- $3.00 HB, PC, moderately good condition, $2.50 Mystery of the Great Swamp in a PB, $1.50 MORE MYSTERIES AHEAD -- INCLUDING MORE MALTSHOP MYSTERIES, AND BOOKS BY PHYLLIS A. WHITNEY AND MANY OTHERS!!! Mystery of the Lobster Thieves (Elaine Macmann Willoughby) 1978. this is a Weekly Reader Children's Book Club edition, written for pre-teens. Nice hardcover copy, with a creepy cover picture of 2 children in a boat, just off the shore of a place that looks like all the lobster villages on the coast of Maine. However, this one takes place a little south of here, on the NH coast. Family moves to a little house on an island, where they have a great time until the lobster thefts start up and the children decide to solve the mystery. HB, PC, $2.00 Three Stuffed Owls (Keith Robertson) 1954. The Carson Street Detective Agency start out to try to find a stolen bicycle, but that was just the beginning! This is a humorous story, but and actually the 2nd in a series about these young people, who "recently" solved the mystery of Burnt Hill. XL HB in good condition, with a very good DJ. $2.50 The Vandals of Treason House (Nancy Veglahn) 1974. 4 CT teens are convicted of vandalism, their reformatory sentence is suspended if they each write a long essay about vandalism, and put in 100 hours of community service repairing the damage they caused. While they're doing it, they learn to appreciate the historical old house they're working on, and when it's going to be torn down for "progress" they work to save it. Most of the sleuthing is historical, but I've never read any other book anything like it. Good story! HB, picture cover, $1.50 MANY MORE YA MYSTERIES COMING RIGHT UP! The Fireball Mystery (Mary Adrian) 1977. Adrian wrote a whole lot of YA mysteries, many with a scientific background, like this one about kids searching for a meteorite that they saw, falling from the sky. Weekly Reader Book Club HB with PC. $2.00 Mystery of the Dinosaur Bones (Mary Adrian) 1965. Three children go to Utah to spend their vacation digging up dinosaurs and mysteries. Even if you know a lot about dinosaurs, and even though this book was written for intermediate readers, you'll still learn a lot. The author wrote very popular mysteries that include nature, science, and very good reading. HB, PC, fair condition, $2.00 Two HB mysteries by Hal G. Evarts. Popular books for boys, good condition for former library books. The titles are "The Secret of the Himalayas" (1962) with a picture cover, and "The Pegleg Mystery" (1972) with a dust jacket. "Fine, fast-paced adventure" according to the description inside the books. 2 mysteries -- $4.50 for both of them. The Eisenbart Mystery (Roger Pilkington) 1963. Mainly for boys, but of course anyone can read it. Boy and family escape from East Germany, after a hard life including other escapes. Complicated plot, lots of adventures and new friendships. HB, XL, $2.00 Mystery Mountain (Florence Laughlin) 1964. Arizona setting. Both girl and boy characters. 2 boys, strangers, look like twins. Lost gold mines, trail rides into the desert, research into the past. HB, exciting PC, nice condition from Young America Book Club. $3.00 The Mysterious Schoolmaster (Anckarsvard) Translated from the Swedish, this book is one of a series that are very popular and enjoyable, mild and "cozy" type of mysteries about a group of school kids. In this one, the girl and boy start to notice things about their physics teacher, who is acting very mysterious and sneaky. They follow him, trying to stay undercover, but eventually get into some real danger. Nice that there are both boy and girl characters! This copy is a former library hardcover, with a nice picture cover showing a boy hiding behind a wall, watching a bicycling dark man, with the ocean in the background. Original Swedish version is from 1955. $3.00 The Mysterious Schoolmaster (Karin Anckarsvard) One of the good stories about the children of Nordvik, Sweeden. As you've guessed, this one centers around the school. We've all had some pretty wierd teachers, but could this one actually be a crook? PB in good condition, $2.00 The Robber Ghost (Karin Anckarsvard) 1955. Continuing the adventures of the same girl and boy that you've met in The Mysterious Schoolmaster, involving them in solving the mysterious disappearance of a large amount of money. And at the same time, the appearance of a ghost. Could these things be related? HB, XL but in great cond, with a very good DJ. $3.50 ADDITIONAL MYSTERIES AHEAD!! BIG LOT FROM THE YOUNG READERS BOOKSHELF. Here are 4 books from a very long series of short stories for boys and girls, all from the early 1950s. The stories are predominantly about boys, and the DJ pictures all show boys, but some of the stories are by women, and some of them feature girls. All of them are fun to read; I know because I read them! All 4 of these books are in very good condition, with DJs (one dj is slightly creased.) They would make a nice gift for a 4th or 5th grade reader, or for an animal- or sports- lover. My theory is that the books feature boys because girls are happy to read stories about boys, but boys are prejudiced against reading stories about girls! Just my theory .... Plenty of illustrations in each book. The books are: 1. Young Readers' Mystery Stories (Charles Coombs) 1951. Illustrated by Charles Geer -- you'll recognize his style! There are 6 short mysteries in this book. About 5-6 grade level reading. I don't know if the endpapers have anything to do with the book, I think they are the same for all the books in this series. These illustrations are very attractive, and feature a girl and a boy running through the woods. They're one of the things that lead me to think that these stories are for girls, too. DJ has some folds, but on the whole, it's a sturdy book. 2. Young Readers Dog Stories (edited by A. L. Furman) 9 short stories by well-known dog authors. The book is in nearly new condition, with just an inscription on the 3rd page. Excellent DJ has an adorable picture of a boy and a pup. 3. Young Readers Baseball Stories by Charles Coombs. 5 stories. More than just descriptions of games, there are back-stories about the players and their emotions. Book and DJ in very good condition, 4. Young Readers Football Stories by Charles coombs. 7 stories, similar to the ones I described in the Baseball volume. Again, a good DJ over a very good book. Four Young Readers Bookshelf books, these look wonderful! $9.00 for all 4. The Ghost in the Noonday Sun (Sid Fleischman) 1965. This is more of an adventure story than an actual mystery, but I didn't know where else to put it. If you read it as a kid, you'll love to relive this incredible tale of pirates and other villians, and the boy who outfoxed them all! HB, XL, PC, good cond. $2.00 MYSTERIES BY PHYLLIS A. WHITNEY always involve a girl who goes to an interesting, unusual setting, finds a mystery, and meets a boy. Together they solve the mystery! These aren't romances, but stories of close friendship. These stories are very nice, very friendly and readable. Try one of them, and I'd be very surprised if you didn't want to read more of them right away. I'll try to have more of them very soon! Mystery of the Golden Horn (Whitney) 1962. Girl has flunked her courses, so she is sent for the summer, to stay with her professor father in Istanbul, Turkey while her mother recovers from an accident, and her domineering aunts have a vacation from taking care of this difficult teenager! The mystery revolves around a missing valuable pin, shaped like a golden horn. Gypsies, an unusual setting (it wouldn't be the same now, for sure)and another of Whitney's mystery/maltshop stories. HB, XL, with a good DJ. $4.00 Secret of the Tiger's Eye (Whitney) 1961. Girl takes a trip through South Africa, with her journalist father and the son of her father's editor -- a boy who has NO imagination, while the girl has more than her share, or so people tell her. Which one will solve the mystery of a tiger who shouldn't be where the girl sees it? HB, XL book has quite a bit of wear, but has a DJ that looks very nice. $4.00 Secret of the Samurai Sword (Phyllis A. Whitney) 1958. Girl and her brother travel to Japan (from California) and find -- a mystery, a ghostly spirit, and some lovely friends. You can depend on Whitney to explore people's lives along with their mysteries. PB in excellent cond, $2.50 Secret of the Samurai Sword (Whitney) hardcover edition in fairly good condition -- it's a former library book with a nice picture cover, and strong firm binding. There's a little wear to the bottom of the spine and pencil writing along the exterior page block -- actually a little bit amusing and nostalgic. $3.00 MORE Mysteries by Phyllis A. Whitney -- Mystery of the Crimson Ghost (Whitney) 1969. Girl wants a horse more than anything else in the world, but lives in town and can't have one -- until they go to spend the summer in rural New Jersey. Horse country, she hopes! The horse, and the mystery, appear before the first chapter is finished. A weird family, secrets, a ruined old house -- it's all plenty interesting enough to keep you reading avidly. I have 2 paperback copies of the book, one in very good condition for $2.00 and one that's somewhat worn for $1.00. Mystery of the Green Cat (Whitney) 1957. This is a mystery, yes, but my favorite thing about it is the story of blending 2 families. Widowed mother with 2 girls marries a widowed father with twin boys. Everyone moves together into a large old house in San Francisco, but nothing is Sweetness and Light. The older girl is a little shy, one of the boys is very unwelcoming. It takes a mystery in a nearby house, to start things going right. Whitney was the mistress of creating strong and believable, well-differentiated characters. This is a perfect example. Don't be fooled by the fact that she wrote dozens and dozens of books, or that they are widely available. They are treasures anyway! PB, good cond, $2.00 Another copy of Green Cat, fair condition -- $1.00 Mystery of the Strange Traveler (Whitney) 1951. Sisters go to stay with their aunt on Staten Island, where they are drawn to the mysterious (of course!) house next door, more of a castle than a regular house. One of the most interesting things about this book is that the aunt is just about to open a book shop! Paperback book in good condition, $2.50. Secret of the Emerald Star (Phyllis A. Whitney) 1964. The Star is an emerald, and that's just the beginning of a very mysterious story! For starters, there's a spooky old woman who seems to be holding a girl captive in her old mansion! Like all the Whitney mysteries the girl in this one becomes involved in helping another young person, as well as solving a mystery. HB, XL, fairly good condition, with a very good and interesting DJ (DJ flaps are partly glued down.) $4.00 PB copy of Emerald Star in very good condition, #2.50 Another PB copy of Emerald Star in fair cond, $1.25 Secret of the Spotted Shell (Phyllis A. Whitney) 1967. Girl travels to the Virgin Islands to stay with cousins that she has never met. In fact, she doesn't meet them when she arrives, either. When she finally finds them with the help of the airline stewardess, the man is missing, and his wife has taken to her bed in shock. No one wants the girl, but she thinks she can figure out where her cousin has gone, and get the family back together. A valuable shell from her cousins's collection is a clue to the mystery. Neighboring boy joins her in the quest, and everyone (including the reader) learns a lot about shells while solving the mystery. HB, XL, DJ, all in very good condition. I really liked this story, as I guess I could say about all Whitney's YA mysteries. $5.00 Mystery of the Scowling Boy (Whitney) 1973. Girl is spending Christmas in a ski chalet in the PA Pocono Mountains. She discovers that a famous movie star and her son live next door! But the boy is really unfriendly and no fun at all. Something is very wrong in the strange house where the movie star wants to be friendly, but the boy and the housekeeper do whatever they can to keep people out. I love the parts where the girl and the movie star do get together and become good friends. Girl tries to solve whatever the mystery might be, and get that scowl off the boy's face! HB, good condition, XL, with a DJ in moderately good condition and attached to the inside covers of the book. If you could carefully unglue the DJ, the whole thing will be very nice, since the book is in such good condition. $3.75 Mystery of the Angry Idol (Whitney) 1965. "An ancient Chinese idol helps Jan solve an old family mystery." Girl has to move from CA to Mystic, CT to stay with her almost unknown grandmother and totally unknown great-grandmother for a year. If you've ever visited Mystic Seaport, you'll know that this isn't going to be a hardship, but you wouldn't have to contend with the cast of odd characters she lives with, and a scary mystery. Plus homesickness. HB, XL, pretty good condition, with a very good dust jacket. Nice illustrations, too. $5.00 Secret of the Missing Footprint (Whitney) 1970. Girl is very, very resentful when her parents go abroad on business, and she is taken to stay with relatives. New Jersey country setting, an 18th-century stone house where a mysterious neighbor seems threatening, and a strange boy sort of becomes a friend. Rock collecting, mystery, it's quite an interesting story! HB, XL, good condition, with a rather nice library picture cover. $4.00 End of mysteries by Phyllis A. Whitney ************************************** Wylly Folk St. John mysteries -- if you haven't tried them, I highly recommend that you try them! Set in various locations in the South, most are aimed at about 8-10th graders, but have a bit of Maltshop appeal in each one, though their dates are just a bit late for Maltshop era. I think maybe the innocence and simplicity of the true Maltshop, can be found in some later books written for younger readers. St. John's mysteries are VERY well written! I had often wondered whether Wylly was a female or male name -- just read a short bio of the author and found out that she's a "she." I'll try to list more Wyllie Folk St John books in a future sale. The Mystery Book Mystery (St. John) 1976. Teen girl takes a course in Mystery Writing, then is involved in a real murder case. She decides to write a book about this true mystery, and things get complicated! Interesting to read about a writers' conference and a murder investigation that's being studied by a group of professional writers. This book hs appeal for high-school age teens as well as the ages that most of St John's books are written for. HB, XL, with a very good and interesting DJ. $3.00 The Mystery of the Other Girl (St. John) 1971. Girl breaks up with her boyfriend, then she gets pulled into a mystery that involves him. She and her feisty brother feel that they have to get to the bottom of this curious mess. Romantic complications, as the mysterious "other girl" is desperately trying to get in touch with the same ex-boyfriend, who may be a pathological liar. School band, musical clues, I love it! Alabama setting. XL HB with good DJ. $4.00 Robin Gottlieb wrote quite a few mysteries for young teens, all of them with very interesting subjects and very clever plots. I'd certainly recommend them to fans of teen mysteries. Since that's one of my very favorite genres, you'll probably like these if you like most of the same books that I do! Mystery of the Silent Friends (Gottlieb) 1964. The Friends are very special dolls in the girl's father's antique shop. The girls find mystery and clues -- and all kinds of antiques to learn about. As a matter of fact, when I read one of Gottlieb's books, I usually learn interesting things about antiques! NY City setting. HB, XL, with a very nice DJ. $4.00 Mystery Aboard the Ocean Princess (Gottlieb) 1967. The cover gives you a clue to the human-interest side of this story -- a teen girl is invited on a cruise with her uncle, aunt, and cousin. The cousin turns out to have grown sophisticated and world-weary since the last time the girl had seen her. They just can't get along until --- the spate of art heists on land, seems to have gone to sea with them. The girls can run around the boat and not be noticed (see front cover again!) so they hear things that help them solve the mystery. And by working together, the cousins become good friends again. HB, XL, PC, all in very good cond. $4.50 MYSTERIES ABOUT JED, LIZA AND BILL, WRITTEN BY PEGGY PARISH. Peggy Parish wrote the Amelia Bedelia books, but she's more than a humorous writer about a maid who takes everything literally! This nice mystery series is about 3 children and various mysteries they solve while spending the summers at their grandparents' summer home on an island Some of the mysteries that they solve had puzzled their own father and his siblings when they were kids in the same area. Beautiful Paul Frame illustrations (he did the art for some of the Trixie books!) Key to the Treasure (Peggy Parish)1966. first the series. A nice hardback, with picture cover by Paul Frame -- $3 Key to the Treasure (Parish) XL HB with a very nice DJ. $3.00 Clues in the Woods (Peggy Parish) 1968. Paul Frame illustrations. In August, the kids are getting a little bored, after solving the original mystery. First they pick out a puppy for their grandparents (or for themselves?) and then they find another mystery to solve before they have to go home at the end of the summer. HB, XL, PC, $2.00 Pirate Island Adventure (Parish) 1975. Paul Frame illustrations. This summer, Liza, Bill and Jed are going with their grandparents, to Pirate Island! When they get there, Grampa gies them a clue to an old mystery, and they have to go all over the island to solve it. South Carolina setting. PB, good condition, $1.75 Haunted House (Peggy Parish) 1971. Very nice condition Collier Books paperback. Family buys their dream house, big place in the country -- but it turns out to be haunted! Or is it some sinister plot? The kids know how to follow clues and break codes, so they love this challenge. This edition does not have the Paul Frame illustrations, but I've hardly ever seen nicer paper in a pb book. $2.00 ------------------------------------------ MORE MYSTERIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS AHEAD!! Mystery of the Absent Neighbors (Ruth C. Wood) 1968. Brother and sister have barely arrived at their uncle's sheep farm, when they're warned not to go near the closed-up house. Apparently people are afraid of it, and strange things go on there. Mysterious guests are staying at the ranch, music being played in the night, panning for gold, and a conclusion that certainly surprised me. Very enjoyable. HB, XL, with a library printed picture cover, plus some nice internal illustrations. Good cond. $3.00 Mystery of the Haunted Hut (Mary Graham Bonner) 1950. Scholastic. Children spend the winter vacation in the small town where they usually go just for the summer -- they find crime and mystery! Good for boys and girls, as both figure in the story. Also good for adults, at least me! I have always liked this vintage book, since before it was "vintage!" very good copy, $2.00 Mystery of the Red Tide (Frank Bonham) California shore setting. Someone is trying to make trouble for Uncle Mike, a marine biologist. Can the kids figure out this mystery and help their beloved relative? Caves, interesting marine life, a couple of teen boys who might or might not be the trouble-makers -- or possibly just interested in what's going on. Lots of fun, featuring very smart boys and an even smarter (of course!) girl, 1966 XL DJ $2 Mystery of the Red Tide (Bonham) paperback copy, very good condition, $1.50 END OF YOUNG ADULT MYSTERY SECTION ----------------------------------------------------------------------- TEENS' AND CHILDREN'S NONFICTION These are books about subjects that I think you would be interested in -- Any that I've read myself, were well written and informative. Non-fiction is pretty much the only genre that I read besides Maltshops, teen mysteries, series books, and adult mysteries. Learn something! Have fun! The Story of the Trapp Family Singers (Maria Augusta Trapp) This is the original book that the movie "Sound of Music" was based on. Much more detail of Maria's life before, during and after the events in the movie. There's a lot about their life after coming to America, which is even more interesting to me than the Austrian scenes. By the way, there isn't a scary chase scene in an Abbey, but lots more about their family music-making, which was much more interesting to me. I LOVE their music, as I heard it on records "in the old days" and tapes in the slightly less old days. This is one of my all-time favorite books, and I'm reading it again (for the 4th? time) right now! Nice cover picture of the entire family. Large PB book, good cond, $2.50 Yesterday, Today, and Forever: The Religious Life of a Remarkable Family (Maria Augusta Trapp) 1966. This is no "Sound of Music" with singing nuns and dancing marionettes -- the whole book is about the family's religion. PB, good condition, $1.50 The Great Doctors (Robert Silverberg) 1964. The kind of book that makes you VERY glad you live when you do, and not when some of these doctors were trying to figure out how to prevent and treat diseases. Short biographies of many of the greatest doctors throughout history. Scholastic PB, fairly good cond, $1.50 MORE NON-FICTION AHEADE-mail us
Louisa May Alcott, Her Life (Catherine Owens Peare) Illustrated by Margaret Ayer. 1954. This biography is for perhaps middle-grade readers. It's a very nice story, perhaps whitewashed a bit, but all a 4th-6th grader needs to know about the complicated life of this beloved author. In very good condition, with a few attractive illustrations. HB, small picture on cover, $2.00 Martha, Daughter of Virginia (Marguerite Vance)1947. A very nice book by an author who also wrote quite a few other bio's of women, all written for young adults. Hooray for her, in an era when women weren't thought to be nearly as important as their husbands! This is the story of Martha Washington, and it's beautifully and respectfully done. The illustrations are especially lovely; have you heard of Nedda Walker? I hadn't, but I do like these pictures a lot. Nice biography. HB, XL, good condition, with a DJ that has only a couple of very small missing pieces. I think they're where the former library stickers were, and someone cut them out. Otherwise, a very good dust jacket with a picture of a sprightly, energetic-looking young woman on horseback. $3.00 Eleanor Roosevelt (Jeanette Eaton) 1956. Probably written for high-school age readers, this large volume covers Mrs. Roosevelt's entire life up to that point, with a lot of pictures and a bibliography. XL hardcover has had some use, but it's a sturdy library bound book and will easily hold up to more readings. $2.00 Forest Fire! (Frances Judge) illustrated by Jo Polseno. 1962. Author lived with her ranger husband and their kids, in National Forests and parks, so she knows what she's writing about. The HB book is in very good condition, with a very good condition DJ. History of fire, fire prevention and fire fighting, safety rules, reforestation. Lots of nice drawings, quite a few photos (including Smokey the Bear as a cute cub.) Good reference book for middle-grade homeschoolers or anyone who wants to write a report -- or learn about forest fires. 1st ed. $2.50 To Dance, To Dream (Maxine Drury) a nice Whitman book, 1965, with true stories of great dancers from early times to the present. Nice line-illustrations. Pretty picture on the cover, a ballerina and a dreaming girl. Fairly good cond HB, $1.50 END OF NON-FICTION SECTION, THOUGH YOU WILL FIND NON-FICTION IN OTHER PLACES ON THIS LIST! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FICTION BOOKS OF MANY KINDS, INCLUDING: A FEW BIG LOTS HISTORICAL NOVELS, MUSIC AND POETRY BOOKS FOR LITTLE CHILDREN FOLK STORIES, ANIMAL STORIES AND LOTS OF OTHER TYPES OF FICTION BOOKS!! SOME OF THESE BOOKS WERE WRITTEN FOR ADULTS, BUT THEY'RE APPROPRIATE FOR OLDER CHILDREN A series of 3 books about a pony, written by Henry Larom -- all attractive small Scholastic editions with interesting cover pictures, moderately good condition. Mountain Pony Mountain Pony and the Pinto Colt Mountain Pony and the Rodeo Mystery 3 Mountain Pony books for $5.00 Winter Camp (Kirkpatrick Hill) 1993. I have always liked reading stories about people who have to survive under very harsh circumstances. Robinson Crusoe, for instance. But RC never had to try to survive when he was only a child, in a cabin deep in Alaska, in the winter, when temperatures go to 55 below. About orphaned brother and sister (from a previous book called Toughboy and Sister) who have to do just that, when their adult caregiver has to leave them alone for a long time. Don't read this if you tend to get cold just reading about winter, but otherwise, it's a very fine story, originally written for middle-grade readers, but I liked it very, very much. HB, XL, DJ, all in very good condition, with a lovely cover picture on the DJ. $2.00 MORE FICTION BOOKS -- The Story of Grizel (Elisabeth Kyle) 1961. Author of all those wonderful mysteries set in Scotland, changed her focus to write this historical novel. Of course there's plenty of mystery in here, too! Girl has to take on a very dangerous mission, to help her family and her country. HB, pretty girl on the printed library cover, good condition. $2.00 If Jesus Came to My House (Joan Gale Thomas) 1951. Original edition of this cute little book, set to poetry, with adorable and simple illustrations. I think this is a reproduction of the original, but that's just my conjecture since the only date is 1951. There was another edition after the original, but this is the one I like because it's so cozy. Picture book HB with DJ. $1.50 3 books by Beverly Cleary -- if you're looking for a little present to give to an early reader, give them Ramona and her friends! PB books in pretty good cond, at least 2 of them have the original interior illustrations. Covers are newer but humorous. The books are Ramona and her Father Mitch and Amy Ellen Tibbits 3 pb books by Cleary -- $3.50 for all 3 MORE FICTION BOOKS FOR ADULTS AND YOUNG ADULTS AHEAD 3 Katie John books by Mary Calhoun. 1960, 1961, 1963. Illustrated by Paul Frame, who illustrated many of the Trixie books, as well as others. What a good series! If you didn't read it when you were younger, here's a 2nd chance to read the first 3 books in a 4-book series. Katie John is impulsive, energetic, even, as one of the book jackets describes her, irrepressible! She gets into quite a few adventures! And there's plenty of humor, just look at the covers of these PB books and you'll know that -- especially the one that shows Katie John scowling, and writing "Boys are Repulsiv.." you have to imagine the last letter! The 3 books are Katie John, Depend on Katie John, and Honestly, Katie John! I've recently had a Katie John fest, reading all of the books in order and loving them again after all these years! 3 paperbacks in good condition, $4.50 The Wheel on the School (Meindert DeJohg) pictures by Maurice Sendak. Hardcover book with the Newbery Medal in foil on the cover. Personal copy, nice condition HB with a fairly good DJ. $2.00 2 books by Alice Ross Colver. Colver wrote Maltshops, YA series and Career books, but these are two of her adult novels. Written in 1944 and 1946, they are Triangle Books editions (low-priced HB editions of popular novels, with colorful DJ pictures.) The books are "Three Loves Are Mine" and "Fourways" (Fourways is the name of a large country house which is pictured on the cover.) They are both quite emotional stories of women who have to make choices in their love lives, families that live through turmoil (look at the dates when they were written.) They catch you up and make you keep reading, and you can understand why they were popular. 2 HB books by Alice Ross Colver, with pretty DJs -- $3.00 for both. Witches' Children (Patricia Clapp)1982. A teen-aged girl is one of the young ladies in 1692 Salem, who seem to become "possessed," having visions, yelling and thrashing around. An inside look at the events of that period, and their aftermath for one girl. Fascinating fiction, based on historical events. XL HB with DJ, showing a snowy village under huge trees. $1.00 MORE YOUNG ADULT AND ADULT FICTION COMING UP Hannah Herself (Ruth Franchere) Set in the 1830s, when a girl travels from CT to the Frontier (that is, Illinois) to visit her married sister. Things are different from what she was used to back home, but she wasn't wishy-washy, and soon adjusted to the extent that she started to work on what was amiss in the community -- including resistance when her brother-in-law started a boys' academy, opposition to education for girls, and anger among some citizens about hiding escaping slaves. A good story for girls who like to read about energetic and active female role models. And a lot of fun for historical-novel fans. HB, XL, in good condition, with a very pretty picture cover. $3.00 Mrs. Coverlet's Magicians (Mary Nash) 1961. Mrs Coverlet has to leave her young charges again, and if you happened to read the previous volume, you'll know that this spells -- well, if not disaster, then at least surprising adventure! A very humorous book, just the thing for cheering yourself up on a night when you can't quite get to sleep. You'll forget your troubles by the time you're halfway through the story. HB, XL, picture cover, all in very good condition. $3.00 MORE ASSORTED FICTION AHEAD -- Janey's Girl (Gayle Friesen) 1998. Girl and her mother drive across the country to visit her grandmother, whom she has never met. No one in the family is much for talking about anything personal, so she doesn't know anything about her family or even her own origins, especially her father. She dreams and thinks about him so often. She's studying piano, but has never before discovered that her mother used to be a fine pianist -- just one example of the secrets this family keeps. I recommend this story, contemporary though it is. Teen level, and has won some awards. Tall PB, nice cover picture. $2.00 All in the Timing (Melody Carlson) 2004 from the Tales from Grace Chapel Inn and Promises to Keep (Rebecca Kelly) 2004 from Tales of Grace Chapel Inn. I didn't think I'd like these stories, as fiction with a Christian slant is often poorly written and too full of coincidences. But these "Tales from Grace Chapel Inn" stories are full of interesting characters, clever plots, nice settings -- and they're quite humorous, too. I got a kick out of All in the Timing, for instance, where 2 really unpleasant teenagers happen to be staying at the inn with their families at the same time, and help each other calm down and become easier to live with! The food descriptions are tasty, too. 2 beautiful hardcover books, with calming, nostalgic cover pictures. 2 like-new hardcovers with picture covers, $4.00 MORE ASSORTED FICTION AHEAD-- Holiday Storybook (Complied by the Child Study Association of America.) beautifully and nostalgically illustrated by Phoebe Erikson. This large book has stories for just about every holiday and special day in the year, from New Year on. The Christian and Jewish religious holidays are included, also United Nations Day, birthdays, Arbor Day, and a lot more! Poems, stories, wonderful authors like Carolyn Haywood, Catherine Woolley, and Carol Ryrie Brink. Titles like "Christmas Eve in the Used Car Lot," and "Juan Brings a Valentine." Good resource for a teacher or librarian, this one is vintage for sure (1952) but who cares? Very large HB, XL, some wear but still firm and complete -- with a picture cover. $3.00 The Diary of the Strawbridge Place (Helen Pierce Jacob) 1978. Described inside the book as being about "a family of Quakers operating a station on the Underground Railroad, who spirit slaves from Astabula, Ohio, across Lake Erie to freedom." The back flap indicates that there's another story about them, The Secret of the Strawbridge Place. Adventure, humor, danger. Written for middle grade readers, maybe grade 5-10. HB, personal copy, with a pretty dust jacket. $2.50 Helen's Babies, subtitled "With some account of their ways: innocent, crafty, angelic, impish, witching and repulsive. Also a partial record of their actions during ten days of their existence." Whew! from 1876. A sister asks her brother to stay in the home while she and her husband take a little trip. No problem, there will be a nanny and other servants in the house, but it's SO much better to have a man about the house. Well, of course nothing works out quite the way it's supposed to, and the young uncle learns more about children than he'd dreamed he ever would. Lots of baby-talk that might slow you down, but it's amazingly adventurous. I can imagine our great-grandparents laughing at this book when our great-great grandparents read it to them. Cover shows 2 little boys trying to get a billy-goat to pull a little cart, and the expressions on their faces are priceless! I don't know when this book was printed, but it's in better condition than it would be if it was really over 140 years old! Large HB, picture cover. $3.50 Little By Little: A Writer's Education (Jean Little.) 1987. Great title, isn't it! This wonderful Canadian author's autobiography. She was nearly blind from birth, and did write about a blind girl in at least one of her many books. But actually, this book is about becoming a successful author, and the variety of things that influenced her -- not just blindness. I loved the anecdote about her playing in a basketball game, to save her school team from losing by default because they didn't have enough girls on the team. They figured out a strategy to keep her surrounded and confuse the other team. Did they win? Read this humorous and very intresting bio. HB, XL, with nice DJ -- pictures of Jean Little as a darling baby and as a beautiful teen. Lots of photos through the text. $3.00 Calico Captive (Elizabeth George Speare) 1957. Takes place in 1754 in New Hampshire. Girl is part of the forced march to Montreal, and thinks she'll never see her family again. Based on a real diary, but made into exciting and suspenseful fiction. good HB, with a good DJ, personal copy. $3.00 MORE ASSORTED FICTION AHEAD -- Books by Charlene Joy Talbot, an author I've gotten acquainted with and really like! An Orphan for Nebraska (Charlene Joy Talbot) 1979. Irish boy arrives in NY after a long ocean trip, during which his mother had died. He figures that his uncle would be easy to find, but unfortunately Uncle Mike was in jail! The boy lives from hand to mouth for a while, then ends up going west on a Orphan Train, and finding a life that he'd never dreamed of. Not a road paved with gold, but in some ways, better! HB, XL, with DJ. Page block is split, but the pages are firmly stuck together, and the story is good enough to overlook this flaw! Nice otherwise. $2.00 Tomas Takes Charge (Charlene Joy Talbot) 1966. Same book, different title, as "Children in Hiding." A book that will make a big impression on you, or at least it did for me. 11-year-old boy has to take care of his younger sister when their father doesn't come home. After a neighbor says they'll have to go to the children's shelter, hey hide out in an abandoned building, search for food after the farmer's market closes, anything to bide their time until their father comes back (as they keep thinking will happen.) There is a sequel to this beautiful story, A Home with Aunt Flory, I think is the name. Call of the Mountain (Cornelia Meigs) 1940. This is a book that catches your eye before you even start to look through it. Bound in a burlap fabric, it has brown outline illustrations on the front and back covers. It's a large book, and the paper is of a quality you don't see any more. I would have thought it was a new printing of the book, but it's a first edition. There are lots of illustrations, some of them 2-color full-page, some of them smaller, black and white sketches. Set in Vermont in the 1830s, a wilderness adventure story among other themes like friendship and love, ard work, survival. It's a true classic, and this is a very good copy of the book. HB, PC, all in good condition, $3.00 MORE ASSORTED FICTION AHEAD -- The Blue Door (Ann Rinaldi) Very exciting story that takes place in 1840 in Lowell, MA, when girls worked long and arduous hours in textile mills. This is the 3rd book from Rinaldi's Quilt Trilogy, which follows a family through 3 New England generations. HB, XL, excellent condition Next, here's a big lot of fiction books! 5 books by EDWARD EAGER , who kept us amused and entertained with fantasy and magic when I was a kid! My favorite was Half Magic. The 5 PBs in this set are in wonderful condition, almost new, and they have new and funny cover pictures, plus lots of internal illustrations by N. M. Bodecker. Fun! The books include: Half Magic (1954) Knight's Castle (1956) Magic by the Lake (1957) Magic or Not? (1959) The Well-wishers (1960) 5 beautiful paperback books by Edward Eager -- $8 for the set of 5 books! If you don't want to spring for the entire 5 Edward Eager books, try just one, and it's my favorite of them, since it takes place in a summer cottage by a lake. Don't you love to read about rustic summer cottages? In fact, I'd like to live in one all year around! HB, XL, with a picture cover. The paperbacks are more beautiful, but this is a HB, so take your choice! Magic by the Lake by Edward Eager --$2.00 More assorted fiction -- Books by Noel Streatfeild (some are fiction, a couple are actually non-fiction, but this is MY list, so I'm putting them here!) Thursday's Child (Streatfeild) 1970. Orphans escape from a terrible orphanage, and (not surprisingly) end up with a traveling theatre. That's Streatfeild all over, dancing and acting are her favorite subjects. A wonderful story! PB, good cond, $2.00 Ballet Shoes (Streatfeild, 1937, I think it's her first and I know it's her most famous!) PB edition, formerly in a library, but good cond. $1.50 Theater Shoes (Streatfeild) 1945. I don't think this one needs any introduction, except to say that the cover has the sharp-nosed style, which I guess must have pleased someone somewhere. PB, $2.00 Theatre Shoes by Noel Streafeild, 1945. Dell Yearling Book says "A companion to Ballet Shoes" pb in good condition, 2 copies available, $1.50 each Dancing Shoes (Noel Streatfeild) Yes, another wonderful Streatfeild story of orphans who learn to dance -- and some of them are even quite talented! Plenty of problems but plenty of wonderful fun. PB, in good condition, $2.00 (2) The First Book of the Ballet (Noel Streatfeild) This is one of the long series of
"First Books" -- I think they're from the 1950s (there isn't a date in this one.) It's beautiful, even though someone used a crayon on a few of the pages. If I had a little girl who was starting ballet lessons, I would love to read this one with her, as it has really nice, soft illustrations by Moses Soyer, and every bit of information that a dancer would like. All of this is presented as a fictional story of a girl starting ballet classes, which makes it fun to read even if you aren't a big ballet fan. HB, PC, $2.50 End of books by Streatfeild MORE NOVELS COMING UP AFTER A LITTLE CHRISTMAS SECTION! ********************************************************* Christmas is either over or just coming up, but you're probably like me, and love to read about it all year long! Here are some Christmas-themed books that are good reading any time of the year. Bear and Katie in "A Day at Nestlenook Farm" (A Special Christmas) 2004. written and autographed by Loni R. Burchett. These 2 black lab dogs live in Maine, but in this story they travel to New Hampshire to a farm resort, and play in the snow just before Christmas. The pictures (by Patricia Sweet-MacDonald) are precious. If you like to read about New England, winter, dogs, Christmas-time, and aren't averse to a book written for little kids AND adults, you'll get a big kick out of this one. The preface states that these books were written to teach children about the environment, wild-life, geographical locations, etc. Published by a small-press, Black Lab Publishing. Tall, good-quality paperback, $2.50 The Christmas Carol Miracle (Luise Putcamp, Jr.) 1954. Will the orphans EVER win the prestigeous and valuable Christmas carol contest? Not with little Christopher, and his frog-like voice. Sweet story, small hardcover XL in excellent condition, with a very good dust jacket. $2.00 ************** End of Christmas books, back to assorted Fiction books ****************** Eight Nursery Tales (edited by Watty Piper) the only dates listed in this book are 1932 and 1938. I'm not trying to say this copy is that old, since it's very clean and crisp looking. But who knows, it might be! The DJ shows the controversial Little Black Sambo, looking happy and proud leading a parade of animals and children from nursery tales like Chicken Little, Gingerbread Boy, and Little Red Hen. There is a slight musty odor to this book. HB, DJ with some pieces missing from the very bottom, $3.00 The New Boy (Mary Urmston) 1950. Author of very popular children's mysteries and good career-romances for teens, shows another side of her talents with this book about a 9-yr-old boy and his family, who have to adjust to a new town and school. Very, very cute. HB, XL $2.00 ______________________________________________________________________________________ ANIMAL BOOKS There are lots of animal stories other places, too, but here are a few especially nice ones Copy Cat Mystery (Carol Adorjan) 1990 - Very cute chapter book about a girl and her cat-sitting job, and -- what's causing all those odd things to happen in the supposedly empty house next door? PB, $1.50 Spy Cat, from the "Pete the Cat" series by Peg Kehret, or are the books by Peg Kehret AND Pete the Cat? I think it's the latter! This is the second in a lovely series! Someone has been breaking into nearby homes and stealing more than their properties -- they've been stealing their pets, too. Pete to the rescue. Good cond PB, $1.50 Angel Cats, Divine Messengers of Comfort (Allen and Linda Anderson.) 2004. Lots of supposedly true stories about how people's cats saved them from illness, or comforted them in hard times. I found some of the stories a little unbelievable, but they were interesting to read, and made me wonder what's wrong with my cat, who mainly likes to eat, watch birds, or cuddle up to me and give me hay fever! Large PB, good cond, $2.00 Three Jays Lend a Hand (Pat Smythe) 1961. Part of a fairly long British series about the Three Jays (Jimmy, Jacky and Jane.) They are horse-lovers who spend a lot of time with Pat Smythe, yes, the author, who is a character in this fiction book. I couldn't quite get it, either, but it was a great deal of fun to read about. In this volume, an older friend inherited a good bit of money and land with a string attached -- he not only has to learn to ride horses, but has to win various riding and jumping awards all within a year. That would have been a piece of cake for the 3Js or Pat, but he hated and feared horses, didn't even want to get near one. The Js set about to teach him everything he needs to know. Humorous, all through, including illustrations by Charles Geer, who by the way, lived in a town very near where we live. Good condition lightly used x-library book with an excellent dust jacket. $2.50 The Secret Horse (Marion Holland) 1959. Author of the wonderful "No Children, No Pets," wrote this story of 2 girls who want to rescue an old, sick horse before it's supposed to be destroyed at the animal shelter. Obviously the author who wrote such a funny and touching story about an inherited apartment building, could write a book about a serious subject like this, and make it lots of fun to read! PB in fairly good condition, $1.25 Lassie -- The Secret of the Smelters' Cave (Steve Frazee) 1968. Adorable Whitman Authorized TV book, hardcover, starring everyone's favorite collie. Fairly good condition HB. $2.00 Wyoming Summer (Mary O'Hara) 1963. O'Hara wrote a 3-book series, beginning with My Friend Flicka. But this is a "documentary novel" is about life on the real ranch where those stories were set. There are horses and a lot of other animals, and a group of kids who are attending a summer camp there! And more! HB, good condition, with pretty good DJ. Personal copy. $4.00 Flash of Phantom Canyon (Agnes V. Ranney) 1963. Much more than an animal story, but the dear little colt on the cover plays a big part. Native American boy -- or is he a white boy? He wants to discover his own past, who his parents were, where he belongs. Friendly, easy story, not grim or heavy but just nice! Historical setting in the Northwest when it was the frontier, Good PB. $1.50 Pepper (Barbara Leonard Renolds) illustrations by Barbara Cooney --1964. Very good story of a boy and his pet raccoon. HB, good condition, picture cover, $2.00 The Black Stallion Mystery (Farley) PB good condition! $1.50 _______---------------___________----------------______________-------------- Boys' Books 2 book- lot of Mel Martin Baseball Stories (1947) I don't know anything about this series, but apparently there are at least 3 books in the series, all baseball mysteries. Mel himself is 16 years old. The 2 books I have here, are in very good condition, but lacking DJs. Titles are The Mystery at the Ball Park, and The Southpaw's Secret. 2 HBs, in very good cond, $4.00 A VERY DECORATIVE book! The Fun Loving Gang In Wrong Right, for Red Blooded American Boys (Harold M. Sherman) 1934. I didn't read this book, I will admit -- not being a fan of books about fun-loving boys in the mid-1930s. But if you love colorful, imaginative, humorous dust jackets, this one is very much worth the price! Shows a big group of laughing boys ("casually dressed" in vests and ties under their sport jackets!) riding in what can generously be called a jalopy. Some of the boys are named Dinky, Pug, Rusty, Shorty, Echo, and --- Charley Brown??? No wonder they have so much fun. HB, with DJ (just a few flaws in the DJ.) $3.50 ANOTHER BOOK FOR FANS of COVER ART! A Guy Named Joe -- "Novelized by Randall M. White and adapted from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture starring Spencer Tracy and Irene Dunne." All that is on the front cover, which looks as much like a movie poster as like a book jacket. The whole cast is listed on the back DJ flap, and it includes other names you'll recognize. From 1944, it's a war movie but the description on the front DJ flap says it includes a love scene that's "one of the most poignant and beautiful you have ever read..." The cover picture isn't poignant, but it is beautiful, showing Spencer Tracy in uniform, confident and happy, with Irene Dunne in one corner, watching him with love in her eyes. Wartime paper imprint on back cover. HB, DJ, good condition, $5.50 FRANK MERRIWELL series by Burt L. Standish. Here are NINE books in this vintage (1898 through 1905) series. One of the things that tickle me about them, is a picture of Frank in his knickers on the front covers! Like all boys who are the heroes of series books, Frank was a sportsman, and had a good many adventures. He was featured in books, on radio, in many short stories. According to what I've read about these books, he was a model for young people, as he didn't smoke or drink, played nearly every sport, solved mysteries and graduated from Yale! How could he be any more upstanding? 9 of these very popular adventure stories in this big lot. They're all sturdy, clean, and tightly bound. Not exactly beautiful, but not too bad, either! They are all in the same format, with the cover picture of Frank in front of what is doubtless supposed to be a building at Yale. Frank Merriwell's Hunting Tour, ... Trip West ... Races ... Victories ... Vacation ... Bravery ... Set-Back ... Down South ... Return to Yale The books are sturdy and tightly bound, but I can't truthfully call them beautiful. Good reading anyway! All nine books for $18.00 Tom Swift and His Rocket Ship (#3 in the New Tom Swift Jr. Adventures) Has a very nice picture cover and the book is in very good condition. $3.00 The Perilous Island: A Story of Mystery in the aleutians (Frederic Arnold Kummer." Illustrated by Kreigh Collins. 1942. One of the best things about this book -- besides its very good condition -- is the ARTWORK. If you like WWII posters or very dramatic air and sea pictures, the pictures are worth the cost of the book! The cover shows a burning ship, a bomber, a steamer approaching, The e endpapers include what I think is a fishing trawler, a business-like looing small plane, a mountain, and a large totem pole. The frontispiece is a more detailed version of the DJ picture, and there are many equally dramatic, or just plain beautiful b/w illustrations throughout the book. This IS a book for boys, but very adventurous with mystery, spies, and even a lot of fun. HB, large, very good condition book and dust jacket. $4.00 Riding Down, from the Young Eagles Series by Harris Patton. There are only 2 titles listed in this series, the other one being Wings of the North. Book has a small format and a dramatic dust jacket. The picture doesn't do much to soothe my fear of flying -- a biplane looking as if it's flying upside down, heading for a body of water, in the rain. Oh well, it's a series, so probably the author didn't kill anyone off. 1932 book, full of danger and mystery! Collector's item with fairly good DJ. $3.00 REX LEE SERIES BY THOMSON BURTIS Here are the first 5 books in this series about flying, dated 1928 and 1929. The books are in fair to fairly good condition. No major damage to the bindings or text, but 2 of them have stained covers. There are no DJs, but a nice picture of a biplane on the front cover of each one. The books are: Gypsy Flyer On the Border Patrol Ranger of the Sky Sky Trailer Ace of the Air Mail Set of 5 Rex Lee books -- $8.00 MERCER BOYS series by Capwell Wyckoff. Here are 3 of the Mercer books, all with very nice picture covers (they are in different colors, and look as if they were made of wood.) The boys are cadets at the woodcrest Military Academy, but spend more time solving dangerous and important mysteries, than in studying. Fascinating plots. The books are all dated 1948, and the titles are Mercer Boys at Woodcrest Mercer Boys on a Treasure Hunt Mercer Boys Mystery Case 3 hardcover Mercer Boys books with picture covers, $7.00 The Mystery at Lake Retreat (Capwell Wyckoff, author of the Mercer Boys series.) 1931 One of the things I liked best about this book -- which I actually read myself though it's a "boybook" -- is the DJ cover. Kids' books used to have covers that I would call truly artistic. What on earth has happened to those artists? Anyway, this one shows3 people in a rowboat or canoe, one of them looking far the worse for wear, with an old-woodsman-type hauling him on board. Misty woods and lake in the background. Very nice, if mysterious, picture on the spine, too. Wonderfully exciting story of mysterious happenings while camping on the lake in the woods. HB, moderately good cond, with a laser copy of my very good DJ. $4.00 TOM CORBETT, Space Cadet Book #1, Stand My For Mars -- 1952. Has a picture cover, and I must say, Tom Corbett is a very good-looking guy, even inside a glass space helmet. Some pages are a little smudged, there's wear to the corners and edges of the cover, but cover picture is clean and the binding is firm. $4.00 Tom Corbett, Space Cadet, Book 4, The Space Pioneers -- 1953. This copy has a very nice dust jacket, and I do mean exciting and dramatic! The HB book is in very good cond, the DJ is in very close to very-good cond. $5.50 Tom Corbett, Space Cadet Book 7 -- Sabotage in Space. Has a picture cover, very dramatic! The book's in moderately good cond, a little warped but nothing too bad. $2.50 CHIP HILTON Series (very popular sports series for boys!) Ten Seconds to Play -- Chip Hilton # 12. HB in fair condition. Former school library copy has good binding, good front cover, and clean pages. The outside spine is quite scuffed, especially at top and bottom. corners have quite a bit of wear. HB, tweed cover, $5.00 Tournament Crisis -- chip #14. Good tweed copy, no DJ. It's square, corners are pretty sharp, and pages are clean. $3.50 Pay-off Pitch -- Chip #16. Fairly good tweed copy, Worn at corners and along edges of spine, good binding, but a little bit of play can be noticed. Pages are mostly very clean, with a bit of browning along the front edges when the book is closed. HB, $5.00 Hardcourt Upset -- Chip #15. Nice picture cover copy, with original $1.25 price sticker still on the front cover. a bit of wear in the usual places, and the binding isn't 100% perfect. But not too bad, and holding together nicely. HB with PC, $7.50 BRONC BURNETT-- Flying Tackle -- picture cover. Very small area at top right corner has the color torn off due to a price tag someone apparently pulled off. Exterior corners are somewhat rubbed, but interior is very clean and tight. $4.00 END OF BOOK SALE LIST