“We read this YA novel as a class assignment in 8th grade (1975) so it was probably a Scholastic publication. Girl has a hobby of raising pet birds (canaries?) and cares for sick birds. She has a glass-enclosed birdcage for this purpose, which is the only detail I really remember. She befriends/dates a “bad boy”. I’m very vague on the plot, but I think he is accused of doing something bad, but is innocent, and she stands by him. In the last scene, at her house, they kiss and she hears a bird singing “or maybe it was my heart”. The Troublemaker By Robert McKay thanks to reader Sylvia!
Author: mondomolly
Request #7
“I don’t remember the title or author but I think it was young adult. It was about a young couple who got married young. The book starts out with both of them telling her parents about getting married. The girl mentioned something about her sweater. I think the couple were hippies and they were living out in the woods. I don’t think she got pregnant until after the marriage. I remember she went to a class at the hospital and made a friend there. The girl had a baby boy they named feather. It is not the first part last. It was published either in the 1970s or 1980s. I think the couple in the book had problems getting along after she had the baby. If anyone can give me any help, I’d greatly appreciate it! I’m thinking I dreamed this book up and am fairly desperate to find it.” Suggestions: Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith or The First Part Last by Angela Johnson. Update: a Joy in the Morning fan says it is NOT this book.
Request #6
“The first book wasn’t so much a continuous story as each chapter was its own little tale but with the same characters (though I think it was still a linear story). I think it took place back in early-to-mid 1900s and it was about a girl who lived in this big old house on a farm with her aunt (or great aunt – maybe grandmother?). I think there was a chapter about a big thunderstorm and ghosts; another was about a pie baking competition. The girl might have been named Emily (or not). Pretty sure this was written in the 80s.” We seemed to have reached consensus that this is Beverly Cleary’s Emily’s Runaway Imagination!
Request #5
“This YA novel is about a teenage boy (an only child) who goes to summer camp, and finds out once at camp that his parents, in exchange for external youth, have signed an agreement to sacrifice every child they have together at age 18 at this same camp. The boy had an inkling as to what was going on prior to this, as he found a photo album in his parents’ attic of their past children (although he didn’t know that they were his dead siblings at the time.) The failed sacrifice (he escaped) occurs in some sort of cave, and his parents were there, and they spoke a lot about the last child they sacrificed, a daughter named Meg, with long, curly eyelashes, who didn’t have a clue what was going on until the very end. They also had a cat clock at their house, the ones where the tail swings back and forth.” Only Child By Jesse Osburn, thanks to Lost Classics reader Majenta!
Request #4
I am trying to remember the name of a book that I would love to see you do. Probably published in the late 70’s early 80’s (I read it around 85/86):
It’s about a late teenaged (18/19) boy who lives in Colorado who is dying of cancer. Leukemia I think. The highlights of his life include; whining, going to Trader Vic’s for Tiki Drinks and I seem to recall fishing. He was a real hit with the ladies until the whole, ya know dying thing. But I think there is a loyal girl who stands by him. Blah, blah, blah. Suggested title: May I Cross Your Golden River? By Paige Dixon or Eric by Doris Lund
Request # 3
We’ve ruled out Ann Landers Talks to Teenagers About Sex and Twixt Twelve and Twenty, and think it’s a male author: “Sometime between 1965 and 1968, my mother gave me a book that clearly explained sex. All text, no illustrations.” Suggested titles: Girls and Sex, by Dr. Wardell B. Pomeroy; On Becoming a Woman by Mary McGee Williams and Irene Kane
Request #2
In reference to Just Friends: “at any point is it revealed that one of the characters has friends that are just in his head? I’ve been trying to think of the title of this book, but now that I see your description, I think I am mixing it up with another book from the 1980s.” Suggestion: Louly by Carol Ryrie Brink
Request # 1
“Girl has a horse that she loves, but must leave it to go to the home for unwed mothers. And it dies. Maybe from trying to jump out of a straight stall?” Suggested title: But I Thought You Really Loved Me By Evelyn White Minshull Sounds like this is not it, keep those suggestions coming! Another suggestion: Sarah, Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic.
Welcome to Lost Classics of Teen Lit: Name That Book!
Welcome to Lost Classics of Teen Lit’s supplemental blog, devoted to finding your own personal “lost classics.”
I frequently receive comments and e-mails from readers who are looking for a dimly-remembered book. I know this pain! While I had been able to help in a few cases with coming up with a title and author, I wanted to open up the search to classic YA fans. In 2017 I added a casual page to the main blog, and reader response slowly (and then suddenly!) grew, to the point that I wanted to make things a little more self-service for my readers.
How to request help finding a “lost” book title:
From now on I will be taking “lost” book requests via e-mail at mondomolly@gmail.com, and each request will be posted as a separate blog entry here.
Tips for a successful request:
- Provide a short description of what you can remember about the plot, including any dialogue or weird details (“the main character was obsessed with her lime-green notebook paper”) you might remember. If a detail stuck with you, chances are it stuck with someone else!
- Let us know when you read the book: “Around 1987” is better than “when I was in third grade” (we have readers falling into a huge age-range!)
- Surprisingly, anything you can remember about the cover can be really
helpful! We had a successful ID with just “two girls who went to the beach and the cover was blue”! (It was The Long Secret) - The focus is on Young Adult and Middle Reader books published between 1939 and 1989, so books that fall into those categories will be most likely to be solved; however, I will accept requests from any era, genre or reading level. By the same token, most of my readers hail from the United States, the UK and Australia, but feel free to request a book that may have come from any country or originally published in any language- Scholastic republished a number of titles in translation!
Once You Have Submitted Your Request:
It is my intention to publish updates weekly, and to send out a brief form e-mail letting you know when your request is up on the site. I recommend using the search feature and searching either by your name or a keyword from your request.
I know that book! I have a suggestion for that book!
No need to send an e-mail, simply comment on the post!
Constant Readers, thank you for your continued support and readership, and patience in awaiting this new era in Naming That Book!
Additional Resource: Lost Classics reader Daisy kindly suggested the Goodreads group What’s The Name of That Book? as another place to crowdsource an answer to your lost book descriptions.
Molly
Lost Classics of Teen Lit: Name That Book! 