Category: Name That Book Request

I am looking for a book title I think was published in the 1970s. The plot: the storyline starts with the heroine in her late twenties living with her aunt (or other women relative) in NYC (?). The heroine had had a baby in her late teens (she had run away and was hooked on drugs). Her rich father had found her just after she gave birth and gave the baby to the heroine’s sister and brother-in-law to raise without the heroine knowing this. She has wondering what happed to the baby. The sister, brother-in-law, “niece”, and their younger son come to stay with the aunt and the heroine due to financial troubles. The “niece” is surly and difficult to get along with. The heroine is friends with the sister’s ex-boyfriend who worked for her father. The brother-in-law is murdered. The heroine figures out her “niece” is her child but decides to not tell the niece. The ex-boyfriend admits loving the heroine at the end of the book. I remember the cover had pink in it with a drawing of the heroine and the ex-boyfriend on it. Any help is appreciate

Trying to find the name or author of a book I read, probably in 1978-1980 time frame. It was called, “Out of Bounds” – it was probably like a scholastic book I ordered from school. It was about a girl who played basketball and had to play on the boys team, there was a crush or romance involved. Any idea of the author? Where I could find it? I am pretty sure it was called “Out of Bounds” Suggestion: Out of Bounds by Lori Boatright

I am a retired English teacher who was asked to try to find a book title for one of my son’s friends. They are now in their 30’s and she’s trying to recall a book assigned to them in 5th grade, which would’ve been 1993-94. The teacher — who was pretty conservative — assigned The Westing Game, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and A Wrinkle in Time.

The book in question was a mystery. The copies of the book the kids were given were worn, so the story might be older. For the bright, fifth grade girl who read it the book was an easy read but very engaging. (She was annoyed not to be allowed to read ahead.) The book may have been set between the 1960’s-1980’s, but she’s not sure. One of the main characters was a Black adult male. He befriended a kid and the two of them were linked through the story, but the reader can’t recall if the kid was male or female. There was something about treasure in a cavern and also hidden tunnels or passageways in a house (maybe Underground Railroad?).

Suggestion from an Anonymous Lost Classics reader: Not the right race of the older male figure, but could be Mandie and the Secret Tunnel by Lois Gladys Leppard.

I am also looking for the author of a book called The Room about a bunch of teenagers who live in an apartment building and turn a room in the basement into a hangout. They end up doing drugs and playing an elaborate prank on a teacher they hate.

 I’m looking for a book of short stories. One was about a cat who was really an alien and another was about some kids who made new friends and there was something about a party where they left just in time to avoid being trapped in another world.

I’m looking desperately for one of my old favorite YA books. It’s about a teenage male and female. The male has lost one of his friends to I think suicide? And he’s ridden with guilt he even has a dream of that friend telling him to let him go. And all I can really remember about the female is she smokes in this area the school as designated for it where she talks to a guy in a leather jacket and she also at one point in the book I think while drunk was frustrated about her connection with the male and tried to strip in front of his friends because at some point I think she was raped but he didn’t know that so while she was drunk and doing that he helped her to a room to sleep and she asked him not to let anyone get her. Suggestions: The Face at the Edge of the World by Eve Bunting, About David by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Remembering the Good Times by Richard Peck. 

I am looking for a YA / teen classic from the 1970s. It’s about a young Apache girl whose grandfather teaches her how to run long distances by holding a mouthful of water.
That’s all I remember, so I hope someone can help find this book.

I read a YA book in late 80s/early 90s about an older teenager who agrees to babysit two (?) kids for a single dad over the summer. I think maybe it was set in Canada or the woods or by a lake? At the end of the book the dad declares he’s fallen in love with this teenager and I think he chases her through the woods. I know she ends up a tree with him declaring his (age inappropriate) love for her below. It was a bizarre and, frankly, alarming twist even at the time, but I’d love to find it again

I remember reading a book in the 80s about a girl who makes a wish on a wishbone that her house inside becomes filled with grass, plants, etc. Her wish comes true and gradually her house is filled with nature but then it becomes out of control. She has to use the wishbone to break the wish. Its more of a chapter book for younger readers but I still would love to find anything about it. A second reader is looking for this one and remembers the following deatails: 
I agree, it must be for younger readers because I think I read it at age 7 or 8 (also in the 80s). The only detail I can add is that I think it had very detailed pencil sort of drawing illustrations. And I think maybe the main character’s name was Meg.

Solved by Lost Classics reader Jenny: Gertie’s Green Thumb by Catherine Dexter