What Is This Book?

[Smilla]

All I could find was 10 Children's Books About Gardening[/color].

I highly recommend asking this question at the ABE Books Book Sleuth forum[/color]. Those folks are book sleuthing fiends. They also have a UK section if you or your book hale from there.

[sumire]

Jul 13, 2012 19:26:40 GMT -4 Dr. Freude said:

HELP! While at the library with my kids today, I was thinking about a picture book I loved in elementary school. The story followed this woman with red hair who loved flowers--I think it began with her as a little girl--and she became a teacher, and she traveled around the world, and when she returned home she built a greenhouse so she could keep al of the exotic flowers she encountered in her travels. She is an old, bedridden woman at the end of the story, but her great nephew brings her lilacs, I think. It may have won an award of some kind--the pictures were beautiful. Anyone have any idea what book this is?

Miss Rumphius?

[Dr. Freude]

YES! Thank you, sumire! :-)

[Smilla]

I'm trying to remember if this scene I'm remembering is part of a short story I've read, or if it's one of my own story ideas. I'm picturing a snippet in which a man (?) looks at either a business card or a want ad and sees the words "I find things," next to a phone number.

Could be either horror, sci-fi, or garden variety drama. Anyone recognize this as the inciting incident for a "known" short story? (I'm trying to decide if I want to resurrect some of my own pieces, and am worried about accidentally plagiarizing someone.)

[chonies]

Oct 22, 2012 20:52:07 GMT -4 Smilla said:

I'm trying to remember if this scene I'm remembering is part of a short story I've read, or if it's one of my own story ideas. I'm picturing a snippet in which a man (?) looks at either a business card or a want ad and sees the words "I find things," next to a phone number.

Could be either horror, sci-fi, or garden variety drama. Anyone recognize this as the inciting incident for a "known" short story? (I'm trying to decide if I want to resurrect some of my own pieces, and am worried about accidentally plagiarizing someone.)

I googled some of your phrases and found this story. It seems like it might be the story you meant, or it might also have gotten inspiration from the same place.

ETA: there was also an episode of Bones that led to this series: the Finder

[Smilla]

Thanks, chonies. Looks like even if that isn't the story, the subject isn't the most original concept in the world. Think I'll just work on other stuff.

[chonies]

This popped into my head: a story about a ne'er do well who is balky and frustrated with life but finds meaning through daily maintenance of a backyard pool. Cleaning, scooping out stuff and measuring the chemical levels provide focus and a sense of achievement. I'm not sure if it's something that a character experiences, or something from a conversation. Might be a book or a movie or a tv show, and I really don't even remember if it's a male or female character.

I think it *might* be the Cameron Diaz sister from In her shoes, but I'm not certain. It might also be a YA novel.

[boxofrocks]

There's a book from my childhood that I can't remember the title of. It was similar to books like "The Phantom Tollbooth" or "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" in that it was about kids going off on a Great Adventure Alone and Learning About Life.

A brother and sister had an influential male teacher. The male teacher hung out with them outside of class. At one point, they had a picnic in a barn in which the teacher shook up a bottle of ginger ale, causing the soda to shoot out to the delight of all around. I think the barn was a magic portal to this other world. I can't remember a darn thing about fantasy trip to the other world, though. When the kids came back from the Life-Changing Journey, the tried to find the teacher to thank him, but he was gone. IIRC, the barn was gone, too.

Any thoughts?

[Deleted]

Kind of a long shot, since I don't remember many details but maybe this would ring a bell for somebody here. The book I'm thinking of would be classified as either juvenile or YA, probably published in the 1980's. Anyway, it centers around a group of high school students and their teacher in either a creative writing or possibly drama class. They are a very diverse group as far as background/socially. I do remember one of the main characters was a very shy boy from a wealthy family named Craig, but he went by his last name which I think was Parker (or possibly Walker), and he was on the swim team. Another student was a tough as nails girl named Dana. I think also a couple of kids in the group end up getting involved in a crime, maybe burglarizing homes, maybe even Craig's home since he came from a wealthy background? I know it's not much to go on, but if anybody has any ideas, let me know....

[luminosa]

This is such a long shot but for some reason I am trying to recall this book I read as a young teen. The main character was a teen girl and she was named after Wallis Simpson. If I am rememering correctly and not confusing two books she someone how sets across the country (on foot!) to get to a relatives house. I can remember the cover. It's her standing outside a house door with a slight grimace on her face. I think she has on a pink sweater and jeans.

I've tried googling whatever I can remember but nothing is coming up and it is driving me crazy.

Anyone who can solve this...you'll get a big virtual hug.