Forgotten Vintage Children's Lit We Want Republished! discussion

Just to foment some new discussion in the group, would anyone like to put forward their area(s) of special interest or expertise? Micro- and sub-genres? Special collections you are proud to host?

I've been amassing and reading juvenile literature set in Switzerland (and neighbouring countries), with a special interest in 'midcentury' (40s to 60s or thereabouts).

I've also read all of Margaret MacAlpine's published novels (sounds more of a feat before I mention there's only 3 of them), and I have the entire Carrigmore Castle Series by Meta Mayne Reid and have a few others of hers.

Other than that, I am mostly the beneficiary of the collective and specific wisdom of others in favourite genres like juvenile folk horror, juvenile fiction centred on archaeology, and then any low-fantasy (mostly juvenile).

Any particular area of interest or expertise you'd like to share?

Charlotte's got an excellent blog on fantasy and sci-fi books for kids and teens: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... and https://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com/

Chris runs Calmgrove (Arthuriana, and lots on Joan Aiken (our highlighted Author of 2024) and other juvenile fantasy), a wonderful resource: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... and https://calmgrove.wordpress.com/

CLM has a blog, as well! Staircase Wit at http://perfectretort.blogspot.com/ , covering a wide variety of vintage children's lit incl. Betsy-Tacy stories (and lots of overlap with my reading tastes, too!).

(If you have a blog that I haven't mentioned, please start a thread under: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group... or elaborate here!).

Anyone got any complete sets they'd like to brag about? Authors they have a particular handle on?

Thank you for highlighting these! I've got nothing, but I'm a fan of all of you who do!

I have always really enjoyed Andre Norton's novels, especially the early science fiction. I once had quite a collection but I only have a few left. My prize possession was a first UK edition of Star Man's Son, 2250 A.D. Best remembered for the publisher's (Staples Press) squeamishness in refusing to print two of the original US edition's illustrations as being too bloodthirsty.

And Geoffrey Trease. If ever I had a hero among writers it was he. Along with Rosemary Sutcliff he changed the style of historical writing for the young in Britain.

Capn wrote: "Just to foment some new discussion in the group, would anyone like to put forward their area(s) of special interest or expertise? Micro- and sub-genres? Special collections you are proud to host?
..."

So I wrote this on the app, and had to edit (' for a ;), and the thread appears to have duplicated itself and is running in parallel...

I will try to migrate or paraphrase Daisy's responses here and close the other. Yeesh. Technology!

Daisy had written on the paralleled post:

message 3: by Daisy
4 hours, 59 min ago
Daisy (daisyporter) | 6 comments

Lucy Maud Montgomery for me, I'd say, and the Trixie Belden books.

reply | delete | flag

message 4: by Daisy
4 hours, 58 min ago
Daisy (daisyporter) | 6 comments

And Stephen King and Little Women...

reply | delete | flag

I read horse books and always did. Also dog books and various other animals.

Clare wrote: "I read horse books and always did. Also dog books and various other animals."

Clare O'Beara is also a very humble author. :) Here is her website: https://www.clareobeara.ie/booksindex...

(Coughs modestly.) Thanks.

I collect New Zealand children's books and have a collection of over 400 volumes. I mainly collect books that were published before 1980. I read and review here: https://livingpublications.wixsite.co...

It's a slow work in progress. I am trying to fill a very large hole in the homeschool community. There are lots of wonderful books written by New Zealand authors before 1980 that have been forgotten and are now out-of-print.

Excellent work, Kirsten! My favourite.

I have 50-60 "Laura Lee Hope" titles across 3 series: The Moving Picture Girls, the Blythe Sisters, and The Outdoor Girls (my favorite), of which I own the entire run.

Hope was also the "author" of the Bobbsey Twins, and was a popular pre-Nancy Drew era pseudonym from the Stratemyer Syndicate. I've researched the writing of these extensively... long story.

But I am also compulsive about Rosalie Fry, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Maud Hart Lovelace (currently reading Sharla Whalen's The Betsy-Tacy Companion, which I recommend), and have formerly been compulsive about Ruth Alberta Brown and Carolyn Wells.

Capn wrote: "I've been amassing and reading juvenile literature set in Switzerland (and neighbouring countries), with a special interest in 'midcentury' (40s to 60s or thereabouts)...."

If you ever start ranging earlier, reach out. I have an alarming number of lesser-known Johanna Spyri titles in need of a home.

Clare wrote: "Excellent work, Kirsten! My favourite.
"


Is that a kakapo?! :D
(Adds to shelf...! Thanks, both!)

My mother has all of, and writes in, the series The Girls of the Abbey School These are allowed to be written within a society, but not for general sale as copyright has not expired. She also loves the Chalet School but says all the gaps have been filled by similar new writers. The School at the Chalet

Deena wrote: "Capn wrote: "I've been amassing and reading juvenile literature set in Switzerland (and neighbouring countries), with a special interest in 'midcentury' (40s to 60s or thereabouts)...."

If you eve..."

Deena! :D Are they in English?! Because I only have her lesser-known stuff in (non-modern) Hochdeutsch, and I can't really read them! (As my friend from Dresden said, "Dude, those are words even my grandma wouldn't be chucking about!").

Capn wrote: Are they in English?! "

Oh yes. I'm far too ignorant to be able to read them in anything else.

Kirsten wrote: "I collect New Zealand children's books and have a collection of over 400 volumes. I mainly collect books that were published before 1980. I read and review here: https://livingpublications.wixsite...."

This is wonderful, Kirsten! Very glad to have some NZ rep here! :D Feel free to start up a thread on a favourite author or authors that you feel could use the publicity - would love to hear about some gems that us N. Hemisphere denizens might not have come across!

Capn wrote: "Clare wrote: "Excellent work, Kirsten! My favourite.
"


Is that a kakapo?! :D
(Adds to shelf...! Thanks, both!)"

Keas and kakapos both feature!

Deena wrote: "Capn wrote: Are they in English?! "

Oh yes. I'm far too ignorant to be able to read them in anything else."

I can relate to that feeling all too well! ;)

Deena wrote: "Capn wrote: Are they in English?! "

Oh yes. I'm far too ignorant to be able to read them in anything else."

Charles Tritten was her translator as I recall from the two later Heidi books he wrote. I admire anyone who reads translated books in the native language as there must be many nuances not quite conveyed.

Clare wrote: "Deena wrote: "Capn wrote: Are they in English?! "

Oh yes. I'm far too ignorant to be able to read them in anything else."

Charles Tritten was her translator as I recall from the two later Heidi b..."

Sadly, the nuances are still lost on me entirely. I think you have to be extremely fluent to pick them up, and I'm certainly not!

Charles Tritten any good? Because I've refused to read the Heidi sequels because they weren't written by Spyri (too many instances of a tribute novel or continuation being so utterly disappointing to me... And Another Thing... being one such example, that I just don't do it out of principle anymore). I get how with series like The Chalet School, as you mentioned, it lends itself rather well to multiple authors. But I didn't think it would work with Heidi... give Tritten a chance?!

Clare wrote: "Deena wrote: "Capn wrote: Are they in English?! "

Oh yes. I'm far too ignorant to be able to read them in anything else."

Charles Tritten was her translator as I recall from the two later Heidi b..."

I have titles by several translators, although just now I cannot tell you their names, as they all reside in boxes due to a deplorable lack of shelf space... But certainly Tritten did some of the ones I have.

I will admit, however, that at least in my opinion, they are lesser known for a reason. I adore Heidi, and whether these suffer for simply not being Heidi, or because they are not translated as well, I don't know.

I read them as a child, but I was a bright kid, however they were all about the girl moving on to the older stages of her life, then having children, so really weren't interesting to me at the time.
I remember thinking there just wasn't much adventure. At one point in Heidi's Children there was a young runaway girl, who was hiding out on the Alps and secretly milking a nanny goat for food, giving the goat extra herbs in repayment. The goat's keepers noted the change in taste of the milk and lesser quantity. But compared to the first book, much less drama.
So read them if you're interested in life in Switzerland at that time, but don't give them to young kids.

Deena wrote: "Clare wrote: "Deena wrote: "Capn wrote: Are they in English?! "

Oh yes. I'm far too ignorant to be able to read them in anything else."

Charles Tritten was her translator as I recall from the two..."

We have a thread on Home Library Organization tips (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...). I provide exactly NONE and keep hoping for sage advice from others. But if you have any tips, I'll take them!

(Currently renting a home where we aren't even allowed to affix tall bookshelves to the walls (grrrrr), so I'm doing all sorts of awful things like stacking books on the carpet. I even managed to make a side table out of a framed demi-john I never got around to using to make mead. Unorthodox to say the least!)

Switzerland: Pat Smythe the Olympic showjumper, who married a Swiss national after being widowed, wrote about her travels, some novelised with fictional kids.
A Swiss Adventure

Clare wrote: "I read them as a child, but I was a bright kid, however they were all about the girl moving on to the older stages of her life, then having children, so really weren't interesting to me at the time..."

Thanks Clare. I probably will get around to them eventually. :) I do like reading about the idealised alpine Switzerland. It can be absolutely glorious in the summer on the high alpine pastures, and, perhaps uncoincidentally, there aren't too many stories set during the rest of the year (unless they want to use the plot device of an avalanche, of course).

Clare wrote: "Switzerland: Pat Smythe the Olympic showjumper, who married a Swiss national after being widowed, wrote about her travels, some novelised with fictional kids.
A Swiss Adventure
[boo..."

Read it! Own it! :)

Great!

This is wonderful, Kirsten! Very glad to have some NZ rep here! :D Feel free to start up a thread on a favourite author or authors that you feel could use the publicity - would love to hear about some gems that us N. Hemisphere denizens might not have come across!

Thanks Capn. Coming up at my home I am hosting two evenings. I know people here can't come, but I will post my notes here from those talks. One evening will be about the New Zealand author Elsie Locke, and the other evening will be about Eve Sutton and Ruth Dallas. I think people will enjoy the literature these authors wrote for children in New Zealand, and all around the world.

Clare wrote: "Capn wrote: "Clare wrote: "Excellent work, Kirsten! My favourite.
"


Is that a kakapo?! :D
(Adds to shelf...! Thanks, both!)"

Keas and kakapos both feature!"

"Beak of the Moon" is written by Philip Temple. I have that book but I haven't read it yet. It's about the cheeky South Island mountain parrot called a Kea. It's written in the style of Watership Down. There is a sequel which is a very rare book called, "Dark of the Moon". It's not vintage though. He is still writing and you can see his website here: https://philiptemple.com

I tend to read vintage animal fantasies such as the Rescuers series by Margery Sharp, the Basil of Baker Street series by Eve Titus, Jennie and Thomasina by Paul Gallico, the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, the Catwings series by Ursula Le Guin, Watership Down by Richard Adams, Ben and Me by Robert Lawson, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien.

Plenty of animal lovers here!

Kirsten wrote: "This is wonderful, Kirsten! Very glad to have some NZ rep here! :D Feel free to start up a thread on a favourite author or authors that you feel could use the publicity - would love to hear about s..."

That would be very kind of you, if you have the time! :) If you'd rather post a link, that's totally fine as well (save you the hassle of retyping, perhaps)!

Cheryl wrote: "I tend to read vintage animal fantasies such as the Rescuers series by Margery Sharp, the Basil of Baker Street series by Eve Titus, Jennie and Thomasina by Paul Gallico, the Redwall series by Bria..."

I love the Rescuers series! I think I even have most of them, somewhere...