PLEASE HELP!!! me find this book. Someone must know what it is.

Love these threads

I have one which I've tried and failed to track down; it's about 2 kids visiting a remote place in Scotland with their parents, plus a bookish friend (William?) in tow. There are two ghosts - one gentle, one evil; they are sisters called Agnes and Mary and were killed for being witches. There is a horrible description of bread that tastes like blood. At the end they banish the evil witch by shooting a hare that she's taken the form of. The final section has a description of real-life martyrs in Scottish witch trials.

It was absolutely haunting (boom boom), I read it in the early nineties and have never found it again help!

I've got two mystery books. First one is from early 1970s about an adopted baby called George. I'm pretty sure it was called Baby George but I have no idea who the author is.

Second one was for teenagers from late 70s/early 80s. About a girl who was terrified of being "normal". She dyed her hair pink, ran away to London and became a fashion designer, or something.

Whisky Chick- I think it may be Trouble Half Way by Jan Mark

I keep thinking about a book I read at school when I was about 8-9. In the 80’s. I don’t remember much which I suspect is why I’ve never managed to find it! It’s about a girl who’s dad is a long distance lorry driver, near or at the end of the book he takes her to see windmills and one has her name on it.

Matilda It is, thank you.

DancingLedge, could your book be 'The Kingdom by the Sea' by Robert Westall?

The crown in 'The Silver Crown' was made of a kind of mesh - the central character could fold it up and place it in her 'purse' (which confused me when I first read the book, as I didn't realise Americans called their handbags purses).

The dresses with sashes made me think of Masha by Mara Kay - set in a Russian Boarding school in the early half of the nineteenth century - although the dresses were a particular colour, rather than having sashes.

my book is one i read in the 80s at my parents. may have been a readers digest book as they had loads. a man in invited to a country house weekend away and picked up by a girl in a pink e type jag wearing all pink.

There are white dresses with ribbons and coloured necklaces in Ballet Shoes. Love that book so much!

Just realised that wouldn't remotely fit with the rest of the description. Sorry!

Are there white dresses with sashes in Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfield?

Ooh I think it might well be The Silver Sword. I know I definitely read that one as a child. Thank you, Citrus and Emma.

Sashes definitely not the Worst Witch. I don't know if I've read any Abbey girls ones - off to have a Google! I read all the St Claires and Mallory Towers books, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't one of those.

My mystery book is about a little girl who wants to put on a show with the other kids in her neighbourhood one day, but one by one they all drop out so she’s left performing it by herself. I have an image of external cellar doors (like pubs used to have - and maybe American houses), and the girl performed the song “On the Sunny Side of the Street”.

(I was born late 60s if that helps place it.)

@Wayfarersonbaby Thanks for the suggestion but unfortunately that's not it.

Oh that's a shame gym

No I didn't see fabric mentioned either tellme. I know I was unsure of all the suggestions for mine because they seemed likely, but when the correct one was mentioned I knew it immediately, so maybe not but sounds like it might be worth a look.

dancing that's brilliant, glad you found it.

Satsuki I had found The Silver Crown on google in the past but couldn't see any mention of the crown being fabric. But looking again there are other resonances so I might just have to get hold of a copy and check. Thank you!

Sashes rings a bell for me too. I have no clue though so hoping someone will.

Satsuki you're right! you're right!
Thank you so much.
Ordering it now.

Remus I think the book you're looking for is The silver sword. I seem to remember there's an end note in that giving the history of the Pestalozzi Children's Villages in Switzerland. Mind you it's about 40 years since I read it so I might be wrong!

Wearing different coloured sashes was a thing in the Worst Witch, at Miss Cackles Academy, but I guess it's not that.

Remus the girls with sashes definitely rings a bell for me too - I remember it as white dresses with coloured sashes. I'm wondering if it was either Malory Towers/St. Clares or perhaps the Antonia Forrest Marlows school books?

I don't think I've read the Abbey Girls series suggested by Citrus.

Remus The end of The Silver Sword by Ian Serrailier has the family reunited in Switzerland living in a village for orphans created after WWII.

The girls with sashes doing exercises could be an Abbey Girls one - they are obsessed with morris dancing and 'drill'.

No :(

It's more a young children's books. Double pages of illustrations with paragraphs of writing rather than a novel

Thanks though

polly I'm going to order and reread it, delighted to find it. It made such a strong impression on me, of strangeness and sadness. Yes hope gymbunnie comes back and sees it.

wayfarers I really thought that wouldn't be enough to go on to find it, I'd resigned myself to it. I think the language in it must have been quite sophisticated and descriptive because the feel of the book stayed with me more so than the plot. DWJ & VA were my 2 favourites, and though I think I must have read The Dark Is Rising series, I don't think I actively looked for Susan Cooper in the same way, and so many books went back to the library and were forgotten.

tellmedinosaur The Silver Crown by Robert C O Brien? He also wrote the Rats of Nimh which was creepy.