To ask if you remember this VERY strange book from my childhood ...

[eatsleepread]

I'm mid-forties, and I've sometimes wondered about a book I read while at primary school. It really was weird. It's about a dark-haired young girl who lives in a tent with her family. Looking back, I think they were made out to be gypsies.
The girl discovered a tasty herb growing locally, or possibly some sort of salad leaf. She used to pick it and hide it under her duvet. When her father found out, he beat her.
I read it at lower primary, and it was a story/picture book, as opposed to a chapter book.
Reading my post, it makes me wonder how a book like this could ever have existed. But I'm not making it up!

@Monstermissy36 ''When Laura and Elizabeth came running in there was only a crumpled silken heap lying at the foot of the stairs with balls and stockings all around it and Aunt Laura's scissors bent and twisted under the foot they had so cruelly pierced."

@TheLittleDogLaughed
365 bedtime stories by Nan Gilbert? That's from 1955.

I remember a book about two girls, one was called Karen and she was 'very wicked' and mean to her kitten, I think the other girl was her sister or cousin and was patient with her and tried to change her. I can't remember what it was called but I remember it being Karen because it was my auntie's name.

Don't suppose anyone remembers one called something like "the small small", as in the girl it was about was the smallest member of the Small family? Don't remember much about it but I have a feeling it was a bit sad.. Would have been mid 90s I think. Sorry I can't help with any of the others so far!

Possibly - I’ll check it out. Thank you.

I've just watched the whole of Kizzy.
What a trip down memory lane. I loved this as a kid and had a cat named Kizzy.

Talk about times changing though. Olivia doesn't tell the parents that their kids are bullies, she let's them 'sort it out amongst themselves'
Can you imagine that happening now?

And the girls in their short, short skirts and flashes of knickers all over the place. Totally innocent, but wouldn't pass now.
Makes you think.

Here’s a random one, I know what it is called but I wonder if anyone else in the world ever read this book- it was inherited by me from my Mum (born 1947) and she was given it as a prize for perfect attendance at Sunday School in the mid 1950s. It was called Angela in Charge and was about a girl who went to visit her aunt who ran a corner shop and the aunt fell and broke her leg so the girl had to take over running the shop. She spent a lot of time doing “tatting” as she sat behind the counter, which is that thing where you feed wool through a wooden doll with a hook and make a long coil. I loved that book- being 10 and in charge of your own shop! Amazing! There was a pic of her on the frontespiece sweeping with her hair in a scarf.
I am sure it was inconsequential low quality nonsense but I loved it.

yes, re Kizzy, the flashing of knickers,
and let the boys walk Kizzy home, now what a good idea

I have a book I cant remember
Always think of it on these threads.
A house full of children-teenagers? Who are all ill but it's not really a hospital. One of them always covers his meals in ketchup as he can't taste anything. Another a girl I think feels really sorry for them all as she lives there too but isn't ill. But it turns out that she is ill and part of the treatment that they give her makes her forget that.
Would have been early 80s and my Mum used to choose me some really odd books from the library.

@tenredthings I hope so! I’ve wanted to re read that forever. Thank you

@StrawberryJam200 oh goodness that’s brought back memories of Winken Blinken and Nod. I remember them in their nightcaps and stripy nightgowns.

Re: the 365 books were they the ones by Richard Scarry?

Does anyone know what my book might be...

The main character was a girl who was old enough to be out alone so I'm guessing between 10 and 17 years old as I don't think she was an adult. She might have been a dancer but I'm not too sure. She could talk to mice and the mice helped her find something (might have been a piece of glass) that had to be put into a stained glass window. I'm not sure why this was important though!

Any ideas....

The Johnny Morris animal stories we had as LPs in the 70s and would sit on the sofa with a blanket listening to them.

@badbadbeans I'm not sure but I've just bought it so I can find out 😀 thank you def sounds like it!! Amazing you got that from my poor description!!

FindingNormal could it be The Whispering Knights by Penelope Lively? No unicorns, but definitely kids, Stonehenge-like stones and a witch. And I think a big black car. I loved that book!

@FindingNormal could it be The Whispering Knights by Penelope Lively? No unicorns, but definitely kids, Stonehenge-like stones and a witch. And I think a big black car. I loved that book!

@Monstermissy36 ooo do post back here and let me know if it was the right one! I have a bit of a memory for quotes from books and although I haven't read that one in about 15 years, I did read it several times as a child and once as an adult. Obviously the scene made an impression on me too!

missnevermind: A house full of children-teenagers? Who are all ill but it's not really a hospital. One of them always covers his meals in ketchup as he can't taste anything. Another a girl I think feels really sorry for them all as she lives there too but isn't ill. But it turns out that she is ill and part of the treatment that they give her makes her forget that.

I wonder if this might be Robert Cormier: The Bumblebee Flies Anway? The character who thinks he isn't ill because of induced amnesia as part of the treatment is a boy called Barney, not a girl, but otherwise the plot sounds similar.

The person talking about the children going to the magical island with the parrot - could this be "The Talking Parcel" by Gerard Durrell -fantastic book for anyone
"Three children befriend an unusual parrot and spider and travel with them to Mythologia, the magical land of mythical animals, to try and save it from being taken over by the evil Cockatrices".

I love The Talking Parcel @AbsinthedelaBonchance. I still have my battered old copy from the 80s and it’s completely yellowed now I read it every year or so. I used to be scared of the werewolves as a child

I used to love Baabar the Elephant and, Orlando, the Marmalade Cat. Also, the Moomintrolls. Introduced to books from a very young age by mother (teacher), and was thrilled to reach the age when I was allowed to move from children's books to the adults' sections, and then later allowed to take out many more books at a time.

@ArgumentativeAardvaark

Here’s a random one, I know what it is called but I wonder if anyone else in the world ever read this book- it was inherited by me from my Mum (born 1947) and she was given it as a prize for perfect attendance at Sunday School in the mid 1950s. It was called Angela in Charge and was about a girl who went to visit her aunt who ran a corner shop and the aunt fell and broke her leg so the girl had to take over running the shop. She spent a lot of time doing “tatting” as she sat behind the counter, which is that thing where you feed wool through a wooden doll with a hook and make a long coil. I loved that book- being 10 and in charge of your own shop! Amazing! There was a pic of her on the frontespiece sweeping with her hair in a scarf. I am sure it was inconsequential low quality nonsense but I loved it.

You're thinking of a Knitting Nancy, not tatting. I'd love to try tatting but it is WAY beyond me. did buy a new Nancy recently though.

This is tatting www.google.com/search?q=tatting&oq=tatting&aqs=chrome..69i57j0j46j0l2.2774j0j7&client=ms-android-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

@mintleaves yes that's it!!! Thankyou!!! Not sure where i had the unicorn bit from. I wonder if i merged another book i read at the same time in my mind (was a massive book worm as a kid and read things back to back)

i remember this book
i loved it The Didakoi
it was also a kids TV programme calked Kizzy

did anyone else Read Robinshugh
about a girl who travelled back in time ???