books from the 1980s that no-one else remembers!

[GoldenGreen]

For some reason I have been compulsively trying to track down half-remembered books that I read as a young teenager - not sure why as they are not classics but I would really like to revisit them. I had hoped my younger sister might have picked them up but she never liked the same books as me.

Does this ring a bell with anyone:

Series with the children of detectives - I think a brother and a sister and an adopted sister (her parents were police officers who died - I think she was Irish, red haired and fiery - obviously) - they solved mysteries based around school. In one they caught a vandal because of the paricular way he wrote "H". In another there was a school trip to France with an old fashioned type of Polaroid camera - this was a key part of the plot but can't remember any more!

The other book that I remember reading obsessively was a teen romance one with a girl whose parents were repressed and abusive. She was not allowed any freedom at all but managed to meet a boy and sneak out. The thing I most remember is that she had no clothes apart from school uniform so she had to embroider flowers on her school shirt when she went out to meet him.

Anyone else got any vague memories of books they once loved and that no-one else ever remembers?

Tolalol - that was Island of the Blue Dolphins. It was based on a true story iirc.

Or even

Tolalol - The Silver Sword by Ian Serrallier
YYY makes me cry every time. But it had a happy ending didn't it. Remember the bit with the boy holding onto the underside of a train and practically freezing to death?

HA! quite.

The Bewitching Of Alison Allbright. I LOVED that book, it really haunted me. Thanks for the reminder.

I loved Five Dolls in a House and had this edition

I had some second hand Misty annuals from my auntie who was 6 years older than me...there were some seriously scary stories in there and I still get freaked out by mirrors and old houses thanks to one of them Here is Wikipedia on Misty Anyone else remember Misty?

there was a book with two japanese dolls both called something blossom. Apple Blossom mand Cherry Blossom?

and the outsiders and another one by the same author called a boy's name. SE Hinton, I think.

Tolalol might it have been I am David with the dog? I remember the dog getting in the way when the main character was about to be shot. But it is possible this was the silver sword as i loved that too. I remember character called Edek who was very good at drawing. Brother and sister got separated and found each other again

i also loved z for zachariah. Also children of the dust.

Also anyone remember another post apocalypic novel where they are trying to get crops to grow and can't and the seeds are kind of diamond shaped and sharp? At the end they finally do. I think they might travel into space? The main girl character is ridiculed for taking a blank book on their trip (they are allowed only one book) and at the end it turns out she has written the whole story younhave just read as a diary (cheesetastic!)

Miss Happiness and Miss Flower - oh yes, that was brilliant. All about how they built the dolls a kimono chest out of a beautiful piece of rosewood.

Toby and Tobias, about a boy and a cat, all a bit pagan and magical. OHave googled it and everything but can't find it. it made such an impression on me, i would love to see the illustrations again.

Can anyone help me with this one?

A boy gets accidentally separated from his parents and survives for months in the wilderness (I think it might be set in Australia/America, dunno). He writes a sort of 'diary' and tells you he's sitting snug in his hollowed-out tree even though it's snowy outside ...

Does this ring any bells? Sorry, description is crap but I enjoyed the story!

Btw, I also loved Two-Thumb Thomas, about a boy who is brought up and educated by the school cats, but eventually adopted by a kind lady - I've never met anyone else who's read this but I have the copy still so know it was real!

I loved some of these; The Runaways, Anastasia, The Borribles and Green Knowe. Will have to root through the attic!

I was a huge fan of Jacqueline Wilson in the late 80s. I must have read Waiting for the Sky to Fall, Amber, This Girl tens of times.

Does anyone remember:

Hating Alison Ashley - think it was Australian and it was about a girl who was deeply envious of her 'perfect' friend.

Nightmare Park - about a school trip to a themepark. Two of the girls are chased through a ghost train type ride by a woman who is playing thr part of a witch (but is actually a bitter old teacher getting revenge on nasty school kids!).

Can't remember the names but I also loved an American series where the books were named after one of four sisters. I think the eldest was called Lydia and there was a Phoebe and a Cassie (?)

I work in a school and our store cupboard is full of dusty old classics from the 80s.

summerlightening
I think the grass book is Death of Grass by John Christopher. That was one of his I never got round to reading. He was very much a John Wyndham for teenagers

Just remembered another I adored - Red Sky at Night, about a girl who has a little brother who is born disabled. I wept buckets at the end.

i remember alison ashley - in particular the contents oh her lunchbox containing a leg of roast chicken and a napkin!

T'was definitely the Silver Sword - I remember Edek now, and the bit where the boy was hanging on under the train.

But I am David was another one that I remember reading. What was it with sad dog books?

And yy! suzikettles! It was Island of the Blue Dolphins...might have to look that one out again.

I was a Liz Berry fan really loved Mel and the other book can't remember it's name now but about destiny and stonehenge. I enjoyed the Easy books too, lol at 13 I really did feel like they we're really 'forbidden' type books and made sure I didn't leave them around for my parents to find.

Mind you really about the premise of the Easy books now.

FLF I remember the ones about the sisters too. I think the other one was Daphne, something beginning with 'D' anyway

Littlereddragon - Hatchet?

Yes it was Daphne, Phoebe, Lydia and Catherine (cassie).

What a brilliant thread.

I loved the Anastasia books. Also loved 'dear Shrink' where a family get put into care when their parents go abroad for work I think??

Does anyone remember a book about a girl who had luekemia? It was really sad, all I remember is her brother liked hot air balloons and I think fell in love with her best friend?

Does anyone remember a post apocalyptic book about people who live on different levels underground - the lower levels being 'the producers' and school being about learning to do a job that you will do for the rest of your life?

And one girl can read (as someone has taught her) so she can navigate the 'booby traps' in the elevators to the next levels. I think she maybe meets someone else, but she eventually gets to the top level, and escapes outside, where people in the underground urban vcomplex have believed it is extremely dangerous to go because the air isn't safe (or something) but in reality, she simply hasn't tried it. She meets others who are outside, I seem to remember that they are old and they have real food ....

Anyone remember this book?

I remember and love a lot of these

I'm looking for a slightly younger book. It was about a boy who went on holiday in a double decker bus that was all painted on the sides.

Tolalola,at least The Silver Sword has a happy ending! (Children reunited with parents etc)

I shall keep watching the thread to see if anyone knows your dolphin one - it sounds very like a book I've been trying to remember the title of for years with absolutely no success!

Whoops - seem to have missed an entire page of the thread...

I remember reading a story when I was about 9 and no one else has ever known what I was on about. A boy had a milk round and someone was putting foreign objects in the milk. I think one was a finger and another a plaster.