Choose Your Own Adventure

Deadwood City by Edward Packard

Illustrated by Paul Granger
Bantam Books, 1978

You are the star of the story! Choose from 37 possible endings! I do find it somewhat annoying to read a book in "second person" or whatever this point of view is actually called. I do like that the main character shown in the pictures is a cowgirl, a gun-toting girl.

Edward Packard, practicing lawyer and the author of this book, conceived of the idea for the Choose Your Own Adventure series in the course of telling bedtime stories to his children. This title is just one I picked up at a thrift store, but I remember reading these as a kid. I scanned the list of titles for a familiar one but nothing is triggering a memory. Here are a few of the wonderful adventures YOU could go on:

The Cave of Time
Journey Under the Sea
By Balloon to the Sahara
The Third Planet for Altair
The Mystery of Chimney Rock
The Lost Jewels of Naboo

Illustrated Classics Edition

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
adapted by Mitsu Yamamoto, Illustrations by Pablo Marcos Studio
Moby Books - I. Walman & Son, Inc, 1979

The back of the book reads:
"After fourteen years in a dungeon, Edmond Dantes escapes by taking a dead man's place. Because Dantes is starting life over as a penniless sailor, his pursuit of vengeance will only be poosible if a huge treasure, revealed to him by a babbling, dying prisonmate, actually exists on the Island of Monte Cristo. Follow Edmond Dantes as he discovers the long-lost treasure and becomes wealthy, powerful and hard-hearted Count of Monte Cristo, whose one aim in life is revenge on the three men responsible for his imprisonment."

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
Adapted by Lucia Monfried, cover illustration by Al Leiner
Moby Books- I. Waldman & Son, 1977

This is the book I remember owning. I was never a fan of these books simply because they weren't the "originals." I considered them inferior because they were adapted or edited or abridged books. I also had a copy of The Wizard of Oz among other books and was always fascinated by the bits and pieces of the novel version that were so far away from the film version. Yet, to this day I've not read any of the Frank L. Baum versions though I've always meant to. They look so intriguing, book after fantastical book, all lined up on the shelves at the library or the bookstore.

The back of this book reads:
"Knocked on the head in the nineteeth century, Hank Morgan wakes to find himself in King Arthur's England! The Connecticut Yankee uses all his scientific knowledge to become the King's chief minister, outwits the master magician, Merlin, and finally wins the kingdogm. But can he ever get back to Connecticut? Or is it all a dream?"

I enjoy time travel books and films (reminds me a wee bit of Kate and Leopold) and this makes me think of the recent essay I heard Chuck Klosterman read at the UND Writers Conference. What fun!

This book doesn't mention an illustrator but all three books have the same cover designer -- Al Leiner.


The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Adapted by Mitsu Yamamoto, Illustrated by Brendan Lynch
Moby Books - Waldman Publishing Group, 1983


The back of the book reads:
"Henry Jekyll, though a respected medical doctor, is shunned by his friends and associates because of his incredible belief that man is not truly one person, but two! Determined to prove his belief and to separate one man into two personalities and two bodies, Jekyll concocts a drug and tests it on himself. After that his life changes, bringing him into contact with the evil Mr. Hyde. Everyone but Jekyll despises the slimy Hyde as soon as he shows his repulsive self, but the doctor befriends him and even makes him his heir. What is the mysterious hold that the murderous Hyde has over Dr. Jekyll? Can it be broken--or will Jekyll become Hyde's next victim?

Is it just me or do the backs of these books tell a teensy bit too much? I really am a purist when it comes to not having TOO much knowledge going in to a book. I prefer the blank slate or the barest bit of an idea of the plot. Oh well. I guess many people know the basic premise of each of these stories. Though a "young reader" about to read one of these books for the first time may not. Of course, they may be pared down so much that one needs this extra bit of info. Who knows? At any rate, it was fun to revisit these blasts from the past. Here's a listing of some of the other titles in the series.

Best Tag Line Ever.

Andre Norton & Dorothy Madlee, Arch Paperbacks, 1978

Best tag line ever: Jim and Elly Mae must save their cat friends from killer robots.

Not long ago, my pal Jennifer and I were reminiscing old books from our childhood and she reminded me of this Andre Norton novel which we both read. I was trying to find out the title of one of the scariest books from my past, one that involved aliens taking over earth in a kind of body snatcher way and the last lines of the book involved the main character turning to her friend who now had "jelly eyes" which was apparently the sign that the baddies had taken over the body. Still don't know what that one was... anyone out there have a clue? Anyway... pardon the digression.

Star Ka'at World is apprently the second book in the series, but it's the only one I've read. In this one, Jim and Elly Mae are taken from earth by their cat companions who are more than house cats, they are part of an alien race called Ka'ats. These "cats" can communicte using their minds and in ancient times on Earth they coexisted quite nicely with humans. Over time, humans changed and were unable to understand the Ka'ats and to adapt to these changes the Ka'ats changed too, learning to hunt and survive in new ways. Some even forgot their mind communication skills. Now a fresh wave of Ka'ats have come to earth to liberate their cat friends and they discover there are still humans who can communicate with them.

Both Jim and Elly Mae are orphaned and have limited ties to others on Earth and so they are willing to embark on this space voyage. The world of the Ka'ats is quite different: green skies, different smells, food you think into creation using their special machine that you instruct with your mind. I started rereading it last night and would have kept going if I could have stayed awake. I am not really sure how it ends. I know the humans begin to regret their stay in the Star Ka'at World. And it sounds like there is some serious robot crisis going on. I may have to pick this one up again soon.

I've actually had a bit of a fear of talking cats. I had a dream once in which I was being stalked and terrorized by a large black cat who could communicate telepathically. I've never quite trusted cats since that night. I wonder if that bizarre nightmare has its roots in these books? Probably more likely in Edgar Allen Poe's short story. "The Black Cat."

Here are the book titles in the Star Ka'at series:
* Star Ka`at (1976) Collection of Stories with Dorothy Madlee
* Star Ka`at World (1978) Collection of Stories with Dorothy Madlee
* Star Ka`at's and the Plant People (1979) Collection of Stories with Dorothy Madlee
* Star Ka`at's and the Winged Warriors (1981) Collection of Stories with Dorothy Madlee

The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek

by Evelyn Sibley Lampman, illustrated by Hubert Buel
Scholastic Book Services, 1955

It's been awhile since I read this one, but I remember it from my elementary school library. Maybe this explains why the stegosaurus has always been my favorite dinosaur.

from Amazon:

Suppose you were hunting around in the desert for a fossil and instead you found a real (and very large) dinosaur, genus Stegosaurus. Joan and Joey Brown did! Only nobody would believe they had found one, which was just as well because George (as they called him) was very shy.

He was a loyal friend, though, and he did his best to help the twins with their schemes to make money to finance their mother's dry little ranch on Cricket Creek. George ate sagebrush, looked for fossils, and fought an airplane (which he thought was a Pteranodon) with faithful enthusiasm, but his nut-sized brain often made him more hindrance than help. Especially when he went after the bank robber!

Mrs. Lampman has told her hilarious story so convincingly that you'll be looking for dinosaurs around every mesa. And who knows? Maybe you'll find one!

The Boxcar Children

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
L. Kate Deal, Illustrator, Albert Whitman & Company, 1942

This is the story of Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny, four orphaned children who make their home in an abandoned railway car after their parents death. They fear their grandfather for some reason and though they try to make a go of it on their own their success is short lived. In the golden days they dig a swimming hole, scavenge the dump for useful items, Henry gets a job which provides them with food, and they even find a dog. I think that many children of that age dream of independence--of having their own cup, making their own food, having their own space.

Gertrude Chandler Warner's famous Boxcar Children series began with this one book. The language is very basic and great for beginner readers. I read a few of the others in the series, but never felt the same allure. There were more than 100 books in the series, with Warner writing only the first 19. Half the fun was the idea of four kids living alone in an abandoned boxcar, cooking their own food and eating it on salvaged dishes. When they were safely in the care of their Grandfather some of the allure and excitement vanished. The following books fell more into the mystery genre.

My siblings and I count this book as a beloved favorite. I don't really remember when I discovered it. Maybe my second grade teacher introduced me to the series. What I do remember is reading it aloud to my brother and my sister. First we'd read the story and then we'd act it out.

Nearly 15 years ago I was employed in a babysitting gig for a pair of sweet kids and I had the privilege of introducing them to the wonder of a read aloud from a chapter book. They were at the age where their family focus was on the picture book and we read from plenty of those as well... But I started them off with The Boxcar Children and this was a gateway to a new reading experience for Luke and Hannah too. I still remember Luke remarking with wonder, "You know I don't need pictures. You can see the pictures in your head."

A couple of years ago, I ran into Hannah (now in high school) and her mom at a local bookstore and of course we said hello. Hannah hadn't seen me in years and didn't really remember who I was. As her mom tried to explain, she said one thing that made Hannah's eyes light up and my heart swell... "she's the one who read The Boxcar Children to you." Apparently they still remember.

Cheerleading and Baton Twirling by Roberta Davis
Weekly Reader Books, Xerox Corporation, 1970

I actually WAS a cheerleader in high school. Apparently it was a dream for years prior? After all, I have this well-worn copy--though the only markings in the book are the stars I placed by favorite cheers, or "yells and chants" as the book identifies them. The book betrays its copyright in a lovely sort of old-fashioned language and ideas from another era. For example:

Should girls wear glasses or leave them at home? This depends on the extent of your real physical need for them... Today, glasses are so readily accepted that wearing them is never held against a cheerleader candidate. However the frames should be as attractive and flattering as possible without being obtrusive. Your glasses should be on the light side, particularly if you have a light complexion. Leave the horn-rims for the brunettes. And whether blond or brunette, avoid long hair and glasses. They don't mix well.

The book is a bit like my cheerleading advisor Mrs. Tupa giving us suggestions for moves in our cheers--ones that involved lots of twirling rather than the suggestive or jerky moves we kept coming up with. I never took the whole cheerleading thing too seriously, though owning this book suggests otherwise. When I was in grade school and probably reading this guide from cover to cover, I remember playing with my cousin Julie's full size red and white pom poms, though when I was in high school we didn't use pom poms anymore. I had a homemade cheerleading uniform for my Barbie doll too.

In response to a meme on Facebook I was forced to recall some things from high school and I was shocked to realize I had no idea what our school song was. I sang that song and did our cheerleading routine to it for two sports for four years. And whoosh... 20 years later, it's gone. With a little intent concentration and a phone call to my mother, it came back and I have to say... it's sort of dorky. It was something like this:

We're gonna go, go, go for Rolla
Keep our spirits high.
We're gonna fight, fight, fight for Rolla
Hear our battle cry,
Rah Rah Rah.
When the game is over,
as the story's told,
we're gonna fight a victory for the
Purple and Gold.

The following images are some sample pages offering tips on grooming, stretching, and some cheers. I never learned how to twirl a baton, but that doesn't mean I didn't try. I am sure I was the most uncoordinated cheerleader in the world.

Sooner or Later....

Sooner or Later
A novel by Bruce and Carole Hart

I'm not sure which came first for me. The book or the "major television motion picture" starring Rex Smith, Barbara Felden, and Denise Miller. Either way, here's some classic teenage sap from the Wayback Machine.

From the inside cover:

Thirteen-year old Jessie is a romantic, and she and her friends spend hours talking about LOVE. Spin-the-bottle is considered "practice for the main event" and the ideal boyfriend is Burt Reynolds. But Jessie knows if she's patient, the real thing is bound to happen sooner or later. And it does.

Jessie first spots Michael and his band playing at the shopping mall. When they meet, she is shy and nervous. Michael is handsome, charming--and seventeen. Jessie tells Michael she is sixteen, sure that he won't be interested in her if she revea s her real age. Jessie is ready for her first love, and much to her surprise, Michael is ready for Jessie.

I am considering a reread just to see how truly awful this book is. As I skim it, I recall this was the book to introduce me to the wonder that is New Jersey... Englewood, Hackensack. Good stuff. I do remember I also read the sequel Waiting Games but I no longer own that one. And today, I discovered there was a third book Now or Never released about a decade later.

"To Keep"

The Luck of Pokey Bloom By Ellen Conford
Archway Paperbacks, Pocket Books, 1975

Ellen Conford's books were always a hit with me and this one is one of best. In the story, Pokey (aka Charlotte), is always trying to win sweepstakes and contests. She's a pro at filling in the entry blanks and entering everything available (cake mix contests, greeting card selling schemes) in hopes of winning all sorts of goodies (transister radios, dream houses). I went through a stage like that too. Not sure if it was inspired by this book or something I just thought was a good idea. I remember submitting requests for all kinds of free materials listed in the backs of magazines and I even got some dandy religious materials this way too! Power for Living. Remember that one?

In the story, her brother Gordon is also going through a rather sweet crush-inspired health food kick in which he's all about yoga and health shakes with applesauce, bananas, wheat germ and beets! The book is reminiscent of the Beverly Cleary books, but maybe I only think that because I was reading them all at the same time.

On a side note, I borrowed many books in my youth from our neighbor down the road, Andrea. Many of my beloved titles came from her. Some from our annual two family rummage sale. Others because she was weeding out her collection. This book must have been one of hers because there's a small note scrawled on the inside cover. She'd mark the books to indicate if it was one that was meant to be a "loan" or in this case, the book reads "to keep." Thanks, Andrea!

I'd forgotten this book had illustrations.

Oddly enough the cover suggests the illustrations were done by Charles Carroll, but the inside cover attributes them to Bernice Loewenstein. Maybe Carroll just illustrated the cover?

Modern Monday -- Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
Harper Collins, 2008

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech
Harper Collins, 2001

The story of Jack begins in Love That Dog in Miss Stretchberry's classroom as the students learn about poetry. Initially Jack is very poetry resistant but his teacher introduces him to all kinds of great poets and he has an opportunity to actually meet Walter Dean Myers and all of this has a great impact on the young learner. The novel is a breeze to read since it's written in free verse poetry which feels almost more like a kind of one sided communication (Jack's voice) with his teacher.

In Hate That Cat, Jack is back for another school year and it turns out that Miss Stretchberry's advanced with her students. Jack sees this as a good thing and mentions it would be nice if she did that every year from now on. Of course they are back to learning about poetry and Jack focuses much of his poetic energy on a black cat that is making him miserable. If you loved the first one, you'll enjoy this continuation. Not only is this a book of poetry exploration and a struggle with Jack's feelings toward cats, and his questions about sounds and silence, it looks at Jack's relationship to his mother, just as the first book touched on his relationship with his father.

This is a link to Sharon Creech's "tidbits" page in which she tells all kinds of fun little facts about her books and their inspiration.

The Heroic and Spooky Adventures of America's Favorite Floppy-Eared Mutt

A novelization by Allison Thomas

from the original screenplay by Joe Camp

American Broadcasting Company Merchandising, Inc 1975

Back in the day, my parents had Lassie. In my day, I had Benji. You just have to love those celebrity dogs. For some reason I was all about reading the book after seeing the movie, but it's the movie I really remember. I loved that scruffy dog, Benji. I remember the old abandoned house and how he hooked up with his "girlfriend" Tiffany. Other than than that the plot escapes me.

Here's an online summary about the 1974 film:

Benji tells the story of a stray dog who lives in a small Texas town where he has befriended many local people, each of whom calls him by a different name. He gets plenty of food and attention whenever he visits with one of his acquaintances. He meets another stray dog, a diminutive white female with long fluffy hair, and the two dogs form a bond. When two children whom Benji loves are kidnapped and held for ransom, the dogs try to help, and Benji seeks out friendly human beings to assist him in freeing the children.

These are a few pics from the book insert.

My First Taste of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
by E. L. Konigsburg
Dell Yearling Paperback, 1967
My copy is from 1982.

Elaine Lobl Konigsburg has achieved a few firsts in her lifetime. According to Wikipedia,
"She is the only author to win the Newbery Medal and a Newbery Honor in the same year (1968), with her second and first books respectively: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth. Konigsburg won a second Newbery Medal in 1997 for The View from Saturday, 29 years later, the longest span between any two Newberys awarded to one author.

For me, I'm not sure what came first--the book or the 1973 film adaptation (which I could have sworn was on Saturday morning TV, but maybe I have this confused)--apparently there is also a 1995 made-for-TV version. Regardless I loved Claudia and Jamie and admired the spunk and survival skills of these two kids--packing the necessities in her violin case, bathing in the fountain, collecting wishing coins to spend on food . I loved the mystery of the statue. This book sparked an interest, not only in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (a place I have yet to see in person), but an interest in Michaelangelo as an artist. I really like the new cover art on the book.