Update: I found the lost childhood book that I had no info about!!

[politicat]

And I have to thank you DUers who started jogging my memory and helping me think about it.

It's called The Haunted Dollhouse, and was published in 82. The author was Terry Berger and the photographer was Karen Coshof (of The Great Warming). How we got Andrews in there, I have no idea.

I've got it ordered. It is not cheap.

As it happens, The Haunted Doll turned out to be pretty good, and I'm giving it to my niece.

[eleny]

1. Where were you able to order it?

An Abe Books seller, perhaps?

[Lautremont]

2. All right, now help me:

What was the book about the people turning into cacti? It was published by Scholastic 'round about '78, '79, maybe '80. That's all I know.

[politicat]

9. Oh, I remember that one!

Creepy book. But title... no... not yet.

It's not The Day of the Triffids, is it? John Wyndham?

[Lautremont]

13. It's not that one, no.

It was really weird - it had these photo mock-ups of the cactus people. I remember one in particular was a woman who had transformed into a cactus, but it still had sort of vague breast shapes and scraps of clothing stuck to the needles. I'm pretty sure it took place in the American Southwest somewhere.

[CrazyOrangeCat]

3. It's fun when you find a book from your childhood . . .

. . . isn't it? I've found a couple in the last few years, most notably, "Me 'n Caleb", which is a story about two ornery twelve year-olds, and the pranks they pull on their neighbors.

--a fellow Ed Abbey disciple

[Monk06]

4. The first book I read all the way through was "The Invisible Man"

By H G Wells. You always remember your first book.

[jimshoes]

6. Isn't that the truth

My first complete read was E.A. Poe's "The Gold Bug" in fourth grade some time in the early 60's.

[Monk06]

7. Poe? Aren't you the smarty pants. (chuckle)

[politicat]

10. Actually, I don't.

I started reading very early, and I know I was reading actual novels (which are called by the hideous sobriquet "chapterbooks" today) by the time I was six. I know I read several Choose Your Own Adventure books in the summer between kindergarten and first grade, and a bunch of the Ramona Quimby books and I don't remember what else. Unfortunately, that was a very busy year - one sister was born, another broke her arm, we moved and I spent the summer with my great-grandparents - and so details got lost. It might have been "The Headless Cupid" by Zilpha Keatley Snyder, or possibly The Borrowers.

I don't even remember the first book I checked out of the adult side of the library, or the first book I bought. I went through so very many, and we abandoned so many (military shipping allowances being that way) that titles came and went.

[bonito]

5. Ok my turn

I was born in 52, and this book really caught my attention,I can still recall a rabbit looking into its reflection in a pond, and not a heck of alot more, anyone?

[Sal Minella]

11. Was it Peter Rabbit looking at his new blue jacket, and did he

get in trouble by squirming under the fence into Mr. MacGregor's garden?

[politicat]

12. Approximately how old were you?

Under 10? Under 20?

Do you remember pictures or text?

Do you remember where you were when you read it?

I've some ideas of what it might be....

[politicat]

17. Watership Down or The Velveteen Rabbit?

Both have that image.

[lastknowngood]

8. If you want a lovely book try "Three and the Moon" it is from the 20's

and is a collection of stories from Provenance. The author paints the most beautiful mind pictures and it teaches wonderful life lessons.

[Uncle Roy]

14. $19.00 at AbeBooks; V.C.Andrews wrote the introduction (nfm)

[politicat]

16. I know that now...

[abluelady]

15. Thanks--I Love Happy Endings. n/t