Best of
Childrens

1955

Old Bones the Wonder Horse


Mildred Mastin Pace - 1955
    Old Bones, as he was affectionately called, came out of nowhere to win a Kentucky Derby and to run a hundred races before his retirement."

Harold and the Purple Crayon


Crockett Johnson - 1955
    Adventure goes hand in hand with imagination to create this charming classic story.

Christmas Day in the Morning


Pearl S. Buck - 1955
    Buck and acclaimed artist Mark Buehner comes a heartwarming story that illustrates the true meaning of Christmas.Rob wants to get his father something special for Christmas this year—something that shows how much he really loves him. But it's Christmas Eve, and he doesn't have much money to spend. What could he possibly get? Suddenly, Rob thinks of the best gift of all...The acclaimed author of nearly a hundred books for children and adults, Pearl S. Buck captures the spirit of Christmas in this elegant, heartening story about a boy's gift of love. Originally published in 1955, this timeless story with glorious full-color art by Mark Buehner will be a welcome addition to your holiday collection.

The Bunny Book


Patricia M. Scarry - 1955
    But the baby only nibbles on his carrot and looks wise . . . for he knows what he will grow up to be!

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe / The Magician's Nephew


C.S. Lewis - 1955
    The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe: Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist its ruler, the golden lion Aslan, in defeating the White Witch who has cursed the land with eternal winter.

Eloise


Kay Thompson - 1955
    She may not be pretty yet, but she’s definitely already a real person. She loves learning about people who aren’t boring. Take Eloise home with you and she’ll introduce you to life at The Plaza. You’ll be glad you did!

An Episode of Sparrows


Rumer Godden - 1955
    But Angela's sister Olivia isn't so sure. Olivia wonders why the neighborhood children—the “sparrows” she sometimes watches from the window of her house —have to be locked out of the garden. Don't they have a right to enjoy the place, too? But neither Angela nor Olivia has any idea what sent the neighborhood waif Lovejoy Mason and her few friends in search of “good, garden earth.” Still less do they imagine where their investigation of the incident will lead them—to a struggling restaurant, a bombed-out church, and at the heart of it all, a hidden garden.

Karlsson on the Roof


Astrid Lindgren - 1955
    Soon Smidge and Karlson are sharing all sorts of adventures, from tackling thieves and playing tricks to looping the loop and running across the rooftops. Fun and chaos burst from these charming, classic stories.

The Golden Name Day


Jennie D. Lindquist - 1955
    While nine-year-old Nancy is staying with her adopted Swedish grandparents for a year, everyone tries to figure out how she can celebrate a name day since her name isn't Swedish.

Jill's Gymkhana


Ruby Ferguson - 1955
    But that's when her problems begin because ponies are expensive. Where will she find the money?

The Duchess Bakes a Cake


Virginia Kahl - 1955
    The Duchess put many things into the cake, adding the yeast six times for good measure. So the cake rose, and the Duchess with it - and how were they to get her down again?It is Gunhilde, the youngest of the daughters, who suggests a happy solution.This charming story, with its lively pictures and delightful combinations of words is fun for children - and fun for adults to read aloud.

The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes


Iona Opie - 1955
    Included are all of your favorites, ranging from Yankee Doodle Came to Town and A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go to Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, Jack and Jill and Old Mother Hubbard. And complementing the rhymes are nearly a hundred illustrations, including reproductions of early art found in ballad sheets and music books, which highlight the development of children's illustrations over the last two centuries.With each piece, Iona and Peter Opie introduced a wealth of information, noting the earliest known publications of the rhyme, describing how it originated, illustrating changes in wording over time, and indicating variations and parallels in other languages. Moreover, in the general introduction, the Opies discuss the different types of rhyme and the earliest published collections, and they address such questions as who was Mother Goose and whether or not individual rhymes originally portrayed real people. For this second edition, the notes have been updated and extended in light of recentscholarship, providing an unrivaled wealth of literary and bibliographic information.The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes is now more than ever an indispensable reference source for scholars and book collectors as well as a volume to be treasured by parents and children alike.

The Illustrated Treasury of Children's Literature


Margaret E. Martignoni - 1955
    

The Hill of the Red Fox


Allan Campbell McLean - 1955
    Soviet spies are feared and secrets traded. And people disappear. Thirteen-year-old Alasdair lives in London and knows nothing of that world. He can't wait to begin his long summer holiday on the Isle of Skye, away from his mother and aunt.But things don't go quite as planned. On the journey, a stranger gives him a mysterious note before jumping from the train. Even worse, he immediately suspects the sinister Murdo Beaton, the man with whom he's staying. Gradually adjusting to life on the small farm, Alasdair is unprepared for the web of danger and espionage that begins to unfold around him.(Ages 10-13)

The Golden Book of 365 Stories


Kathryn Jackson - 1955
    Richard Scarry's distinctive artwork decorates every page of this family treasure.

Switch on the Night


Ray Bradbury - 1955
    And to switch on the night is to switch on the stars, the moon, the crickets, and the frogs. With the Dillons’ dreamlike illustrations, Switch on the Night is sure to reassure any child who has felt afraid of the unkown; the story will also impress adult readers with its imaginative approach to understanding that which is different.“Bradbury’s story of a boy who conquers his fear of the night with the help of a child named Dark has been newly illustrated with appropriately mysterious, dramatic artwork, clearly influenced by M. C. Escher’s work.”—The Horn Book“The Dillons’ interpretation works well intellectually and aesthetically.”—Booklist

Best Friends


Mary Bard - 1955
    Someone to vent to, giggle with, and someone to help her face Millicent and the Select Seven at school every day. Those girls are boy crazy, talk in codes, and call Suzie “teacher’s pet.” It’s not easy being a teacher’s kid! And it’s not easy being eleven, going on twelve, without a best friend. Then Co Co Langdon moves in next door. Suzie has never met anyone like Co Co. First, she’s from France and has traveled all over the world. And second, she’s never been to school, having been tutored by the ultra-strict Mademoiselle. But now that Co Co is in America, she will go to school for the very first time. And Suzie will finally have a best friend by her side! First published in 1955, Best Friends follows two girls through one unforgettable school year as they take on mean girls, a cranky neighbor, boys, and a missing beloved neighborhood dog—but most of all, as they find out what it truly means to be best friends.

Flicka, Ricka, Dicka Bake a Cake


Maj Lindman - 1955
    They had blue eyes and yellow curls, and they looked very much alike.When they decided to bake a surprise cake for their mother's birthday, their friend Aunt Betty helped them. She told them how to make Mother's favorite cake, and she watched them put it in the oven.Remember -- your cake should bake just half an hour, Aunt Betty told the girls as she went out.What happen after that surprised everyone!Originally published in the United States in 1955, Flicka, Ricka, Dicka Bake a Cake was one of a series of treasured books created by Swedish author-artist Maj Lindman (1886-1972). She also wrote and illustrated stories about three little Swedish boys, Snipp, Snapp, and Snurr.Today's young readers will find the warm, wholesome stories of these busy, independent children immensely satisfying.

The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek


Evelyn Sibley Lampman - 1955
    George (as they called him) was very shy. Meet George. He's strong, as a giant dinosaur should be, strong enough to wreck a plane (Of course he thinks it's his old enemy, the flying Pteranodon.) He's loyal. He'll do anything to help Joan and Joey save their mother's ranch at Cricket Creek, even chase a bank robber. He's shy. He's so shy he gets Joan and Joey into hilarious, dinosaur sized trouble!Originally published in 1955, this well loved classic returns with all the original text by Evelyn Sibley Lampman and illustrations by Hubert Buel

Saint Therese and the Roses


Helen Walker Homan - 1955
    Therese of Lisieux, the "Little Flower." Growing up in Lisieux, France was occasionally painful but usually delightful for Therese and her four sisters. For practical Marie, studious Pauline, hot-tempered Leonie, mischievous Celine, and beautiful, lovable Therese, growing up meant growing closer to God. The Little Flower found her pathway to holiness right in her own back yard.With their disagreements, secrets, visits to the convent, school adventures, and romances, these five girls are an enjoyable handful for their kindly, widowed father. But Therese, because she loves her family, discovers that one of her sisters might unwittingly prevent her dearest wish from coming true.In this Vision book, Helen Walker Homan, who writes in the tradition of Louisa Mae Alcott, has created another classic of delightful family life among five sisters, one of whom became a saint.

The Young Adventurers At Holiday House


Enid Blyton - 1955
    

Sugarplum


Johanna Johnston - 1955
    But when she falls into a jar of newly made jelly and is lost for months, Sugarplum gets her chance to prove she is a little girl's real doll.

Rupert: The Daily Express Annual no. 20 - 1955


Alfred Bestall - 1955
    Daily Express, 1955.Includes numbered certificate."Limited edition of 11,000 copies"--Certificate.

Danny Orlis and the Strange Forest Fires


Bernard Palmer - 1955
    As Danny leads them in exploring the islands, they come across a forest fire that is just starting. They are able to get it put out, but there doesn't seem to be a good explanation for why it started in the first place. A strange accident, being followed and another fire's starting add to the mystery. Will they arrive in time to save the man who started the fires and who is now in danger?

The Little Bookroom


Eleanor Farjeon - 1955
    Her selection of her favorite stories describes powerful—and sometimes exceedingly silly—monarchs, and commoners who are every bit their match; musicians and dancers who live for art rather than earthly reward; and a goldfish who wishes to “marry the Moon, surpass the Sun, and possess the World.”

Snow White and Rose Red


Gustaf Tenggren - 1955
    

Minnow on the Say


Philippa Pearce - 1955
    With summer stretching endlessly before him, it seems too good to be true.Soon there is another boy--Adam, the Minnow's rightful owner. Adam wants his boat back...but something else, too: a trustworthy friend to help him find the long lost ancestral jewels that could save his family from financial disaster Can two boys find what history has kept an untouchable secret for hundreds of years? Or will they lose the race against time and against another treasure seeker lurking at the river's edge.

Mary Had a Little Lamb (a Rand Mcnally Junior Elf Book 8088)


Gavy - 1955
    

5 Pennies to Spend


Miriam Young - 1955
    John has five pennies to spend on himself, but encounters some needy friends along the way.

Wonder Tales from Around the World


Heather Forest - 1955
    Collected from the folklore of India, Africa, Asia, South America, the Artic, Western and Eastern Europe, Pacific cultures, and the British Isles, these 27 stories are gems of the genre--evocatively retold with a touch of original poetry.

Manners to Grow on: Classic Etiquette for Modern Kids


Tina Lee - 1955
    Originally published in 1955, "Manners to Grow on" is still listed as a resource for elementary school character education programs in many areas of the country. Adults will get a kick out of the authentic vintage artwork and earnest, simple writing, but the range of situations calling for good manners is surprisingly relevant and up-to-date. This charming volume teaches enduring lessons about friendship, tolerance, consideration, fair play, good sportsmanship, conversation, admitting wrongdoing, giving and accepting compliments, and many other aspects of etiquette that will stand a person in good stead for a lifetime.

The Magician's Nephew


C.S. Lewis - 1955
    Their lives burst into adventure when Digory's Uncle Andrew, who thinks he is a magician, sends them hurtling to...somewhere else. They find their way to Narnia, newborn from the Lion's song, and encounter the evil sorceress Jadis before they finally return home.

The Littlest Snowman


Charles Tazewell - 1955
    He had to make sure there was snow for Christmas. Otherwise, Santa Claus might not be able to come to Lily and Bo's house. So his journey begins and takes him from an ice cream truck to a refrigerated train car, on the back of a giant bird to a scary confrontation with the giant snowmen who live at the North Pole. Finally, the Littlest Snowman makes it to Santa's house on Christmas Eve. But is he too late? Will he find a way to save Christmas for the children he loves?

Here Come the Elephants!


Alice E. Goudey - 1955
    

More Than You Bargained For and Other Stories


Joan Aiken - 1955
    con. / Tea At Ravensburgh / The People In the Castle / Don't Pay the Postman / The Third Wish / Pigeon Cake for Miss Samphire / The Mysterious Barricades / Nutshells, Seashells / Catch the Christmas Train / Some Music for the Wicked Countess / A Room Full of Leaves.

The Story of Albert Schweitzer


Jo Manton - 1955
    

Favorite Stories Old and New


Sidonie Matsner Gruenberg - 1955
    

Peter Pan and Wendy Gift Book


May Clarissa Gillington Byron - 1955
    This retold edition - abridged with the permission of the author - is brought to life by classic pen and ink illustrations from award-winning Shirley Hughes.