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E1--Sounds as though it may be The Secret of Crossbone Hill by Wilson Gage.
I don't want to be discouraging, but I also don't want to see someone go off on the wrong track. I read The Secret of Crossbone Hill over the weekend and I don't think it's the solution to the book described. The Secret of Crossbone Hill is about a brother and sister, spending their summer at the beach in South Carolina with their bird-watching mom and researcher dad, who think they've found a pirate's treasure map woven into a bird's nest. They go through a series of adventures before they find out it's actually a map showing where a certain kind of rare bird is nesting. The box they find containing what they think is treasure contains undeveloped film, lost by an old man whose hobby is bird-watching and who has been photographing the birds.
I'n not a 100% sure, but E1 sounds vaguely like one of the Happy Hollister books, The Happy Hollisters and the Sea Turtle Mystery.  All the details don't exactly match, but the time would be right. The six siblings, boys and girls, are visiting in Florida and solve a mystery on Sanibel and Captiva islands. It involves Indians, and criminals who try to scare the children away.  I don't think there were any skulls involved.
Might this be The Secret Raft by Krantz?
A few possibilities to add to the mix: Barbour, Ralph Henry, Mystery on the Bayou NY Appleton-Century 1943, hardcover, 237 pages, illustrated by Thomas McGowan. Sackett, Bert, Hurricane Treasure: the Secret of Injun Key Random House 1945, 298pp. adventure story, juvenile mystery, "novel set in the Florida Keys Novel of a boy trying to save his father's land in the Florida Everglades. Map endpapers" Though the boys here look too old to be frightened off by a skull. Urmston, Mary, Swamp Shack Mystery NY Doubleday 1959 illustrated by Grace Paull, "Further adventures of the Arnold children; Roger, Clayt, Dunc, Red, Mark, Linda and Judy." juvenile mystery
Yet another possibility: The Secret of Mound Key by Robert F. Burgess, illustrated by Vic Donahue, published Cleveland, World 1966 "A hunt for buried pirate's treasure leads two boys into adventure they never expected. The exotic swamplands, shell islands and blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico offer adventures of their own. An unusual story of Florida coastal waters. Ages 9-12." (Horn Book Feb/66 publishers ad p.105) More on The Secret Raft by Hazel Krantz, illustrated by Charles Geer, published by Vanguard 1966, 190 pages "Opens as an everyday adventure story of scatterbrained, impulsive Howie Blake and his friends the Matson twins. Starting with an early morning jaunt to see a sunrise on the river, the 3 children discover what they believe to be a trio of foreign agents. On a home-made raft they trail their quarry up the river into the forbidden, dangerous swampland, only to find that their 'spies' are actually a professor with two medical students engaged in antibiotic research on an uninhabited island. Later the children return and help with some of the chores; they are introduced to the painstaking methods of scientific investigation and the joys of eventual success."
Same as C56?    Zapf, Marjorie. The Mystery of the Great Swamp

I wonder if E2 could be The Garden Behind the Moon by Howard Pyle.
This wasn't a Howard Pyle book.  It was a picture book, and the illustrations were in bright primary
colors.  I remember the boy went to bed, and the elf woke him up.  I *think* they rode a rocket to the
moon, but I'm not positive.  (If not, how did they get there?)  They painted stars all night, and then when morning got near, the elf took the boy back home.  I remember a two-page spread picture of stars, all with elves on them, holding tin pails of paint and little whitewash brushes.  And were they singing?  They might have been singing, too.  Aarrgghh!

The Starcleaner Reunion by Cooper Edens, published by Green Tiger 1979 - if it is a reprint of an earlier book? * Later - nope, doesn't look like a reprint.
Not much to go on but the title - Paul's Trip With the Moon, by E.W. Weaver, published New York, Merrill 1912 (c.1899) 92 pages, blue pictorial cloth cover. This looks too late - The Moon Painters and Other Estonian Folk Tales by Selve Maas, illustrated by Laszlo Gal. It was published by Viking Press, 1971, 143 pages, beautifully illustrated throughout with nicely rendered pencil drawings. 15 tales plus a glossary of terms.
not much to go on, but perhaps Karl's Journey to the Moon, written and illustrated by Maja Lindberg, translated from the Swedish by Siri Andrews, published New York, Harcourt 1927. "A slight but pleasing
modern fairytale. Its illustrations in clear, beautiful colors and interesting design make of it a delightful picture book." (Children's Catalog 1936 p.406)
Something about this description makes me think of an old book I had as a child, Greta in Weatherland. A little girl goes out on a dark windy rainy night, opens up her umbrella and is swept away to magic land where weather is made. One illustration has elves or gnomes hammering out sunbeams.
Twinkletoes.  I'm the original poster of this stumper, and my Mom finally thinks she remembers what book I'm talking about!  She says it was called Twinkletoes, but doesn't have any other information.  I'm sure I would recognize it immediately if I saw it.  How about it, Harriet?  Can you finish the puzzle?
Well, there's a Shirley Temple's Twinkletoes from 1936, and a Tiny and Twinkletoes from 1978 by Audrey Tarrant, and also Twinkletoes by Gwen Evrard, Colleen Moore and Thomas Burke.
E2 elves: going only by the title, maybe Twinkle Toes and his Magic Mittens by Laura Rountree Smith, illustrated with full page plates in colour by F. R. Morgan, published Whitman 1919, thin octavo, pictorial cloth boards, decorated endpapers, 6 colour printed dustwrappers, "from the elusive "For All Children from 5 to 10" series, an exceptionally rare title."

#E4-A:  Eileen and Eddie.  The only fairy story with cars which comes immediately to mind is The Gnomobile by U. B. Sinclair, only in that one, it was the humans who drove the gnomes around, not the other way.  And if
you read it at six, you're truly a genius:  it's about twelve-year-old reading level.  Disney made a movie of it.  Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber, from "Mary Poppins," played the two kids.
Possibly The Cinematograph Train by G.E. Farrow (once well-known as author of the Wallypug books), illustrated by Alan Wright, published London, 1904. Bobbie and Evelyn go to the cinematograph (the famous first moving picture showing a train rushing toward the audience) and find themselves on the train station platform. This is Dreamland Junction and they take the train to Fairyland, where a they are met by an odd little driver with a
"well-appointed motor-car". He drives them to meet the Queen of the Fairies - they and the car shrink as they go, to fairy-size. The humour is whimsical and could be called dry. "A stuffed Griffin with a cold is such a stupid thing to be" laments one creature from Nightmare Forest. Fairy baking powder is put into cakes which make those who eat them lighter than air so they can levitate and escape from the evil giant Mam-on who keeps his subjects as slaves. The names aren't quite right - but there's a Prince Eddie in another story, who becomes a Fairy Tale Prince for a while, and discovers it's harder than it looks.

McGraw, Eloise, Sawdust in his shoes,1950.  This is not a short story, but the young man here runs off to join the circus and this sounds like one of the chapters.
E6 elephant dung: another possible title is Elephant Tramp, by George Lewis as told to Byron Fish, published Little Brown 1955. "Lewis was only 16 when he ran away from home and got his first job as a pony 'punk' just to be near elephants. His greatest ambitions were realised when he took over, at varying times, the two biggest and meanest tuskers of them all - Ziggy and Tusko. The book is full of elephant lore and experiences funny, dangerous and disastrous." (HB Apr/55 p.132) Again, it's a book, not a story, but it could have been excerpted.
This is absolutely NOT Sawdust in his Shoes by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. I know and love the book, and there is nothing about elephants in it at all.
Spangle.  Searcher is looking for a short story about a man in a circus who sweeps up after the elephants, gets teased, and turns the tables in a Tom Sawyer's painting the fence trick.  Check out the book titled Spangle. This is NOT a short story but a very thick and heavily researched fictional account of circus life.  It is "gritty" and NOT for children.  However, the elephant dung story appears in the book in slightly altered form and I think the book has lots of references and notes at the end, so it may point the searcher to the original story.

Some possibles - the first doesn't look bad: Harter, Walter, Osceola's Head and Other American Ghost Stories illustrated by Neil Waldman, Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Hall 1974, 71 pgs ISBN 0-13-642991-2,   "Juvenile. Ten stories present the historical backgrounds of ghosts still haunting Valley Forge, the White House and other places in the United States." Baker, Betty, ed. Great Ghost Stories of the Old West Four Winds Press 1968 "A collection of eight eerie, spooky, mysterious, and terrifying ghost stories for young readers that proclaim that ghosts followed the Westward trails of America." Smith, Susy, Prominent American Ghosts Cleveland, World Publishing 1967 blue cover with black lettering, illustrated by photographs.
Another one is Ghosts that Still Walk: Real Ghosts of America by Marion Lowndes, illustrated by Warren Chapell, published NY Knopf 1941 "Sixteen stories of friendly, famous ghosts that still come back in America." The picture of the cover shows a large bare-limbed tree, with a steep-roofed house in the bush behind it, rather dark.
E9 early american ghost stories: more on one suggested - Osceola's Head and Other American Ghost Stories, by Walter Harter, illustrated by Neil Waldman, published Prentice-Hall. 71 pages. Contents include: THE GHOST AT VALLEY FORGE, BLOODY HANDPRINTS ON THE WALL, JAMIE DAWKIN'S DRUM, OSCEOLA'S HEAD, THE HOUSE THAT HATED WAR, THE ACTOR WHO WOULDN'T STAY DEAD, THE GHOSTS OF FOLEY SQUARE, THE GHOSTLY INHABITANTS OF FORT MONROE, THE WITCH IN THE POND, THE MYSTERY OF THE GOLD DOUBLOONS. I don't know anything about
American ghost lore, so I don't know if these correspond to the remembered stories or not.

Ford, Jenifer, The House in Hyde Park, 1956, illus by Joan Robinson.  I know this is a long shot.
Shaw, Jane, Susan's Helping Hand.  Children's Press 1960.  A bit doubtful about this - some editions do have a pictorial
cover showing a boy, a girl and an English bobby, but the cloth is usually green, and Children's Press usually only had a frontispiece illo, not plates throughout. Plot description is that Susan's habit of being helpful leads her into trouble.
L.E.Tiddleman, A Bright Little Pair (1913 approximate) Definitely the book,but comes in different editions with different pictures on front.

Esther Hautzig, The Endless Steppe.  Set in Siberia. A likely possibility.
Thanks, but I'm certain that it's not The Endless Steppe.
This is only a possibility, as I don't recall plot details, but you might try The Ark or Rowan Farm by Margot Benary-Isbert.
Could this be When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit?
Anne Holm, North To Freedom.  This could be North To Freedom.  That story is about a boy named David.  I probably read it somewhere around 1970-1972.
This doesn't sound like The Ark or Rowan Farm.  the family in The Ark has been displaced from their home in Pomerania and is forced to relocated to a city somewhere else in Germany  later they move to a farm outside the city and Margaret, the oldest girl, helps breed dogs. There is some mention of them living in refugee camps, but that happens before the book starts.
Lois Lowry, Number the Stars.  Could this be Number the Stars?  "Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life."
Levitin?, Journey to America
Ian Serraillier, Escape from Warsaw Escape from Warsaw is about two sisters and a brother who escape from their bombed-out house in Warsaw and end up in several displaced-persons camps in Europe, trying to find their parents. Much of the story is told from the point-of-view of the older sister, Ruth. My copy was published in 1963 by Scholastic, and the cover shows the children walking through snow.
Christine Arnothy, I am fifteen and I don't want to die, 1956, copyright.  I haven't read this in a long time, but I think it fits the description.
Marietta D. Moskin, I Am Rosemarie, 1970, approximate. As I was writing a comment here about this book as a possible solution, the name suddenly came to me!  I was a weird kid and read everything about the Holocaust that I could get my hands on.  I remember specifically ordering both I Am Rosemarie and The Endless Steppe from the Weekly Reader book selections we used to get in school.  Not sure which one had the blizzard, but I will mos def be rereading them both, and then sending them on to my neice, who's another slightly weird kid.  :)

James Ramsey Ullman, Banner in the Sky, 1956, paperback 1967.  This sounds like it.  It involves climbing a mountain in Switzerland called the Citadel in the 1860s.  I believe its based on a true story about climbing the Matterhorn.  It was a Disney movie in the late 1960s-early 1970s.  I checked imdb.com and another name for the book and/or movie seems to be Third Man on the Mountain.
Please note that E-60, "Banner in the Sky" was not the solution.

Beverly Cleary, Ramona and Her Mother, 1980s.  This may be way off, but Ramona Quimby had a stuffed elephant, named Ella Funt, that she carried around with her.  In Ramona and Her Mother, she sews her a pair of pants.  She had had Ella Funt for a while, so there may have been a spaghetti stain on her somewhere, I don't remember.
Norma Simon, Elly the Elephant, 1962, reprinted 1982.  This is just a possibility - I can't find a picture of the cover anywhere.  Two summaries: "Wendy and her beloved Elly are inseparable until the toy is left at school one day." And "Wendy tells incidents in the life of her nine-year-old toy elephant who goes to school with her, but never grows older."  Hope this rings a bell.
E66 Shot in the dark, but it could be ELLY THE ELEPHANT by Norma Simon. Wendy loves her toy elephant (one summary said she sings to it?), and then one day she leaves it at school. I couldn't find a picture or further summary, so I'm not sure if this is a match~from a librarian
Thank you for the suggestions!  I obtained copies of both Elly the Elephant and Ramona and her Mother, but unfortunately, neither is the book I am looking for.  I believe my book has more pictures (perhaps in color) than Ramona and Her Mother, and is not long enough to have chapters.  Also, my book feels more modern than Elly, and I'm fairly certain is written for a slightly higher reading level.
Nancy K. Robinson, Oh Honestly, Angela!, 1991, reprint.  "Kindergartner Angela has her problems, also. She takes her favorite stuffed elephant to show and tell, only to find out that she is expected to donate it to the school's Christmas drive for the needy."
I revisited the site for the first time in a while, and the stumper is now listed as Solved: Oh Honestly, Angela!However, that is not the book.  In my book, unlike this one, the little girl and her elephant are the main focus of the book.
Did the elephant go to visit its cousins when it was misplaced by the girl?
Another poster asked, "Did the elephant go to visit its cousins when it was misplaced by the girl?"  This doesn't sound familiar to me, but it's been well over 20 years, so it's possible.  I would appreciate it if you would share the title of the book you're thinking of, if you know it.  Thank you!

Mercer Mayer, There's An Alligator Under My Bed.  Sounds like this Mercer Mayer classic.  Also, 3 of these stories were published together as There's Something There (alligator under the bed, monster in the closet, something in the attic), so that could be the collection you mention.
Some commented in the stumper, but it's the correct solutionThe book I am looking for is not a collection of 3 books. It's a textbook.
[I just noticed this Alligator stumper is filed under E.  I have no explanation for that.  But I'll keep it here so the original requester can find it.]

E83 Shot in the dark, but it might be worth looking into THE WITCH DOLL by Helen Morgan~from a librarian
The book was probably from the eighties or even early nineties.  It was about a girl might have lived in some sort of orphanage or something.  She gets this doll and it turns out to be evil.  She and a friend bury it in the woods one night, and the doll is back in her room in the morning, covered in dirt.  The cover was dark, with a dark-haired girl looking frightened as she held up a blonde doll.  I think that the name of this book is a girl's first name.... And although i may be wrong about this, I think that it may be an "A" name, like Anabelle....
The book Im thinking of (see below) is Annabelle by Ruby Jean Jenson: "bandoned by her mother and neglected by her emotionally distant father, a little girl is drawn to an old derelict mansion in the woods near her home. To the lonely little girl the house is her very own castle and it seems to call out to her with a ghostly chorus of voices. Inside she finds a family of dolls that welcome her along with a strange portrait of a woman who smiles down on her like the mother she lost. But this house is no playground. It echoes with the memories of a tragedy that took place nearly a half century ago and the event is still being played out by forces beyond the grave. Dolls come to life, seeking to protect a mysterious girl named Annabelle and a ghostly wraith stomps through the old mansion, crazed with a demonic rage... Ruby Jean Jensen delivers a creepy haunted house chiller with her trademark style and resident killer dolls. A must for Jensen fans and a fun read for horror lovers."
Ruth Arthur, A Candle in her Room, 1966.  Sounds like Ruth M. Arthur's A Candle in her Room to me.  The girl in the book moves into a new house and (I think) finds the doll, either in the attic or in a hollow tree.  The doll's name is Dido, and she is evil.  Somehow, she convinces the girl to do magic.  I remember the girl burying Dido and trying to burn her...and both times she comes back.  I don't, however, remember the resolution!  The cover has a picture of a girl standing over a bonfire, poking it with a stick.
The plot of the Evil Toy returning sounds a bit like Steven King's story about an evil clockwork monkey. I do recall both the Twilight Zone and Night Gallery featured dolls bent on revenge against an evil father figure--the NG one was quite terrifying with her dark eyes and big teeth! She did have blonde hair, would this be similar?

Tony Brice, Little Bobo and His Blue Jacket. Also published as part of the Rand McNally Book of Favorite Animal Stories

E86 (and E94???).  Clevin, Jorgen , Pete's first day at school, 1973.  This must definitely be the solution to E86 and it could be the solution to E94.  The cover shows Johnny and Pete - and Pete is a regular large elephant, so his size could have come into the story.  Pete, the elephant, has happy experiences on the first day of school.  "Johnny and Pete live at number 14 Flower Street. Where do you live? Shall we say hello to them? That red knob is the doorbell. Press it with your finger and say : dingalingaling."  Pete the elephant goes to school for the first time. Reader answers questions at each stop-light. Final story page has a 'blank' TV screen with a message seen only when held up to the light !Cover is indeed white as remembered

The description of E99 in the book stumpers sounds to me like Five Run Away Together by Enid Blyton.  I read a series of maybe four or five books in the early seventies, though the books would have been written earlier I think Enid Blyton's famous five series was reissued in the early seventies, in paperback editions published by Knight books. The series (of 21 books in total) was first written in the late 40s to early 60s. The one I think it is would be Book 3.  in which a family of children, I am pretty sure English  The four children in the series are English: Julian, Dick, Georgina (who wants to be a boy and prefers to be called George) and Anne find a secret cave.  I recall that the entrance to the cave is facing out over a steep isolated cliff so is mostly unknown, but they find it by a little hole in the ground, which goes down through the top of the cave. They build campfires and the smoke goes up through the hole. This is what makes me think it could be this book. In Five Run Away Together the five stumble across the cave quite by accident, when one of them falls down the hidden hole in the ground. Further exploration reveals that the cave cannot be seen from the front entrance in the cliff. Also, when a fire is lit, smoke escapes through the roof hole.   There were probably some mysteries involved, but I do not think it was a mystery series per se.  Well if it is this book, it is part of a mystery series, so perhaps I'm wrong... would be my suggestion though!
Blyton, Enid, Five Run Away Together (Famous Five #3), 1944. I have read this book and I think this is the one the requestor wanted.  Four children and a dog go to a uninhabited island and find a cave with a hole in the ceiling.  They lower their stuff through the hole and lower themselves through it too, to save them having to climb the rocks to the front entrance near the beach.  (which can't be seen from the mainland).
They Found a Cave.  I can't remember who wrote this book, but I read it back in the 60s. 4 or 5 children find a cave - I recognise the description with the secret entrance in the top, and run away to live in it -I think one of them was called Nancy. Only problem I think it was set in Australia.
Ransome, Arthur, Swallowdale,1931. In Swallowdale (the second of the Swallows & Amazons series), the Walker family find a secret cave in the cliff-side of a valley in the English hills. (re other postings, note that one of the Amazons is Nancy).

Scott O'Dell, Sing Down the Moon. (1970)  Fourteen-year-old Navaho Bright Morning and her friend Running Bird are kidnapped by Spanish Slavers and sold. Bright Morning later escapes, but when she returns, she finds her village under occupation by the "Long Knives", or American soldiers. The Americans force the Navaho out of their lands, and onto the Trail of Tears.
Before 1988, approximate.  This was a wonderful store of escaped (or freed slaves) living in the hills. The only parts I clearly remember is an older woman painting an apron for the protagonist. The picture was of the protagonist wearing the apron, so it went on for infinity. Eventually they end up joining Indians in the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma. It was a children's book, with chapters that I read in 1988.
Dolores Johnson, Seminole Diary: Remembrances of a Slave. (1994)  Might this be the one you're looking for?  "An African American woman and her daughter find the diary of Libbie, one of their ancestors who was sold into slavery. The diary describes how in 1834 Libbie, her father, and her sister escaped from their cruel master. The family is eventually taken in by the Seminoles. Unfortunately, their peaceful new existence doesn't last long as the United States government forces the Seminoles to give up their land in Florida and move to a reservation in Oklahoma. Illustrated with oil paintings."

McGraw, Eloise Jarvis, Mara, Daughter of the Nile, 1953.  I wonder if this book is Mara, Daughter of the Nile Mara is a slave with powerful friends. She works as a double-agent spy and eventually earns her freedom.
Could you possibly be thinking of Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise McGraw?
Definitely not Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw.  Co-incidentally, I was re-reading that one this afternoon, and it doesn't match at all.  Main characters in that one are Mara, a slave, and Sheftu, a nobleman.

Could this maybe be The Mystery of the Silent Friends? The three dolls in that one are anamatronic not haunted, but they are at the centre of the big mystery in the story. See solved mysteries for more details.
Seon Manley and Gogo Lewis, The haunted dolls: an anthology, 1980.  Doubleday, 1980. Christie, A. The dressmaker’s doll. Timperley, R. The peg doll. James, M. R. The haunted doll’s house. Blackwood, A. The doll. Jerome, J. K. The dancing partner. Danby, M. The grey lady. Andersen, H. C. The steadfast tin soldier. The Doll’s ball. Hawthorne, N. Feathertop. Tapp, T. The doll. The Life of Aunt Sally, alias Blackmore, alias Rosabella, alias Amelia, as related by herself. Pearce, J. H. The puppets. Manley, S. The Christmas of the big bisque doll. Crawford, F. M. The doll’s ghost.
There's a book THE HAUNTED DOLLS: AN ANTHOLOGY selected by Seon Manley and Gogo Lewis, 1980. The stories include: "The Dressmaker's Doll" by Agatha Christie, "The Peg-Doll" by Rosemary Timperley, "The Haunted Doll's House" by M.R. James, "The Doll" by Algernon Blackwood, "The Dancing Partner" by Jerome K. Jerome, "The Grey Lady" by Mary Danby, "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" by Hans Christian Andersen, "The Dolls' Ball", "Feathertop" by Nathaniel Hawthorne "The Doll" by Terry Tapp, "The Life of Aunt Sally", "The Puppets" by J.H. Pearce -- "The Christmas of the Big Bisque Doll" by Seon Manley, "The Doll's Ghost" by F. Marion Crawford.~from a librarian.
Seon Manley and Gogo Lewis, The Haunted Dolls: An Anthology,1980. I'm certain that The Haunted Dolls: An Anthology is the book you want. In addition to the details provided by other contributors, I would like to mention that the cover is indeed pale green in color.

Jane Langton, The Diamond in the window.  I'm wondering if you're referring to The Diamond in the Window by Jane Langton.  There is one chapter in which the two children (who are orphans being raised by their uncle and aunt) are trapped in a world behind a mirror that reflects their own images as they grow older.

Nancy Woollcott Smith, The Ghostly Trio, 1970s. This was a Scholastic Book Club book that I read way back in the mid-70s.  All I remember of the plot is three friends, two boys and a girl, exploring (and breaking into..even though they didn't take anything or do anything) summer homes.  At one point, there's groaning in one of the houses, and the kids have to figure out if it's ghosts, or a more logical explanation.  I think one of them had some connection with the cottages--maybe the parent was a caretaker?  Flashlights figured prominently, for some reason.  Just a possibility!  Good luck.
Margaret Goff Clark, Mystery of the Missing Stamps, 1967.  Could it be this one?  Mark's new stepfather is the caretaker for a summer camp. (Think cabins in a resort area that families rent for the summer, not sleep away camp.)  His new friend, who works as a busboy at the restaurant, is accused of stealing.  Along with jewelry and other portable things, a valuable stamp collection goes missing, and Mark is determined to discover who's doing the stealing and prove his friend innocent.  There's also a younger girl, staying at one of the cabins, who becomes involved in the mystery.  At one point, there's something about the lights going out and the sign for the camp being changed as part of the mystery.  Maybe worth a try!
No, I don't recognize either suggested solution. It seems that the name of the summer cabins might have appeared to be tar pin et pin dar, because of some of the light bulbs being out on the sign.
Elizabeth Enright, Gone-Away Lake.  While the story is not quite the same, "tar pin and pin dar" could be "Tarquin et Pindar" written in Latin on the "philosopher's stone" discovered by Portia Blake and her cousin Julian.  The abandoned summer cabins are there on the swamp that used to be a lake but I don't remember the lights. See the Solved Mysteries for more.

Interpreting Condition  Grades

Enright, Elizabeth.  Gone-away Lake.  illus by Beth and Joe Krush.  Harcourt Brace and World, 1957.  Ex-library edition with usual marks and edgewear, but interior and dust jacket both very clean.  VG-/VG+.  $12  Enright, Elizabeth.  Gone-away Lake.  illus by Beth and Joe Krush.  Harcourt, 1957, 1990, 2000.  New hardcover edition.  $17

Alison Farthing, The Mystical Beast.  This is the one! Check it out in the solved stumpers.

The Junior Classics The stories you mention are all in the ten volume Junior Classics,complete with the unuusual endings, and the tenth volume is an index.  My set is more colorful than you describe, though.  They were given away with Collier's Encyclopedias in the 1950s and 1960s.

Interpreting Condition  Grades

Martignoni, Margaret E, series editor.  Collier’s junior classics.  Collier, 1962.  10 vols, cloth, each a different color;  linen interior hinge; all good, with all pages good; vol 4 has a 3/8’  dig in spine; child’s name     The young folks shelf of books.  [NHQ19915]  $80 plus postage

Putnam, Polly, The Mystery of Sara Beth, 1950. I loved this book as a kid! The twins, Sara and Beth, are from a poor family that has recently moved to a cold climate from a warm one. Their family can only afford one new coat for the girls, so they take turns going to school, pretending to be one girl named Sara Beth. Another girl at school figures out their secret by noting inconsistencies in their behavior, which as you said, changes constantly. For instance, one of the girls loves the class pet, a guinea pig, and her twin is afraid of it.

E147: Englishwoman goes to France in search of family history
Book from my school library--must have been 1950s or early '60s.  Middle-aged, unmarried Englishwoman goes to France searching for family history from clue in old photo album--picture of a girl in a garden restaurant?  She got a new dress made by sister seamstresses and learned about father's past.

I think E147 is Family Album by Antonia Ridge.  Dorothy Durand goes to France in search of her father's family following clues in her father's photo album.  There is a photo of his family's hotel/restaurant in Nimes.  She eventually meets up with her cousins who are ribbon makers in Saint Etienne.  The dress is made for her cousin Catherine before she sets off on a round the world trip.

Johanna Johnston, Edie Changes her Mind, 1964, copyright. You were close - these are the "Edie" books by Johanna Johnston (apparently written about her own little girl).

F20 fish: two really long shots - The Magical Cupboard, by Jane Louise Curry, Atheneum 1976, involves an orphan called Felicity in a dreadful 18th c. orphanage run by nasty Parson Grout, who steals a magic wooden cupboard that lets Felicity into modern times. Then there's Fish, also titled A Boy Called Fish, by Alison Morgan, Chatto 1971 about a boy whose birthday, school desk, and even name belong to someone else, and the dog he cares for.
Eleanore Jewett, Felicity Finds a Way, 1940s/1950s.  Another very long shot all I know about this book is the title, and that it was set in post-Revolution New York, and is a book for young people.  Almost certainly not the Alison Morgan book in any case  apart from the fact that the central character is a boy, it does not have a similar plot.
The Little Countess. This is definitely a book called "The Little Countess".  I read it in the early 60's.  It's actually Fish's elder sister who inherits the title from a distant relative and becomes the "little countess", but the book is more about Fish - Felicity Imogen Stanley Holmes.  They were poor and are suddenly rich!  If anyone can supply the author's name ....?
Frances Cowen, The Little Countess, 1954. It was a good read for a young teenage girl in the late 50s/early 60s.  Wonder how it would read today????

Louisa May Alcott, Flower Fables.  A collection of six original fairy tales written by the acclaimed Louisa May Alcott. These stories are part of a large body of fantasy fiction the author wrote throughout her career. Each story features adventures of elves and fairy sprites in fairyland and are imbued with the lushness of Alcott's love of the natural world. Each story is between 12 and 18 pages with full page illustrations.
Cicely Mary Barker, Flower Fairies books
Cicely Mary Barker, Flower Fairies  series.  A possibility.
Maybe Fairy Elves by Robin Palmer and Pelagie Doane (1964)
Maybe The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibb (Gibbs?) 1940's- I think there are newer reprints. 

Not the same book, but a similar idea - perhaps a series? Dale Payson, Magic Castle Fairytale Book New York, Random House 1978 8vo over 9" illustrated board covers that open up to reveal on the left side - paper pages for the three fairy tales included, which are The Golden Goose, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rumpelstiltskin, and Sleeping Beauty. On the right side the boards unfold again to reveal pop-up castle. In a separate envelope are paper cut-out characters to go along with all the stories. Paper engineering by Ib Penick.
there was a short series of toy/books published in the mid-late 1950s called Playbooks, of fairy tales, including the Three Bears (but not Wizard of Oz, which is copyright) which opened to show a box containing little plastic figures of the characters and some props.
F28 fairy tale figurines: more on the Playbook series - published New York, Playbook 1958, each book being approx 6x4", with the fairy tale in a 12 page front section, and the figures in a box/hollow book after that. Titles
included Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Three Little Pigs, and Hansel and Gretel "with true-to-life playfigures", slogan - "read the books, play with the figures".
We have this book somewhere in our family!  My nan used to have it and it was exactly as you described - the figures were for looking at = couldn't play with them.  On the opposite page were little nursery rhymes stories associated with each scene.  My nan gave this book to one of my cousins so I'll email her and find out the name and publisher!  I'm looking for a copy myself!
Fairykins Story Book, 1962. After much searching I think I found the book the original poster was looking for.   It was made by Marx and an image can be seen here.

This possibility The Cherrys on Indoor Island by Will Scott, published by Brock Books in England, 1958 "The 'happenings' in the Cherrys books could be those of any family - and the neighbours join in. On this wet day the house becomes a desert island crowded with incidents!" (Junior Bookshelf Jan/58 ad) Other titles include The Cherrys of River House (1952), The Cherrys to the Rescue (1963), The Cherrys and Company (1953), The Cherrys' Mystery Holiday (1960), etc.

#F35--Flood!:  One of Lois Lenski's more obscure titles is "Flood Friday."  Since it is based on a true story which took place in Connecticut in 1955, it is doubtful there's anything about going to town in a wagon.  One story set in rural America in the past was "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes."  This was a movie around 1946, part of which dealt with farm children in a flood.
Another guess, but F35 could very well be An American Ghost by Chester Aaron. I haven't read it, but I have seen the TV version. The plot concerns a pioneer brother and sister who are left alone on the family farm while their father takes their mother into town to have a baby. While they are gone, there is a huge flood and the children't home washes away down river. They still have some animals, and later a cougar takes up residence in/near the house.
F35 flood: a long shot, but could it be Champ, Gallant Collie, by Patricia Lauber, published Random House 1960? Champ is left to guard the farm, the river floods, and a mountain lion menaces the farm animals. No idea if
there are children at home as well, though.
F35 flood: the Chester Aaron title, An American Ghost, has some differences. According to a review, the main character is a boy alone, the story is set in the 1800s, and he is "left in charge of a Wisconsin farm house which is swept away down the Mississippi with him inside it. Alone? So he thought until he discovered a mountain lion caged in by a fallen tree at one end of the house." (Children's Books of the Year 74 p.61)

F36 fairies take girl: could it be Joan in Flowerland, hardcover, by Margaret Tarrant and Lewis Dutton, illustrated by Margaret Tarrant, published Frederick Warne, no date, 60 pages. "Joan is a little girl who believes in fairies, and when the gardener tells her that the best place to find them is among the flowers, she goes in search of them. Tinkler the elf acts as guide and Joan makes some wonderful discoveries." The fairies in Annabel and Bryony (Solved List) are military and take prisoners at times, but the children get into fairyland through a flower, not by falling asleep, so it probably isn't that one.
Haldeman, Linda, The Lastborn of Elvinwood,1978.This charming novel has enough elements in common with the requester'\''s stumper to be worth investigating.  English actor Ian James follows his local vicar into a wood, discovers a tribe of tiny faerie folk dwelling there, and is charged by Oberon to aid in finding a bride for the last prince of Faerie -- a task which may involve facing down Merlin himself, and casting a spell over the infant daughter of a visiting American family.  There are more parallels to the poster'\''s description than this summary may suggest, although the match isn'\''t perfect in any event, however, Haldeman is a superb writer and the book well worth seeking out.  The date given is for the original hardcover edition
 there was an Avon paperback issued in 1980.
Ullman, Barb Bentler, The Fairies of Nutfolk Wood. I'm not positive, but this sounds like The Fairies of Nutfolk Wood. A young girl moves with her mother to a trailer in the woods and I think visits fairies when she falls asleep. The cover has a picture of a tree or tree stump made into a fairy house. At any rate, it's a charming story and worth checking out.

#F41--Future Forest Cities:  Part of the description reminds me of a chapter from E. Nesbit's The Story of the Amulet and part of it reminds me of  Zilpha Keatley Snyder's Green Sky trilogy but it's probably neither one.
perhaps - A Time to Choose: a story of suspense, by Richard Parker, published Harper 1974 151 pages. "When Stephen Conway, aged 17, borrowed his father's car to transport props and costumes for his school play, he not only dented a hubcap but caught a glimpse of an uncanny, bright vision in the windshield. So began the strange adventure of a youth caught between two words existing simultaneously on the banks of an English river: the 20th century world of overpopulation, traffic and pollution; and a future world of idyllic, communal living and skillful utilization of water and wind power. Stephen and classmate Mary Silver soon found themselves able to leave and enter the 'brave new world' but ultimately had to make a choice - to live there permanently or to stay in a world of indifferent or nagging parents, and school examinations." (HB Aug/74 p.385)
F41 future forest cities: another possible is The Magic Meadow, by Alexander Key, published Westminster 1975 "Five young hospital patients escape to a delightful future. Ages 10-14." (HB Apr/75 p.196 pub ad)

Post #F44.  It seems to be the same book that I am diligently searching for.  The story of the ill mother was about the big or little dipper.  The theme of many stories were of how things "became" like the story of spring (?)or was it the wind and good character or values/morals.   If memory serves me well, Midas and the Golden Touch was included, and there was the story of the little pine tree whose needles became something else.  I can almost see the beautiful illustrations but too vaguely to describe.  It was a favorite book to trace from!  I also remember a story of Anderson's Red Cap.    I just stumbled onto this site which is simply fantastic.  I have been glued here all night and have decided to move in. : )  Back to reading the posts!
I believe it is Folk Tales Children Love...  tadaaaaa. Good night now.  Safe tomorrow
Barbara Leonie Picard. I'm guessing this is a collection by Barbara Leonie Picard.  She wroteThe Faun and the Woodcutter's Daughter, but the other stories aren't in the book by that name (which are all original stories by her).  However, she did also retell a lot of fairy tales and legends as well as write her own, so it's quite possible she's got a collection out there that contains them all. A more traditional collection by someone else wouldn't include The Faun and the Woodcutter's Daughter, however (which is what I'm pretty sure the first story is).

I don't know the name of the book, but the story about the swans is The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen  Maybe adding that title to searches would yield some results?
I am looking for the same book.  The book also has a wonderful story about a male spider trying to entice a shy female fly into his web.  I cherished this book as a child and would also love to find it.   Thanks!!

F48 funny animal poems: I guess My Pop-up Funny Animal Poems, by Ronne Peltzman, published Zokeisha 1985 would just be too obvious?

Enid Blyton, Mary Mouse series. Not 100% sure of this as I don't have any copies to check.  They were small strip books with thin card covers approx 8 inches long by about 3 inches high with 2 boxed line drawings to a page with text underneath.  The clothes pegs were often dressed in sailor uniforms & Mary Mouse worked for them.  They are very collectible now.
Possibly The Big Book of Pegman Tales by Ella McFadyen.  Plot summary: "Contains favorite stories with an Australian flavor from Pegman Tales and Pegman Go Walkabout.  Carved from clothes-pins, the Pegmen become animated and go on a sea voyage."

Any chance this is Elves and Fairies?  Check it out.
No,  I am afraid that is not the book.  This book had beautiful fairy's on the cover. I believe there is fire in the center with female fairies flying around it .The story about the spider inviting the fly into his parlour is the only story I remember.  I recall it may have been more of  a rhyming book and extremely whimsical. Thanks for the prompt reply!!!
Howitt, Mary,The Spider and the Fly (poem only).  I don't know the exact book the poster is looking for, but the poem about the spider and the fly is in many collections and can be read here.
Here's a possibility! Treasury of Stories and Verse (no author or editor) Gallery Books 1989. If this time frame is too late- this book was originally published as Hilda Boswell's Treasury of Poetry, Hilda Boswell's Treasury of Children's Stories and Hilda Boswell's Treasury of Nursery Rhymes. The first or third may be a lead! Good luck.
This might be it! Fairies on cover and The Spider and the Fly covers 4 pages, lavishly illustrated. Treasury of Stories and Verse-1989- Gallery Books. It seems to be a collection drawing from three earlier sources: Hilda Boswell's Treasury of Poetry, Hilda Boswell's Treasury of Children's Stories and Hilda Boswell's Treasury of Nursery Rhymes.  Hope this helps!

F72: This is a long shot, but I'm reminded of Walter the Lazy Mouse(1937) by Marjorie Flack. He gets accidentally abandoned by his family because he's so slow to follow them at anything they practically forget he exists. He has to fend for himself and takes up with the creatures at a pond, including three forgetful frogs, who inspire him to pull himself together and stop being so lazy (so he won't wind up as backward as them, maybe?) He gives them names, since they have none, and tries to be their teacher. He finds his family eventually.
If you put Percival and frog in Google you get over 1000 items, so I decided not to take the time to see if by any chance it would yield the answer to F72. What other word could we add? {Of course it may be the Flack, but I've sold both my copies.]
FYI, the three frogs in Walter the Lazy Mouse are Leander, Lulu, and Percy.

Bill Brittain, The Wishgiver, 1983. "The Devil and ..." stories are prominent in American folklore, however, this description put me in mind of a fantastic story of wishes gone awry.  The original edition of this book features b&W drawings.  I haven't read this book in a long time, so if it doesn't work out, you might also want to try looking for the many variations of Bearskin.
Possibly The Devil and Daniel Webster,by Stephen Vincent Benet?
mean jake and the devils, 1981.
Natalie Babbitt wrote and illustrated THE DEVIL'S STORYBOOK and THE DEVIL'S OTHER STORYBOOK. These are collections of short stories, but the one you're looking for might be in them. (In any case, they're wonderful.)

I remember a book about a girl who went to boarding school.  The main character was Lovey or Luvvy, and the book may have been called Lovey's Girls or Lovey and the Girls.  It sticks out in my mind because I seem to remember that the main character was not quite perfect, in fact, there were sticky issues in the book. . . . LOVE THE SITE!
Beth Gutcheon, The New Girls, 1979.  Not a match, but maybe would be satisfying to you. This one comes a bit later, and does not have the blue radio incident, but has many other similarities. Here is the synopsis from HarperCanada Books: The New Girls is a resonant, engrossing novel about five girls during their formative prep-school years in the tumultuous mid-sixties. Into their reality of first-class trips to Europe, resort vacations, and deb parties enter the Vietnam War, the women's movement, and the sexual revolution. As the old traditions collide with the new society, the girls lose their innocence, develop a social conscience, and discover their sexuality -- blossoming into women shaped by their turbulent times. Characters names are: Jenny, Ann, Sally, Lisa, and Muffin
I enjoyed playing Stump the Bookseller, and fortunately, the Bookseller won! I appreciate the information and now know what to look for.

There is a series of books by Don Arthur Torgersen about Tumble Town and it's inhabitants. One of the titles is The Troll Who Lived in the Lake.  The cover is blue/green and shows the troll sitting in the lake with just his eyes above the water line.  Most of the illustrations are done in a green/blue hue.  It's about a troll who is angry because a group of boys has started fishing in his lake and they've taken all the fish.  The water has turned slimy and the troll isn't happy living in his lake anymore.  Grandma Troll gives him "fifty fresk frisky fish" from her lake to restock his lake, and he returns the bikes and fishing poles that the boys abandoned when he scared them away.  The kids promise not to take too many fish and not to litter, and the troll promises not to scare them anymore.  Could this possibly be the book you're looking for??
The main character, I'd like to say was a troll, but it could have easily been a different made-up creature though. He was pictured on the front of the book too. (Could've been a she too). He or she has long hair or fur all over, and I seem to remember his name might have been something along the lines of Furry,Hairy, or Wuzzy or Fuzzy (yes I am aware of the fuzzy wuzzy books- I don't think those are the same…)  This book already looked old when my teacher read it( early 90's). I remember it was smaller than a picture book- novel size I guess. There were probably only 5 drawings in the whole book. I have a feeling this is going to be a rare story that not that many people know about. I'm pretty sure he was a 'nice guy' he could've been sad too. I remember the story taking place where there is a forest, or nature, and there might have been a gate with a key to unlock it that was given to the "troll"  by a fairy…This gate/key/ fairy part is the most vague info- I'm not sure if I'm remembering that part perfectly clear. And then of course there's the part that I remember the best- (these are the only 2 parts I remember, my whole class loved it when the teacher read it though, which was odd, because usually children, younger ones anyway, need more pictures than what this book had to keep their attention, we loved that book! I remember the whole class would all yell the name of the main character together- if only I could remember what that was?)  ok the part I remember best- This "troll" he or she, goes underwater. At first he was scared, then he finds he can breathe (how this all comes about, I don't remember) The feeling I got each time she read it to us (I love books) was that when the "troll" went underwater it was safe, quiet?, dark - I seem to oddly remember specifically that it was dark underwater- or something black. also it was warm underwater and it's possible that the "troll" could be a bear. my book might be very old, but sometimes good stories get printed again, or rewritten by another author, and the covers of the books change all the time. This was probably an easy reader, beginning chapter book. It's possible that it might be a part of a collection of stories somewhere, not too likely though. Thanks for listening to me!   In response to The Troll Who Lived in the Lake - It's possible that this is my book, …I don't remember any trash or environmental issues…but it's possible. I guess I would have to get the book first and read it through to find out…I know that if I read a whole book and not just an excerpt I would know if it was my book or not. I'll let you know, and thanks soooo much for taking the time out to help me with my stumper!! 

I couldn't find the specific book referenced, but the Loganberry Most Requested Anthologies page  lists compilations that contain the stories you're looking for. Folk Tales Children Love, edited by Watty Piper, published by Platt & Munk in 1934, has "How Bunny Rabbit Caught the Sun," and Eight Nursery Tales, a 1938 title by the same editor and publisher, has "Little Black Sambo." The 1950 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Story Book, edited by Betty O'Connor, apparently has "Little Black Sambo" as well, though some later reprints do not.

Don Camillo? Guareschi, Giovanni  Trans by Una Vincenzo Troubridge    The little world of Don Camillo    illus by Guareschi?    Grosset & Dunlap    c1950
Sorry, but this series is not the Don Camillo one.  Those books are aimed at adults, not children, and Don Camillo didn't ride a donkey.  [I'm guessing this is from the original poster, but can't tell]
I made the original request and I think little world of don camillo may be correct. the "little world" phrase in the title lights up a few neurons...... do you have a copy in stock ?
I still think the friar on the donkey is NOT Don Camillo.  Those books were very political and mature, and not aimed at children, plus Don Camillo didn't ride a donkey.  But the reader may be conflating a couple of different books.

F85 This might be CIRCUS IN THE MIST by Bruno Munari. It was reissued within the last few years by an Italian art society/publisher (Edizioni Corraini). Just be sure to get the English language edition! The pictures I remember best are the cat's eyes and the headlights. However, maybe you could inter-library loan it through your library to make sure it's the right one.  ~from a librarian

Kenneth Flint aka Casey Flynn, Gods of Ireland Vol. I & II, 1991.  This seems like a likely prospect -- Mr. Flint (aka Mr. Flynn) has also written a number of books about Irish mythology/history under his own name, dating back to the mid-eighties, so even if this doesn't pan out, you might still want to check out his other works.  "The peaceful Nemedians have crossed vast seas in search of a new home. At long last they discover a lovely green isle and decide to settle in its single beautiful valley-already, mysteriously, equipped with huts ready for occupation."  Two books:  "Most Ancient Song" and "The Enchanted Isles" -- the third was never released.

Check out the Ponsot/Segur collection on the Most Requested Anthologies page to see if that rings a bell.
Marie Ponsot, trans., Adrienne Segur, Illus., The Golden Book of Fairy Tales, 1958, approximate.  The Golden Book of Fairy Tales is MOST definitely the book described here!  There is a 1999 reprint commonly available at a reasonable price.

Lillian Beckwith, The Hills is Lonely, 1959.  Just a guess. This site might help. 

Marian Cockrell, Shadow Castle,1945.  Long shot, but could this be Shadow Castle?  It is a girl, not a boy, but she does go out in the woods and after a tunnel and some other things, meets a fairy and "travels" (through his stories) into a land of fairy royalty.
Jane Werner, Giant Golden Book of Elves and Fairies, 1951.  Simon and Schuster, New York. Pictures by Garth Williams. One of the stories in this oversize (13" x 10") anthology meets this description.  Does you remember illustrations?  This book is lavishly and beautifully illustrated. See Most Requested Books.
Not sure but Mistress Masham's Repose by T.H.White? 

Someone sent in a solution to another stumper that sounds vaguely reminiscent of this one, though the person who owns the house is a woman, not a man:  Mrs. Caliper's House by Muriel Cooke and Headley & Anne Harper, illustrated by Sherman Cooke, NY Knopf 1943, 63 pages.  "Nonsense picture story book about Mrs. Caliper, who was so very friendly that she invited everyone who came along to live in her house. Rooms were added for the farmer, the milkmaid, the small boy Peter, and at last for the old lighthouse keeper. Finally rooms had to be built on top of the house, which made it possible to expand almost indefinitely."

Just in case, I checked the Ponsot/Segur collection, but there are no dark post-scripts included there.  At least, not in the recent reprint.
The Enchanted Book.  I think I have that correct book, but I am not certain  it may have been among Hans Christian Anderson's tales.  I think the stories were compiled by another editor. I too loved that book and repeatedly checked it out from my local library over very many years.  I would love to have a copy in my book collection.  My two favorite stories from it were The Twelve Swans and Dwarf Long-Nose.  I hope you find your book.
Marie Ponsot, trans., Adrienne Segur, Illus., The Golden Book of Fairy Tales, 1958, approximate.  I think the original respondent was incorrect in ruling out The Golden Book of Fairy Tales.  It is EXACTLY as described here! The illustrations are as described and all the stories mentioned are in this book. Sleeping Beauty DOES have a dark coda; when the prince turned king goes off to war, his mother (an ogress by birth) decides she wants to EAT the little grandchildren and asks the cook to prepare them (a day apart), but is fooled by the cook with a lamb and a goat.  Then the ogress decides she wants to eat the queen and the cook serves her a deer.  One day, the ogress discovers the hidden queen and her children alive and decides to kill them in a basin of snakes, vipers, toads and spiders.  Her son returns home and the ogress jumps into the basin instead.

F96 (and F93?)  Adda M. Sharp and Epsie Young, Gordo and the Hidden Treasure, 1955.  I was just looking over this at my parents' house at Christmas  I loved this book.  A boy _raccoon_ travels in search of the "golden treasure" his father had, I think, told his family of (presumably the father had died, I don't remember).  He asks lots of animals if they know where he can find the treasure (I think he may even say it's his "father's treasure")   I don't recall if there was a cow, but I don't think so.  It takes place in the Southwest, crossing over into Mexico, apparently.  I remember the sometimes colorful illustrations of pinatas, a bell tower, a ringtail, a kangaroo rat, a boat and market filled with flowers, maybe a beggar . . .  In the end Gordo happens upon a cornfield, and it turns out that ears of corn were the "golden treasure" of his father.

David Cory, The Magic Soap Bubble, 1922.  I'm not certain this is the book that you are looking for because I haven't had time to finish reading it.  However, there are fairies and elves, etc., in the story.  It's about a boy who is taken to a magic land in a soap bubble.  Published by Grosset & Dunlap.
1946 -1952.  Sorry, can't name book but  F101 and F144 I think both of these might be looking for the same thing.  F101, the book was large with a smooth illustrated board with a white background, illustrated on the back cover as well?  inside had fairies sliding down water slides made from narrow leaves fed from raindrops above?  Were the coloured cloths bits of spiders webs coloured by sky and sunlight? No story as I recall, just pictures - if there was any text it was minimal and in the full page illustrations.  Also fairies riding in a cart pulled by ?ants?

I don't know anything about the books in question, but the illustration sounds like it could be from "Snow White and Rose Red."  Perhaps this detail may jog someone else's memory.
Andrew Lang.  Andrew Lang wrote around 20 fairy books such as The Red Fairy Book, The Violet Fairy Book, The Blue Fairy Book, The Orange Fairy Book... you get the idea. They were fairy tales and the covers are along the lines of what's described, though I don't recall the exact one mentioned. Some of them are in print but others are not. 

Jenny Seed, Peter the Gardener. An 'Antelope' book. I haven't read it since I was a child, and can't remember if it contains the phrase you mention. However, I think it is of about the right reading level  and it is about a boy called Peter who has a garden.
F109 I just read some of Yates A place for Peter and decided it is NOT that one.
Well, Peter the Gardener wasn't published till 1966.  I found another possibility, though:  Peter and Penny plant a garden by Gertrude Dubois, published 1936, 210 pp. and illustrated.  I found this description.  Maybe it will help jog your memory or rule it out.  "Dark green cloth w/orange spade/leaf design/lettering, flower Illus endp, TP vignette, & small illustrations throughout text, which is organized by month, starting w/September, index. A story format for a garden for pre-teens."  If this isn't it, though, don't give up - it's just harder to find older books as they don't have good descriptions and keywords in the library databases (yet).

I remember this story-believe it was Japanese? the baby is a girl who turns out to be a princess? Can't remember the title, sorry!
There's a similar Japanese tale about a fairy princess found in a bamboo stalk. The famous Momotaro story is about a fisherman who catches a giant peach with a child in it, but here it's a boy.

I do not have the book to check for you but your memory of the turquoise and orange illustrations ( HoJo's color scheme) make me think of the Elson-Gray Readers that were used in the 1930's! Put out by Scott Foresman, they were the precursor to the Dick and Jane (New Basic Readers) series.You  might want to locate Book One in the series! Good Luck- Oh! Another set of books to check out-Child Library Series, companion to the Elson-Gray set- same coloring- extends the lessons and vocab of the Basal reader. Locate Book One in this series as well. Hopefully one of these "seeds" will bear fruit! 

Fairy Tales, 1950s.  This is the title of the book, and I would love to have a copy if it's available. It was published by Whitman in 1950 and has a glossy hard cover with some of the characters from the stories on it, most prominently Puss in Boots and a castle in the background.
I have a Whitman book called The Magic Realm of Fairy Tales with copyright dates ranging from 1944-1968.While it has some of your stories- not all are present-- However at the back of the book they list some of their other offerings. There is one called Favorite Stories- a collection of the best-loved tales of childhood, illustrated by Don Bolognese, Betty Fraser, Kelly Oechsli. Maybe this one is worth checking out!

Anderson, Hans Christian, Thumbelina, 1953.  This is a Little Golden Book illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren.  I haven't been able to locate my copy to confirm this, but my memory is that the Tenggren depictions of the little flower people at the end of the book (one of whom, the king, Thumbelina ends up marrying) had them sporting fairy-like wings and wearing little upside-down flowers on their heads.  I bet this is the book the requester recalls.
Hi, Harriett.....This is F144 e-mailing you with a bit more info about the book I'm longing to find.  I'm remembering that the little fairies were sitting by a tree with a door in it.
WALLACE, IVY, POOKIE. I wonder if it might be this old favourite about a bunny named Pookie. There are certainly lots of fairies in the story and there is an illustration of a tree trunk opening into a little room. It has recently been republished after years out of print.
BARKER, CICELY MARY, FLOWER FAIRIES.COULD IT BE ONE OF THE MANY BOOKS IN THE FLOWER FAIRIES SERIES?  THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE EXQUISITE.  MANY OF THE BOOKS ARE COLLECTIONS OF POEMS BUT I THINK SOME OF THEM ARE STORIES.  THEY HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR MANY MANY YEARS.
Sorry, can't name book but F101 and F144 I think both of these might be looking for the same thing.

These are just guesses since I don't have copies of the books to check the stories/poems you mentioned-- Fireside Fairy Tales: profusely illustrated: a popular and interesting collection from all sources / Chicago: Donohue, Henneberry & Co, ?1890-1899 / Illustrations and engravings by H Tuck, Kate Greenaway, Harrison Weir, Lizzie Lawson, E Sears, Richard Samual Marriot, Thomas Cobb.  Notes: fairy tales, stories, and poems.  Fireside Stories. Veronica S Hutchinson,  ill. Lois Lenski/  Putnam, 1927 / Minton, Balch & Co., 1927  {Lois Lenski has a very distinctive style - just check the internet for examples of her illustrations and you should be able to rule this book out if the illustrations don't jog your mom's memory}

I was in the archives to see if I could solve anything and ran across A153 which sounds a lot like the book I'm looking for. I don't remember the raft or the map but the rest sounds the same.
Harriet Weed Hubbell, The Friendship Tree, 1962.  I haven't read this book and can't find an online synopsis, but the title and date certainly match.  Published by T. Nelson, 217 pages.  I hope it's the book you're looking for!
Sorry, it is not Hubbell's The Friendship Tree I remember it as a fairly large book, maybe 9x12 with about 40 pages or so. Colored pictures to the edges of the pages and about 6 - 10 lines of text on each page. I have found three authors using the title but they are all novels, not children's books. Thank you so much for trying to help. From the lack of recognition, I'm afraid this might be a lost cause even with someone else on this list looking for the same book.
I have been looking for this book for several years.  My sister and I used to check it out from the small library in my hometown in Michigan back in the 1960's.  It must have been published in the 40's or 50's as the copy we used was showing its age. Is it possible that this is a book from Canada or England?  As I recall the illustrations seemed to be influenced by Milne. I hope someone can find this one.  I would like to by a copy for my sister.
I am the original poster and it is highly possible that this is from a Canadian publisher as my mother was Canadian and brought this book with her when the family moved to the States.  Hey, that's three whole people who remember this book!
Friendship Valley by Wolo.  NY: William Morrow & Co, 1946.  A story packed with illustrations about a variety of animals, large and small, who work together to make a home after the tragedy of a forest fire. Endpapers are a pictorial map of "The Little Lake and Friendship Valley," color pictorial paper over board.
Friendship Valley is definitely the book being sought!  A group of small animals (badger, woodchuck, racoon family, squirrel, hedgehog, and frog) escape a forest fire by floating downstream on a raft.  They rescue a kitten and establish a new home at the base of a large pine tree.  Dorinda the squirrel loses all of her belongings by helping the racoons save their babies.  When the key to their storehouse is lost at the bottom of the lake, Meedlepoo the frog, who is too small to do much work, saves the day, leading the badger to conclude "that the smallest one among us is just as needed as the biggest one."  With profuse illustrations in black and white and in color, this is a wonderful book.

Norma Kassirer, Magic Elizabeth.  Could this be it? Sally is sent to live with her Aunt Sarah while her parents are away. She find a diary written by another Sally who lived in the house when it was new ( in the Victorian era) and talks about her doll, Elizabeth who she thinks is magic.The modern Sally is somehow tranported back to the Victorian Sally's time and lives the episodes out of the diary.  Eventually this leads the modern Sally to find the doll , Elizabeth, in the present.
Elisabeth Lansing, Lulu's Window.  I think you are looking for Lulu's Window.  Young girl has to move to a new town and new house with her father who is a minister.  She doesn't want to move, and is treated meanly by other girls in the town who are unhappy that she has replaced "Lulu" the little girl who previously lived in the house.  She finds Lulu's diary, and eventually Lulu's secret room and makes friends with the local girls.

O'Dea, Marjory, Of Jade and Amber Caves, Heinemann 1974. I'm actually suggesting 2 books: Six Days Between a Second is the first, published 1969, but the title of the sequel sounds closer to what's being sought. The blurb for the first "Would you recognize a basilisk if you saw one? And what would you do if you discovered that a tribe of them had come to live in your district and was threatening to poison the water supply? The place is Canberra, where the Collard children are faced with the problem of saving the city from extinction. With the help of other creatures - unicorns, fabulous bees and dolphins and, best of all, Burleigh the Gryphon, they ... but read about it for yourself!" The second says "But much has changed ... the children are a few years older (and perhaps shrewder) and the fabulous animsls they meet have their worries too. There could be something wrong with their fantasy world, which older children and adults will realise is not so far removed frou their own contemporary Australian one." The list of characters includes the Collard children: David, Barbara, Genevieve and Peter, Dryads (named Semolina and Vermicelli), Ermines (Tirian, Miniver, Regis), Unicorns (Bucephalas and Onegar), Dolphins, Basilisks and Bees. The endpapers of the second book have memorable spectrum-tinted maps.

Sounded like it might be the Segur/Ponsot Fairy Tale book, but I don't think it has all the stories you mention.  Check out the Anthology Finder to see if there are any other possibilities there.
World's Best Fairy Tales.  Reader's Digest published this 800+ page fairy tale book in 1967, 1970 & 1977. (Beginning in 1977 it also appeared as 2 volumes.)  While the cover doesn't really match the description of the vines and people hiding, all the stories you mentioned are in this book.  I don't know what the endpapers look like.  I found lots of copies for sale online, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding a picture of the cover to compare to your memory.  Here's a complete contents list from the 1967 edition.  It should be the same as the later editions.  Contents: Pied Piper of Hamelin -- Snow White and Rose Red -- It's perfectly true! -- Tom Thumb -- Nightingale -- Chicken Little -- Frog Prince -- Cinderella -- Princess and the pea -- Ali Baba and the forty thieves -- Golden goose -- Why the sea is salt -- Ugly duckling -- Jack and the beanstalk -- Two frogs -- Snow queen -- Six sillies -- Hedgehog and the rabbit -- Thumbelina -- Sorcerer's apprentice -- Red riding hood -- Little mermaid -- Five wise words -- Goose-girl -- Beauty and the beast -- Town mouse and the country mouse -- Snow White and the seven drawfs -- Tinderbox -- Little fir tree -- Bronze ring -- Three billy goats gruff -- Boy who kept a secret -- Magic kettle -- Jorinda and Joringel -- Puss in boots -- Emperors' new clothes -- Billy Beg and his bull -- Little one eye, little two eyes and little three eyes -- Red shoes -- Steadfast tin soldier -- Snegourka, the snow maiden -- Three little pigs -- Shoemaker and the elves -- Doctor knows it all -- Six swans -- Dick Whittington and his cat -- Rapunzel -- Aladdin and the wonderful lamp -- Three bears -- Rumpelstiltzkin -- Golden-headed fish -- Hansel and Gretel -- Brave little tailor -- Gingerbread man -- Horned goat -- Seven Simons -- Little match-girl -- East of the sun and west of the moon -- Musicians of Bremen -- Blue beard -- Princess on the glass hill -- Half-chick -- Sleeping beauty -- Magic carpet -- Jack the giant killer -- Twelve dancing princesses -- Little Claus and big Claus -- Colony of cats -- Sindbad the sailor.

Manson, Beverlie, Fairies' Alphabet Book, Doubleday, 1982.  "An illustrated alphabetical introduction to fairy folk."  If you're not talking about Cicily Mary Barker's famous flower fairies, and I don't remember any of them being in a bigger format, then this is a possibility.  The description says it's 29 cm long, which is about right, and Doubleday has book clubs though I'm not sure if they're affiliated with any of the clubs that sell in the schools.
F179  Just some possible leads: FAIRIES' ALPABET BOOK by Beverlie Manson; A FLOWER FAIRY ALPHABET by Cicely Mary Barker ~from a librarian
Cecily Mary Barker, Flower Fairy Alphabet.  Barker produced several illustrated books of fairies in costumes that rather cleverly mimicked different flowers.  She was English, and I believe she is much better known in the UK. I loved this book as a kid, and can even still recite some of the poems from the facing pages opposite the illustrations.
Barker, Cicely Mary, A flower fairy alphabet, 1985.  Blackie (London) published an issue of A flower fairy alphabet in 1985.

Folk Tales, 1900's , John S Swift Co.  I found a book that had 3 of your four stories, as well as several unusual titles.  Are you sure The Selfish Giant was in your book?  If so, this isn't the one you're looking for.  Contents: This is the house that Jack built -- The old woman and her pig -- The story of the three little pigs -- Scrapefoot -- The three bears -- Johnny-cake -- Henny-Penny -- Lazy Jack -- Mr. Vinegar -- Jack and the beanstalk -- The history of Tom Thumb -- Whittington and his cat -- How Jack went to seek his fortune -- The Hobyahs -- Mr. Miacca -- The three wishes -- Teeny-tiny -- Cinderella -- Beauty and the beast -- Puss-in-boots -- Toads and diamonds -- Drakesbill -- The twelve months -- The elves and the shoemaker -- Bremen town musicians -- The fisherman and his wife -- Sleeping beauty -- Hansel and Gretel -- The frog prince -- Snow-White and Rose-Red -- Little one eye, little two eyes, and little three eyes -- The golden goose -- Snow-White -- Mother Hulda -- The queen bee -- The wolf and the seven kids -- Rumpelstiltskin -- The blue light -- Thumbling -- Billy goats gruff -- The pancake -- The doll in the grass -- The lad who went to the north wind -- The sheep and the pig who set up housekeeping -- The princess on the glass hill -- Why the bear is stumpy-tailed -- Why the sea is salt -- Boots and his brothers -- East of the sun and west of the moon -- The straw ox -- The flying ship -- The turnip -- Fulfilled (A legend of Christmas Eve) -- The mirror of Matsuyama -- The tongue-cut sparrow -- The little half-chick.
Unfortunately, "Folk Tales" does not seen to be the book I am looking for.
Andrew Lang, The Blue Fairy Book.  I immediately thought of this book when I read your post. There are many unusual fairy tales found in this plus some more adult versions of some familiar ones like Sleeping Beauty. I found a site with a list of the titles that I'll try to paste here:  The Bronze Ring, Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, The Yellow Dwarf, Little Red Riding Hood, The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper, Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, The Tale of a Youth Who Set Out to Learn what Fear Was, Rumpelstiltzkin, Beauty and the Beast,The Master-Maid, Why the Sea is Salt, The Master Cat or Puss in Boots, Felicia and the Pot of Pinks, The White Cat, The Water-Lily. The Gold-Spinners, The Terrible Head, The Story of Pretty Goldilocks, The History of Whittington, The Wonderful Sheep, Little Thumb, The Forty Thieves, Hansel and Grettel, Snow-White and Rose-Red, The Goose-Girl, Toads and Diamonds, Prince Darling, Blue Beard, Trusty John, The Brave Little Tailor, A Voyage to Lilliput, The Princess on the Glass Hill, The Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou, The History of Jack the Giant-Killer, The Black Bull of Norroway, The Red Etin.  The Selfish Giant isn't listed but I'm sure this is what you are remembering. The original books had the most beautiful illustrations, woodcuts I believe. There is a whole series, The Red Fairy Book, The Orange Fairy Book, The Lilac Fairy Book, etc. so the one missing story may be in one of them. My library had about 6 or 7 in the series and I absolutely loved them. I hope this is what you are looking for.

Hitchcock (ed) ??????  Don't have any for-sure answer on this, but I would be looking at the various "Alfred Hitchcock" story collections if I were you.  There were AH's tales of mystery, AH scary stories, etc.  They were bound as oversize hardcovers and aimed at juvenile audiences, but had many scary moments.  I definitely remember that story (oh, by the way, it WAS the cat, not the sister...and I seem to recall the presence of another child...friend maybe?) and it unsettled me, also.
Wish I had more info hope this helps a bit.

Watson, Jane Werner, Jolly Barnyard, Golden, 1950.
F195 It is  not Bedford, Annie Norton.The jolly barnyard.  illus by Tibor Gergely    Little Golden #67,  1950.  The farmer starts out giving each animal something special since it is his birthday.  It is also not Gale, Leah.  The animals of Farmer Jones.  illus by Richard Scarry [earlier editions illus by Rudolf Freund]. Golden 00-52 no copyright or publication date given.  eating time for farm animals & humans -  It starts w the amimals calling for Farmer J to come and feed them

Angela Carter, Heroes and Villains. I've only skimmed Heroes and Villains (many years ago), but the plotline described here rings a bell.  There's a synopsis here.
A Very Private Life.  Could it be A Very Private Life? The plot sounds pretty accurate, about a girl called Uncumber who leaves her home... thingie and finds the outside world, and I remember that the cover was yellow as well.
Vonda N. Mcintyre. Rather a long shot, but this reminds me of a short story/novella by Vonda Mcintyre.  I unfortunately can't recall the title, but it had a similar plot.  It was fairly dark though...the teenage daughter was sent out deliberately to become the mistress of the (wealthy) man she met.  He gave her pretty clothes and jewels and I think a pet bird, but when she gets sick (as all the shanty town residents eventually do because of radiation) she goes home again.  I got the impression it was set in the same world as McIntyre's  Dreamsnake, but inside the domed cities instead of outside on the plains.

Nope, it's not Devlin's How Fletcher Was Hatched.
Oxenbury, Helen, Pig Tale, 1973.  Yes, I know this is older than the requester posted, and it doesn't have any character named Fletcher in it, but please look at it anyway. The similarities are such that perhaps your poster is remembering it and another book they had. Hope it helps.
Hans Wilhelm, Pirates Ahoy!, 1987, copyright.  This Parents Magazine Press selection is the delightful book described here.  Fletcher (yes, a pig), on a slow morning on the farm finds an old wagon that the animals pretend is a pirate ship.  They crash it into an apple tree and spy a bus coming down the road.  They commandeer it, all get ice cream but decide it isn't fast enough. SO, they find a fire engine.  They come to a circus, so they climb up the firetruck's ladder and fall into the tent, where they stage their own circus.  But they decide they still need a ship, so they find an airplane.  They do a few loops (turning green and looking ill), then crash into a mud puddle, right back on the farm, where they get bored again.  The illustrations are adorable; I love the bored animals lazing around (one pig standing on his nose on the fence)!!

possible east of the sun and west of the moon?  the bear lives in a castle though, but the girl does ride on the wind.
asbjornsen and moe, The White Bear King Valemon.  This sounds something like a Norwegian fairy story which is best known in the version published by the 19th century collectors Asbjørnsen and Moe, who are Norway's parallel to the Brothers Grimm. In their version the bear is a prince who has been bewitched, and can be a prince only for part of each day. After some failed attempts with her older sisters, he gets the youngest princess in a kingdom to go with him, but is separated from her. She undertakes journeys to try to get back with him and is eventually successful, so the curse is overcome. This story has a lot of overlaps with the story known as East of the Sun and West of the Moon which another reader suggests  that one was also published by Asbjørnsen and Moe. Both stories include many element which can be found in many folk tales, fairy tales and legends from many cultures, however. But Asbjørnsen and Moe do not give their princesses the name Frida in either case.
Huber, Salisbury, O-Donnell, After the Sun Sets, 1938,1953,1962.  I think that in this version of East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon the heroine has the name Freda. (I've been doing an exhaustive search for the 1938 version - I think that's the one my grandmother handed down. Can't find that version, so I can't verify for sure.)

Margery Bianco, The Good Friends, 1934, copyright.  Could this be The Good Friends by Margery Bianco. It is a chapter book but has many illustrations. The animals all have personalities and are helped by a girl named Mary. They hide from a Humane Society officer and the horses hire themselves out to earn food.
Hi: I happened to be looking for the same book as F207. I don't think you found the right book. The book this individual is talking about was published in England I believe. (I was a child living there when I read it.) I read it in the early 60s. It was a smaller picture book, probaby 6 by 9 inches. It was brown. I think the drawings were in brown ink. The publisher published a number of children's books along this same model.  It's a very sweet story about a group of somewhat lame older animals that all pitch in. The horse digs the hole, the pig picks up the plant gently. They all get worn out and sore. I am sure it's out of print. Well, just thought I'd flesh it out for whoever submitted the request.

Nila Mack, Let's Pretend, 1948.  This sounds like Let's Pretend again! See the Solved Mysteries for more info. The book starts with Cinderella, and includes The Leprechaun, Childe Roland, Princess Moonbeam, and Rumpelstiltskin.

Rumer Godden (author), Adrienne Adams (illustrator), The Fairy Doll, 1956.  I don't own a copy of this out of print book, and I can't find a detailed online synopsis, but I think that this may be the one you're looking for.  Here's what I remember. Elizabeth is the youngest child in her family.  She is clumsy, easily distracted, uncertain, and is still riding a tricycle because she can't balance on a bicycle.  When a Christmas presentation to an elderly relative goes awry (Elizabeth drops the gift and it shatters), she is given the Fairy Doll from the top of the tree.  She makes the doll a home and the doll gives her the confidence she needs to succeed at various endeavors.  This story was reprinted in 1984 in the book Four Dolls by Rumer Godden (illustrated by Pauline Baynes).  It was also reprinted in 1998 with illustrations by Penny Ives.  If the illustrations are important to you, you'll probably want the original version.
Godden, Rumer, Fairy Doll
Rumer Godden.   I had this story in a collection of four stories about dolls by Rumer Godden. I don't remember what the story was called, but two of the other stories in the book were Impunity Jane and The Story of Holly and Ivy. I think it might have been called something like The Fairy Doll. I think the doll is actually a Christmas ornament and I think she belonged to the little girl's grandmother. The little girl is the youngest in her family and feels she isn't good at anything. She is also clumsy and her siblings pick on her about this. She makes the doll/fairy a house in her bicycle basket and uses various natural things (acorns, dandelions, etc) to furnish the house. I was given this book in England in the late 80's. It was paperback with a red cover, possibly a Penguin book. Hope this helps.
Rumer Godden, The Fairy Doll.  Might be this one- a little girl is given the fairy doll off the top of the Christmas tree.  She plays with it and makes a little home for it.  It gives her confidence to learn how to rider her bike and become more independent.
Rumer Godden, The Fairy Doll.  Elizabeth is the youngest of four and feels like she can't do anything (like riding her bike or getting her schoolwork right), until she starts taking care of the Fairy Doll and gains some confidence.  She does make her a house in her bicycle basket.
Rumer Godden, Fairy Doll.  I'm pretty sure this is it. Elizabeth is the youngest in her family. She's also the clumsiest and least confident of her cruel siblings. Then she's given the Fairy Doll from the Christmas Tree. As she cares for the doll, creating a miniature world, she gains confidence (and learns to ride her bike). 

Eleanor Frances Lattimore, Fair Bay. I used to have this book and I recall the dustjacket as being just as described here.  The storyline fits, too.

I landed at this web page because I too am looking for the same poem about a feather.  As I recall it went something like "If you find a little feather, a pretty white feather, a soft and tickley feather, pick it up and put it in your pocket.  A feather is a letter from a bird that says think of me, remember me always or at least until the little feather is gone"...or something like that.  And I do think it was in a childrens lit book because I was in college at Cal State Long Beach at the time and the book belonged to a friend at school.  This was in 1966. 
lee bennett hopkins, zoo! a book of poems, 1971, copyright.The poem is by beatrice schenk de regniers and is in zoo!a book of poems, but that book does not contain the ice cream poem. i hope this helps some.

Allan Jahsmann, Little Visits With God. (1959)  Sounds like it could be this. There was also a second book called 'More Little Visits With God'. Described as 'devotions for families with small children', each one-page story had an illustration and suggestions for parents and children to discuss the moral of each story.

Elizabeth Gordon, Loraine and the Little People (series). (1930's)  Possibly one of the books in Elizabeth Gordon's "Loraine and the Little People" series?  These books were originally published in the 1910's, but were re-issued by Rand McNalley in the 1930's. Titles include "Loraine and the Little People" (illus. by Penny Ross), "Loraine and the Little People of Spring" (illus. by Ella Dolbear Lee), "Loraine and the Little People of Summer" and "Loraine and the Little People of the Ocean" (both illus. by James McCracken).  These beautifully illustrated books feature short stories about a young girl named Loraine and her tiny fairy friends.  "Loraine and the Little People of Summer" contains seven stories, including one called "The Flower Gown Maker" - perhaps this is the one you are looking for? The other stories in this book are "Queen O'Weeds", "The Moss Carpet Weaver", "The Shaker of Seeds", "Queen of Loving Thoughts", "The Commodore", and "The Master Colorist."

CS Lewis, The Silver Chair. (1898-1963)  Two english children undergo hair raising adventures as they go on a search and rescue mission for the missing prince Rilian, who is held captive in the underground kindom of the emerald witch.  Depending on which print you had, the cover illustration may have had a picture of the witch who turned into a brilliant green serpent and threatened the two children. Also, the second book you are thinking of could be another of the series The Chronicles of Narnia, such as The Last Battle
Unfortunately, that solution that was offered is most certainly NOT the answer to my query.  I know the Silver Chair story well, and the book I was looking for is not a second world Fantasy story.. it is a straight forward Science Fiction story, as I stated... there were robots and blasters and all the rest.. Futuristic City, space ships, etc, etc etc...  And the serpent was coming out of a long grass swamp... very important to the picture!  As per my description, the books were short (30 pages maybe), not anywhere as long as even the shortest Narnia book.

Carolyn Haywood, Snowbound with Betsy.  Definitely the one. It's on the Solved Mysteries page as well.
Haywood, Carolyn, Snowbound with Betsy. (1962) The most popular of Haywood's umpteem novels is Snowbound with Betsy.  Betsy, Star and their parents have unexpected guests just before Christmas, when a mother and her two children are stranded in town during a blizzard and Betsy's parents take them in.  The story kept me so enthralled the first time I read the book that I distinctly remember lying on the living room couch with the book in front of me.

Richard Laymon, Sounds like it could be one of richard Laymon books, horror genre for adults and young adults. Quite full on but not my cuppa tea.  OR it could be The Fog by Frank Herbert.

George Jonsen, Author, John O'Brien Illustrator, Favorite Tales of Monsters and Troll.  One of my all time favorite picture books.   I recognized it instantly because of the excellent John O'Brien illustrations. It contains the Three Billy Goats Gruff, a story about a man who uses a pet bear to scare trolls, and a tale of the youngest woodcutter's son who squeezes cheese to outwit a troll. The illustrations are full of tiny Bosch-like details of little creatures who inhabit the hair and clothing of the main characters. The illustrator also produced a coloring book of fantastic creatures that you might want to check out!

Mel Ellis, Ironhead, 1968. The title is the name of an alligator that is part of the book as well as snake collecting and large rattlesnakes. Originally published by Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.  Reprint in paperback in the 1970's.'

Stephanie Tolan (author), The Great Skinner Getaway, (1980). This could be The Great Skinner Getaway or The Great Skinner Homestead.  In the first one, the Skinner kids' father comes home with a huge camper/motorhome and announces the family is going to travel across the US.  The four kids are not happy about it, and their mother isn't too thrilled with the idea either. The motor home breaks down in the middle of nowhere and the family has to figure out what to do. Because they have to work together, they become closer.  In the second title, the Skinners have decided to spend some time (maybe just the summer, maybe a year?) in the broken-down mobile home and the kids detail the humor of it while wanting to get back to civilization.  There are two other books about the Skinners: The Great Skinner Enterprise and The Great Skinner Strike. (I''m not giving a great description, but I do think these are the books in question!)
Richard Powell (author), Pioneer, Go Home. I think this must be the book you are looking for - the details fit, and if this isn't it, then RD must have put out 2 very, very similar stories right around the same time!

F248: Possibly the fairy tale board book series by Oscar Weigle and illustrated by T. Izawa and S. Hijikata. (Not all include Weigle's name.) They began before 1970 and ran for years. The different titles sometimes include the phrase A Living Story Book or some variation of Puppet Book. Two stories I remember - with the original "sad" endings -were The Little Match Girl and The Red Shoes. If there are other authors of fairy tale board book series done with puppet photos and holograms, please do tell - I'd like to track them down too.
Shiba Productions, The Fairy Tale Treasury In Living Color.  (1966)  Blue cover with hologram of Cinderella getting out of her pumpkin coach.  Fourteen stories as follows: Cinderella, The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Tom Thumb, Sleeping Beauty, The Ugly Duckling, The Golden Goose, Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Little Match Girl, Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Puss in Boots, and Hansel and Gretel. Beautifully illustrated with the charming puppets of Tadasu Izawa and Shigemi Hijikata. A rare and expensive book.

Elizabeth Coatsworth, Runaway Home, 1942.  Check Solved Mysteries.
I'm sorry to say, Runaway Home by Elizabeth Coatsworth is definitely NOT the book that I'm looking for. I have a copy of that book, and while the Harding family's car does break down in the desert, they are only stranded for a few hours before help arrives.  There is no lengthy survival ordeal of several days, nothing about sucking moisture from strips of cactus, collecting dew, eating crayons, or one of the boys making the long walk to get help.  As I said, I think the style of the book and/or illustrations may have been similar to that of Runaway Home.  The setting may have been slightly more recent - 1950's or 1960's possibly.  Thank you for your help.
Reader's Digest.  in 1993, at seventh grade overnight camp, I read this story from a photocopy (bedtime story) - it was a Drama in Real Life article from Reader's Digest.  On the WWW, I found one mention in a blog from someone else who remembers it, but it doesn't look as if RD has put up old stuff.
I too remember this story, and as other person mentioned, I also believe it was a Readers Digest "Drama in Real Life" story.  I remember that they were taking about which crayon colors tasted best when they were eating them.
I remember a "collecting dew on hubcabs" storyline and would've read it in the 60s... a scholastic book maybe?
Evan Wylie, Ordeal in the Desert, November 1959. This was published in Reader's Digest and reprinted in one of those "Drama in Real Life" paperbacks.  Someone mentioned in in their blog here: http://astoriedcareer.com/2008/03/where-it-all-began-for-me.html, which is all the details I've been able to find about it, but it was originally in the November 1959 issue of Reader's Digest.
Date: 1960, approximate. This was definitely a Readers' Digest story.  My wife and I both remember it vividly.  I'm pretty certain it was Death Valley, and the people used the crayons as lipstick. I'm pretty sure also that the hubcap episode may also have been about their having to drink their own urine at some point.

This isn't an answer, I'm afraid, but the only two copies of Full Fathom Forty listed on Worldcat are in the British Library and the University of Oxford.  Perhaps you could email them, or have a friend in the UK check for you?
Sybil Burr, Full fathom forty. Thanks, Harriet! That's got me much further on than ever before.  I'll get tracking in the UK...  Happy New Year!

Paul Gallico, Jenny. Isn't this "Jenny" by Paul Gallico? There's a description on the I-J solved page, see if it matches.
Paul Gallico, The Abandoned.  Other readers have mention's Galico's Jenny -- but the book was first published under the title The Abandoned.

William R. Burkett, Jr., The Sleeping Planet, 1967.  Sure sounds like Wm Burkett's SLEEPING PLANET  see for instance this review.
Sounds like it might be by A.E. Van Vogt. There is something about it that puts me in mind of The Weapon Shops of Isher, which you might also like. If no one can identify your book, although I'm sure somebody will, maybe you could write to Gardner Dozois who is the editor of Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. He will almost certainly be able to tell you. The book sounds like real Golden Age stuff, his specialty. Luck to you.
Re the second comment under the F260 query -- Gardner Dozois retired as the editor of "ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE" back in  2004 and was replaced by his associate editor, Sheila Williams.

Cornelia Drexel Biddle, My Philadelphia Father, 1955.  This is one book that features alligators kept by a family frozen, and then thawed out.  The book is a memoir by Biddle of growing up with an unconventional father, Anthony Drexel Biddle.  He kept a boxing ring in the barn where he boxed with prizefighters, kept alligators as pets in pools in the conservatory of his house, organized a movement of Biddle Bible classes, etc.  At one point in the book, a maid opens the doors and windows of the conservatory to let it air out, but it is during winter and the alligator pools freeze over.  The family thinks they are all dead, but when they stoke up the fires in the conservatory and heat it up, they begin to stir.  This book was the basis of the 1960s Disney musical "The Happiest Millionaire," with Fred MacMurray as A. D. Biddle and Lesley Anne Warren as Cornelia.
I think I had a partial solve on my F262. I thought the book I had was Disney. And since it sounds like their was a disney movie associated with an old book I think i had a short disney book based on the "Happiest Millionaire."  I think its a partial solve then because I'm pretty sure the book was not either of those titles. Maybe it doesn't even qualify as a book? thanks.

Tony Wolf, The Woodland Folk Meet the Giants, 1985.  This is from a charming series called the Woodland Folk: The Woodland Folk Meet the Giants, Meet the Gnomes, Meet the Elves, The Woodland Folk in Fairyland, In Dragonland.

Interpreting Condition  Grades

Wolf, Tony. The Woodland Folk Meet the Giants, illus by Tony Wolf, Rand McNally, 1983, glossy boards, some wear; pages very good, Woodland  folk    [NQ 16060] $10

Bishop, Hamilton, and Bowman, Nan, Sarah, and Clare: Letters Between Friends, 1980. I've only read a short excert so I'm not certain, plus the date is later than you remember, but this book does involve three female friends who are struggling ten years after college.  All three had married and then been divorced.  The letters were written in 1976 and the book claims they are real letters from real people.
Responding to suggestion that this is Nan, Sarah and Clare- thanks very much for the thought, and it does sound amazingly similar, but that's not it. I know I read it a camp counselor's tent, when I was a camper,  which was definitely makes it  around 1959-1960. I'm also pretty sure it was not told as letters

The Fearless Flycyle. Could this be it?  I can't find a description online, but I vaguely remember the story from my childhood.  Could the author's name be Ormerod?
Are you thinking of The Furious Flycycle by Jan Wahl (1968) (Ormerod's first name is also Jan)?  Here's the description - "Getting the idea from a great inventor who has settled in his town, a young mechanical wizard invents a device that enables him to fly his bicycle on a rescue mission which makes him a great hero."  There's also Alexander's Flycycle by Elizabeth Rose (1967) -- "An unsuccessful inventor makes a final attempt to build a novel and successful invention."  Neither mentions an aunt so I don't think they're the correct books.

Leo Rosten, The Story Behind the Painting, 1962. Possibly (based on title and date)
V.M. Hillyer and E.G. Huey, A Child's History of Art: Painting, 1951. This might be the book you are searching for.  It describes the history of painting, from cave paintings up to "modern" painters like Hopper and Rivera. 33 chapters. All the illustrations are in black and white.  It is part of The Calvert Home School curriculum.  Written in a bright, lively style that appeals to children.  However, there's no index and no table of contents, which makes searching for information on a particular artist difficult.

could this be T.H. White's Mistress Masham's Repose?  The tiny people are more Lulliputian than fairies, but the circumstances and the setting is the same.
Jean Fritz, Magic to Burn, 1950's.  I think the book you are looking for could be Magic to Burn by Jean Fritz. The trips were by plane and car, not by train, and the children were Americans on a visit to England with their parents.

Macaulay, David, Motel of the Mysteries, 1979, copyright.  Could this be it?  David Macaulay, Motel of the Mysteries,1979.  It is the year 4022, all of the ancient country of Usa has been buried under many feet of detritus from a catastrophe that occurred back in 1985. Imagine, then, the excitement that Howard Carson, an amateur archeologist at best, experienced when in crossing the perimeter of an abandoned excavation site he felt the ground give way beneath him and found himself at the bottom of a shaft, which, judging from the DO NOT DISTURB sign hanging from an archaic doorknob, was clearly the entrance to a still-sealed burial chamber. Carson's incredible discoveries, including the remains of two bodies, one of then on a ceremonial bed facing an altar that appeared to be a means of communicating with the Gods and the other lying in a porcelain sarcophagus in the Inner Chamber, permitted him to piece together the whole fabric of that extraordinary civilization.

Jonathan London, Into This Night We Are Rising, 1993, copyright.  A long shot, but when I search for books about children who dream of flying, this comes up.  It describes a night-time dreamworld where children fly through the air, stuffed animals talk, stars sing, clouds can be used for pillow fights, and space is a vast playground.  Another one that might be worth checking out is "Tar Beach" by Faith Ringgold (1991) about a young African-American girl who dreams that the stars lift her up to go flying over all of New York, claiming everything for herself.  I think she takes her little brother along with her on one of her flights.
Donaldson, Lois and Bilder, Arthur K., Skyjets for Fliers of Tomorrow, 1954.  This could be the one. I've seen a picture with a boy and girl wearing flying jetpacks on somebody's blog.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_t4oY2AFkthw/RhMOI_yYdhI/AAAAAAAAAcg/lDrobwkXLe8/s320/index.jpg.

Carol Ryrie Brink, Caddie Woodlawn

Could the dog have been named Tip instead of Tag? My first grade readers for the 1962-63 school year featured siblings Jack, Janet and Penny, their cat Mitten and dog Tip.
This is not a solution, but should help the confusion on this title.  I am -also- looking for the 1st or 2nd grade reader with a dog named "Tag" -- googling that is what got me to your page.  The dog in this reader was unquestionably named "TAG"...  I was born in Chicago, started school in N.Wisconsin in 1966, and was already quite a reader... I could not understand WHY these kids all said "Tag" (and "bag" and "wagon," for that matter!) with a looooong "A" - Even at 5, I was taken up short by dialect.  Long story short, I tell you all of this to verify that the dog was "Tag," and it has been nigh impossible to track it down.  The children in these stories? Who knows... I only -really- liked the dog!  BUT, the girl -may- have been "Susan" -- no guarantee on accuracy there.  Hoping this shows up somewhere.  Thanks so much!
Harris, Creek and Greenman, Dot and Jim, Primer, 1964, approximate.  There was a first-grade series featuring Dot, Jim, and their dog Tag.  I had this in California in 1966-67.

Anna Perrott Rose, Room for One More, 1950's, approximate.  I read this many years ago when I was about 12.  What I remember is that one of the adopted children was named Jimmy John and he had some kind of disability that made walking difficult.  He became active in Boy Scouts.  This was made into a movie with Cary Grant. I wonder if this is what you are looking for.
Murphy, Frances Salomon, Ready-Made Family, 1953, copyright.  The book I'm thinking of is Ready-Made Family, which was published as a Scholastic paperback with a green cover in the mid-1960s.  But it's about three foster children--Hedy, Peter and Mary Rose--not four.  The copyright is 1953.
I'm not sure whether you're looking for a true story or a novel, so I have one suggestion for each.  "19 Steps Up the Mountain" is the true story of the DeBolt family, but there's a vintage Scholastic novel called "Readymade Family" by Frances Murphy, about three siblings that get adopted together--that may be closer to what you describe.  There is an older girl named Hedy, a slightly rebellious boy (I think his name is Pete), and a younger girl.  Hedy worries about "corporal punishment" and about being sent away, especially when Pete misbehaves, but eventually they all adjust to each other.
Could the person be thinking of READY MADE FAMILY by Frances Salomon Murphy, 1953, Scholastic? Three sibling are unwanted by their relatives, and are passed from family to family. Finally they are taken in by a wonderful foster couple. Mary Rose is little and lovable, Hedy is helpful,
but they're afraid Peter's behavior will drive the couple away.
Frances Salomon Murphy, Ready-made Family.  http://www.librarything.com/work/702581.  My copy is from 1973, but I think it was written in the fifties. Cover image in link.
Helen Doss, Really real family.  Take a look at my solved stumper of "Really real family" to see if that rings any more bells.
Anna Perrott Rose, Room for one more, 1954, copyright.  You said "4 adopted children", so this may be incorrect, but I have two thoughts.  First, Cary Grant and Betsy Drake portrayed the true couple George (Poppy) and Anna Rose, a couple with three children who became foster parents to three more children. The movie was based on Ms. Rose's book of the same name.  Second, you may wish to check out the book,  Adoption Literature for Children and Young Adults: An Annotated Bibliography (Bibliographies and Indexes in Sociology), by Susan G. Miles.
Murphy, Frances S., Ready-Made Family, 1953, copyright.  Here's a possibility.  The kids in this story are in foster care.  The oldest girl is determined to do everything just right so that they might be adopted.  The story is a little older than posted - 1953 - but still might be the one.
Noel Streatfeild, The Children on the Top Floor.  Four babies are left on the door step of a famous television personality and he adopts them.  I can't remember if any of them were brothers or sisters.  The children star in commercials and when they get older become involved in different aspects of show business.  One girl gets interested in costume design, another girl acts in movies and one boy becomes interested in camera work.  I read this in 7th grade in 1970-1971.  I'm not sure when it was published though.

Sounds like FUNNY BUNNIES by Robert Quackenbush, 1984. While Lucy is out swimming, bunnies crowd into the hotel room.
Cyndy Szekeres, Learn to Count Funny Bunnies, 2000, copyright.  If it weren't for the date being off, I'd think this was the one.  Wilbur Bunny is all dressed up to greet (and count) the parade of family members arriving at his home, to celebrate the birthday of Baby Bunny. Another possibility, if not for the date, is Szekeres' "I Can Count 100 Bunnies, and So Can You!" (1999) in which Wilbur counts and introduces the 99 members of his extended family, as they arrive to greet the newest addition to the family - Wilbur's baby sister, Sweet Petunia. If there is any chance you could be off on the date, these might be worth a look.

Jill Barklem, Brambly Hedge: Autumn Story, 1980, copyright.  The Brambly Hedge books were published in England in the 1980s and may possibly be what you're looking for. Each one is about a different season. The Brambly Hedge website (http://www.bramblyhedge.co.uk/) may help you determine whether these are the ones.