What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
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Milly-Molly-Mandy Again
SOLVED: Children's/YA
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SOLVED. Children's book, read 1960s. Children convert an old railway carriage. [s]
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Chris
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Feb 20, 2013 08:07PM
I read a book when I was a child in the 1960s. I can't remember the title or the author. A child/children found an abandoned railway carriage, cleaned it up and used it. I can't remember anything more about the plot. Whenever I see a railway carriage in a paddock, I remember this book. I'd love to revisit it.
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Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner sounds like what you looking for. It is a series of books first published in 1924. But they have been updated and republished several times.
I read the same book in the mid 1950's. It was "The Boxcar Children" by Gertrude Chandler Warner. Originally published in the '20's or '30's I believe. And then a whole series of books followed these children along. It was so cool to think about a homeless family of children being able to make a home for themselves, and feed themselves, and just carry on. I'm pretty sure this is your book.
Thanks so much. This is my first request and I'm delighted at the fast response. I'll look into it.
Someone was looking for a similar book a few years ago. People sugested these books:The Trolley Car Children by Eleanor Clymer
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
The Ark by Margot Benary-Isbert
Chris, please remember to come back and let us know.
I've downloaded a Kindle copy of The Box Car Children but it doesn't seem familiar. I asked 86 year old mother if she remembered. She seemed to think it might have been The Railway Children. I'm not sure about that either. The vagaries of time and memory could be factors here.
I realize now that Chris is from New Zealand so maybe my suggestion of The Boxcar Children (written by an American author) is not as likely as a book by a British author. So I'm curious, Chris.
You're right. I am from New Zealand. Much of the literature I read as a child was from the U.K. but there were smatterings of American literature as well. I borrowed books from the local library rather than buying them. Books were, and are, quite expensive here.
I doubt it is your book, but my children and I love The Trolley Car Family by Eleanor Lowenton Clymer. The father is a trolley car operator being laid off when busses come into vogue. Father refuses to drive a bus and choses to take his trolley car as his severance pay. Now what will the family do? The children's input at the family meeting leads to a wonderful summer, new friends, and amazing revelations about their grumpy former neighbor. Our copy is falling apart from rereading!
It's not the railway children, they never fix up a railway carriage. I have read a book where some children find I think an old steam engine and actually manage to fix it up, in the UK... Can't remember the title or anything, though! It was in an abandoned railway siding in a shed or something. Can't remember much, think I read it in the school library in the 90s... But yours had a railway carriage?
Ah, think mine might have been The Secret Railway by Elisabeth Beresford, but that was published in 1973. It was actually one of those handcars they use in that book.
The Trolley Car FamilyThe Secret Railway
The Boxcar Children
The Ark
The Railway Children
For some of the links.
I haven't found the listing for the Clymer book yet.
Oh, never mind. Here on GR she's known as Eleanor Lowenton Clymer and her relevant book is the first one I listed.
Mod
It's fine if you still don't know your book, but if that's the case it would be better for this to be in Unsolved.
I think it's unsolved at this point. Thanks for trying to solve.
Chris, have you ruled out all the books suggested above?
Yes. None of them seemed to be what I remember. Could be the unreliability of memory, rather than any being the wrong book.
Are you still looking, Chris? It might not be on it yet (I just began it), but there's a Children's/Juvenile Trains list now:https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Note to other members: Lists are open to everyone! If you know of a book that should be on the list but isn't, or would like to 'vote' your support of one already listed, please, PLEASE do! :)
I hadn't been looking, but still not convinced I have found the exact book. As I grew up in New Zealand and would have read this during the 1960s, it may be a big ask. I think most of our juvenile fiction came from the U.K. at that time. Thanks for the link.
The Hartwarp Light Railway? I am not certain it matches, but this thread reminded me it was searched for before.
Ayshe wrote: "The Hartwarp Light Railway? I am not certain it matches, but this thread reminded me it was searched for before."Still unsure as there is no synopsis.
These two threads have plot info....https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Rainbowheart wrote: "These two threads have plot info....https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...-..."
Thanks for that. It's not that one. It was about the renovation of a railway carriage, rather than about trains.
Was it definitely a novel?Freddy the Fell Engine was pubbed in New Zealand and does involve a train rescued by children.
It might be Milly-Molly-Mandy Again. One of the stories in this book is "Milly-Molly-Mandy Finds A Train", with your exact description - the kids find a railway carriage in a paddock and set it up and play in it. It's British but my family had it in Australia. Published 1948.
Gemma wrote: "It might be Milly-Molly-Mandy Again. One of the stories in this book is "Milly-Molly-Mandy Finds A Train", with your exact description - the kids find a railway carriage in a paddock ..."It could have been. I read Milly Molly Mandy as a child and found it quite magical. Memory being what it is, it might have been a story rather than a book. Thanks so much. I will see if I can find it.
Rainbowheart wrote: "Was it definitely a novel?Freddy the Fell Engine was pubbed in New Zealand and does involve a train rescued by children."
That doesn't look familiar. I am in New Zealand though, so it's a possibility. I remember a carriage, rather than a train.
Chris wrote: "Gemma wrote: "It might be Milly-Molly-Mandy Again. One of the stories in this book is "Milly-Molly-Mandy Finds A Train", with your exact description - the kids find a railway carriage..."You can search it or borrow for free on OpenLibrary:
https://openlibrary.org/works/OL27732...
Page 28
They walked all round it, staring hard. It hadn’t got an engine, or a guard’s van. It was just a railway carriage, and it stood with its big iron wheels in the grass, looking odd and out-of-place among the deiisies and buttercups.
Page 33
So Billy Blunt threw the hammer up, and the man caught it and went on fixing the chimney, while Billy Blunt watched and handed up other things as they were wanted. And the man told him that this end of the carriage was going to be the kitchen (just as Milly-Molly-Mandy had planned!), and the wall between it and the next compartment was to be taken away so as to make it bigger. The other end was the bedroom, with the long seats for beds.
(That was searching for "carriage" on the search field of the Preview page). ;)
That sounds like it. Reading this story set off a lifetime of longing gazes at railway carriages in paddocks and dreaming about finding one to live in. Thank you so much.
Chris wrote: "That sounds like it. Reading this story set off a lifetime of longing gazes at railway carriages in paddocks and dreaming about finding one to live in. Thank you so much."You're very welcome! I'm glad I could help. I felt the same about this story. :)
What's the Name of That Book???
Books mentioned in this topic
Milly-Molly-Mandy Again (other topics)Freddy the Fell Engine (other topics)
Milly-Molly-Mandy Again (other topics)
Milly-Molly-Mandy Again (other topics)
Freddy the Fell Engine (other topics)
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