What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
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Eddie's Impossible Friend
SOLVED: Children's/YA
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SOLVED. Children's Fiction - Two boys with binoculars tracking/ recording aircraft sightings from their fort. Read in late 1980s/early 1990s. [s]
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Steven
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Jan 29, 2022 10:44PM
This is super random, probably an unlikely solve, but when I was a kid in the late 80s I read a book about two boys who were friends and had a hideout where they used binoculars to spot airplanes, etc., and kept records of their sightings. One of them chewed pineapple gum, which the other one thought smelled awful. I *think* they discovered a downed helicopter, if I remember correctly, and this may have even been the "fort" that they used for their plane watching. I seem to vaguely remember a tornado or storm that wrecked the mobile home one of them lived in. It was written in English, but unfortunately I don't remember anything about the illustrations, cover, publisher, author, etc. I found the book as a kid in a church library in east Tennessee. Not much to go on, I know...but I've always wished I could find this book again and thought it was worth a try. :)
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Rainbowheart wrote: "Rick Shannon and the Case of the Missing Pilot?"Thank you so much! This isn't the book, but I really appreciate you taking the time to share a possible match.
No prob!How old were the boys? Teenagers or younger kids?
Do you remember if it was a Christian book, since you found it at a church?
At the time, young me thought they were nearly grown, but I'm pretty sure they would have been somewhere around 11-12, possibly early teens but more likely preteen.I don't recall anything inherently Christian about the book, but it's definitely possible...that's a really good thought and I'll do some digging with that in mind.
Thanks again! :)
Wow. That's unfortunately not the one either, but I don't know how you found one with several similar elements- you're really good.Thank you for the very kind efforts!
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As far as I can remember it didn't include anything that would place it in a particular time period, and no wartime references. I believe the reason they were spotting and tracking airplanes was just that they lived near a small airport, but sadly I can't recall the location. I'm really sorry- I know this is basically nothing to go on, and I wouldn't want anyone to spend a lot of time on such a long shot. Thanks so much!
Don't give up hope! Sometimes it can take a while to track down books. We love searching here, so it's no trouble at all. That's why we're here, lol.
I'm really sorry...this isn't it, but thank you so much for sharing another possibility!
No worries! I'll keep looking. :)
There's also this, though I'm sure Rainbowheart has gone through it already:https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
I tried "pineapple gum" , bubblegum, bubble-gum, bubble gum, chewing gum, etc. on GoogleBooks, but I didn't have any success myself. :S
The Great Airport Mystery keeps coming up. Should I rule out a Hardy Boys book? The synopsis doesn't seem to fit, but you never know..!I also found Twister & Shout: Meet Nick Martin, a normal kid with an unusual friend—the lively, animated McGee! These companion books to the award-winning videos develop the themes to a greater degree, presenting kids with important values. (Ages 8 to 12) In "#5 Twister and Shout, " a tornado hits Eastfield while Nick's parents are gone. Nick discovers that trusting God means not having to worry about being alone or afraid.
Hey thanks, Capn! That's a great list, I'll look through those and if it happens to be in there I'll post back here!It wasn't a Hardy Boys book, although I was reading a lot of those around the same time. :)
Thanks again!
Hey Capn...I missed your edit until just now- Twister & Shout wasn't it, but boy did that bring back some memories! I never read the books, but I remember as a kid being fascinated by the intro on those McGee & Me movies. Thanks!Rainbowheart, none of these three seem to be the one, but I may have overemphasized the downed helicopter. I don't remember there being a crash that happened during the course of the storyline, just a helicopter that they found (I think in the woods) that seems like it must have crashed at some point before the story began. I hope I didn't waste too much of your time with that detail. I still can't believe how much you three have put into this- I really, really appreciate it.
I know someone who also checked out books from that same church library...I'm going to reach out and see if they happen to remember this book. Fingers crossed!
No prob, we love searching. That's what we do, lol. I feel sure we can crack this one for you!Did you definitely read it 1989 or earlier?
You know, figuring the dates up more carefully it's possible that it could have been as late as 1991- sorries!
Not a problem at all! :) Let us know if you find out anything in the meantime (and sorry for the late edit - I should have just added a new post. Will do next time!)
Here's another potshot to rule out: The Yellow Airplane It's a toy airplane that's referenced, MC is Rodney, and there's a friend, a hideout, and a tag-along girl (Maureen Garley). Looks like UK setting, and didn't see a storm or helicopter reference.
But just in case.
From GoogleBooks:
"There were woods on the common behind Grandfather's back garden, and when Rodney first looked over the fence there was no noise at all, apart from the talking of the birds. Then, quite suddenly, came other sounds - an odd little whirring noise as an aeroplane circled down from nowhere and landed at Rodney's feet; the crackle of twigs which led to the discovery of the Three Bad Eggs and their nest in the oak tree; and later the sound of woodmen's saws. But there was another noise in the woods, which could not be accounted for: a frightening roar from deep in the common where the trees grew thickest, which caused the earth to shake and the tree house to tremble. It was only through the sudden disappearance of the yellow aeroplane, and its strange recovery, that the mystery of the noise was finally solved."
I'm so sorry I didn't see this reply sooner! This isn't the one I'm looking for, but it actually sounds like a pretty fun book too. :)I did reach out to the person I know who used to check out children's books from the same church library and they unfortunately didn't recall ever seeing the one that I read there.
Many thanks, Capn!
Oh rats! Thanks for f/u with the library. We haven't forgotten this one, but I haven't hit upon anything likely recently.Hopefully this bump today will get it on the right reader's (flight) radar! :)
The Jinx of Payrock Canyon?"Hey, lookit! Somebody just bailed out of that plane!" As they observed a parachute falling to the ground, Jason Himrod and his buddy Doc could no longer hear the plane's engine; maybe it had crashed. With this, Jason & Doc saddle up their horses and ride out in the high Colorado Rockies above the ghost town of Payrock to explore the mystery before them.
Thanks so much for not giving up! This doesn't look like the right one, but it got me doing some more digging on this again. :)
Oh drat! :) Glad you're still around - I'm like a bloodhound, so I won't quit until it's found. Always in the back of my mind, this one.
Could it have been The Machine-Gunners? bit of a stretch and it's English, but there is a scene where the boys discover a crashed plane in the woods and they definitely build a fort where they watch for German planes. there's no tornado, but their houses do get wrecked by bombings.published in 1975
Man...some really similar threads here, and it looks like a good book. I'm pretty certain there weren't any war references in the one I'm looking for- that was a theme that was a little bit jarring to me as a kiddo and I feel like I would remember it pretty vividly if there had been.Thank you so much for taking the time to share this one!
Unfortunately not a match, but many thanks Rainbowheart!
No worries, I'll keep my eyes open!
How about...Mystery at Plum Nelly
"When the Cherokees became less active because Mickey, Bitsy, Ted and Buzz had new teen-age interests, Jimmy, the youngest member, began a new club, the Lookouts." and "When Jimmy Randall and the other members of the "Lookouts" are caught in a cave during the night, they have to put their heads together and come up with a marvelous solution to their problem"
There are other books in that series (see author, Christine Noble Govan - she'd be a local TN author for you) and the related mysteries of "the Cherokees", but I'm betting that GR doesn't have all of them.
Mystery at the echoing cave, Mystery at the Weird Ruins, and The Mystery at Shingle Rock are all free on Internet Archive, if you want a stylistic sample ;)
If she seems likely, there are other books of hers not on GR, like:Phinny's fine summer
Authors:Christine Noble Govan, Leonard W. Shortall (Illustrator)
Summary:Anticipating a dull summer away from home while recuperating from typhoid fever, a ten-year-old boy is surprised by the interesting new friends he encounters and their experiences together
Print Book, ©1968
English
Publisher:World Publishing, Cleveland, ©1968
Sweet 'possum valley
Author:Christine Noble Govan
Print Book, 1940
English
Publisher:Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1940
FantasticFiction has a good page on this author, here:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/ch...
I have another pot-shot, before you respond:Thunder and Lightnings
1976, and won the Carnegie medal. Set in the UK (Norfolk), and from what I gather, reads like a slice-of-life. Two boys in the summertime, plane-spotting.
Wow...you have really put time and thought and effort into this and I can't thank you enough.I looked through all of her books and none of them were a match, but your comment about a local author is a really good thought that hadn't crossed my mind. Small town church library, way back then, it's very possible that this was an obscure book with limited printing and not much exposure.
And whoa...I didn't know the archive had books that could be checked out! That's a gem of a tip- thanks!
Thunder and Lightnings...hard to imagine anything being this close without being the right book. After reading the description and a bunch of reviews I wasn't sure that it was or that it wasn't, so with your pro tip I checked it out and really enjoyed skimming it. It wasn't the one I'm looking for, but it sure was a good find.
Thank you again!
Oh no worries. :) I browse books for fun (I'm really that cool!), and I have a few I keep a lookout for in my travels, yours being one of them. :)I'll try not to pester you too often, but I'm determined to find it, if I can!
Yes, wow - OpenLibrary and InternetArchive (affiliated) are AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!! :D Has made my year, discovering that! I still somehow manage to spend a small fortune in used books that aren't on there, but honestly - it has most of the titles I'm interested in. :)
Ha! Travel + books, that's such an awesome combo. :)Thanks a ton for keeping this one in mind, that means a lot!
I can't believe I'd never noticed the books on there before- used their wayback machine for years and must've just been blind. Major game changer, thanks again for the insider info!
Oh, think I got a bite:Eddie's Impossible Friend/2853
https://openlibrary.org/books/OL30223...
Although tempted at times to give up, Eddie tries to help his friend Jimmy face his fears and self-doubt.
Subjects Christian life, Conduct of life, Fiction, Friendship, Self-acceptance
Page 17
Jimmy grinned slyly. “You mean this?” He blew a large yellow bubble from the gum he was chewing.
Page 17
“It’s pineapple.”
Page 17
“Pineapple! Oh, croak. Gimme a piece.”
Page 61
“Got any more of that pineapple gum, Jim?”
Page 78
Jimmy pulled a box out of the sack. A slight smile came to his face and he put the box to his nose to smell it. “Pineapple bubble gum! A whole box! There must be a hundred pieces in here. Thanks, Eddie, tha
Page 36
Eddie broom, window cleaner, boards, nails, hammer, saw, sheet plastic, binoculars, thermometer, pencils, markers, map, fold-up chairs, clipboard, paper, U.S. flag, windsock, chalkboard
Page 45
right end of. the roost shelf. Jimmy’s multi-band radio and boom box sat under the window. “You listen for the pilots when they call in to the airport sand then give me their ID numbers. Then, while you take a picture of the plane, I'll double check the ID numbers using my binoculars. If they match, I will log their time and ID numbers on the clipboard.”
Page 46
Jimmy scribbled the number on the chalkboard and Eddie grabbed the binoculars to spot the plane. “I gotit... there he is... can’t read the numbers yet
Hot dog, I think you got it, Capn!Fingers crossed!!
This looks very promising. Been following this one for a while.
Yes, OpenLibrary text search to thank!! :)
No. Way. My mind is blown...that is absolutely the book! I can't believe it. And now the memories are flooding back....I was so sure this was an impossible ask, way too obscure and hardly any details to go on, this is just unbelievable and you are amazing.
There's no good way to thank each of you enough for the time and thought and kindness you put into this search, but I wish you knew how much this meant to me. Is there any possible way to send a tip (of any kind) just as a tiny thanks?
No no! :D Your thanks are more than enough! So happy it's solved!(OpenLibrary accepts donations - it was their scan that allowed this to be found). ;)
Love that the book was about persevering and keeping the faith, ha! XD Fitting!
Well many, many thanks! So grateful to you and Rainbowheart for spending so much time and effort on this over the past year+. I still can't believe you found it. Just read the first few pages again and I'm so giddy, haha. :DAnd thanks for the heads up on OpenLibrary- that sounds great, I'll go that route.
Thank you once again- I will always owe you!
You are most welcome! :) Pleased to be of service, and I hope you enjoy your re-read. ❤
Woo hoo! Super glad this one is solved.
I will FOREVER think about this book and thread whenever I see pineapple flavoured gum. ;)
What's the Name of That Book???
Books mentioned in this topic
Eddie's Impossible Friend (other topics)Thunder and Lightnings (other topics)
Mystery at the Weird Ruins (other topics)
The Mystery at Shingle Rock (other topics)
Mystery at the echoing cave (other topics)
More...
