SOLVED. YA book with girl good at science as lead character [s]

[Becca]

Help me before I go crazy. I remember reading a YA book when I was in junior high that had a girl who was good at science as the lead character. I know that she had blue eyes and (I think) red hair because a character in the book would make remarks about her legitimacy. When the girl is older (the age she is when she is narrating the book), she realizes that the woman who questioned her legitimacy knew nothing about genetics because it *was* possible for two brown-eyed parents to have a blue-eyed child.

I know it's not much to go on, but does this book sound familiar to anyone?

And, it is NOT The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds or What Janie Found.

Thanks,
Becca

[Joanie]

This sounds really familiar to me too and I can't really pinpoint it. I know in Lois Duncan's Summer of Fear the main character Rachel I think has red hair and is pretty bright but I don't think it's that. I hope someone solves this one!

[Becca]

Okay, now I have to go look through my daughters' shelves where I put all my old YA books so they could read them. I went through a phase of reading nothing but Lois Duncan's books when I was about 12 or 13 so the timing would be right.

[Becca]

I don't think it is Summer of Fear either, but I know read it around that same time.

Aghh! This is killing me!!

[Emily]

I asked a very widely read friend of she thought perhaps it was a Madeline L'Engle book maybe?

Her Polly O'Keefe character has red hair and the books are science-y.

[rivka]

When the girl is older (the age she is when she is narrating the book), she realizes that the woman who questioned her legitimacy knew nothing about genetics because it *was* possible for two brown-eyed parents to have a blue-eyed child.

Ringing a bell! Sadly, no idea what the title is . . .

[Wendy]

OK, this is going to sound crazy, but that quote about brown-eyed parents and blue-eyed children is almost word-for-word from a Trixie Belden mystery, The Mysterious Visitor. But that is not the book you're looking for.

I feel like I read the book you're talking about, and it reminded me of the Trixie Belden at that time, too. I'm hoping it'll come to me, or someone else. Another Lois Duncan book, Stranger With My Face, does have a girl who finds out she's adopted, but I don't think that's the one, either; nothing else matches.

About when would you have read this book (what year)?

[Becca]

Alana:

I do believe I read Class Pictures, but I'm almost positive that the character I'm talking about truly had the biological parents as her parents with whom she lived. What I do know is that she states in the book that the lady who questioned her legitimacy did not know anything about genetics or she would know that the girl's parents could have produced a child with her coloring. Do you happen to have Class Pictures handy? Do you know if that passage was in there?

Wendy and all:

I read this book somewhere between 1979 and 1981. I went on a spate of reading Lois Duncan, Paula Danziger, Beverly Cleary, and a well-worn copy of Forever that was passed around between all the junior-high girls. ;-)

[rivka]

I had forgotten Class Pictures -- and Marilyn Sachs altogether!

Thanks for the reminder, whether or not it's what Becca was looking for.

[Joanie]

I remember Class Pictures! Don't the two girls meet when they're little and Pat bites Lolly's cheek because it's red and round and looks like an apple? I can picture the cover of that book-of course I can't remember if that's what you're looking for Becca. Had Pat's father died or something? Or was it that the man she thinks is her father really isn't? I remember some twist like that.

Becca, we still joke about Forever now! I just read Then Again Maybe I Won't because it was one of the few Judy Blume books I missed when I was younger. Nothing like teen smut!

[Becca]

I've ordered Class Pictures from an Amazon seller so I can see if it is the book that I'm remembering. I couldn't find it here in the house, but I found a bunch of Lois Duncan books and Fifteen that I want my teenage daughter to read.

I'll let y'all know if this one is solved once I get the book.

[Becca]

Just got my copy of Class Pictures in the mail this afternoon and read it. It's the book! Thanks to all!

And for Mrs. Scheiner in the book:

Two blue-eyed parents **can** produce green or brown-eyed children.

See this article.

[Joanie]

Glad you found it Becca and I'm glad your post reminded us all of some great YA books!

[Angela]

Thanks so much!

[bookel]

I'm guessing you're talking about the book by Sachs since it was mentioned above. CLASS PICTURES
by Marilyn Sachs. Great author. :)
I don't think the title links worked which is why I prefer to mention both title and author.

[Rainbowheart]

Class Pictures for the trackable link.