Internal Librarian's Group: Requests

[Capn]

Hello all,

Just want to say from the outset: no expectations at all, dear members with Librarian status! ;)

But I thought that, seeing as my requests on the official Librarian's Group are frequently ignored or overlooked or mothballed, it might be useful to have any pertinent requests regarding our shared interest in out-of-print juvenile fiction listed here. And then, should anyone feel like it / have some time to spare, records could be added and photos uploaded, etc.?

Again, NO OBLIGATION (Sem - you have done so much already!!!), but, you know, just in case... ;)

[Capn]

I've got a few 'profile pics' to shift onto missing image icons / unlisted editions (all of these are MY photos of MY owned books, so should be kosher to add!):

Simple Missing Cover Upload:

- this ed.: Thanks, Sem!
IMAGE HAS BEEN UPLOADED!
Dragon Books (Granada) 1985
cover illustration: Alan Baker
ISBN: 0583307582
123 page, paperback

The Curses Of Third Uncle - this ed.:

Lorimer 1986 ISBN 0888629095
(I like this one, because you can see the briefcase/bag she's snooping in. And the red text looks nicer than the yellow).

Editions to be added (more work):


IMAGE and EDITION HAS BEEN UPLOADED!
The House at Spaniard's Bay
Meta Mayne Reid
186 pages
1967 - The Children's Book Club edition
(first published by Faber & Faber in the same year, it seems)
pre-ISBN ;)

Magic From The Ground

Magic from the Ground,
ISBN 0460880888,
1991,
Dent Children's Books,
89 numbered pages (95 if you include glossary and a map at the end).


IMAGE and EDITION HAS BEEN UPLOADED!
ISBN 034035240X
A Ring in the Rough Stuff
Knight Books (Hodder & Stoughton)
1984
204 pages, plus adverts

Travelling Magic

Travelling Magic
Elisabeth Beresford
Target 1977
ISBN 0426101618
163 pages
(and just for interest's sake, the back-cover art I especially like!):



IMAGE HAS BEEN UPLOADED!
MAMMOTH (imprint of Mandarin Paperbacks)
1990
ISBN 0749706910 / 9780749706913
Cover illustration: Richard Jones
126 pages (also)


IMAGE and EDITION HAS BEEN UPLOADED!
Which is worse? This one, or the following image?! XD This book deserved a much better cover. The Catchpole Story (below) deserved the cover it got! >:)
Barn Owl Press
1983
hardcover ("casebound")
ISBN 0907117287
109 pages

- uploaded!
(a candidate for ugliest cover ever?! Creepy, upsetting, badly acted.. everything wrong here! Also a spoiler, too! If I had seen this cover, would I have ordered a copy?! Prob not, if I'm honest - cheesy!)
ISBN 034018227X
The Catchpole Story
Catherine Storr
Knight Books
1975 (second printing 1980)

[Capn]

ADDED - thanks, Sem!

Julia's Swiss Smuggler
Jill Stevens - Jill Stevens
Illustrated by Gilbert Dunlop
Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
1961

IMAGE HAS BEEN UPLOADED
(This one has been languishing on the official "Librarian's Group" for months now. Would be grateful to have it uploaded, so I can remove my polite request..). ;)

[Sem]

This is a good idea. When I see one of your requests on my feed I think 'I wonder if someone in that group will deal with it. Doubtful.' XD

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "New Book, but Existing Author:

Julia's Swiss Smuggler
Jill Stevens - Jill Stevens
Illustrated by Gilbert Dunlop
Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
1961

(This one has been languishing on..."

I added it. The author page is a mess. I thought I'd sorted it out months ago but books by other Jill Stevenses have associated themselves with it. Sigh.

[Capn]

Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "New Book, but Existing Author:

Julia's Swiss Smuggler
Jill Stevens - Jill Stevens
Illustrated by Gilbert Dunlop
Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
1961

(This one has been l..."

Wow, thanks ever so much, Sem! :) ❢

Yes, the Librarian's Group is hit and miss. Martin, who is generally on cover duty, is pretty good, but otherwise... :S

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "New Book, but Existing Author:

Julia's Swiss Smuggler
Jill Stevens - Jill Stevens
Illustrated by Gilbert Dunlop
Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
1961

(This on..."

Book pages are slow to update since they 'improved' them. I've removed some of the other Jills' books but will come back later to see if they're gone.

[Capn]

Thanks again, Sem! I was disappointed in Julia's Swiss Smuggler - in spite of it having been written by the same author as The Forger of Zurich, which was well-executed and charming!
A bit worried that all of Jill Stevens stuff might be similar. :( (Has anyone read any of 'her' stuff?! Because Stephen Mogridge was just fine! Wondering if the Jill Stevens books were all, um, 'light' in terms of quality and depth.. and if I should take offense or not, ha ha! XD Just kidding. I really didn't like the characters, and of course 1961 was a very different time, gender roles-wise...)

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "Thanks again, Sem! I was disappointed in Julia's Swiss Smuggler - in spite of it having been written by the same author as The Forger of Zurich, which was well-exec..."

Perhaps Mogridge didn't like the characters either.

[Sem]

I meant to mention (in case you hadn't thought of this) - if you can't find an edition search for it here by the ISBN. The Catherine Sefton was already here but without the cover and by C. Sefton.

[Capn]

Sem wrote: "I meant to mention (in case you hadn't thought of this) - if you can't find an edition search for it here by the ISBN. The Catherine Sefton was already here but without the cover and by C. Sefton."

Oh crap, I knew that and forgot. Sorry about that, Sem! Will do - of course, there are unsorted and uncombined editions out there!!! (face palm!)

[Capn]

Thanks for adding some of the others, Sem! :) It cleared up some space for me to add these:

- Thanks, Sem. :)
The Hand in the Bag
Margaret MacAlpine
(ill. Richard Kennedy)
117 pages, pre-ISBN
Faber and Faber 1959, hardcover
Summary (inside flap):
Here is a story in which the magic catches you from the very first page. This, you feel, could happen. The wild, solitary country, the trout stream, the rowan berries, the mist in which a man can so naturally disappear, all are real and yet a part of the mystery. And the boy, Dougal, standing in the middle of it all, strong, sturdy and carefree; busy, while his parents were away, looking after the goat, making his porridge, fishing for his supper, and taking a great delight in being on his own, free to do what he liked.
It was the trout stream that led him to the source of his adventure though there had been already perhaps a hint of something out of the ordinary in the coming of the stranger with the grey eyes and the love of sharing: who came and went so silently and always, if Dougal wanted company, came again.

and

- Thanks, Sem! :) <3
Knights Besieged - but a new edition would be needed :(
Nancy Faulkner
1966, no ISBN
Whiting & Wheaton
Summary (inside flap):
Jeffrey Rohan never dreamed what danger lay ahead of him when he determined to escape his enslavement in the Turkish court of Suleiman the Wise and try to make his way home to England.
He exchanges one form of bondage for another when Knights Hospitallers from the island of Rhodes attack the skip on which he has stowed away. Recovering from his injuries to find himself on their small island stronghold of Christianity in the Eastern world, Jeffrey learns that Rhodes is preparing for a Turkish attack and that he will not be allowed to continue his journey until the danger is over.
Chose as squire to the English kinght who rescued him from the ship, Jeffrey plays an important part in the military operations of the besieged city. Two youn islanders who become his friends teach him much about the history and customs of Rhodes, and through his experiences during the siege, Jeffrey grows to a greater understanding of himself and of his world.
A vivid and engrossing historical novel of the sixteenth century.
Jacket designed by Dorothy Rice

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "Thanks for adding some of the others, Sem! :) It cleared up some space for me to add these:

Done. Nice covers.

[Capn]

Thanks very, very much, Sem! :)
❤

[Capn]

(I had to remove the protective film from The Hand in the Bag because I couldn't get an angle in which the microwave wasn't being reflected upon it. Good light in the kitchen today!) XD

[Capn]

I have another :)


The Cloud Forest (first ed.)
Thanks, Sem!

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "I have another :)

The Cloud Forest (first ed.)
"
Done. Nicer than the cover of the other edition.

[Capn]

Thank you, Sem!!!

[Capn]

I kept little of the background intentionally so no one would blame me for the truncation of "North". It's the way the dust jacket folds.. ;)

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "I kept little of the background intentionally so no one would blame me for the truncation of "North". It's the way the dust jacket folds.. ;)"
I've uploaded some really awful cover photos. I'm not sure that anyone notices these things. Other than you and me. :D

[Capn]

I curse the people on Amazon who photograph books sideways (without later rotating the photo), from a strange angle, in a dimly lit room with overhead fluorescent lighting, and who didn't even bother to wait for the camera to focus automatically before clicking the shutter.

Why even bother, then?!

If I find the example I'm picturing, I'll link it here. Though the original "The House on the Brink" comes pretty close:
WHY?! (And there are worse examples, too!)

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "I curse the people on Amazon who photograph books sideways (without later rotating the photo), from a strange angle, in a dimly lit room with overhead fluorescent lighting, and who didn't even both..."

They photograph from that angle to show the buyer both the spine and front because they can't be bothered taking separate photos. In the case of Amazon sellers - I don't trust them to show me a photo of the copy I'm buying. Who knows if that's the actual copy?

[Capn]

Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "I curse the people on Amazon who photograph books sideways (without later rotating the photo), from a strange angle, in a dimly lit room with overhead fluorescent lighting, and who did..."

THIS! Precisely! "Stock Photos" as seen on Abebooks, too - pffft! I don't think I've ever received one with even the same cover anyway!

Yes, that explains it. But surely it takes less than a second to take that second shot.... sloth!!!

[Capn]

Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "I kept little of the background intentionally so no one would blame me for the truncation of "North". It's the way the dust jacket folds.. ;)"
I've uploaded some really awful cover pho..."

Did you see the one above for "The Prize"?! Urgh.

Some books just don't get the cover art the quality of the text warrants. :S

The Prize

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "I kept little of the background intentionally so no one would blame me for the truncation of "North". It's the way the dust jacket folds.. ;)"
I've uploaded some really awf..."
I have now, and added it. Bargain basement cover.

[Capn]

Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "I kept little of the background intentionally so no one would blame me for the truncation of "North". It's the way the dust jacket folds.. ;)"
I've uploaded so..."

Thanks, Sem! It's a shame, especially because it's also by Barn Owl Press, like The Region Of The Summer Stars and A Knot of Spells.. those are nice, what's the excuse?!

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "I kept little of the background intentionally so no one would blame me for the truncation of "North". It's the way the dust jacket folds.. ;)"
I've..."

I don't like those ones either but the design is better. Budget constraints?

[Capn]

I can't imagine they'd be as deep pocketed as Penguin. :) But it doesn't excuse bad design, does it?

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "I can't imagine they'd be as deep pocketed as Penguin. :) But it doesn't excuse bad design, does it?"
It's a bit odd. The Region and Knot covers look professional. The Prize illustration looks like something you'd see on a mimeographed zine with a stapled binding.

[Cheryl]

I would love to fix some of these when the current chaos in my life settles down... if nothing else happens.

Meanwhile you're increasing mt. tbr....

[Capn]

Cheryl wrote: "I would love to fix some of these when the current chaos in my life settles down... if nothing else happens.

Meanwhile you're increasing mt. tbr...."

Attend to the chaos first (and luck be with you!). ;) I know that feeling. Bah, reality! Always getting in the way of fun stuff. XD

[Sem]

I added House at Spaniard's Bay and the cover for The Ring in the Rough Stuff.

[Capn]

Thanks so much, Sem! :D

[Capn]

ISBN 1852131640 / 9781852131647
Orchard Originals, first ed. 1989 Thanks ever so much, Sem! :) If I could pass that new and unpassable Librarian's exam and get status myself, I would. Really appreciate this. :)

My copy was inscribed by the author to an editor thusly:

To Francesca, beautifully, exceptionally, wonderfully well-edited
Love from Melody

AND SOME GIT STUCK A LARGE WHITE STICKER OVER THE WHOLE THING AND HALF THE TITLE PAGE!!! Why would anyone do such a thing?!

[Capn]

This is a "replace the AWFUL photo GR has with a better one" request... :S

- wow. Sucks.
That's so much better - thanks very much, Sem! :)

[Capn]

And more Margaret MacAlpine:


First ed., Faber&Faber, 1964, pre-ISBN. 128 pages. Needs new edition added, sorry! :(

and


Anra the Storm Child
First ed., Faber&Faber, 1965, pre-ISBN:


Thanks in advance, Sem/Cheryl/other lovely Librarian! :)
<3
Many thanks again, Sem, for all of these :)

[Capn]

I went back and minimized the covers/editions which have been added. Thanks again very much, resident librarian Sem! <3

I have yet another, if you are so inclined. :) I guess it's isn't children's lit, though...:


Constable, 1986 (first ed.) Merci bien, Sem!

[Capn]

I've really got to reread this one sometime. I remember being disappointed by it, but maybe I need to give it another shot...


(this cover was so promising...!) - Vielen dank, Sem!

[Capn]

It's a rainy Sunday and I have an inner-ear dizziness thing, so... sorry. XD


Dodd Mead & Co., 1977 (first U.S. ed.)
ISBN 0396074316
149 pages Danke, Sem!

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "It's a rainy Sunday and I have an inner-ear dizziness thing, so... sorry. XD

Bridge of Friendship
Dodd Mead & Co., 1977 (first U.S. ed.)
ISBN 0396074316
149 pages"

Done. :)

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "I've really got to reread this one sometime. I remember being disappointed by it, but maybe I need to give it another shot...

The Horns of Danger

(this cover was so promising...!)"
Done.

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "I went back and minimized the covers/editions which have been added. Thanks again very much, resident librarian Sem! <3

I have yet another, if you are so inclined. :) I guess it's isn't children's..."
Done.

[Capn]

Awww, thanks very, very much, Sem. :) Very kind of you! I think that's it from me for a bit (I hope). Should be all uploaded now, barring new arrivals. :)

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "And more Margaret MacAlpine:

The Black Gull of Corrie Lochan - *needs new edition added* (sorry!) :(

First ed., Faber&Faber, 1964, pre-ISBN. 128 pages.:


and

[bo..."
Done.

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "This is a "replace the AWFUL photo GR has with a better one" request... :S

The Borrowers - wow. Sucks.

same, but without the flash, and, you know, properly cropped:
"
Done done done.

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "

Miss Quarterberry and the Juniper Tree
ISBN 1852131640 / 9781852131647
Orchard Originals, first ed. 1989

My copy was inscribed by the author to an editor thusly:
To Francesca, ..."

*commiserates*

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "Awww, thanks very, very much, Sem. :) Very kind of you! I think that's it from me for a bit (I hope). Should be all uploaded now, barring new arrivals. :)"

New arrivals! I'm hoping for some of those this week.

[Capn]

Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "

Miss Quarterberry and the Juniper Tree
ISBN 1852131640 / 9781852131647
Orchard Originals, first ed. 1989

My copy was inscribed by the author to an editor thusly:
To..."

Any thoughts on WHY it was done?! :O I can only think that the reseller wanted to tidy up the page or something (but it was so very neatly written to begin with!). :S

Terrible.

[Sem]

Capn wrote: "Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "

Miss Quarterberry and the Juniper Tree
ISBN 1852131640 / 9781852131647
Orchard Originals, first ed. 1989

My copy was inscribed by the author to an editor..."

The reseller is a moron?

[Capn]

Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "Sem wrote: "Capn wrote: "

Miss Quarterberry and the Juniper Tree
ISBN 1852131640 / 9781852131647
Orchard Originals, first ed. 1989

My copy was inscribed by the author..."

I think I used stronger language, but that was all I could come up with. I was kind of hoping for some secret code about publishers never being identified, or who had copies that were forbidden to go back into circulation, or that maybe they were magic words that Miss Quarterberry made appear, and were being plastered over with some decidedly un-magical office supply printable sticker paper to keep the book in our dimension. Or something.