Timeslip/ Fantasy- Juvenile, ? 50's-70's. Read in late 70's, felt dated. A girl (& brother/cousin?) on holiday find portal to another land. Not Narnia. Castle, attic room, royalty, magic, fog, sea, windows, monument. Empowerment of children. Maybe British.

[Holly]

Your description reminds me of E. Nesbit's The House of Arden.

[Joan]

It is not The Way to Windra or The House of Arden. Thank you everyone for contributing your ideas on this!

[Michele]

This sounds like something by Edward Eager, maybe Knight's Castle?

[Shanna_redwind]

What about Steel Magic? I think it has at least some of the elements you mentioned, and it was originally published in 1967 or so.

I remember this book fondly, but never realized that it was by Andre Norton.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Originally published in 1965. I remember reading this when it came out. It was about that time that I found sci-fi and fell in love with it. I am a major Norton fangirl.

[Joan]

Keep bringing the great ideas. Thank you! The Andre Norton sounds like it may be right. My Mom is a big fan and may have brought this book home to me as a primer. I wish she & I could remember the book. This may be it though. Now, to find a copy.

[Michele]

It's not your book, but my favorite Andre Norton is Dread Companion. That one has the portal, the children, the fog and the magic, but nothing about royalty (well, maybe...) and nothing about the sea.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

My own favourite Norton is Moon of Three Rings. And, as any other Norton fan can tell--my nickname came from one of her book series--if you can call 2 books a series. :o) Judgment on Janus and Victory on Janus.

[Joan]

Thank you, Grey Wolf. I will look this title up!

[Cheryl]

Any luck yet?

[Kimber]

The Enchanted Castle by Edith Nesbit? It's a classic and seems to fit the parameters of your search.

[L.E.]

I suspect neither of these are correct, but the book that jumped out at me initially based on your description was The Shadow Guests by Joan Aiken (there was no sister that I recall, but the cover was a pale blue/purple and if I remember correctly one of the male protagonists looked distinctly female because of his longer archaic haircut). It was a time travel/ alternate universe sort of story.

Another doubtful possibility would be Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop, where there is a young female-nanny like character that could be confused as a sister, perhaps?

I hope these at least help with the what it's not stack.

[Michele]

The Shadow Guests for the clickiness.

[Joan]

Thank you to everyone. I'm still searching though I've been on somewhat of a break lately. I don't remember the book being creepy, it was more fantastical than spooky. I remember the protagonist seeing a kingdom through the wall or ceiling of her bedroom - it's foggy though, my memory ( clearly ;) ).

[Joan]

Also - I'm going to read as many of these as I can until I find that elusive memory. Thanks!

[Mir]

I can elaborate a bit more on the Shadow Guests if that helps: the MC is a boy who leaves Australia to live with a female relative, I believe in England. He has ghostly encounters with a number of ancestors and finds out (view spoiler)[that his family was cursed generations ago. I think the curse was that the first born son always died, or something like that (hide spoiler)].

[Sarah]

Have you considered Elidor by Alan Garner, or his other books? Also Diana Wynne Jones is a British fantasy author with some great books, maybe A Tale of Time City?

[Duncan]

Moonheart by Charles de Lint.

* https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

It was published in 1984 and takes place in Ottawa, Canada. There is a mansion (the Tamson House) that is quite special and not only has portal(s?) to another world (time?), but is basically a hidden character in the book. I remember loving the house as much as the protagonists. The mansion was quite mysterious, and I remember it having a distinctly British Isles feel ... perhaps also because of the Welsh connection ...

Even if this isn't the book you've been looking for, thanks for your question: I've been trying to remember this book for *ages* and the fact that the topic hadn't been solved really spurred me on. I finally found it by googling images with the following phrase:

* faery house book travel portal canada fantasy green cover moon

... and half-way through the results was the cover for the edition that I first read. What a relief to finally know (again) the book title!

I never read any of his other books, but have just discovered he wrote others, as well as a short story collection revolving around Tamson House :-)

* https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Thanks again, and if this isn't it, I do hope you eventually find your book ... as I have found mine tonight ...

[Joan]

Duncan! I love that book and de Lint. It's not the book I was looking for - I think mine was published earlier. I have however had a wonderful time reading books of that ilk in search of my missing memory :)

Thanks for picking up the thread & posting. I'm glad you found your book.

[Holly]

Hi Joan! I have a couple of lists you could look through:

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8... (there are links to additional lists in the description of this list as well)
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...

[Duncan]

Yeah, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed that Moonheart wasn't your book ... but pondering this thread did make me think of another one I'd read that *did* sound like yours. It's so vague in my mind, and I'm not sure of the original publish date ...

Some of the ones that felt *close* by the others who've tried to help:
* Over Sea, Under Stone - close, but I'd not remembered anything about the Grail
* The Steps up the Chimney - too recent, not portal-y enough
* The Secret Country - *really* close, probably also too recent; definitely has more of the feel that I remember

I also seem to remember either explicit or implicit references to WWII, like maybe one or more of the parents was away at the War? Hrn ... or maybe one of the children in the story died/couldn't come back? The memory of this book is sooo hazy :-(

I just came across another one that is *very* close to what I was thinking of (but I still think the one I have in mind was more recent):

* The Owl Service by Alan Garner (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Owl...)

It won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association in 1967, which could very well have been why your mother brought it home :-) (if this was it ...)

It has:
* stepbrother and sister
* sister's father died
* stepfather is a RAF officer
* summer holiday in the Welsh countryside
* noises in the attic above the bed
* stone + river + portal + ceiling (all in one event!)

Ring any bells?

[Joan]

Holly - thank you for the lists! I aim to get lost in them, searching, finding new reads as well.

Duncan - I think my book was published mid-70's or earlier. I remember it looked old (dated) when I read it, likely between 78 & 82. I love all your suggestions & read most of them! ;)

[Duncan]

Bummer, I thought The Owl Service from 1967 was it :-(

I look forward to hearing how this mystery turns out!

[Lisa]

I don't have anything helpful to add I'm afraid but I did just want to say thank you to the person who mentioned The Time Keeper by Barbara Bartholomew as that was a book I came to this group to find and it took all of about 4 minutes, thanks to you! Joan, I hope you manage to find the book you're looking for too.

[Michele]

Duncan wrote: "Bummer, I thought The Owl Service from 1967"

Yes,, originally published in England in 1967 and the US in 1968.

[Joan]

Lisa - good for you! I love hearing about other people finding lost books ;)

[Joan]

I rather enjoy Alan Garner though - reread the whole series recently and am hoping my children read the books as well.

[Krazykiwi]

Here's a longshot (I read it as a child, around the same time, early 80's although it was new I think) and while I don't remember attics specifically, the sister getting separated and having to find a way back again seems to ring a bell.

The Wizard Children of Finn by Mary Tannen.

(This book also stuck with me for decades before I ran across the title again, and all I could remember was "Ireland and poetry, kids go on a long walk", which is also a pretty vague and not altogether helpful set of memories, so there you go... Good luck!)

[Michele]

Hm, possibly Greenwitch? It has the girl, the attic room, the magic, the fog, the sea. No monument, per se, but there is an important artifact.

[Joan]

Krazykiwi - thank you for piping up. It's not the book I am looking for but that was such a cool series.

Michele - I love Susan Cooper

[Sheila]

Did you for sure rule out Edward Eager? He immediately comes to mind after reading your subject. His wiki page gives a description of his juvenile timeslip/fantasy novels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_...

[Adele]

There is a series of books by Margaret Jean Anderson that sound like a possibility. Here is the first book

And the series page: https://www.goodreads.com/series/75783

This is another possibility: The girl travels back in time via a mirror in the attic and the relationship with her brother in the past is a key part of the story.

This one has the blue cover and the castle and a boy secondary character:

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Still looking now, Joan?

[Joan]

Yes! Always

[Joan]

There was a well. A stone well. I think it was a girl lead. There may have been a male cousin. I feel like the lead went overseas to stay with relatives & of course, discovers she is stronger & more clever than she knows as she adventures.

[Rainbowheart]

The Door in the Closet?

[Joan]

@rainforest I'm not sure. Will try to find more info on this book. What an interesting author Bacon is though. I'm glad to be reading about her - thanks for piping up

[Rainbowheart]

Were you able to track down The Door in the Closet?

I also thought of William And Mary, but it doesn't fit that well.

[Joan]

Hello @rainbowheart 💛 I am still searching. It’s neither of there to titles and still haven’t found the previous, which is still a maybe. I’m so glad you checked in. I’m still searching! Thank yoy

[Rainbowheart]

No worries, we'll continue to keep an eye out for you!

[Capn]

Here is a very nice list (external link): https://charlotteslibrary.blogspot.co...

I actually came to this thread for ideas to help another more recent one... Maybe you can help her and vice versa, ha ha!
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

In the process, I added the maximum 100 books to the YA Timeslip list:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...

If you feel like having a browse. :)

[Rainbowheart]

That list is for 21st century books only, but there is a list specifically for the 20th century.

Children's Time Travel Fiction of the 20th Century

However, the following list is much larger!

Timeslip in Children's Fiction

[Capn]

I found this, but you have probably seen it already:
The Time Stone

[Peter]

The Unicorn Window by Lynette R. Muir

Enchanted Pilgrimage by Clifford D. Simak

[SamSpayedPI]

The Unicorn Window
Enchanted Pilgrimage

for Peter's links.

[Joan]

Thank you all! I am still looking & enjoying adding so many titles to my “To Red” list whilst doing so.

The Unicorn Window looks promising.

I do think the story involved a boy & girl who were not brother & sister transitioning to a medieval-like realm or time period from a place she was visiting. My memory keeps saying Cornwall. I was probably 8-11 yo old when I read it though, and had no idea where Cornwall was likely (I grew up in Ontario).

It must have been written before the mid 70’s as I read it in grade school (late 70’s, early 80’s) & the copy was old.

[Joan]

* To Read

[Capn]

Oh, are there EVER lists for Cornwall!

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...

....and it probably isn't in any of these. ;)

[Joan]

Thank you!!!

[Capn]

I'm adding to the "YA & Middle Grade Fiction set in Cornwall" list, and pulling out some possible hits for you as I add them in:

Kidnapped in Cornwall Percy Woodcock, 1953
April Gold by Viola Bayley, 1965
The Jago Secret by Isobel Ann Shead, 1966
The Richleighs of Tantamount by Barbara Willard, 1966
An Explorer for an Aunt by Margaret Love, 1967
White Witch of Kynance by Mary Calhoun, 1971
The May Day Mystery by Mabel Esther Allan, 1971
A Chill in the Lane, also by MEA, 1974
Night Fall, by Joan Aiken, originally 1969

I mean, none of these jumped out at me, but just in case. :)