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Help a Reader Out: New Kid on the Block, Over and Over Again

Ah, the 1980s. A time of YA fiction of all kinds, and of many, many series books. Sweet Valley High, The Girls of Canby Hall, Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators… okay, I admit those are not the right genre for those of you who were reading Point Horror, but some of us took the long route.

Somewhere in the 1990s I became a children’s librarian- this was at the height of the popularity of the Goosebumps books, and I remember their massive popularity. Oh my gosh, there is no way I could EVER forget. But you all will have to help me out here, because apparently, somewhere in between, Jay found a YA horror series with a very specific formula for the plot. It’s not Point Horror, and R.L. Stine didn’t really get going until the 1990s… but somebody MUST know the name of this series.

Jay writes:

I came across this site and it seemed like it had a lot to offer. What I am looking for is some help with some titles/books from the 1980’s. The books were geared for young adults and were written in the 80’s. They had a very standard format to almost all of them. “New kid moves into town and right away becomes the target of the popular guy, new kid develops crush on bully’s girl and eventually may even be a couple with her by the end of the book. Sometimes the new kid is an athlete. Usually there is some kind of mystery/conflict in the new town; sometimes zombies, vampires, or some kind of satanic force that confronts the new kid.” I must have read over 100 of these books during the 80’s, but never kept any of them. It’s been roughly 30 years since I read them and certainly cannot remember any of the titles or the authors. Any help would be greatly appreciated! I want my son or daughter to start enjoying these type of books, but can’t find them anywhere. I hope to hear back from you soon!

Thanks, Jay, for your confidence in us. Can anyone help Jay find these books so he can share them with his kids?

Posted on July 19, 2011 by , 2 comments

Dear Mr. Mayor…

Ah, Mayor Bloomberg… I think you’d better watch out for the kids of New York City, if you close their libraries. The young lady who wrote these postcards supporting the public libraries of New York City as budget decisions are looming, has clearly mastered what the Department of Education here calls a “speaking and writing standard”: the writing of an, er, persuasive letter. And she did it with a librarian, for the library.

ETA: Apparently he decided to take her seriously. The libraries of New York City will stay open.

Posted on July 14, 2011 by , Reply

Help a Reader Out: Three Card Monty and a Killer Whale

Okay, I admit it. These requests haven’t all come in at once. Michael here has been waiting for an answer very patiently. He writes:

You helped me find a book before, so I’m wondering if you can help again? This book I started reading in 1997 was some fantasy adventure book. All I can remember about it was the beginning: There’s a boy who cheats people in three card monty in some alley in New York City. I think he gets chased by the police. Then a talking Killer Whale appears and teleports the kid to a fantasy world in turmoil that needs his help. I think there are three heroes. The kid from New York, a princess, and a third warrior.

Unfortunately, that’s all I remember. Any information you might have would be helpful.

I have to say, the beginning of this story sounds extremely familiar to me. I’m sure I read it. But like Michael, I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the book. The only killer whale I can come up with is the unfortunate one from The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and I know that’s not right- that definitely isn’t children’s or teen fiction. But there can’t be too many sentient killer whales out there.So please, help us out!

Posted on July 14, 2011 by , Reply
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