The Vine: May 6, 2011
Submitted by Sarah D. Bunting on May 6, 2011 – 10:48 AM12 Comments
I’m hoping the TN readers can help me ID a short story I read back in the (brace yourself) 1960s.
I’m 99% certain I read it in one of the Childcraft books — we had the set with the maroon and white colors. It was about a girl in grade school who somehow gets locked in the library (I think it was the public library, not the school library) after it closes. I think her name was Opal, and I remember the librarian or another adult in the story saying she always confused her with her sisters (or friends) because they all had jewel names like Pearl, Ruby and Garnet. It was just a neat little story and the little girl spent her locked in time reflecting on what she loved about the library.
Nanc in Ashland
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In Elizabeth Enright’s “Thimble Summer,” the main character, Garnet, gets locked in the library overnight along with her best friend, Citronella. The entire book seems to be on Google books. Here’s the page near the end (spoiler alert, hee hee!) where Garnet summarizes the fun things that she believes the lucky thimble made happen that summer (it’s what the phrase “thimble summer locked in the library” got me): http://tinyurl.com/3c4vrdw
She doesn’t have gemstone-named siblings, but I vaguely remember the librarian or another adult she encounters making some comment about her (the adult’s) siblings’ names, but that could be my imagination.
Okay, I couldn’t resist, and “thimble summer librarian names” brings up page 56 of the book where the librarian, as was apparently her habit, mixed up Garnet’s name because there are so many other gemstone-named kids in town. Sort of a throwaway insert, but hey, often that’s what sticks in our minds in these book-memory things!
The TN readers hit another one out of the park! Thanks so much, CindyP. I’ve never read the entire book, just the chapter in the Childcraft books (wow, I loved those books!) but it’s at my local library so I’ll check it out this weekend.
The best part about this one is that I saw that author name and had a Chuck-style flash to my childhood. Turns out she wrote Gone-Away Lake, which is a book I have considered asking the Nation about because I couldn’t remember the title. Interestingly, garnets figure in that book, too, and would have been one of my “crazy tidbits I can remember please help me TN” items. Goodness, I so love the Tomato Nation.
Ha, Leigh in CO! I had a Homer Simpson “Doh!” moment when I browsed the library catalog and realized she also wrote The Saturdays and The Four Story Mistake.
Oh my gosh, I loved that story and those Childcraft books! Now I have to call my mom and see if she saved them so I can revisit some old friends!
Childcraft books and Thimble Summer! Double hit from my childhood. I loved the chapter where Garnet gets rebellious and goes to town with no permission and a whole dollar. She buys presents for her whole family but ends up feeling guilty because she spent a nickle on a hot dog for herself and has no bus fare home. The bus driver gives her a ride anyway and speeds down the highway for fun.
I just love the idea that buying presents for your family can be considered selfish.
Oh, I’ll have to remember this. I have a close friend named Garnet and I’ve never heard of anyone else with that name. That book might be a good present for her. I’m very certain her mother did not get the name from a book, but I like this. :)
Oh, Elizabeth Enright! I was just thinking about “The Four-Story Mistake” today (and the whole Melendy series). I love everything she wrote, but I never read “Thimble Summer”! Now I’m going to have to check it out, since apparently that’s what won her the Newbery.
I really liked “The Four-Story Mistake” and for years after reading that book, when my parents were house-hunting I always pointed out the ones with cupolas as the ones we should look at.
The Four Story Mistake! Thank you! I have considered writing in about a book with four kids but I couldn’t remember their names. I knew the housekeeper was Cuffy but could not remember anything more. Oh and the youngest collected moths or something. Thanks, TN!
Now I’m off to find them on Amazon. I have a niece that’s just the right age for these.
I had to let the TN readers know I did read Thimble Summer and it was wonderful. Funny how I remembered the library chapter as being happy and sentimental–it wasn’t! I did love how Garnet and Citronella got a ride to town and stood in the bed of the pick up truck holding on to the roof–would never happen today! Reminds me of standing behind my Grandpa holding his shoulders while he drove the tractor over to the general store to pick up something or other.