So I read this book at least four times as a kid, but I can’t remember the title or even the characters’ names; it’s a middle-reader book that takes place in America, sometime during World War II, I believe.

It’s about a rich girl who moves to a new town (so rich she has a chauffeur and maids). She makes friends with another girl who is German-American. They become really obsessed with the Shakers and they hang out in the woods. At one point they bake potatoes by covering them in mud and putting them in a fire (I think the friend claims the Shakers cooked this way, but I can find no such evidence).

Eventually other people in the town turn against the German friend’s family — I think they throw a brick through her window. During a climatic scene, the friend starts shaking and singing like a Shaker (I think??). Eventually, the friend’s family has to move away and change their name because of the plight of Germans in America.

I’m at wit’s end over this book — I have spent so much time paging through Amazon and WorldCat trying to find this thing. I am desperately hoping that the Tomato Nation can save me from this obsession.

Sincerely,

Too Much Time On My Hands

*****

Hi Sars,

The great Tomato Nation was so helpful last time I wrote in with a book question that I am hoping they can perform another miracle.

This book is an illustrated children’s book about a fish in a pond and it, like, tricks a cat into moving it to a bigger pond. The fish was lonely in the pond or the pond was too small for it or something. And the cat wanted to eat it. The cat might have tried fishing for it using ketchup as bait? Also, the cat may have rode a bike.

I am hoping some of this rings a bell for someone because it is now driving my entire family crazy.

Please help!

Still unclear on why a ketchup package would be effective fish bait

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