I'm looking for the title and author of a book I read in junior high
in the late 1970s. I can remember the following (subject to this
having been 25 years ago -- any of the more specific information could
be wrong):
* It was a novel, probably a juvenile, about troublemaking kids at a
summer camp.
* The edition I read was a mass-market paperback; the cover was black
with yellow lettering.
* It was written in the first person.
* There were plot points concerning tipping over a soda machine and
(possibly) flushing cherry bombs down toilets.
* The title may have been "<something> Like Us", though I've searched
the usual locations (alibris, abebooks, et al.) for variations on this
title with no success.
At minimum I would like title and author for this book. |
Clarification of Question by
lazlonibble-ga
on
14 Jun 2002 11:25 PDT
One more possible detail -- I *think* it may have been published by
Avon. I have no idea why I would remember that, though!
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Request for Question Clarification by
mother-ga
on
15 Jun 2002 14:12 PDT
Hello lazlonibble,
I can't confirm the story line or cover, but perhaps the book you
remember is "Tramps Like Us," by Barbara Morgenroth (Atheneum,
1979)... this author published several other "young adult" titles in
the late '70s and early '80s. Her email address is listed on the
following entry... perhaps you could write her and ask for
confirmation.
"Morgenroth, Barbara" entry (WritersNet)
http://www.writers.net/writers/2003
"Tramps Like Us" entry (WritersNet)
http://www.writers.net/writers/books/10272
Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/) record excerpt:
Personal Name: Morgenroth, Barbara.
Main Title: Tramps like us / Barbara Morgenroth.
Edition Information: 1st ed.
Published/Created: New York : Atheneum, 1979.
Hope this helps!
mother-ga
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Request for Question Clarification by
juggler-ga
on
15 Jun 2002 17:54 PDT
Hi Lazlonibble:
I have a lead on a 1970s book about some kids at a summer camp. The
story is semi-humorous, semi-serious. It's written in the first
person. The narrator is a rich, troubled kid from Palm Beach. The camp
is in New England. Does this sound like your book?
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Clarification of Question by
lazlonibble-ga
on
16 Jun 2002 11:33 PDT
mother: I don't think "Tramps Lke Us" is it; I read the book in
paperback a couple of years before "Tramps Like Us" was published (and
TLU's first publication was in hardcover). On reflection, I don't
think my book could have been published any later than 1977/1978.
juggler: I can't confirm the details you offer, but none of them sound
inconsistent with my recollection of the book. You may be on to
something.
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Request for Question Clarification by
juggler-ga
on
16 Jun 2002 15:55 PDT
Hi Lazlo:
The book that I've found is called "Ox Goes North, More Trouble for
the Kid at the Top" by John Ney. There's a 1973 hardback edition from
Harper & Row and 1974 paperback from Bantam. The story takes place at
a "Camp Downing." Yesterday afternoon, I was at a library that had the
hardback edition, so I skimmed through it for a few minutes. I didn't
see anything about a soda machine, but the plot does involve a bomb at
one point (but it's not a cherry bomb; it's dynamite or something like
that).
The main character and narrator is a kid from Palm Beach who goes by
the name Ox. The kids at the camp are mostly preppies from schools
like Hotchkiss, Choate, etc. One kid is having problems with
guardians trying to steal his trust fund, and that storyline takes up
a lot of the story. There are some kind of humorous parts. At one
point Ox pushes a horse, but when the camp headmaster hears about it,
he thinks that Ox is "pushing horse" (i.e., dealing heroin).
The title is inconsistent with your recollection, but it does sort of
fit in with the theme. A lot of the adults (and some of the kids) in
the book display a snobby attitude and talk the importance of
socializing with the "right people" (e.g., other rich folks). I'm not
sure if any of them use the exact phrase, "people like us," but they
say a lot of things along those lines. If any of this sounds
familiar, let me know.
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