Young Adult Book Nostalgia (From the 1980s and early 1990s)

[hello_3721]

I'm 25 and there was a book, maybe even a series of books from the 80s or 90s about a group of girls in middle school or high school.  I think there were 3 or 4 girls.  I don't remember much of the plot.  At the beginning of the book there was a girl with auburn hair and she was walking into school, but she was late and the locker combination didn't work.  It was the first day of school.  There was another girl who just started as a model.  She was doing a photo shoot at a football field???  There was another girl who was a tough girl, and I think she wore a leather coat a lot.  I think her name was Jade or something.  All I remember is the cover of the book was pink.  I wanna say "Girl Talk" or "Girl something" was the name of the book, but I just can't remember. 

Anyone know???  

[hello_3721]

I just answered my own question.  It was the Girl Talk Series by L.E. Blair.  I just saw the book on ebay.

[KellieAM]

This is going to be more from the early-mid 70's, but can anybody help with this?  This was a series of books, possibly anywhere from 8-12 books, about a large extended family in New England, I believe.  The books moved around between all the brothers and sisters and cousins and family friends.  I remember the main character's name was Penny (I'm pretty sure) and she starts as a young girl but grows up through the series.  Some of the books involved the Army-Navy football game and her older brother or cousin going to West Point.  I think the books were actually set in the 50's; it was all very prim and proper, but she would have crushes on her brother's friends, etc.  Any ideas????  Kellie

[Mommie_Locs]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for two books from my youth to pass on to my daughter one day:

Mystery Book #1 - Daughter is or participates in gymnastics. Mom has cancer and dies on Christmas Eve at home. She is an only child. Loves a velour sweater.

Mystery Book #2 - Girl is riding in a car with her sister and sister's boyfriend. They are in an accident that kills the sister and leaves the girl with two broken legs.

Great Forum, Thanks for your help

Mommie_Locs

[canned_ice]

Anyone remember a Christopher Pike book about a group of students who drank the water from a lake formed  by a meteor crash and then ended up turning into bird like creatures? I remember they ended up craving raw meat and the football team was some of the first to start showing signs of turning because they drank so much water during the summer.

I''m also trying to remember the name of a book about a girl in high school who was taking a night class and the young hot teacher ended up being a vampire. The vampire/teacher's brother ended up showing up and saving the day. I don't remember the author for this one.  Both would have been from the late 80's or early 90's.

Any help would be great!

[ana36AN]

My love for reading began as a young adult in the 80's.  Loved the horror/mystery genre. 

I'm looking for the title of two books that I enjoyed in the 80's; any help would be greatly appreciated.

Book 1:  A young girl finds a secret room in a big creepy house.  It has rose wallpaper which turns into real roses???  She could be an orphan.

Book 2: A kid finds a witches' room under her new house's shed floor.  Their is a trap door leading down into the room.  Jars are full of 'eyes of newt' and other witchy items.

[rudegirlyaz]

That book is called Who's Afraid of Sixth Grade. I used to have it many years ago.

[basson_mommy12]

Oh yes, this is the Judy Blume obsessive years, as well as Francine Pascal, not only Sweet Valley High, but the Caitlin Love Trilogy - obsessed!

Then, it was V.C. Andrews and

Flowers In The Attic (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) .  My mother-in-law, sister-in-law and I were just discussing this series last night over dinner and how shocking it was to us.

[JaneEyreZombie…]

Great thread!  I lived for the day the Scholastic order would come in and I'd take home new books, covers still glossy, scent of print on the page.....

Favorites from the 80s:

-The Girls of Canby Hall series

-Kandace Ransom's trilogy Thirteen, Fourteen, and then Fifteen

-the Couples books

-Christopher Pike's work

-Class of 1989 Series

-Sunfire Romances - Historical, with the standard Guy A seems like Mr. Right, then  Guy B confuses the issue but turns out to be a crook/jerk/liar, etc.

-Phillippa Gregory (now of The Boelyn Sisters fame) wrote a book, Dreams and Memories, for a paranormal-esque series

-Where the Red Fern Grows

-Island of the Blue Dolphins

-Judy Blume

-Beverly Cleary

[moonlounger]

the Christopher Pike book was called Monster....it was a good one, lol. i still have all mine from my pre-teen days.

[shan3224]

Book #1 is You Shouldn't Have To Say Goodbye - the main characters name is Sarah and her mom is diganosed with cancer.

[thackett]

I read a book my sophmore or junior year in high school, which would have been 1988 and/or 1989. It is my mystery book.

The title characters name is Desiree ( if i remember correctly).  She lives with her father and feels misunderstood.  She leaves for the summer to go stay with a relative in a city and hooks up with a group of teens that are rough.  Long hair, ripped jeans.  At one point there is a fight scene and someone gets an ear cut off. 

[dwn2erth548]

I hope someone is still posting on this.  I read a book when I was younger about a girl who met a boy crying over some dead plants on her fire escape.  He had just moved into the apartment building with his mother.  I remember her mother used to write short stories about her and get them published.  And there was some big secret surrounding the boy's father.  His mother was kind of mean I think.  Anyway, if anyone can help let me know.  I can't remember the title or author.

[Peppermill]

dwn2erth548 wrote:

I hope someone is still posting on this.  I read a book when I was younger about a girl who met a boy crying over some dead plants on her fire escape.  He had just moved into the apartment building with his mother.  I remember her mother used to write short stories about her and get them published.  And there was some big secret surrounding the boy's father.  His mother was kind of mean I think.  Anyway, if anyone can help let me know.  I can't remember the title or author.

Not

 

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn  possibly?  Doesn't really match closely, so I am shooting in the dark.

Do know that there is a board dedicated specifically to finding lost books.  If you haven't already, try there as well. Be as helpful as possible in the message heading if you want to be read, however.

[Benni2728]

Hey Wildflower, I hope you're still around to read this and that you haven't gotten your answer at some point; I don't believe I saw one....

Anyhoo, that book is called stranger with my face.  I loved that one   I was mixing it up with this book though at first where this girl with some sort of psychic powers is recruited by this company (or something like that) to time travel.  She ends up going to the 60s I believe.  Her "friend" in her time had unusual eyes, two different colors.  Anyone remember that one?

And I have to ask about the book that brought me to this discussion....

It was a king arthur story.  I think the cover had a grey border with red writing and some picture in the middle (if that helps????).  In the story king arthurs sister morgana tried to off him many times.. the most memorable in my mind is with a red cloak covered in rubies.   When the servant put it on he burst into flames. 

Any clue?

[Peppermill]

Benni2728 wrote:

And I have to ask about the book that brought me to this discussion....

It was a king arthur story.  I think the cover had a grey border with red writing and some picture in the middle (if that helps????).  In the story king arthurs sister morgana tried to off him many times.. the most memorable in my mind is with a red cloak covered in rubies.   When the servant put it on he burst into flames. 

Any clue?

Are you talking about 

The Mists of Avalon (Avalon Series #1) by Marion Zimmer Bradley

 

The cover seems plausible; the story doesn't seem quite right, so may not be what you are seeking.

[Benni2728]

Man I wish I was able to have the patience to have read Mists of Avalon when I was that young.  The book was definitely not that mature.

It was probably only this    [       ] thick.

[LikelyStory]

You guys are good! 

I've been trying to remember the name of a book that, towards the beginning, had a girl who had a crush on a guy and her friend told her how to flirt with him.  There were a few, clear steps and two of them were to compliment him and touch him on the arm.  I think when this girl finally tries these flirting tricks, they are at a football stadium.  I believe these kids were probably in junior high.  It was a series of books. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

[dhaupt]

---

LikelyStory wrote:

You guys are good! 

I've been trying to remember the name of a book that, towards the beginning, had a girl who had a crush on a guy and her friend told her how to flirt with him.  There were a few, clear steps and two of them were to compliment him and touch him on the arm.  I think when this girl finally tries these flirting tricks, they are at a football stadium.  I believe these kids were probably in junior high.  It was a series of books. Does this ring a bell for anyone?

---

I hope someone here can help you, but if not don't give up ask in lost books too.

good luck

[jewzy]

I love this thread and wanted to add my list of favorite books growing up.

I first started reading Christopher Pike books. If it wasn't for those books I probably wouldn't be in love with litature. I've read all of his YA books, but espeically love Road to Nowhere, Midnight Club, Die Softly, Weekend, Chainletter, Remember Me, and The Last Vampire.

I enjoyed L.J. Smith's Forbbiden game series a great deal and actually want to re-read it soon.

Something Upstairs -  Avi

The band never dances - J.D. Landis

The Boxcar Children - Warner

The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

And then there were none - Agatha Christie

The Martian Chronicals - Ray Bradbury

Maniac Magee - Jerry Spinelli

I am the cheese - Robert Cormier