Booklust | Earful of Cider

More than a year ago, I did a post about my ongoing search for two of my favorite childhood books.

They were for sale here and there for $100-$400US each—quality unverifiable—but I was hoping for a more financially responsible option.*

Now, thanks to a dear friend, my search is half over!

About a week ago, I received an e-mail from thefirstmausi,** who told me she’d just seen How to Become King— Jan Terlouw’s novel about a teenager’s quest to become king despite the obstacles placed by a 1984-esque Ministry—on Amazon for about forty dollars, though she didn’t know if it was still available or if I wanted to risk buying something without a cover or various pages.

I checked. It was. And I did.

My book—mine!— arrived Wednesday. It’s not new and I still paid a bit more than the original price of the book, even considering thirty-odd years of inflation . . . but what price happy childhood memories?*

I loved this book so much that my name was on every other line on the check-out card of my elementary school’s copy. I started reading it to Janie last night. I still love it.

Thank you, firstmausi !

Now . . . Anyone have any leads on The Night They Stole the Alphabet ?

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*Picture my parents and my husband staring at the screen in utter shock right here, because they will, are, or did.

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

*Okay, yeah, under $100US, unless we’re talking mint condition happy childhood memories.

Every so often, I launch yet another futile search for two books from my childhood. I must have checked them out more than a thousand times each from my public and school libraries. I still do, though the libraries that own copies are fewer and farther (further?) between every time I try.

I want them, I do. I want to own them.

The first is How to Become King, by Jan Terlouw (Original Dutch title, Koning van Katoren). Stark, a teenager born on the same night the old King of Katoren died, makes a bid for the long-empty throne. The six ministers, used to power, throw several impossible, and often dangerous, tasks in his way. Stark travels to save a town where the churches move, another where a tree produces explosive pome-grenades, a city where the pollution hides a fearsome dragon, and yet another where what one loves the most is taken away for the greater good. He meets friends and allies along the way and teaches the ministers a lesson in what it means to be a great leader.

This book, which won a Gouden Griffel, is long out of print, and while I could buy a copy for around $350, sight unseen, I’m hoping a more reasonable solution will come to hand. There’s one copy in our library system—perhaps it will be discarded and I can grab it at the library bookstore before anyone else can. I even went so far as to track down the publisher to ask if they had any extras or if, as their website says, I might buy a few Print- on-Demand copies . . . but every message I sent to every e-mail I could find bounced back and no one answered the phone.

Guess I’m waiting . . . or I could throw myself on the mercy of anyone who reads this blog. Please, if you’ve seen a copy for sale, let me know—especially those of you who are an ocean closer to Holland—I can’t read Dutch, but perhaps a few English-translations found their way back?

The second is The Night They Stole the Alphabet, by Sesyle Joslin. Victoria wakes one night to discover that thieves have stolen the golden alphabet from the wallpaper border in her bedroom. She catches a glimpse of three shadowy figures and chases after them into an interesting land where she finds a B in a baby’s bonnet and T in a cup. Will she be able to collect all the letters before the beautifully dangerous Madame Muzz stops her? What happens when the thieves let her catch them?

This book has been out of print for years. I could buy it on eBay for around $100. But I’m hoping a copy might turn up in a used bookstore—no library in my area owns it, so I can’t stalk the library book sales for it. I left my name with every used bookstore in our area, but so far, no luck.

So, if you happen to see a copy around for a bit less than a C-note, please let me know!

I’m more than willing to do the same for you—anyone have any hard-to-find childhood books they’d like to have on their shelves?