Wildfire #22 Sixteen Can Be Sweet and #23 Take Care of My Girl

Wildfire #22 Sixteen Can Be Sweet, Maud Johnson, 1978

Jenny West is so happy—sweet sixteen and summer on the way!  But her life turns sour when her father's illness sends the Wests off to an isolated beach for the whole summer. 

Jenny's miserable until the bright morning when she looks up and finds herself face to face with Keith Ericson.  The golden days stretch ahead of them—days of walking on the beach, holding hands, sharing secrets. 

But too soon it's September—the summer is over—and Jenny wonders how can she bear to leave Keith...

This story reminds me somewhat of Augusta Huiell Seaman's books that are set on the Jersey coast.  Jenny's family is staying on the coast in order for her father to recover his health, and Jenny is lonely.  Seaman's coastal books feature similar plots.

The cover art amuses me.  The girl is so close to the fire that it appears that the fire is licking at her legs.  Yikes.

Wildfire #23 Take Care of my Girl, Carol Stanley, 1978

Kate never makes trouble—she does all the right things.  But her life is boring.  Then she goes to live with the Myers for a year and her whole life changes.  Aunt Caroline hangs loose about routine and rules.  But she makes Kate try things she has never tried before.  And her older cousin Laura shows Kate a new world of dating and boys.  And Andy?  Well, Andy teaches her all kinds of things—especially how to get a hard-to-get boy.

Neither of these books is special, but I enjoyed both of them.

An Exciting Library Edition Find

A woman has been selling her deceased sister's series book collection in the Facebook groups.  The deceased collector was known to me, and I sold her a number of books years ago.  I decided to purchase an eclectic mixture of the books, focusing primary on library editions.  The books were purchased solely based on short descriptions provided in a number of spreadsheets.  I did not have pictures of the books.  I selected every library edition since I figured there was a chance the collector might have owned some variants that I did not have.  I also purchased some other miscellaneous books.

The books arrived today.  Here is a photo showing what I received.

The books were in small stacks wrapped in plastic, and I unwrapped one stack at a time.  I was dumbfounded—and rather excited—when I saw the following library edition of The Message in the Hollow Oak.

This binding is known as either the "Magnifying Glass" or "Cameo" library binding.  I have collected these books for 18 years.  I have 182—now 183—of them for Nancy Drew #1 through #34, except for one title that I have never seen anywhere.  Guess which title that is?  The Message in the Hollow Oak!

I have never understood why this one title has never before surfaced for me.  It wasn't logical that it would have been skipped in the sequence, but binderies do not necessarily rebind every title in a series.  I had pretty much decided that The Message in the Hollow Oak did not exist in this binding.  I am thrilled to be wrong.  The copy I have is pretty rough, but at least I now have one.  I never reject rough condition copies.  They are always stepping stones to better copies.  Most importantly, this copy proves that this title does exist in this format.

I also really like these library editions.  I like the spine design, and the books are in excellent condition.

This next book is neat.

All three outside edges are stained red.  This is the first library binding I have ever seen in this style.

As I gazed at the group of books, I wondered if I had just repurchased any books that I had sold to this collector.  It's been too many years to know what she purchased from me.  My eyes immediately fell on the Bound to Stay Bound binding of The Clue in the Diary that is seen in the top right corner of the first picture in this post.  Hmm.  The lettering "F" with "Kee" right beneath looks mighty familiar.

I opened the book, and it is from Houchin Elementary in the Moore Public Schools.  Moore, Oklahoma, is a city just to my south in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.  That just about clinched it.  I immediately went to my set of Bound to Stay Bound books and spotted multiple books with the same lettering on the spine.  They are all from Houchin Elementary.  While I cannot remember any details, I know that I must have purchased a bulk lot of books that came from Houchin Elementary and sold all the extras.  The other three Bound to Stay Bound books that I just received today also came from Houchin Elementary.

It's likely that some of the other library editions came from me as well, although I will never know for sure.  Anyone who buys and sells series books over the years will end up with the same books coming back at times.  It probably happens more often than I realize, and I only know when the books have distinctive markings that are memorable.

Wildfire #20 A Kiss for Tomorrow and #21 A Place for Me

Wildfire #20 A Kiss for Tomorrow, Maud Johnson, 1981

A lightning bug flew between Nick and me.  Both of us reached out for it, our palms cupped.  We missed the bug, but our fingers touched and somehow Nick was holding my two hands in his, and he didn't turn them loose.  

The summer Edie dreaded turns out to be magic!  When she leaves Chicago to visit her father in the little town he's moved to, she doesn’t expect to meet someone like Nick—serious, sensitive, and tender. 

But he's older, a college student, and already has a girlfriend.  Even so, Edie's never felt so attracted to a boy, and wonders if she's falling in love...

This story has as subplot in which Edie and Nick end up solving a mystery.  This is a very good book.

Wildfire #21 A Place for Me, Helen Cavanagh, 1981

Jonathan is Colleen Kelly's secret!  He's her first boyfriend—sensitive and serious, and he understands her need for privacy.  Colleen doesn't want to share Jonathan with anyone, especially her big, noisy family!  So they meet alone, taking long, quiet rides on their horses.

But Colleen can't keep her secret forever.  Soon the Kellys find out about Jonathan.  They meet him, make him part of the family—and Colleen is scared.  She doesn't want their special relationship to change.  Can she hold onto him?  Will they still have enough time for themselves?

This story is quite compelling.  This is a very good to excellent book.

Wildfire #18 The Voices of Julie and #19 Second Best

Wildfire #18 The Voices of Julie, Joan Oppenheimer, 1979

Julie can stay out with Nick as late as she wants.  She can skip homework or chores— she's got it made!  She lives with her easy going aunt Roz who lets her do anything.

Her only problem is Tony, her best friend's brother.  Tony doesn't approve of Julie.  He keeps trying to get her to shape up.  And he makes her so mad!  Julie wishes he would stay out of her life—until the unforgettable night when she gets lost in the fog...

The first half of the story is annoying and partially boring.  Julie does impressions, and they aren't funny in the book.  If I could have seen a live action version of Julie doing the impressions, then I might have found them entertaining.  I skipped over all of the impressions as well as the parts where Julie is the class clown.

Later in the story, Julie quits doing the impressions as she experiences personal growth.  This part of the story is much better.  The first part of the story is just okay, while the later part is very good.

Wildfire #19 Second Best, Helen Cavanagh, 1979

Shelly Barr thinks she's boring and plain, and always feels second best.  But Ryan Gallagher thinks she's someone special and wants to go steady with her!  She’s excited and happy—until her sister fixes her up with Nick, a sophisticated college boy.

Shelly tries to keep the date a secret, but Ryan finds out and angrily breaks up with her.  And Shelly's not even sure she likes Nick.  Their first date was such a disaster! 

Shelly's so worried.  All she wants is Ryan, but she wonders if a second-best girl can wind up in first place...

This story seems to have inspired the Sweet Valley High book, Lovestruck.  Shelly tries to act sophisticated, like Ken Matthews.  Shelly doesn't get her paper written, so she plagiarizes someone else's paper, just like Ken does.  As is typical, the back cover summary of the Wildfire book fails to mention these plot points.

This is a very good book.

Wildfire #16 I Want to Be Me and #17 The Best of Friends

Wildfire #16 I Want to be Me, Dorothy Bastien, 1978

Starting over in a new school is hard for anybody.  But it's a disaster when your father is the new principal!  Donna's miserable at school—and at home.  Her parents don't trust her, and never let her go to parties or dances.

The only bright spot in Donna's life is Tack—strong, sensible, happy-go-lucky Tack.  Everybody likes him—except Donna's father.  He says Tack's too old for her, and forces Donna to break her very first date with him.  She's crushed and Tack doesn't understand.  Does Donna care about him enough to face her father's anger?

This book is not really a romance.  The story is about Donna's excessively strict parents who do not trust her at all.  As Donna copes with her loneliness, she becomes aware of the plight of the wild horses, which are being killed by ranchers.  Donna must go against her parents in order to help the horses.  Donna also does a little investigating as she tries to discover what a neighbor is doing in his old barn.

This story is quite compelling.  It is excellent.

Wildfire #17 The Best of Friends, Jill Ross Klevin, 1981

Allison Lawrence has given up hope.  She's convinced that Bobby Stern, the boy of her dreams, will never notice her.

It takes gorgeous Susannah Ellis to turn Allison's life around.  The girls agree to swap—Allison will help Susannah improve her grades, and Susannah will help Allison improve her looks... and win Bobby!

Before she knows it, Bobby asks Allison for a date, and soon they're going steady.  But Allison's dream bubble bursts when Bobby starts mentioning a friend named Judy... and breaking dates. 

Miserable and confused, Allison decides to break up with Bobby—and has the surprise of her life!

I had previously tried to read the two books by Jill Ross Klevin that came earlier in the Wildfire set.  I was not able to read either book due to finding them to be completely boring.  For that reason, I didn't want to give this book a chance.

I started reading it and noted the same excessive detail about the physical attributes and personalities of both Allison and Susannah.  I quit reading and read a few other books.  I tried again and finally managed to get out of the first chapter, which is terribly boring.

The story greatly improves after the first chapter.  While the synopsis does describe the general plot, the book is more about Allison becoming friends with Susannah, who is completely different from her, than it is about romance.  I found the girls' relationship to be fascinating as it developed through the story.  This is a very good book.

Wildfire #14 Yours Truly, Love, Janie and #15 The Summer of the Sky-Blue Bikini

14. Yours Truly, Love, Janie, Ann Reit, 1981

GOOD LOOKING COWBOY, sensitive, intelligent, 21 years old wishes to correspond with equally understanding, sophisticated, city girl.

Janie Downs, unsophisticated, small town, sixteen-year-old, sees the magazine ad and knows it's the "something exciting" she's been waiting for!  She begins writing secretly to Duke McCoy and pretends she's all the things he wants—including older.

Peter, Janie's boyfriend—good-looking, smart, fun, and the star of the basketball team—adores Janie.  But when she loses herself in her dreams of Duke, Peter gets tired of being second best... and walks away. 

Then Duke writes that he's coming for a visit, and Janie panics!  What will Duke think when he meets the real Janie?  And has she lost Peter forever?

This book is hard to enjoy because Janie is a complete idiot.  When Jessica Wakefield pulls stunts like this, the reader is in for a lot of fun.  Janie... not so much.  I cringed my way through the entire book.  I only marginally enjoyed this story.

15. The Summer of the Sky-Blue Bikini, Jill Ross Klevin, 1978

"I guess what it comes down to is I'll have to choose. Guy—or Stacy and the other kids.  Them or Guy.  I can't have them both.”

Abby's summer on Castle Island is a lot of fun—at first.  She's popular with the kids.  They invite her to parties, and Abby is the center of attention! 

Then she meets Guy.  He's Abby's dream-boy, with blond hair and a terrific smile!  But the other kids don't like him.  He's an outsider to their in-group. 

Abby knows she must make a choice... and it won't be easy.

I could not read this book.  I found it uninteresting.

Wildfire #12 Dance with Me and #13 One Day You'll Go

Wildfire #12 Dance With Me, Winifred Madison, 1981

"If there's anything in my life I regret, it's the day my mother invited you here," Margo spat at her cousin, Jennifer.  "You've snatched away the only person I ever cared about."

When Jennifer spends the summer with her sophisticated cousin, she leaves behind everything she loves—her family, life on the ranch, and Russ... Or does she love Russ?  She's not sure. 

She's even more confused when she finds herself drawn to Margo's boyfriend, Gary.  She's afraid of hurting Margo... and Russ.  Besides, Gary wants so much from her, and Jennifer doesn't know whether she's willing to change—for anybody.

The story starts out very slow with way too much excruciating detail about the ranch.  I was so bored.  Pretty much the first half of the book is full of filler.  The second half of the book is pretty good.  The last part is quite interesting.

13. One Day You'll Go, Sheila Schwartz, 1981

Kathy knew, with a certainty from deep within, that one day she would find Chris gone...

Chris just appears that summer, a dirty hitchhiker with no place to go, and Kathy’s family takes him in. 

During the golden days that follow, Kathy learns what love is.  She and Chris take long walks in the evenings, share secrets, and always know what the other is thinking. 

But Chris is a "drifter," and Kathy's afraid he'll leave as unexpectedly as he arrived. 

Then comes the disaster that changes Kathy and Chris forever...

This is an excellent book.

Wildfire #9 Dreams Can Come True, #10 I've Got a Crush on You, and #11 An April Love Story

Wildfire #9 Dreams Can Come True, Jane Claypool Miner, 1981

Ellynne has secret dreams... of being being beautiful, of being popular in her new school, of being a cheerleader.  And she dreams of having a handsome boyfriend.

So far her dreams are coming true.  She sheds 30 pounds and ends up a perfect size 10.  She meets Willie, Redondo High's most popular girl, who introduces her to lots of new friends and helps her with cheerleader tryouts.

And then she meets Kip.  He's the most gorgeous boy in the world.  But he already has a girl friend—cute, bouncy Merri.

Is it right for Ellynne to want to date him?  All she knows is that Kip is very, very special...

I never felt anything about Kip and couldn't understand why Ellynne is so attracted to him, especially when another boy, who is nice, is interested in her.

The next paragraph spoils part of the ending, so do not read it if you want to avoid all spoilers.

Ellynne's new friend, Willie, is black.  Willie's a cheerleader, and the squad has room for just two other girls.  One of the girls who gets chosen is white and is clearly the best.  Another girl is black and is probably the second best.  Willie doesn't expect the black girl to get chosen because she expects that the school will want to keep the squad with two white girls and just one black girl.  In a surprise twist, the black girl is chosen, so the squad ends up with two black girls and one white girl.  That was a pleasant surprise.

This is an overall good book.

Wildfire #10 I’ve Got a Crush on You, Carol Stanley, 1980

"He's never going to notice you.  And if he does, then what are you going to do?  It's just doomed from the start."

When Beth's best friend tells her this, Beth knows it's too late.  Doomed or not, she has a heart-stopping crush on Terry Evans, who is young, green-eyed, interesting, and who also happens to be her English teacher.

Beth wonders if the extra attention he is paying to her is just because he's trying to be a good teacher.  Or is it possible he feels something else?  Beth is willing to risk a lot to find out, even losing Matt.

This passage from page 74 made me laugh.

...he led her to the oldest, most dilapidated car among the dozen or so there.  A teacher's car.  Beth wondered if there were special lots where they sold used cars only to teachers—no car newer than ten years old, none without at least one rusted-out fender, all with unbent coathangers for radio antenna.

This book annoyed me at first, since relationships with teachers are taboo.  I don't know what the laws were in 1980, but such a thing is certainly illegal now.  By well into the story, I was okay with the plot, even though I knew that the teacher relationship would not likely go anywhere.  They wouldn't dare have it work out, for obvious reasons.  The book is overall good.

Wildfire #11 An April Love Story, Caroline B. Cooney, 1981

"Today," My father announced, "I bought a farm in North Carolina. We're leaving the city, Marnie.  We're going back to the land."  

Back to the land?  Leaving the city?  Marnie Macdonald can't believe her ears.  Her parents must be kidding. 

Worse, they're going with the Petersons...  sharing a house with them.  And Marnie can't stand their son, Lucas.  At first.  

But by April, when the MacDonalds and Petersons have lived and worked together for almost a year, Marnie finds herself head-over-heels in love with Lucas!  Now if Lucas would only notice...

The very beginning of the story did not interest me much.  After that, I found the book to be very good to excellent.  This is the first book written by Caroline B. Cooney that I actually enjoyed, which was a relief since I have purchased other books by her.