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Name That Book

Query about a pagan theme children's book...

When I was in the 2nd year of middle school (cira 1980) there was a book that my class did for a while which was an adventure story but with some weird pagan themes to it.

The only thing I know for certain is that it wasn't one of the Susan Cooper 'Dark Is Rising' series, though I think it was probably meant to be a bit of a Susan Cooper knock-off.

From what I can recall of the story, it revolved around a large earth mount/barrow type thing that was actually a sleeping green man, and the good and evil sides were fighting to get hold of the green man's belt buckle 'cos when it was returned to him depending which was up it went decided on wether good or evil got to rule the world, or something like that.

There were some bad guys who were treelike skeletal humanoids with leathery skin who might actually have been called 'leathermen' (those were more innocent times), and the good guys/kids had little medicine bag type things that they put over their shoulders that allowed them to fly.

The weird thing was that we got 3/4 of the way through the book and our teacher decided to stop doing it, she said because she'd read to the end and she didn't think it was very good. I wonder with hindsight wether there was something there that had maybe offended her religious sensibilities of something.

But does anyone know what the book is?
 
John Gordon, The Giant Under The Snow fits all your points I think....

there's a green man in there too which is how I know it. :D

Kath
 
How Very strange!!!

Strange you mention The Dark is rising Trilogy, back in the mid 80's my middle school had the whole series in the library and for a while even though they where not in the sylabus there became a bit of a craze about reading them.... I remember reading the first two and never getting to read the third as they where pulled out of the library without any reason. Annoying more than me as it left as few people in similar situations ( ie, not having had a chance to read the whole set)

Probably wouldnt have given it much thought but we played in the school rugby team and while visiting another school in the area for a match, a couple of us noticed that there where some examples of pupils artwork up in the foyer and somebody had fairly painstakingly redrawn the covers of the books. When I got a chance to talk to one of our opponents I mentioned the drawings and they said it was their sister who was in the year below who had done them. They knew the books as well and added that every body had been reading them at that School then one of the teachers read one and not long after had the lot taken out of the Library!

I remember thinking it was wierd at the time but had completely forgotten about it untill reading your post just now....

Mr P
 
Long time no see Stoney, I'll Dogpile that reference tomorrow, thanks (bed calleth right now).

I like the Susan Cooper series. Never read them as a child then I discovered them in my mid 20s and loved them. Only it got odd when the copy of one of them that I read had illustrations, 'cos the way it was written I tended to think of will and the other child characters as being young adults, then you see the pictures and realise they are supposed to be about 11!

It's not too hard to imagine some overbearingly religious minded teacher discovering what they were about and getting them removed from the library:(
 
Definitely the Giant Under The Snow. I really enjoyed that when I was small, though it wasn't in a Susan Cooper/Alan Garner type of league.
 
Secret code in Children's Book?

Not exactly related but this made me think of an odd incident with a children's book when I was younger.

It was a small hardback book, about 15 cm square, and from what I can remember contained a selection of popular childrens' nursery rhymes with illustrations.
One day the book got ripped in an accident and it the tear pulled away alot of the inside of the book from the spine. On the back cover, there was a blank paper 'lining' which had split away from the hard bit of the cover. The strange thing was this tear had revealed rows and rows of strange writing, printed under the lining paper. I can't remember exactly now but I think the characters were mainly english, but with some odd ones thrown in, perhaps a bit like russian? the writing was very close together and ran in strips across the page seemingly without punctuation or paragraphing.

I never checked out what the writing said with anyone, but next time I'm back there Im going to see if the book is still hanging about anywhere.

The only reason I could think of for this was that the bookmakers had used secondhand card to create the covers of the book knowing that it would be covered up with the lining.

Any ideas to this strange phenomenon?
 
Quite common as an economy in the days of real bookbinding....nothing special about it.

We read `Giant under the Snow` when we were at school. One of my fave books at the time.

(most books you read at school are naff.)

BTW it ends with them giving the bags back, and when they go to the howe next, they find some bronze age treasures left out for them. of course there is no question of them being able to keep them, but since they are treasure trove, they do get cash...

I think
 
Kids' Novel about Shapeshifters on Nantucket Island?

:?: :?: :?:

I wonder if anyone can help me find a book lost in the mists of time and continent-hopping, because I'm having absolutely no luck with Google and it's turning into something of a Sunday afternoon obsession for me...

When I was about 11 (so we're talking 1987) I read a novel - either a kids' book or one designed for "young people" - about a young girl (from New York City?) who travels reluctantly to Nantucket Island with her (I think) father and stepmother for a summer vacation. While there she encounters Native American spirits, shapeshifters and some sort of spiritual connection to the place; I think it was implied that she was the reincarnation of some tribesperson - I'm a little fuzzy as to how it all came about, but I think the name "Shoshawnee" features.

I'd really like to revisit this book. Trouble is, I can't remember the name of the book, or the author, or any of the characters. All I can really remember is that at one point the protagonist wears a t-shirt bearing the legend "life is like a bowl of cherries and then it's the pits" or something.

I'm beginning to think I invented the entire thing. Can anyone shed any light?
 
I read a book from my local library in the early 90s about UFOs, which had a section where a psychic had predicted that proof of alien life would be revealed in 1998 when someone would film aliens on or near a road. I think it even specified the date (think it was April).

Does this ring any bells with anyone?

Thanks in advance!
 
sixty10 said:
I'm beginning to think I invented the entire thing. Can anyone shed any light?
Click to expand...

fourteen years later, alas no. But I would like to read it!
 
sixty10 said:
Kids' Novel about Shapeshifters on Nantucket Island?

... When I was about 11 (so we're talking 1987) I read a novel - either a kids' book or one designed for "young people" - about a young girl (from New York City?) who travels reluctantly to Nantucket Island with her (I think) father and stepmother for a summer vacation. While there she encounters Native American spirits, shapeshifters and some sort of spiritual connection to the place; I think it was implied that she was the reincarnation of some tribesperson ...
Click to expand...

Is this the book?

Isle of the Shapeshifters
Mass Market Paperback – March 1, 1985
by Otto Coontz (Author)

"Lured back to her homeland on Nantucket Island, young Theo Benedict, a girl of Indian descent, experiences terrifying visions and nightmares about the spirits of Nantucket rising from their ancient slumbering grounds"

https://www.amazon.com/Isle-Shapeshifters-Otto-Coontz/dp/0553248014
 
henry said:
oh man, youre so annoying
Click to expand...

??? ... Who are you addressing, and what is it that irritates you?

( ... other than getting 'likes', which is what's going to start happening if you don't explain ... )
 
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