Children's book I cannot remember

[mollyringle]

This is a shot in the dark, but: there was this book I read when I was about 8-10, a novel, a ghost story, and I cannot remember the title or the author. It has been bothering me for years. Today I searched thru Amazon and Google for about an hour and turned up nothing. So I thought maybe, just maybe, one of you might know what it is. It was about a girl who encounters and sort of befriends the ghost of another girl who used to live in this house. The ghost's name was Miranda. I think she originally drowned in a well or something. She had a favorite stone owl, with yellow glass eyes, that was hidden somewhere (hollow trunk of a tree, I think), and told the modern girl where to find it. The book was probably for the 10-14 age range. It must have been published at least 15 years ago. And that's all I remember for sure. Any ideas? Heh.

[Edit, 3/29/03: jedmiller rocks! He found it: it is The Ghost Next Door, by Wylly Folk St. John. Think I'll go order a copy and see if it's actually as good as I remember.]

Other random things:

"Nasturtium" comes from the Latin words meaning "nose" and "twist/torture". Eat a nasturtium leaf and you will see why. Yowza. Spicy! (Nice addition to salads, though.)

[Edit 3/29/03: Photos taken down because a) they're stupid and b) I was NOT fishing for compliments (or at least, not on my looks; maybe on the amusing Photoshop effects...). I genuinely thought the first was unflattering; but you all were obliged to follow rules of politeness and say nice things anyway. Which is sweet of you, but that wasn't the point and I feel silly now. Tempting to take a vow of silence some days.]

Comments

[ramaustin.livejournal.com]

ummm...

you are naturally pretty, dahling..

[sleepypawn.livejournal.com]

I might know the book you're talking about. I read it in sixth grade,the ghost's name wasn't Miranda. But it has the same premise. The book was called Stonewords by Pam Conrad. It was published in 1990. Lemme know if it's right, or remotely close.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

It has been found - The Ghost Next Door (see edit to original post). :) Still, that one sounds cool too...

suggestion

[mikeneko.livejournal.com]

Any ideas? Heh.

In a way. Try AbeBooks Book Sleuth (http://www.abebooks.com/docs/ReadingRoom/BookSleuth/index.shtml). A good place to ask these sorts of questions. Someone nearly always knows a book's author and title, no matter how weird or obscure.

Re: suggestion

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Cool...good resource. I'll keep that around for future searches. Thanks!

[scriviner.livejournal.com]

Nope. Fraid I'll have to disagree with you. You are naturally pretty.

[celtic4.livejournal.com]

Indeed you are naturally pretty. I'm jealous! ^^
Go you! ^_^

[madbard.livejournal.com]

That was the most artless fishing for compliments I've ever seen.

(I didn't say ineffective. Yes, you're cute.)

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Arrrrgh.

First it's too much LOTR. Now I let y'all in on what I genuinely considered to be an unflattering photo, and I'm "fishing for compliments."

Well, fine. They're taken down. See if I make THAT mistake again.
:P

[madbard.livejournal.com]

Someone is having a little trouble identifying gentle chiding. I guess they don't teach you that in linguistics school. :)

I didn't say it was too much LOTR! I said it was too little other-things.

And put back the pictures before your other LJ users blame me for this and start hitting me with furniture. You're quite fetching.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Technically, this morning I was thinking I should take them down even before I read the comments. Last night, when posting it, I wasn't thinking straight (headache from hours of screen-staring), and at such times I have a tendency to inadvertently fish for compliments. You were actually right about that; there is precedence for this. Still, the compliments weren't supposed to be on my looks; they were supposed to be on the silliness/amusement of the Photoshop job! Should've known, though, that people would be obliged to be polite and say "No, you're pretty" - they do teach us that in linguistics school. And there's no way to avoid that, so it's best to just take the things down.

Doubt there'll be any abuse with furniture. People can find pictures of me elsewhere easily enough, if they really want to. (Anyway, the pictures are actually still up; I just removed the links...)

[madbard.livejournal.com]

The subtext I was trying to convey is that I didn't mean to cause any offense or anything like that. That really wasn't the spirit of my response. Please post more, not less.

And go ahead, fish for compliments. Just, you know, work on your technique.

[madbard.livejournal.com]

The subtext I was trying to convey is that I didn't mean to cause any offense or anything like that. That really wasn't the spirit of my response. Please post more, not less.

And go ahead, fish for compliments. Just, you know, work on your technique.

[jewelsong.livejournal.com]

Okay, the book rings a faint bell. soft ding is heard But I'm damned if I can remember it...

Now I'll be searching too...I don't like to let these things go.

[(Anonymous)]

Definitly prettier beforehand...the green eyes are eerie. Please let us know if you figure out what book it was, sounds familiar to me too and it will drive me NUTS.

[cenire.livejournal.com]

Well, I can't say anything no one's said before, but yes, you ARE naturally pretty! :D

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

The book you're looking fo sounds a LOT like _The Ghost in the Swing_, except there was no stone owl there.

And I love the photoshop work

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

The Girl in the Swing, maybe? (Richard Adams.) I read that a number of years back - very spooky and strange!

[stillprettiest.livejournal.com]

ahem. not to repeat anyone, but yes, you are naturally pretty. and you have actually described a book that i haven't read. this has never happened before. please tell us if you find out the name!

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

It has been found - see the edit on the original post. :)

[jedmiller.livejournal.com]

The book you are looking for is "The Ghost Next Door," by Wylly Folk St. John, 1971. At first I thought it might be "The Ghosts," by Antonia Barber, which I read right around that same age.

I found this cool site for these kinda questions: http://www.logan.com/loganberry/solved.html. Yeah, you're pretty.

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

Eeee! You found it! You rock!! Thank you so much!

That's a cool site. Wish I'd known about that earlier.

[jedmiller.livejournal.com]

No prob. And thanks for the thanks!

In totally unrelated news, you should check-out Pat Buchanan on the war in American Conservative magazine. He's one of only two conservatives I actually like. ;-]

[mollyringle.livejournal.com]

You know, when I take those internet polls where they match you up with a list of the presidential candidates who best represent your interests, I've tended to get Buchanan fairly high on the list, mixed in with Republicans and Libertarians and sometimes even Democrats. I guess I'm an odd mix myself. :)

[wildendeavour.livejournal.com]

Never doubt that you are beautiful. Thou art a goddess! Just remember that.

Book, hmmmmmmmm... It sounds like something I read a long time ago too. do you remember where the story is set? I don't know. Will think about it.

Thst is cool about the Nasturtiums. I agree. Spicy!

[silvurhuntress.livejournal.com]

I love that book!