To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services - Jezebel Comments

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Sunflowercat — Sat, 24 May 2008 22:15:30 EDT

It might've been over a month ago, but I don't care. I loved this book as a kid. I think the cover may have fallen off and I taped it back on -- either it's this one or The Alfred G. Graebner Memorial HS...

Anyway, thanks for featuring this book. You made me want to reread it.

Sunflowercat

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

jmi — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:34:26 EDT

subliminalthumb - I am waiting for M.E. Kerr to show up next. Although those books kind of worked on my psyche because I was convinced that the guy I liked was as deep and sentimental as an M.E. Kerr guy. When actually, he probably just wanted to get in whatever pants he could.

Of the Ellen Confords I liked Felicia The Critic best. When she got into writing about boy-girl stuff, I don't know, it just go too pat and simple - the girl in question never had any real problems getting her man.

Oh, and Norma Fox Mazer's short story compilations - please please please!! I always forget how wonderful those are.

I actually went to the YA section of the library last night and read away - it made a crappy day better. I recommend this wholeheartedly.

jmi

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Zombosa — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:48:09 EDT

And now that I think of it.....Wolves of Willoughy Chase....Simon the Goose Boy....yeah, that's it. Scrappy girl saves cousin, but nice/mysterious/lives-in-cave boy weaves in and out of story, shows up just in time to help out scrappy girl with spiffy new outfit.

Yeah, I got imprinted early on -- looking for a goose boy.

Zombosa

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

SugarMalone — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:41:14 EDT

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for this! I had been trying to remember the name of the book I loved as a kid and have been calling "NOT The Princess Diaries" since my parents threw out all of my childhood books.

It is indeed "A Royal Pain" and I just ordered my very own replacement copy to enjoy.

I had also blocked out the 4 or 5 other Ellen Conford books I'd read. Thank Jebus for this column and for all of the other Jezzies with far better memories than I!

SugarMalone

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

missyprissy — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:57:42 EDT

@girlhowdy-I LOVE the book Linnet and have never heard anyone else discuss it!

missyprissy

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

huffyb — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:25:46 EDT

I recently bought a bunch of old Ellen Conford books specifically for my future pre-teen. I absolutely loved her sense of humor, though this particular book is much different. She was the first author I read who featured smart, sarcastic heroines - and reading them really helped me through junior high. 'I'll Take the Spaghetti' and the Alfred handbook are absolutely hilarious.

Like many others, I think I read this one too young, and figured it to be like Starring Sally J Freedman. Not so much! I remember being really stressed out for poor Sylvie.

huffyb

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

librisdraconis — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 17:05:06 EDT

I'm still rooting for "life without friends", which is by Ellen Emerson (I'm pretty sure).

librisdraconis

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

scribbles — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 10:26:34 EDT

@ subliminalthumb: I loved ME Kerr, especially the Fell books.

scribbles

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

scribbles — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 10:20:15 EDT

@ Lilybay: I often think of Sylvies hair washing techniques while in the shower, too. But I had no recollection of the name of the book that tidbit came from.

I'm so glad Fine Lines did this one, because I probably never would have remembered the name of this book or of "A Royal Pain," which I also loved.

@Lady Skittlehattington: I too was trying to re-connect with my Ruth Chew memories for YEARS. I just recently figured out her name. Why aren't those books in print anymore?

scribbles

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Zombosa — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 09:09:55 EDT

Please do Joan Aiken!! The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, The Cuckoo Tree (all those creepy old women!) or anything with Dido Twite.
Lerve.

Zombosa

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Trixie from Toronto — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 23:16:26 EDT

@Hello 3rd grade: I just think to imply someone is racist for taking issue for a comment about childhood reading habits was a bit ... well ... off? Would off be the correct wording? You tell me.

Trixie from Toronto

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

sublimelazy — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:37:14 EDT

PS: all this over a Y.A novel. So anyway, back to our favorite girlhood books...

Um, there was a book out there called Sooner or Later, where the girl meets an older guy (he's like 18 and she's like 15 or something) at the mall. He plays in a band even. They even had (gasp) *sex*. It was totally scandalous and probably not at all in the same caliber as most of the books on this page, but did anyone else totally buy it covertly and sneak it when no one was looking?

I didn't do that either. I totally read only high brow stuff.

sublimelazy

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

sublimelazy — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:32:06 EDT

@Trixie from Toronto:

gersh thanks!

sublimelazy

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:03:45 EDT

@Trixie from Toronto: I guess you felt the need to jump in because I'd insulted you in some way. Because why else would you interject yourself?

I won't defend what I said anymore. You all are clearly more advanced and experienced than me. You all clearly have a better understanding of my intentions than I do.

I'm glad to know there are people like you out there who have a better grasp of it all than me. At least you have some power in writing on a blog on the internet and attacking someone else, right?

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:59:05 EDT

@PICKLES IN MY TUNA: Unless of course I followed Lady S. and you know, happened to have read her blog - that shows her photo.

So the answer to your question is NO. I didn't presume to know her ethnicity. But thanks for jumping into this when again, it was between she and I. I'm sure glad she has a "crew" that can jump to defend her.

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

bruitdautrui — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:07:43 EDT

@angryblackgurl: That's the tricky thing about censorship and freedom of speech. It's got to go both ways.

bruitdautrui

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

girlhowdy — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:57:29 EDT

Any other Joan Aiken, Jean Little or Sally Watson fans here? I still adore Aiken's Dido Twite books and just recently bought reprints of several Watson books (Mistress Malapert, Linnet...). When my daughter was a babe I was so looking forward to reading these with her, but it ends up she has virtually no interest in books--though she did just ask us to start reading her The Hobbit (hooray)

girlhowdy

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

sequined — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:45:12 EDT

@Trixie from Toronto, PICKLES IN MY TUNA: And you guys both beat me to it and actually replied to the person in question, making me look both slow and like a pansy. Whoops.

sequined

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

sequined — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:43:15 EDT

General comment not intended to provoke anger or stir up shit, but I'd like to gently suggest that no one knows what color your skin is when you comment on a web discussion (like, now). So any snarking that comes your way is probably not racially motivated. That is all.

sequined

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

PICKLES — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:34:12 EDT

@Sugarless is not that sweet: "You have no fucking idea what it's like to be a black kid in an all white environment"
Presumptuous much? That was so unnecessary. Does your computer screen for race? How about religion or sexual preference? You got called out for coming across as pompous, it's that plain and simple. Now after you've already stated "You can piss off too. I'm done with this conversation" you're gonna come back and throw out a race card? Wow.

PICKLES

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Trixie from Toronto — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 13:52:54 EDT

@Sugarless is not that sweet: Do you mean passive-aggressive? Passive would suggest they were lounging around in a lawn chair while feebly insulting you. I know you must be aware of this, however, because your vocabulary skills must be amazing if you've been reading since you were two.

I was reading at two as well. I was reading that little picture book where you stroked the bunny's fur and looked into the little mirrors and touched a thatch of velvet. I was such an average toddler!

Also: bringing race into it because people took a bit of issue with your comment? Not cool.

@subliminalthumb: This comment rocks.

Trixie from Toronto

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

sublimelazy — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 03:18:25 EDT

my comment has not appeared and quite frankly I think it's because the computer knows that I read The Brothers Karamazov the night of my conception. I got motion sickness, but damn it, I was so mesmerized by Dostoevsky's psychological approach to Christ and the individual v. humanity. I couldn't put it down. Well, literally. There wasn't any room.

sublimelazy

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

sublimelazy — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 03:16:06 EDT

Was anyone else here a fan of ME KErr? Also I didn't notice if Hanging out With CiCi had been reviewed. You mention it in this one. If not I would LOVE for you to do that one. It's one of my faves. I read it so many times. It even made me almost like my mom.

sublimelazy

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

TheGuvnah — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:23:06 EDT

@Sugarless is not that sweet: the thing is, we try to be funny here on Jezebel. So instead of someone saying "you sound like you're bragging" someone made a joke out of it.

It's really not unusual, no one was targeting you (because, really, we have all had jokes made about things we've said here) and your gross overreaction speaks volumes about your insecurities, not mine.

Please, take a deep breath, have a glass of wine, and relax. Try to have fun. The "fallopian tube bookmark" comment was actually LOL funny, hope you didn't miss it.

TheGuvnah

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

SisterHavana — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:48:33 EDT

@LadyNo: I love Ellen Conford. Hail, Hail Camp Timberwood was one of my absolute favorite books.

SisterHavana

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

rose0red — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:39:32 EDT

OMG I was just thinking about this book! I loved it when I was a kid and for the life of me I couldn't think of the title or author. Thanks Lizzie!!

rose0red

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

tybyla — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:34:22 EDT

Next week, can we please have "The Summer of my German Soldier"? I was an early reader, and was a little frustrated when I got to junior high and was not allowed to read YA but had to read classical lit like "Beuwolf" because the teachers did not want me to "underachieve" by reading YA. I did manage to read Sally Watson, the above mentioned story and a few others. Now this stuff seems a cut above of the Gossip Girl or whatever YA is now...

tybyla

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:41:15 EDT

@Lady Skittlehattington: Clearly for me it is an issue. It isn't that you thought I was bragging it is the bullshit way you went about it.

And again, it is easy to say "it's no big deal" when you weren't the one on targeted. What you should say is that it is no big deal to you.

I would have contacted you directly or asked you directly. I disagree with what people say on here, but I don't try to belittle them while doing so.

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

TheFormerJuneBronson — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:22:36 EDT

@shiningstar: Me three. But I've always liked to read all kinds of things, including YA. Some people aren't into it, and that's perfectly fine. I did suffer a lot of shit about how I wasn't challenging myself, and I still get resentful at the memory. None of those people are reading the stuff I've read as an adult, I'm thinking. Point is, none of this means anything about what kind of people we are or how smart we are. It's just what we like. I don't think we bag on people for what we/they like here, do we.

TheFormerJuneBronson

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:16:48 EDT

@Sugarless is not that sweet: Sugarless, you're blowing this way out of proportion and trying to turn it into an issue where there isn't one.

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:15:56 EDT

@shiningstar: Thank you. I do appreciate hearing from someone else.

I don't mind people not agreeing with my view, but to decide you knew my motivation and that my intent was mean is insane and petty.

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:10:39 EDT

@Lady Skittlehattington: It's the passive way you went about it. Be a woman and say, "Sugarless, that sounds like you were bragging." Rather than acting like some 3rd grader intent on shaming or belittling another person.

You acted like a bully and someone who can't conceive that a person could say something and NOT mean it to sound as if they were bragging. And you know what? So fucking what if I have the intent to brag? So fucking what?
Does that mean that I need to be less than who I really am to make others feel better? Is this what this blog is about, because I thought Jezebel celebrated all of us, our strengths, challenges, experiences.

You have no fucking idea what it's like to be a black kid in an all white environment with people who don't believe you can fucking read at 2 years old! So, yeah, in some ways I'm proud of that. And it is rare, RARE, that I divulge anything about myself in public. If you knew me you'd know that, but then again you would have known that I don't brag either.

I really didn't understand the beheadings fully and that some people actually reported feeling bullied. I don't feel really bullied, but I see how others started feeling that way.

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:02:09 EDT

@TheGuvnah: Again, I wasn't bragging. They didn't call me out on anything. They were passive aggressive and acted like little girls who want to single someone out and make snide comments.

It is too bad we aren't having the same experience as you three. I guess no one should comment on anything they haven't experienced in EXACTLY the same way.

You all me of the women I see at parties/meetings, singling some other women out because she made a difference choice in clothes or make-up. You assume you KNOW her intent and the truth is you don't, but you feel so shitty about yourselves that you target that woman to make yourself feel superior.

You can piss off too. I'm done with this conversation. I think anyone that decides to attack someone who wasn't bragging (remember, I know me, you don't) and that they don't know can piss off.

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:01:40 EDT

@Sugarless is not that sweet: Lots of other commenters agree that you were. It's not just me.

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:53:51 EDT

@Lady Skittlehattington: I wasn't bragging. And don't tell me what my intention was or is.

I can comment on things without having some people act like passive bullies.

I'm sorry you don't think everyone is up to your standards.

Piss off.

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:33:57 EDT

@Sugarless is not that sweet: You were bragging. We gave you crap. If you can't handle it without getting hurty feelings, then maybe it's time to find a different way to spend your day. You can't be a commenter on Jezebel with a giant bubble of sensitivity around you and then call us all bullies when you don't like what we say to you.

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

TheGuvnah — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:09:08 EDT

@Sugarless is not that sweet: oh for the love. Their comments were hilarious - you were bragging and they called you out on it, just like someone who got called out several weeks ago in Fine Lines for pulling the exact same crap. It was funny then too!

TheGuvnah

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

BetsyWarringtonRay — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:51:54 EDT

I was just thinking about this novel the other day! This made a huge impact on me as a kid bc I did not understand half of what Vic said. Can't wait to reread it!

BetsyWarringtonRay

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

shiningstar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:40:04 EDT

Oh my gosh, I LOVED this book when I was younger.

and @Sugarless is not that sweet: i learned how to read at 2 also! i just ran out of stuff to read so i resorted to YA. usually people look at me sideways when I tell them when i learned to read, so you're proof it actually happens!

shiningstar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

yamish — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:02:21 EDT

@nellicat: i agree. i love it when my girl falls in love with a book i read when i was her age. the latest is "half magic" by edward eager. *love*

@missyprissy: ever since reading that i have wanted to find spray-on shampoo that smelled like apples.

yamish

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:47:05 EDT

@Lady Skittlehattington: I find that it is easy to move on for the one that marginalizes another's contribution.

Your comments were shitty and passive.

@BadenBaden: Please don't tell me not to take something so seriously was it was clearly a passive attack. As a minority women in America you have no idea how many times people pull this sort of shit and then say, "It was a little fun". That is not my idea of funny or lighthearted banter. It was shitty and it is still shitty.

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:22:08 EDT

@nellicat: Nope, I haven't read, but it looks like there is a whole series and some of them do have Pigeon in the title. I just like to go on a secret mission to find people's long lost books because once long, long ago someone helped me find the Ruth Chew witch books and I realized I wasn't crazy. Hahahaha...

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

rocknrollunicorn — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:19:59 EDT

@BadenBaden: I was a Sam, with a bit of Emma I think. But I just wanted to be Sam. Hence the red hair I have today.

rocknrollunicorn

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

thelmabeldwin — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:15:38 EDT

Someone put me out of my misery by answering the challenge. I can remember the plot so clearly but my mind is blanking on the title. Not remembering names and titles gets me all obsessive and OCD - save me.

I remember reading the book and loving how independent Sylvie was which means that I completely missed the point of WHY she was so independent, she was escaping something awful. I probably read this to young to really appreciate it.

thelmabeldwin

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

ClaudiaKishi — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:50:48 EDT

@rube:
Ha! I was just thinking about this book, but I had no idea that Ellen Conford wrote it!

I see she also wrote Seven Days to a Brand New Me. Sweet, another author to look for at Websters!

ClaudiaKishi

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

TheFormerJuneBronson — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:21:21 EDT

I never read this one, and I can't believe it. I never even heard of it, and I know I read Ellen Conford. I still have a copy of If This is Love, I'll Take Spaghetti in my basement. She has a very particular sense of humor. I also remember You Never Can Tell, Felicia the Critic, and especially The Things I Did for Love, which I have re-read embarrassingly recently. She's sort of in the same category as Constance C. Greene; I read a bunch of hers, too. The Isabelle books, and Beat the Turtle Drum, which, OMG, saddest book I read as a kid. I just couldn't believe that what happened really happened, since it doesn't happen for real much in books for kids.

TheFormerJuneBronson

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

missyprissy — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:16:56 EDT

Thanks Lady Skittlehattington-i have been racking my brain and searching Google for this. i used Pigeon as a keyword and it led nowhere! Also by Ellen Conford Hail, Hail Camp Timberwood is fantastic!

missyprissy

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

nellicat — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:15:24 EDT

@smoakes: Oops, I posted before I saw your post. I'm not insane! I swear!

nellicat

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

nellicat — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:14:52 EDT

@Lady Skittlehattington: Thank you! I could have sworn "pigeon ladies" was in the title, but oh well. Did you read it?

nellicat

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

smoakes — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:06:57 EDT

@nellicat: It was originally titled "The Wicked Wicked Pigeon Ladies in the Garden" but then was changed to "The Wicked, Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House" by Mary Chase.
A great book, very spooky and weird.

smoakes

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:04:23 EDT

@nellicat: [www.randomhouse.com]

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

rosasparks — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:03:08 EDT

@angryblackgurl: Me, too. I don't know any of these books. But I think everyone knows I'm a geezer. Oh well.

I did like all the VC Andrews posts, though. I read those in middle school.

rosasparks

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

nellicat — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:58:49 EDT

Disappearing comments, I command you to reappear! (that always works - whenever I post something, I can see the posts again. Weird.)

nellicat

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

nellicat — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:53:57 EDT

Does anyone else remember The Wicked, Wicked Pigeon Ladies, or something like that? Scared the CRAP out of me as a kiddo, but it's not quite YA, as I recall. I think it was aimed at middle elementary grades. Maybe? Anyone?

nellicat

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

honeybunchesofoats — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:52:44 EDT

@smoakes: thank you! I'm off to the library!

honeybunchesofoats

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:51:23 EDT

@victorinemeurent: There's nothing to defend against. We were giving her a hard time. I read really young too and actually didn't get into YA until I was in my 20s. Moving on...

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

smoakes — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:51:09 EDT

@honeybunchesofoats: The book about the girl with the braid in commercials and the friend who wants to kill herself with stones in her pocket is Adorable Sunday by Marlene Shyer

smoakes

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

smoakes — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:48:21 EDT

@honeybunchesofoats: The Anne Hathaway movie was based on the book "The Princess Diaries" which is good example (and I think a well-written one) of the 'regular girl finds out her REAL parents are royalty' genre. "Royal Pain" was making fun of those books (again, very well), although not specifically "Princess Diaries," as that was written many years later.

smoakes

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

honeybunchesofoats — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:48:04 EDT

ok, I have a memory of a YA book about a girl with a long braid of hair who does tv commercials for suntan lotion and she has a friend also on the commercial circuit who either thinks about or actually does kill her self with stones in the pocket - does anyone know what I'm talking about?

honeybunchesofoats

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

victorinemeurent — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:47:32 EDT

@Lady Skittlehattington: In Sugarless' defense, I too was reading very young, and that led to me being sort of a loner/nerd through much of elementary and junior high school. I was also the oldest kid and only girl in my family. So no one *shared* these books with me, and I just ended up reading what the librarian recommended, which turns out was not most of the books covered in Fine Lines. Frankly, it makes me really sad, because these sound great!

victorinemeurent

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

BadenBaden — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:47:10 EDT

@Sugarless: your comment did come off as "i'm so brilliant" whether that was the intention or not. The other commentors were just having fun with it. It's Friday; don't take it all so seriously! To quote the Indigo Girls, it's only life after all.

BadenBaden

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Popcorninmybra — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:46:01 EDT

I thought I was the only one to read this book. And I totally wanted my very own Vic. Yes, I was very fucked-up.

Popcorninmybra

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:44:24 EDT

@rube: Oh, yeah, that one too! So many good ones. There's a book of short stories she did that I love, too.

Anybody read You Never Can Tell, where the heroine dates the soap opera star? I very distinctly remember the white satin jumpsuit she borrowed from her mother to wear, and thinking it sounded so glamorous.

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:43:40 EDT

@Sugarless: We weren't bullying you. We were giving you a hard time. Every time Fine Lines gets posted, someone comes along to tell us that they never read YA because their reading level was so far above it. It's like, "Then why did you come into a post about a YA book then?"

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:42:39 EDT

@Sugarless: Oh, no, don't let Fine Lines get you down! I think they were just trying to be silly, that's how I read it at least, and at first I thought you were being jokey too.

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

squirrelgirlie — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:41:59 EDT

The only thing that I remember about this book is Sylvie opining that it's important to wash your hair until it squeaks and how many people didn't know to do that. I still try, but alas my hair has never actually squeaked.

squirrelgirlie

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

nellicat — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:40:47 EDT

@yamish: One of the coolest parts of being a parent is re-reading these books with your children. My babes ADORE Trixie Belden (for just one example) and it is just, well, awesome to read the books with them.

nellicat

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

rube — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:39:30 EDT

Dear Lovey Hart, I Am Desperate, by Ellen Conford. Brilliant.

rube

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

yamish — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:35:46 EDT

I have a copy of "The Alfred G. Graebner Memorial High School Handbook of Rules and Regulations" on my bookshelf for my kid to read when she gets to it. I met a young woman named Perdita once and though she was very nice, I could not like her, thanks to that book.

yamish

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:35:09 EDT

@funnyface: I hardly think you can really say I was bragging since you couldn't actually hear or see me say it.

I don't give a shit if you think it was sort of braggy either - that is the kind of shit that makes people say women hate other women.

I in no way said that I was smarter than any other person on here, male or female.

That is just shitty and is one of the reasons that people end up feeling bullied on here.
Bullshit.

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

funnyface — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:33:37 EDT

@Sugarless: It was just the way you said it all braggy.

funnyface

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

smoakes — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:33:26 EDT

The book in which best friends are split up when one moves to NYC is The Trouble With Thirteen by Betty Miles. I'm rushing to answer before checking to see if anyone else has...

smoakes

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

TipsyRussell — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:32:21 EDT

I can't believe I forgot about this AND A Royal Pain! All I ever wanted was to be pulled around a ballroom on skates by a big dog!

TipsyRussell

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:31:01 EDT

@Lady Skittlehattington: @nowimpissed: Wait, are you two being shitty because I said I started reading at the age of 2?

If so, save that shit for someone who is trying to be shitty to others.

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

angryblackgurl — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:30:02 EDT

@Lady Skittlehattington: I completely understand, she was politically correct for her time!

angryblackgurl

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:29:20 EDT

@nowimpissed:
@Lady Skittlehattington:
Wait, are you guys making fun of me for saying that I started reading at the age of 2?

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:27:18 EDT

@Lady Skittlehattington: Oh, stop you!

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:25:43 EDT

@angryblackgurl: Yeah, while it bothers me, that was the language Laura used. She wasn't saying it to be offensive.

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

generate — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:25:40 EDT

I remember thinking the psych major thing was so strange - it was total 70s/80s psychoanalysis, but plunked in the middle of the 50s. Also, I think I may have gotten this book mixed in with a bunch of books about teenage runaways that hot rock bottom and find god.

Does Sylvie find god at the end? Maybe in the form of slave bracelet?

generate

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

layladylan — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:25:18 EDT

@LadyNo: I loved the part in "A Royal Pain" where the heroine (can't remember her name) puts on roller skates and has her big dog pull her around the ballroom, while she is blasting Def Leppard from her boom box!

layladylan

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

honeybunchesofoats — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:24:32 EDT

@angryblackgurl: now I'm less embarassed about never reading these books and only watching the tv show

honeybunchesofoats

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

layladylan — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:23:22 EDT

@Sugarless: I think plenty of us here read a ton of smut (and good stuff) as well as YA lit, so don't feel too abnormal about that!

layladylan

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

angryblackgurl — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:22:16 EDT

@LadyNo: I actually wrote Harper Collins to complain, they told me it was Historial..so we darkies, and red injuns just need to ignore those sections!!!

angryblackgurl

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:20:12 EDT

@nowimpissed: Well, I guess if you're only six, then you don't need any pretty pink suede boots. I'll just take those off your hands then...

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

BadenBaden — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:16:39 EDT

@rocknrollunicorn: Were you an Emma, Sam, or Carrie?!

Huh. I wonder if Sex and the City knew they were stealing names from Sunset Island?!

BadenBaden

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

silkyjumbo — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:16:16 EDT

@LadyNo: i concur. ellen conford is the truth. i shout her out whenever i can.

silkyjumbo

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

nowimpissed — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:16:02 EDT

@Lady Skittlehattington:

I've been sitting here reading Proust, in French. Did I mention I'm only six?

nowimpissed

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:15:31 EDT

@angryblackgurl: Ugh, the scene where all the men in town perform in blackface? So gross. And I still think of "brown as an Injun" when I get a little tan thanks to those book, and then I mentally slap myself. But damn, the descriptions of food and chores were so awesome.

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:14:10 EDT

@nowimpissed: To prove your point, I've been sitting here for five minutes trying to think of a witty comeback besides, "I'm going to pull your hair, meanie!"

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CorporateTool — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:13:15 EDT

@Sugarless: Me neither. I feel left out.

CorporateTool

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Mego — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:11:49 EDT

Once again, you've stripped the cobwebs from my poor, tired mind, Lizzie. I forgot *all* about this book, which I loved beyond belief. I might have to dip back into again.

Mego

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

nowimpissed — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:10:48 EDT

@Lady Skittlehattington:

Perhaps if you had been reading Russian literature in the womb like me instead of dicking around with YA fiction, you'd be a little quicker on the jokes.

nowimpissed

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

amy1971 — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:10:48 EDT

Oh my gosh, I certainly remember this book, but could NEVER remember the name.

amy1971

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

angryblackgurl — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:10:34 EDT

@dosido: @Hamsterpants: @Sugarless: Truth of the matter I tried to reread The Little House Books, they reeked of blatant racism. But, I did read the Happy Hooker, and Harold Robbins, they were pretty raunchy for the 70's being only 11 years old!!

angryblackgurl

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:10:17 EDT

@honeybunchesofoats: A Royal Pain was so funny. I loved the seething dethroned princess who was always lurking around, waiting for her to fuck up.

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:08:49 EDT

@violetkakapo: I've been peppering my library loans with YA, it is pretty awesome because you can get though them in a day or two. It's light reading but not, you know?

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:08:23 EDT

@nowimpissed: Now I'm pissed.

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Lady Skittlehattington — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:07:49 EDT

@Sugarless: I was reading when I was still in the womb. Yeah. Thassright. My first bookmark was a fallopian tube.

Lady Skittlehattington

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

funnyface — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:07:30 EDT

The Bible salesman bit is sort of "Good Country People" esque.

funnyface

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

honeybunchesofoats — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:07:17 EDT

I always wondered if that Anne Hathaway movie was ripping off Conford's Royal Pain

honeybunchesofoats

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

lilybay — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:07:06 EDT

Oh my God! I loved this book yet I had completely forgotten about it until I read this post. What I always remember is Sylvie's trick of rinsing her hair several times after washing it to make it shinier. (I still think about that sometimes when I'm in the shower.)

I never realized that Ellen Conford wrote both this and And This is Laura, which still has a place on my bookshelf to this day.

lilybay

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

nowimpissed — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:06:45 EDT

@Sugarless:

I started reading as a zygote. By the time I was a fetus, I had read War and Peace.

nowimpissed

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Violet Kakapo — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:05:19 EDT

I love "Fine Lines" so much. I'm very, very tempted to spend the weekend (or week) curled up with a stack of awesome YA novels. This one is totally on the list.

Violet Kakapo

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

rocknrollunicorn — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:04:38 EDT

I've never read this one, but I think I might have to find it after I finish the series of "Anastasia" books I ordered from half.com. They have all arrived, and they are fabulous.

I think we need another column in which we discuss trash that we read as preteens. Because I want to suggest the "Sunset Island" series, but it doesn't really belong alongside these great books. It did, however, inspire a lifelong desire for red cowboy boots.

rocknrollunicorn

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:03:39 EDT

@angryblackgurl: You feel old, I feel abnormal for reading smut as a kid.
You're still in good company.

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Titania — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:03:03 EDT

Slave bracelets are these pseudo middle-eastern bracelets that sort of cover your hand and have chains that loop around your fingers. They're basically not seen outside of Renaissance Fair(e)s these days.

Titania

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Hamsterpants — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:03:03 EDT

@angryblackgurl: Don't feel bad, I haven't had a clue since they did "The Egypt Game", and I actually missed that day - someone just told me about it.

Hamsterpants

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

allet — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:01:52 EDT

This is absolutely my favorite feature. It brings back memories of getting in trouble for reading a book under my desk instead of paying attention.

allet

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

♥ dosido ☮ — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:00:48 EDT

@angryblackgurl: Aw, sorry you missed the Laura Ingalls discussion. :/

♥ dosido ☮

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Elspeth — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:00:39 EDT

Also: Tunes For a Small Harmonica...fricken awesome. I always remember the cool herione going into Abercrombie and Fitch to buy a handsome canoe for her small hunting lodge in Canada.

Elspeth

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

nellicat — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:58:21 EDT

Please do The Pigman.

nellicat

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

Elspeth — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:56:03 EDT

I loved this book so much! And I love fine lines, sigh. Bring on Ramona soon!

Elspeth

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:53:41 EDT

A Royal Pain. You Never Can Tell. We Interupt This Semester for an Important Bulletin.

Ellen Conford is the shit, yo.

LadyNo Fondles Sweaters

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

hortense — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:52:07 EDT

Ellen Conford's "Anything for a Friend" was one of my favorites in 5th grade. I'll have to give this one a spin.

hortense

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

angryblackgurl — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:51:19 EDT

Today is just one of those days I feel really "old" on Jezebel. I am eagerly awaiting the day this feature is on Laura Ingalls Wilder, or Henry Wiggins and Ramona. Guess I better not hold my breath!!!

angryblackgurl

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:50:44 EDT

Opps. I just remembered that I'd read some V.C. Andrews as a kid.

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

CreoleSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:50:03 EDT

I never read YA books. I started reading at 2 and by eleven was reading The Stand by Stephen King.

!

CreoleSugar

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

MedalofPetals — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:48:53 EDT

I have nothing to say other than I hate, hate, hate this variation on my name.

MedalofPetals

To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services

howdybeep (runs with monkey wrenches) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:46:03 EDT

Holy crap, I was just going to suggest this one. You made my day!

howdybeep (runs with monkey wrenches)