Childhood books

[darcydodo]

judytuna's post that referenced The Fledgling got me to thinking that I could, perhaps, set my mind at ease as to the names of several childhood books simply by soliciting information from you lot.

So.

• There was a book that may actually have been The Fledgling, but I don't think so; I read them at the same time, however. Salient features in my mind: a gazebo, of which different sides led different places (this sounds like Edward Eager, but I'm fairly blasted certain that he didn't write it), and a paper doll princess and prince, the latter of whom had a concave nose because otherwise he couldn't kiss his princess properly. (You must settle for inconveniences such as this when you're made in two dimensions, it seems.)
  
• There was a book in which there was a girl (I think) searching for a white crown. The crown as the object of her quest is one thing that has stuck firmly in my mind, as has an expanse of dark forest. There seem, however, to be many dark forests lurking in my literary memory, and I'm sure there can't actually have been that many. Though her society was not particularly technological, I think, there were definitely some bits of the plot that had to do with electricity — something in the crown, maybe? I thought the book had the words "white crown" in the title, but having done many a search on this, it seems not to be the case.
  
• Lastly, for now, out of pure curiosity, 'cause I can't remember if it was actually a good book or not, though I think it might have been, there was a book in which a witch cast a spell on the end of her broomstick to make it come alive, in order that she could use it as a dildo. Yeah.
  

Help would be muchly appreciated!

Comments

[greenelephant.livejournal.com]

No help on the books, but an odd coincidence: just after I read your post last night, I turned on the radio and that same Purcell piece was playing. Weird (but such a beautiful melody).

[darcydodo]

The weirdest thing about that opera is not Dido's song (by a long shot), but that there are three witches (huh? Macbeth, much?) and that Dido's sister is named Belinda. Maybe Nahum Tate couldn't deal with a two-syllable name. I don't know.

[elemy.livejournal.com]

I've definitely read that book about the girl searching for the white crown... but I can't remember the title either, so I'm not very helpful. There were some evil people who had a black crown and went round brainwashing people and she needed to overthrow them. And I think there was a reunion with a long lost brother, though I maybe I'm wrong about that. And yes, the crown was something to do with some sort of electronic system. Sorry I can't remember more!

[darcydodo]

Yes, that's the one!

I'm very glad it wasn't just me going mad. Do you think your mother would remember the name?

[whiskeypants.livejournal.com]

broomstick to dildo conversions aren't all that common...i think i'd remember that one.

[darcydodo]

Fat lot of use you are. :)