Marion Holland (1908–1989)

When I was in the fourth grade, back in 1957, I convinced my parents to enroll me in the Weekly Readers Book Club. The possibility of having books that belonged to me alone was just too wonderful. There were always books in the house -- my mother was a voracious reader -- but most of them belonged to the library. Buying a book was a rare treat. But even better, these came in the mail addressed to me. Ah heaven! During the year or two that I was a member, I remember the anticipation of show more opening the packages, not knowing what I was going to find -- I don't think I was ever disappointed with the results. I took the books to bed with me, and usually managed to finish them before I went to sleep -- long after the lights were supposed to be out. The deliciousness of surreptitious reading....

NO CHILDREN, NO PETS by Marion Holland (1956) was one of my favorites. A widowed mother inherits a run-down apartment house in coastal Florida and takes her three children, Jane, Don and Betsy, and the cat Victoria, to inspect the place. They are greeted by a somewhat hostile crew of elderly tenants and a sign on the door that proclaims "No Children, No Pets." But Jane, the eldest child, falls in love with the ocean and the town, and decides they must stay. She enlists her brother Don to help with caretaking chores, and they are aided by a rather strange, but capable, boy named Mike. Mysteries ensue and a hurricane threatens -- Where is the missing caretaker? Who stole Mrs. Pennypacker's ruby clip? Is the reclusive Miss Gibbs a kleptomaniac? ( this book was my introduction to this interesting vocabulary word).

The picture of 1950s Florida, pre-Disney, with small sleepy coastal towns where children go to the beach by themselves, and everyone calmly boards up windows and hunkers down as hurricane winds threaten, is priceless. show less

A psychological horror story for kids?

A boy has a mental health crisis expressed as a manic obsession with string. I was hoping he would receive the care he needs, but the book leaves him deep in the throes of his spiraling thoughts.

My daughter did not like this when she was six.

FOR REFERENCE:

Rated “Indifferent" in our old book database by Rod and Adelia.

Nice little book about a girl who wants a horse more than anything, but of course her parents say no. They've no place to keep a horse, for starters. She makes friends with a girl who comes to say with her grandmother next door, and does some painting on their rebuilt front porch to earn a little money. Her parents take her to the animal shelter to get a kitten, and while there she sees a thin, neglected-looking horse standing out back by a shed. She immediately makes plans to take this show more horse home, assuming it's unwanted and will be euthanized. Sneaks out in the middle of the night and leads the horse back, where she and her friend hide it in a derelict stable next door, hidden by overgrown shrubs and poison ivy (on a grand estate owned by an old wealthy man, who only lives there part of the year). Kind of appalling the the kids stole a horse, and took it home without having plans how to feed it or even bring it water, but luckily they figure that out the next day. Their earnings go a little way at a time, and luckily the horse is well-behaved and gentle. But eventually you know they're going to get found out- and then what will happen? I'm glad it had a good ending, although the last two chapters feels rushed, and I was rather surprised the book cuts short right before she tells her parents. I would have liked to see their reaction!

from the Dogear Diary show less

Published in 1956, this is a flimsy paperback book with retro illustrations. The story is cute and cliched, but takes place in Florida, which I found marvelous. Holland nailed the quirky old people, the Florida weather, the gritty sand and the sound of wind through palms. This story is worth reading, if for nothing more then the vintage language and the funny characters.