Name this book – It’s hard btw
Mr Whippy - 16/4/12 at 01:18 PM
Obviously not car related but given the vast number of folk on this site maybe someone will remember
It’s a series of children’s books I have been trying to trace from my childhood (early 80's) has so far drawn a complete blank as I cannot
remember the name of them
It’s a series of science fiction books, basically the story’s are rather like Doctor Who without the Tardis and aimed more at young kids. The storys
go like -
A young boy is friends with a professor who lives in an old wooden house deep in a wood with his young daughter. Various mysterious things happen
around the world and they investigate with the professor, who by smoking his special teleporting pipe, opens highways through space and they fly to
different planets to solve the mystery’s meeting weird aliens, robots etc .
Two of the stores I remember are the sun being stolen to help light up a football match played by giant aliens and the worlds sugar being taken to
another world to fuel a giant sugar eating computer…well I was a kid…it made sense then 
Key things are, the house which was green with the front door that was camoflaged unless you knew where to look and was an old wooden type. The
professor who looked like any tall stereotypical gray haired professor is required to look, i.e long white hair and beard, brown tweed coat etc etc.
The large golden pipe with jewels around the rim, some sort of light blazed out with calling up the teleport. The children and the professor flying
(like superman) through space past planets through the space corridors to other worlds. The books were very colourful with good illustrations with
weird but not scary creatures.
I think it was produced by Ladybird books
Does this jog anyone’s memory?
Thanks 
flibble - 16/4/12 at 01:27 PM
Tadaa?
[Edited on 16-4-12 by flibble]
Mr Whippy - 16/4/12 at 02:44 PM
oh my god 
that's it! well done 
Even the cover is like a blast from the bast
Thanks very much
Macbeast - 16/4/12 at 03:09 PM
I think it's you who has been smoking something Whippy
JoelP - 16/4/12 at 05:16 PM
loving the 9 minute answer
On a similar theme, i remember a book from my childhood, probably about 1983, with a one legged house that hopped about. Thats sadly all i remember!
I've googled in the past but got nowhere!
iank - 16/4/12 at 06:18 PM
While we are here a really hard one for me. Got out from the library in the late 70's a kids book about a young kid who built himself a
submarine that used propulsion based on a clam squirting. American book I think (as it used terms like "yellow tablet paper"
.
designer - 16/4/12 at 07:09 PM
quote:
young kid who built himself a submarine
Could that be part of the Tom Swift series?
iank - 16/4/12 at 07:17 PM
quote:
Originally posted by designer
quote:
young kid who built himself a submarine
Could that be part of the Tom Swift series?
Don't think so, it was written in a 'younger' style, though those books look interesting in themselves. He had a fishtank full of
model submarines trying out different movements.
Unfortunately (it was 30 years ago) and I can't remember any 'plot' as such.
flibble - 16/4/12 at 09:14 PM
@JoelP
Only one legged house I could thihnk of.
Linky
Doubt I'll get lucky twice though!
Xtreme Kermit - 16/4/12 at 09:21 PM
A series I remember reading as a kid had some sort of space drive powered by cheddar cheese. The cheddite projector?
Some things don't change, I still read trashy sci fi...
JoelP - 17/4/12 at 07:17 PM
quote:
Originally posted by flibble
@JoelP
Only one legged house I could thihnk of.
Linky
Doubt I'll get lucky twice though!
Never, you got it in one! I ended up buying a book a few years ago '1001 arabian nights' cos that rang a bell, but wasnt right. That link
mentions it, and also baba yaga rings a bell!
Sweet, cheers. I must have been very young because i literally only remember an illustration.
What are you, a librarian?!
Fizzer - 18/4/12 at 11:33 AM
quote:
Originally posted by iank
propulsion based on a clam squirting.
I'm so sorry, I know I'm being purile, but surely I'm not the only person who finds this amusing....?
[Edited on 18/4/12 by Fizzer]
MikeRJ - 18/4/12 at 01:20 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Xtreme Kermit
A series I remember reading as a kid had some sort of space drive powered by cheddar cheese. The cheddite projector?
Some things don't change, I still read trashy sci fi...
Star Smashers of The Galaxy
Rangers
There's a book I read at about 12 that I've been trying to track down for years. It's about some kids that fly around space in a shape
made from a hollowed out asteroid, evading and fighting various enemies. I've spent hours trying to track it down with no luck as I can't
remember the books name or author.
[Edited on 18/4/12 by MikeRJ]
Xtreme Kermit - 18/4/12 at 02:54 PM
Oh yes! That's the one...
That started me reading The Stainless Steel Rat series. Loved it
flibble - 18/4/12 at 03:06 PM
quote:
There's a book I read at about 12 that I've been trying to track down for years. It's about some kids that fly around space in a shape
made from a hollowed out asteroid, evading and fighting various enemies. I've spent hours trying to track it down with no luck as I can't
remember the books name or author.
Heres the first Guess
roughly what era were you 12yrs old?
[Edited on 18-4-12 by flibble]
Liam - 18/4/12 at 04:47 PM
quote:
Originally posted by flibble
Tadaa?
[Edited on 16-4-12 by flibble]
Hoooooooooooooooooly blast from the past!!!!
I had that! The bad guy aliens were all in the shape of different hats, right?
And right at the end, some kid ended up with a regenerating chocolate bar.
Awwwwwwwwwwesome!
[Edited on 18/4/12 by Liam]
daviep - 18/4/12 at 05:40 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Fizzer
quote:
Originally posted by iank
propulsion based on a clam squirting.
I'm so sorry, I know I'm being purile, but surely I'm not the only person who finds this amusing....?
[Edited on 18/4/12 by Fizzer]
You're not alone
iank - 18/4/12 at 08:02 PM
quote:
Originally posted by daviep
quote:
Originally posted by Fizzer
quote:
Originally posted by iank
propulsion based on a clam squirting.
I'm so sorry, I know I'm being purile, but surely I'm not the only person who finds this amusing....?
[Edited on 18/4/12 by Fizzer]
You're not alone
