It was all a fluke, really.  Back in 1996, someone sent me a book request seeking one of those long-lost but most precious childhood memories.  She knew the basic plot, the color of the cover, and the name of the main character.  I remembered the book, and knew she had the name of the character wrong.  So I quoted her the book.  She was ecstatic at my reply (no wonder it had taken her so long to find it!), and was most surprised to realize that she remembered the name of the character wrong, because the name was the same as her own.  Wow.  I held onto the e-mail message because it amazed and amused me.

A few months later I began posting comments like this, and before long, it grew and split into two pages, then four, and then it got rearranged and refocused, as these things do.  The interview feature on NPR on Jan 25, 2003 certainly increased traffic, as well as the effectiveness of solving Book Stumpers.  Here is a description of these Nostalgic pages and fast links to them.  I swear, I didn't make any of them up!  Join the fun!

Stump the Bookseller has been reinvented as a Wordpress blog! The good news here is that this new format will make it a a more user-friendly and searchable site.

It's remarkable how many requests I get with no title or author information.  I was surprised I could actually answer some.  I remain amazed by how many kind and resourceful people out on the web could recognize yet more.  I named the forum Stump the Bookseller, because I often was.  But the success rate is close to 75%!  Arranged alphabetically by keycode, Stump the Bookseller is an on-line forum for finding lost literary memories. Jump right into the Archives below.
 

Call these the glory pages: the nostalgic (and vague) childhood memories finally matched up with the proper book!  These are Stump the Bookseller queries that have been solved: thus, we call them Solved Mysteries.  Listed alphabetically by title, for your memory's convenience.  Read it like a nostalgic catalog or search by keywords or title for your own cherished memories.
 

Some books I get requests for over and over and over again.  These are just a few of them.  And you thought you were the only one who had ever heard of Pickle Chiffon Pie or who treasured your beat-up copy of Elves and Fairies?  Guess again.  These Tribute pages might teach you something new about the author and illustrator of your old favorites, and if I have something available for sale, it will be listed here.  Read comments by other fans, too.

I haven't finished this project yet, but I've been dreaming about it for a long time.  The Most Requested Books Tribute pages are wonderful, but they don't adequately show the wonderful old collectible children's books that I often have in stock.  These are the Tribute pages for famous authors and illustrators, those always in demand and admired. 

These are the gems that I jumped with joy when I discovered that they came back in print.  In case you haven't heard, they're available!  And at a wonderful affordable price!  Eat your heart out and order one for all your nieces and nephews, lest they go out of print again!

I've had some  great comments from customers about being named after characters in books, and so I collected them together, just for fun.  I put my pets on the page too, because they have interesting names.  Were you named for a fictional character?  Did you name your child after a book you just loved?  Share your story here.

And of course, the simple, easy-to-use book search form to tell me about whatever it is you are seeking.  I keep them all on file and email you with a quote when I have a copy on hand.  Sometimes it takes a while, but if you've been thinking about this book for a while now, isn't it time you put your name on the waiting list?