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It's from '88, but Harriet Ziefert's A Clean House for Mole & Mouse does have a mouse (& a mole) doing housework. Don't remember whether they do laundry.
I am pretty sure that this is not the book because I read it when I was young (late 70s to early 80s) and I was 13 in 1988.  But thank you for trying!  I have been looking for the book for so long and I am glad I found your website to help me out.
Enid Blyton , Mary Mouse series.  These were somewhat 'comic-strip-like' books about a mouse who was a
sort of nanny/ housekeeper in a dolls house. There are many other possibilities: Alison Uttley's Little Brown Mouse books;  Rosalind Vallance's Tittymouse and Tattymouse books;  Jessie Howe's The Mouse Family at Home  and Michelle Cartlidge's Mouse House and Mousework.
Your website is absolutely fantastic!  I've been looking through it to see if I knew any of the books and it's so much fun to do it!  I was very excited that I knew three of them.  I'm also the person who posted "M18 Mouse Housework" quite a while ago and unfortunately, none of the listed suggestions, except for Jessie Howe's The Mouse Family at Home, have turned out to be the right one.  I can't find a copy of Jessie Howe's book to see if it is the right one.  I think she may also have written books under "Jessie Howe Clark," but I am not sure.  I'll keep checking back and see if anyone else has listed any new suggestions!
The Tale of Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter is a book where two mice decide to raid a dollhouse while the dolls are away.  Later on they feel bad and clean up the house for the dolls. See the last page here.

There is a book called 1 O'Clock in the Button Factory by Beatty, but I don't know if it's the same one referred to.  It is blurbed as "if you don't know what the title means you have and overdeveloped misery gap!" The cast of characters includes Alvin Karpis, a Russian newsman, Haterhton Allen who does business in a bikini, and Dr. Stookey who is studying humor.  It is published by Macmillan.
Maybe Marie Hall Ets' first Mr Penny book? He works in a safety pin factory to support his animals, who eventually take up farming to help pay their way. First published by Viking in 1935, with 2 sequels at least. I
couldn't find much on the first one, though.
Well, the title of this sounds good, too bad there's no plot description: Heal, Edith, Mr. Pink and the House on the Roof  illustrated by Cay Ferry, published New York, Julian Messner, 1941 (ad Horn Book Sep-Oct/41 p.338)
Only because of the title - Mr. Pingle and Mr. Buttonhouse, by Ellen MacGregor, illustrated by Paul Galdone, published Whittlesey House 1957, 32 pages "Wonderful things happen when Mr. Pingle decides to visit Mr. Buttonhouse - and vice versa!" (Horn Book Dec/57 p.439 pub ad) The Heal title sounds like a better bet.
Edith Heal, Mr. Pink and the House on the Roof, 1941. There's a copy of this book for sale on ebay right now, #7041522279.  The synopsis the seller gives is "A very charming story about a rotund Mr. Pink and his button factory that gave off a lovely glow at night."  The book ends with Mr. Pink's realization that zippers were good for some things, and buttons were good for others, and that sometimes people wanted new things, but sometimes the old things are best.

Title sounds right, pity there's no real plot description: Merry Mushroom, A Lore Book, translated from the Dutch, Wendy Wilkin, Sandle Bros, 1972 [22]pp, hb, 8 x 10 inches. A woodland story about mushrooms and toadstools, with pretty coloured illustrations"

Elizabeth Goudge, The Valley of Song,1951.  This might well be the one.  Though the main character is a little girl, not a girl and a boy, the adult characters keep turning into children, and at one point the girl and her father as a boy go through a wooden door to meet Vulcan.  They follow this up by a meeting with Taurus, not Pegasus, but it still sounds plausible.
Donahey, Mary Dickerson, Peter and Prue, pictures by Harold Gaze.  Chicago, Rand McNally 1934.  I wonder if it could be this one? The cover pastedown shows a chariot with Mercury leading it. "This story really began when Peter was only six months old, and rolled away, and was lost under a sofa for two hours.." A funny story about two little runaways with magical illustrations by Harold Gaze. Unlike many children's books from this era, Donahey's text still reads well and paired with Gaze's magical illustrations, this book has classic appeal." There's a bit more description on the Solved Page, but the children visit the Moon, and Olympus, and Valhalla, apparently. Gaze's illustration may strike a chord.

M37 long shot, since I've never seen the book - Ryerson Johnson "The Mouse and the Moon" E.M. Hale & Co, 1968 Lignell, Lois, Illustrator ?  Or (still not likely) "Merry Mouse And His Trip To The Moon", a "Jolly Book". L Miller & Son, London and Ayer & James Pty. Melbourne & Sydney. 1953,  A mouse and his friends travel to the moon in a space rocket.  Or (rather old)  HOLLEYMAN Jo MOUSE IN THE MOON Sandle Brothers 1st edn 1947
As for a mouse on the moon, I've been surprised how many books I've seen with mice and rocketships, etc., both in the Little Golden/Rand McNally/Tell-a-Tale/Wonder Books variety, as well as others.
I had this book as a child and I still think the title is Moon Mouse. It was about a young meadow mouse who is fascinated by the moon and sits and looks at it every night from the opening of his burrow where he lives with his mother. His mother tells him the moon is made of green cheese. One night he decides to make a journey to find the moon, and he travels until he sees the moon seemingly on top of a building. He climbs to the top of the building and looking in a window, sees an enormous wheel of cheese upon a table which he believes is the moon. He eats and eats and eats, and finally climbs down and returns home. Then he and his mother sit at the opening of their burrow the next night and look up at the sky and the moon is a crescent. The little mouse believes it is that way because he ate it very nearly all up. The illustrations were nice black and white drawings...
Yet another possibility - Gordon, Elizabeth: THE TALE OF JOHNNY MOUSE ; Volland, 1920. Paper Covered Boards, 12mo Little Johnny Mouse, who lives in the attic with the rest of the Gray Mouse family, decides to travel to the moon and sample the green cheese there. Another lovely fantasy with superb color illustrations by the sister of Frank Lloyd Wright (Volland's "Sunny Book" series). Maginel Wright Enright, illustrator.

This could be Miss Osborne-the-Mop by Wilson Gage. Jody and Dill, cousins who originally aren't fond of each other, spend the summer together. They discover Jody has magical powers when she says "Oh, shut up and be a squirrel" and Dill turns into a squirrel. They make the mop come to life and spend the summer hiding the mop-lady and keeping her happy.  At the end, Jody no longer needs the temporary glasses she has been wearing and they discover that's where her magical power came from. However, this is not a first or second grade book.  This a chapter book, probably upper elementary.
M39: there was a book about magic glasses by Ruth Chew from the 50's...the housekeeper/nanny had a magic bag and could pull things out of it, stare at the object with the magic glasses, and bring the thing to life.  "glasses" were in the title, I'm pretty sure.
I wouldn't say that Ruth Chew is really at a grade 1 or 2 reading level, any more than the Wilson Gage book is. The Gage book does have a boy turned into a squirrel, at least. At the right reading level is Katie's Magic Glasses, by Jane Goodsell, illustrated by Barbara Cooney, published Houghton Mifflin 1965, 42 pages. "When Katie put on her first pair of glasses, 'She could see magic! She really could, just as the doctor said she would.' A story that almost makes you wish that you needed glasses too. Ages 5-8." (HB Apr/65 p.134 pub ad) The story is told in rhyme. No decent plot info, though.

could this be one of the Miss Pickerell stories, by Ellen MacGregor? They were illustrated by Charles Geerand often had science-fiction elements.

There was another series of books in the 1950's that was similar to the Little Golden Books and Elf Books called Jolly Books put out by Avon Publishing.  One of their titles was The Jolly Book of Mother Goose.  A recently solved book stumper, The Magic Key, that was thought to be a Little Golden Book or Elf Book turned out to be a Jolly Book so this may be worth a try as well.
A number of choices: Wonder Books- #501- Mother Goose illustrated by Joseph Hirsh(1946). This was produced with several different covers over the years. Also, Wonder Book of Favorite Nursery Tales #730-illustrated by Peller. These were produced by Grosset&Dunlap. This company also produced Treasure Books. They share some titles.The Treasure Book of Favorite Nursery Tales #856 illus. by Peller. Tell-a Tale books by Whitman has The Bedtime Book # 2475-32 by Mabel Watts (1963). Also: Cradle Rhymes #894 by Gladys Horn (1949)  Humpty Dumpty and Other Nursery Rhymes #2610- by Rod Ruth (197?)  Jolly Jingles # 899-by Florence Alexander(1959)  Little Folks in Mother  Goose #863- illus. by Rachel (1946) Mother Goose #2572- illus. by Charles Clement (1955): Mother Goose #925 illus.by Ellen Fox Vaughn (1950) Mother Goose # 2511-illus. by Lucille Wallace (1958) Nursery Rhymes #857-illus by Louise Altson (1945). Sure hope something in there helps!!
Marguirite de Angeli, Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes, 1953.  I, too, was young in the 50's and had a Mother Goose Book I treasured.  I have since identified the book as Marguerite de Angeli's Book of Nursery and Mother Goose Rhymes.  It had a cardboard cover which showed many of the nursery rhyme characters including children in period costume.  Each page includes black & white illustrations (such as a cow on hind legs dancing with a bagpipe player or each of the birds of "Who Killed Cock Robin"). As well there are occasional full-page color illustrations.

M58 mother dies: the same query is on the Alibris list, with no success yet, but suggesting that the boy may have been named Beanie as well as wearing one. So, probably not Beany Malone by Lenora Mattingly Weber, published Crowell 1948, which is about a girl, though in the first book, Meet the Malones, the mother has been dead for three years. It doesn't really sound like Ruth and Latrobe Carroll's Beanie, published Walck 1953 either, with Beanie and his dog Tough Enough on a bear hunt in the mountains. There's another Beanie, by Susan B. Consky, published by the Moody Bible Institute, 1951, but that's about Beanie and his dog Scamp on Grandpa's farm.
Ray Bradbury, I Sing The Body Electric, 1969.  See Twilight Zone website.  It's a long shot, but I think you may be looking for "I Sing The Body Electric", a short story by Ray Bradbury in a book by the same name.  Nine year old Timothy, ten year old Agatha and thirteen year old Thomas are left without maternal care until their father buys them an Electric Grandmother.  There was another TV version in 1982 starring Maureen Stapleton.   Agatha resists bonding with the electrical grandma because she fears grandma will leave just like her mother did.  Even if it's not the story you're looking for, it's well worth reading  it's a wonderful story of coming to terms with grief and loss.  There's a very cool part of the story when the electric grandma flies a kite with the kids using "silk" that she emits from a fingertip the same way a spider ejects its web.  Also has references to a poem by Walt Whitman by the same name.  Bradbury borrowed the title and then makes the story his own.  Highly recommended!
John Bellairs, The Figure in the Shadows. (1985, approximate)  I submitted this stumper ages ago.  I now know that I was describing two separate books.  Unfortunately, I still don't know what the first book was (the one about the mother writing a letter by the moon), but the second book is definitely The Figure in the Shadows.

 Is there any chance this is Down a Dark Hallway by Lois Duncan? A young girl successfully applies to a very select boarding school (five students, or so) and the teachers are using the students to channel great works
by dead artists.  The protagonist sleepwalks and channels piano concertos, which the teachers record and then pass on to the public as "discovered."
Oh, that sounds very neat!  I can't believe I haven't read that one - I'm a musician and love spooky stuff, so you'd think I'd have found it by now! But, I don't think it's this one.  I specifically remember this girl - she's about 16-18 proclaiming her love for the teacher and actually trying, in a fairly innocent way, to seduce him, wearing the dead wife's flowing robes (a la Rebecca, I guess...).  He's chivalrous and clever enough to realize what's going on and rejects her advances.  Is there a love subplot going on in Lois' book?  I can't remember other students being there in my book - this girl was just there to practice for 8 hours a day and have constant lessons with him.  But I'm going to look for the book you mentioned and see if that might be it.  I remember it was a paperback, and the mystery title was written in the script reserved for romance novels - all flowy and cascading down the page.
The Inheritor, Marion Zimmer-Bradly, 1980's. This is a similar story. About a psychologist who has a young 17 yo sister called Emily(?)who is training to be concert pianist.They move to a new house in San Francisco which wis haunted.They meet Simon Anstey, godson of the former owner and famous pianist. He becomes romantically involved with the elder sister. There are lots of bits about witch craft, the occult and sacrifices

There's A Treasure Ship of Old Quebec by Ethel Hume Bennett, published by Macmillan in the 1930s. "Four children with a natural bent for history spend a happy summer holiday exploring old Quebec, their adventures being given a slight background of mystery and excitement by the existence of certain long-lost heirlooms." But no indication that it was a series.
#M63--Montreal Series:  Just picked up "Mystery in Old Quebec," by Mary C. Jane, Lippincott, 1955.  Doubtful this is it.  The two children, Mark and Kerry, travel to Canada with their father.  Their mother stays home with their little brother, Tim, and they don't figure in the story at all.  With two boys, Louis and Edgar, whom Mark and Kerry befriend, it does add up to four.
Thanks so much for the personal reply!  I haven't checked back on the site for awhile to see if there were any responses.   I don't think that title is right - this was definitely a series, and there was a mystery in each one.  The heirloom part sounds familiar though - I may try to get a synopsis of that book and see if some other parts of it fit the bill.
M63 Montreal series: more of a description of one suggestion, but doesn't pin it down much! Mystery of Old Quebec, by Mary C. Jane, illustrated by Ray Abel, published Lippincott 1955. A 1956 Selection of the Weekly Reader Children's Book Club. Hardcover, 123 pages, 8 1/4" x 5 1/2", Contents: A Room with a Fireplace; The missing Jacket; A strange Message; A daring decision; Rue Sous Le Cap; The French Evening; An exciting Rescue; A New Friend; Voices in the Next Room; At the Foot of the Elevator; The Big Dog; But They are Indians. (The whole story deals with a trip to Quebec City and the adventures following in this ancient city.)
Hilda Van Stockum?, Canadian Summer, Friendly Gables? late '40s, early '50s. This is quite a long shot, since I don't remember the mystery part (seems to me the Mitchell children's problems revolved around school and family, but in one book one of Peter's classmates was stealing or cheating or something, and he and his sister Patsy had to find out who it was because Peter was being blamed), but there is a lot of description and atmosphere. A sample of one book is here.
Hello -- A Google search led me to your site.  I'm trying to track down a  book that sounds like it could be the same one as M63.  Unfortunately, I don't  have any additional clues about the text to offer, but I do remember it had  wonderful black-and-white line drawings.  I think there was one of a sleigh taking  everyone home in the snow.  I hope this provides an additional lead.  I absolutely loved this book--I checked it out of my school library almost every year while in elementary school during the second half of the 1960s.  I never remembered the title, then, either--I had to go find it on the shelf. Thanks for providing an opportunity to finally track it down again.
How about the Canadian -Secret Circle Mysteries from the 1960's? I have never read them, just came upon a reference and thought it might be worth a look!
Hello -- A Google search led me to your site.  I'm trying to track down a  book that sounds like it could be the same one as M63.  Unfortunately, I don't  have any additional clues about the text to offer, but I do remember it had  wonderful black-and-white line drawings.  I think there was one of a sleigh taking  everyone home in the snow.  I hope this provides an additional lead.  I  absolutely loved this book--I checked it out of my school library almost every year  while in elementary school during the second half of the 1960s.  I never  remembered the title, then, either--I had to go find it on the shelf. Thanks for providing an opportunity to finally track it down again.
I've checked out all the titles suggested but none of them fit.

M-68 may be A Dream To Touch by Anne Emery.  In that book the main character--Marya--plays a violin and is involved in great competition for first chair.
This looks like the same book as G 48: The Maggie B by Irene Haas.  It's recently been reprinted and is an adorable book.
This is apparently not The Maggie B, which is described on the Solved page.

Is this Moonface by Jack London?
M73 moonface: maybe this one? The Angry Moon, by William Sleator, illustrated by Blair Lent, published Atlantic-Little 1970. "Tlingit motifs and an economy of text tell this legend of an Indian boy who, assisted by a grandmother's magic, rescues an Indian girl being held prisoner by the angry moon because she laughed at his ugly face. Ages 7-10." (Picture Books for Children, Patricia Cianciolo, ALA 1973 p.91) There is a children's book called Moonface, by Gerda Marie Scheidl and Antoni Boratynski, translated from the German by Richard Sadler, published Sadler 1971, 31 pages, but I don't have a plot description yet. The library databases only have a subject tracing under Painting - Fiction and Moon - Fiction, if that's any help.
There is not a chance that Jack London's Moonface is the one required. It's a revenge story involving two men, a dog and a stick of dynamite.
Martin Rafe, the Rough-face Girl. (1992) Could the name be wrong?  This is an Algonquin version of Cinderella.
Little Scarface.  I wonder if M73 might be the old Indian legend of Scarface which is told by the Blackfoot, Mi'qmah and many other northern Indian people. It's kind of like Cinderella. There's a great hunter who is invisible, but very nice and all the girls want to marry him. His sister Patience vets possible brides by asking if they can see his bowstring or the shoulder strap on his carry-bag (or the cord on his sled). (In some versions he's called Big Moose, in others he's just the Hidden One). Scarface is called that because her cruel sister throws burning twigs at her when their father is away. Dad believes all the sister's lies why Scarface is burnt, how she lost her hair, etc. Sis has a try at Big Moose, makes something up and loses. Scarface goes in her tattered rags and helps Patience make dinner. When Big Moose comes home she cries out that his bowstring is a rainbow and the shoulder strap on his bag is made of stars. This proves she is pure of heart, and Big Moose becomes visible and warmly greets her as his fiancee. Patience washes her in magic water, curing her injuries, and renames her Beautiful.

This one is a bit of a stretch, but I have The Mystery of the Flying Skeleton, A Power Boys Mystery.  The brothers help discover mastodon bones during the constuction of a motel in Florida.  Their photographer father is along to take photos. This one is probably late '60s.
Maybe, The Mystery of the Dinosaur Bones, by Mary Adrian, illustrated by Lloyd Coe, published New York, Hastings House 1965 "An easy-reading mystery about two boys and a girl on a fossil hunt in Utah. Information on prehistoric animals is woven into the text, plus a factual supplement. Ages 9-12, grades 4-6, 128 pages." 'Chris and Ken were twins, They had blue eyes, freckles, and bright red hair. This Friday morning, they were cleaning the house and looking forward to a letter from Marty Taylor, their friend down the street, who had gone on a camping trip with his parents to dinosaur country in Utah.'
another possible title is Dinosaur Dilemma, by Lois Breitmeyer and Gladys Leithauser, illustrated by Lois Malloy, published Golden Gate Junior Books 1964, "Mark Speer and Tommy Coleman intended to spend their summer vacation rock hunting until the unearthed what proved to be a huge dinosaur bone."
Jay Williams and Raymond Abrashkin, Danny Dunn and the Fossil Cave.  This is probably far out in left field.  But Danny Dunn and his friends go on an expedition in a cave with the Professor and they find a large intact skeleton of a dinosaur.  At one point, they use an x-ray machine to see through walls and they think the Professor is in a cage when really he was standing in the middle of the rib cage of the dinosaur skeleton.
How about Stolen Bones by Joan Carris?

According to a page I have bookmarked, American Women Playwrights 1900-1950, something called Mickey's Marker was published in 1930 by a Leota Hulse Black.  Sorry that it doesn't give any more information, but it might be a clue.
Leota Hulse Black, Mickey's Marker. Like the requester's father, I also recited Mickey's Marker.  In my case, it was for a high school prize speaking contest in 1958.  The author is Leota Hulse Black and the piece is a short story, as I recall, not a poem.  A real tearjerker.  But who is Leota Hulse Black?  Have found very little about her on line.'

Not that I supppose it has much bearing, but Miss Bickerton is a character in Jane Austen's Emma.  She is a boarder at Mrs. Goddard's (along with Harriet Smith).
Couldn't find anything involving bickerton, but there's Miss Slimmens' Boarding House, by Metta Victoria Fuller Victor, published New York, Ogilvie, 1882. No plot description available though. Less likely is Jenny Wren's Boarding House: a Story of Newsboy Life in New York by James Otis, illustrated by W.S. rogers, published Boston, Estes & Lauriat 1893, still no plot description but the subtitle gives a hint. And just perhaps - Mrs. Leicester's school; or, the history of several young ladies related by themselves by Charles and Mary Lamb, published by Dent, 1920s? "The experiences of Mrs. Leicester's ten pupils herein related differ largely. Miss Louisa Manners, aged seven, tells of a memorable visit to her grandmother's farm, while Miss Ann Withers recounts the dramatic story of how she was changed for the baby of a noble family and how she herself brought about her own downfall. The immaculateness of the telling throughout does Mrs. Leicester great credit." (Books for Boys and Girls, 1927 Toronto Public Library)
Also possible - Becky's Boarding House: a Brownie Scout Story, by Eleanor Thomas, illustrated by Gertrude Howe, published Scribner 1952, 119 pages "Brownie Scouts and their doings make up this story book for girls of 9 to 10." (Book Review Digest 1952)
Metta Victoria Victor, Miss Slimmens' Boarding House, 1887.  Sounds the most likely. Other possibilities include L.T. Meade's The Girls of Mrs. Pritchard's School (1904  also others by this author) Evelyn Everett Green's Miss Greyshott's Girls (1907)  or Mabel Tyrrell's Miss Pike and Her Pupils (1928).

I vividly remember the "Elevator Operator" story from a mid-1970's Scholastic paperback called Strange but True: (some number) Amazing Stories.  The black-and-white illustration of the operator terrified me.
This sounds like it could be an answer someone gave for another stumper, STRANGE BUT TRUE; 22 Amazing Stories by Donald J. Sobol  ~from a librarian
c.b. colby, strangely enough!  I remember a Scholastic paperback of this in my 2nd grade classroom. Intended for older than 2nd grade obviously. Lots of ghost stories, some factual (the "Mary Celeste" incident), some rumor-y (Loch Ness monster) Definite "Twilight Zone"/"Ripley's Believe it or Not" feel. Colby was also the author of books about military hardware for budding warriors -- many titles of which "Arms and armor of Our Fighting Men" is the only one I can remember.

David Eddings, Belgariad (series of 5), 1980s.  Some similarities in this series to what is remembered by the poster - they are not technically children's books, but when I worked in public libraries (until 1990) the series was bought for 'young adult' as well as 'adult fiction' sections of the library. Can't remember the individual titles, and there was a second series called the Malloreon which too the story further. There is certainly a sword that in the last book of the first series (the Belgariad) 'blushes' when put at or outside the door of the nuptial chamber when Garath and C'nedra finally consumate their marriage.
Eddings, David, Belgariad/ Mallorean, 1980s.  Further info on the two series mentioned:  Belgariad: Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit, Castle of Wizardry, Enchanter's Endgame. Mallorean: Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda, Sorceress of Darshiva, Seeress of Kell
Rosemary Sutcliffe, The Mark of the Horse Lord.  Don't remember about the sword in the bed, but definitely a warrior-like and warring hero and heroine in the medieval The Mark of the Horse Lord. Marketed to teens, but really bordering on adult rather than young adult.  The two were betrothed, but as a ritual the man had to hunt the woman on horseback in the beginning.  Odds are placed in his favor by mounting her on a tired horse and (???) binding her hands???  Anyway, he catches her and she tries to knife him, but he disarms her . . . but that's just how they get together.  They are betrothed as an alliance of clans, etc.  The focus of the book is on the warring over the kingdoms, etc.  Sound like your book?
Sorry, this one is NOT David Eddings.  I know those books backwards and forwards.  The relationship sounds a little similar to the main characters, but those two are never allowed to sleep in the same tent, let alone the same bed.
Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, Rose of the Prophet trilogy, 1989.  I'm not sure if these are the books the poster is looking for.They're definitely NOT for children...I would put them in the mature category, but the two main (human) characters are a man and a woman who are betrothed to each other, even though their families are enemies. They spend the three books going on a Great Quest, and they not only start off sleeping with a naked sword between the two of them, but Zohra (the girl) tries to kill Khardan...more than once. The pantheon of the Gods is involved, as well as Angels, Wizards, Djin (one of whom is named Pukah) and demons.  This person might also be remembering a portion of one in Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series. I think in the book about Mars, the man who becomes Mars is initially betrothed to a woman he doesn't know, and they are sent to a honeymoon palace, but spend the first number of nights in the same bed with an unsheathed sword between the two of them  I think they both loved someone else. Of course, they end up falling madly in love.  I can't remember what happens next, I do know that he becomes the god of War...  This person is definitely NOT talking the Belgariad or the Mallorean (although those series certainly merit a reading...or twelve), as Garion and Ce'Nedra never actually hate each other.
Tamora Pierce, Alanna. I don't remember the exact episode described, but could this be one of the books in the Alanna series by Tamora Pierce?  She wants to be a knight so originally poses as a boy.  of course as she grows up in later books her cover is blown.  After that romance does come into her relationship with her male companion.
Tamora Pierce, Song of the Lioness (Alanna) series.  This is NOT the answer to this stumper - I just read the Alanna series and she isn't betrothed to anyone, nor does she sleep with a sword between her and soneome else.
Jennifer Roberson, Sword Dancer.Might this be the first book of Jennifer Roberson's Sword Dancer series?  The plot involves a female sword dancer (warrior/duelist) who hires a male sword dancer to travel with her in search of her brother.  She doesn''t trust him in the beginning of the story but eventually they fall in love.  The sword in the middle of the bed rings a bell with me, and this is the first book I thought of upon reading that detail in the summary submitted by the original poster...hopefully I''m not mixing it up with some other book!
Rosemary Sutcliff, Song for a Dark Queen, 1979. Song for a Dark Queen by Rosemary Sutcliff doesn't fit this description terribly well, except for the fact that Boudicca (Boadicea), married unwillingly, puts her father's sword on the bed between herself and her new husband.  Eventually, when she finds that she loves him, the sword is put outside the door.  Perhaps the searcher is mixing this episode with the story from another book (or not - it may well be in the other book, but I thought it couldn't hurt to submit this)

Right on the tip of my tongue.  Wonderful poem.
Anna Maria Pratt, "A Mortifying Mistake" from Little Rhymes for Little People, 1896.
I studied my tables over and over, / and backward and forward, too / But I couldn't remember six times nine, / and I didn't know what to do, / Till sister told me to play with my doll, / and not to bother my head. / "If you call her `Fifty-four' for a while, / you'll learn it by heart," she said. / So I took my favorite, Mary Ann / though I thought 'twas a dreadful shame / To give such a perfectly lovely child / such a perfectly horrid name), / And I called her my dear little "Fifty-four" / a hundred times, till I knew / The answer of six times nine as well / as the answer of two times two. / Next day Elizabeth Wigglesworth, / who always acts so proud, / Said, "Six times nine is fifty-two," / and I nearly laughed aloud! / But I wished I hadn't when teacher said, / "Now, Dorothy, tell if you can." / For I thought of my doll and / --sakes alive!--I answer, "Mary Ann!"

Well, the date's right, anyway, maybe - Chipper, by Hortense Flexner, illustrated by Wyncie King, published Stokes 1941. "Though a real chipmunk sat for his picture in this realistic story, it is written with charm and a pleasant turn of fancy. Chipper was the member of a family who believed in giants and did not trouble to store up supplies for winter. That is, until he had tamed his giant animal who gave him sunflower seeds to carry away in his pouches. While Chipper was sure he had tamed his giant friend, the human giants felt the same way about him. An entertaining story for pet lovers, well illustrated." (Horn Book Sep/41 p.369)
M104 my little chipmunk: another possible title is Cheeky Chipmunk by Helen & Alf Evers, published Chicago, Rand-McNally 1945. "The tale of a chimpmunk who loves to tease but becomes the victim of one of his own pranks."
Could be Scatter the Chipmunk, by Catherine Cate Coblentz, illustrated by Berta Schwartz, published Chicago Childrens Press 1946, with four color illustrations and illustrated endpapers. "Story of the adventures of three young chipmunks and how old Grey Cat tries to catch them on their forays for food. Scatter, the baby in the chipmunk family, is always in trouble. However, a little girl looks after him."
This may be too late into the 1940's (1947), but as a child I had a beautiful book written and illustrated by Marjorie Torrey called Three Little Chipmunks.  Chuffy, Chirpy and Cheeky get into trouble for frightening Mr. Wren's chicks.  Cheeky is wrongly accused and is sent to bed without supper.  When the truth is learned, Cheeky's mother brings him a big bowl of ice cream, and he is later asked to "babysit" the Wren chicks.

Daniel Cohen, mid-late 70's.  I had that book also.  Can't recall the title offhand, but Daniel Cohen wrote several similar books during this period and they often appear on eBay.  I can tell you it is NOT Supermonsters.
If M105 is indeed a Daniel Cohen book, it's probably his Monsters, Giants and Little Men from Mars -- the date (1975) is right, and apparently this one does cover Mothman; not sure about the other beasties listed in question.

Mabel Esther Allan, The Mills Down Below, 1980.  It's a while since I read this, but the girl's age & the place would be right.  It was set just before the First World War & she was the daughter of a mill-owner who fought for the mill workers' & womens' rights.  I do have vague memories of it starting with finding a diary.

M110 musical notation characters: this is probably too early and too long, but just in case, Prince Melody of Music Land, written by Elizabeth Simpson, illustrated by Mary Virginia Martin, published by Knopf 1921, 183
pages, hardbound book that measures 5.5" by 8.25", pictorial binding. I have seen one illustration from this, the picture shows a witchy type with caption: "My name is Treble Clef" she piped.

M113: Sounds like The Green Isle (1974) by Philip Burton, adoptive father of Richard Burton! It's a
romantic fairy tale that takes place in Wales in the 11th century (the Norman invasion). Two lovers seek a place of permanent refuge and there's a beautiful island that they can only see from a certain point on the mainland - when they move, the isle magically disappears. A clever servant figures out that the only way to keep the isle in sight and thus reach it is to take the "vantage point" with them!
M113 This is just a guess, but could it be EVER-AFTER ISLAND by Elizabeth Starr Hill, 1977. A scientific expedition goes to an island (with some of the children of the scientists) and all the stuff of fairytales - elves, mermaids, etc. exist on this island. I have the hardcover, and it has a pale blue cover. ~from a librarian
Maybe - Fairwater, by Alastair Reid, illustrated by Walter Lorraine, published Houghton 1957. "Fairwater was a small island shaped like a sea horse ... a legend, a place too good to be true, too gay, too green, too
neat, too lovely for anyone in the Seven Kingdoms to risk a visit, lest they never come back. The most remarkable thing about it was that it was always Today on Fairwater. Scarcely less remarkable was its Princess Tiran who had suddenly appeared when Lorn the old magician was experimenting with a spell called 'How to Make Girls out of Air.' This is the story of the lovely Tiran with silky hair the color of wind, of Garth who loved her, and what happened when Phooph the glassblower of Croam put a strange glass curse upon Fairwater. The imaginative pictures make it a lovely book." (Horn Book Jun/57 p.222)
M113 magical island: More on one suggested - Ever-after Island, by Elizabeth Starr Hill, published 1977, 119 Pages. "Ryan and Sara Finney were used to exploring remote parts of the world; since their mother died, their fish-expert father had taken them on a number of expeditions. But never to an island that was only a dot marked with an X on a hand-drawn map. And certainly never with as secretive a leader as Dr. Moody Murk, who had already found the bones of a little manlike creature, unknown to science, and who was fanatically looking for the discovery of a lifetime. Ryan was especially curious about Dr. Murk's hoped-for scientific coup when he saw the ship the old man had chartered---strangely like a pirate vessel. And even more curious were the scientist's carefully guarded research souces---strangely like fairy tale volumes!" (from the dustjacket)
M113 magical island: also worth looking at is the Patricia Gordon / Joan Howard book The Oldest Secret, published Viking 1953. The boy in that goes to a magical island with a sunken forest, where he meets Robin Goodfellow and Pan, as well as dangers of various kinds.
M113 magic island: another possible is Children's Island, written and illustrated by Richard G. Robinson, published Dent 1971, 160 pages. "Darley has marigold coloured hair which seems on fire and an imagination which is on fire. His teacher puzzles but his mother accepts. In the tool shed his mind takes him on a journey to the island of tigers and children where realism is confined to the crotchety old Grumkin who is as far away as can be and where the evil monster Vambatta awaits destruction at his hands." (Children's Book Review Jun/71 p.91)
Could this one be Dean Marshall's The Invisible Island?
Definitely not Dean Marshall - The Invisible Island was about children in Connecticut, not a fantasy story.

The plot sounds like The Never-ending Story by Michael Ende, but the main character in that is a young boy, Bastien, and it was first published in the US in 1983. It's a common enough plot device, though.
Donaldson, Stephen, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever, 1977. Could it be the Thomas Covenant series by Stephen Donaldson?  The protagonist is a leper shunned by his neighbors, cast off by his wife who takes their baby son with her.  He falls and hits his head and wakes up in "The Land" -- a beautiful country with giants and magic, but loomed over by evil Lord Foul, whom Thomas is summoned to conquer -- his white gold wedding ring plays a large part in the series. 

A similar story, though perhaps not the one wanted is The Toe-Rags: a Story of a Strange Bringing-up in Southern Rhodesia, by Daphne Anderson, published London, Methuen 1989, 373 pages. The narrator and her young brother are taken in by their estranged father's family after their mother vanishes. The brother is favoured, but Daphne is never accepted and is brought up largely by the black servants. Like most Rhodesians of the time, the family is more English than the English, and they reject her partly because they think she may have native blood. It may be too recent, though.
M119 sounds awfully familiar...could it be something by Isak Dinesen?  Do we know what the time period is?
Thank you for your prompt response! I really appreciate your help. The two possible answers given aren't correct. If I remember correctly, the time period the book was set in would probably be the 1930's, or there about. I even emailed CBS, but of course they never responded to my query. I'll keep checking back. Thank you again for your wonderful service!
Elspeth Huxley, The Flame Trees of Thika, 1959.  This might be it! Memories of an Africa Childhood by Elspeth Huxley. A famous book I believe.This was made into a movie in recent times, I remember catching a glimpse of it. I thought it was on PBS. Haley Mills, an adult, had a part.
This isn't The Flame Trees of Thika. In that memoir, the entire family goes to Africa (one parent is not dead) to run a coffee plantation.
This is not a solution, but does offer some more data on the TV episode.  I found a description in UNSOLD TELEVISION PILOTS: 1955 THROUGH 1988 by Lee Goldberg (McFarland, 1990) it's entry #2248 there.  The saliant bits:  TWO WORLDS (a.k.a. MY AFRICA).  60 minutes.  Airdate: 6/21/88. . . Writer: Blanche Hanalis. . . Aired as a segment of CBS SUMMER PLAYHOUSE.  This pilot, set in 1952, stars Carl Weintraub as Dr. Charles Marston, the son of British and American parents, raised in Africa and educated in America, where he marries and raises a family.  When his wife dies, he brings his two children (Jaime McEnnan and Gennie James) to Kenya, where he opens a jungle clinic, aided by his Maasai friend (Joseph Mydell) and a woman doctor from an aristocratic British family (Jenifer Landor).  Shot on location in Kenya. . .  Note that the entry in the Goldberg book doesn't make any mention of a book from which the show (the unsold pilot) was derived, if any. Looking at other entries, he usually seems to do so when appropriate, at least for well-known sources, but I did spot at least one other case where they missed a book I know, and one or two in which they get such a citation wrong in some way, so that's not Goldberg's chief focus.  Maybe there's an ultimate book behind this one and maybe not, but it looks like the odds are against it.  Blanche Hanalis wrote a lot of screenplays, some adapted from books and some apparently original stories.  I can'\''t find her credited in WorldCat with a book under either the MY AFRICA or TWO WORLDS title, nor do I find a book called TWO WORLDS that seems to match the premise described.  Hope this helps a bit, at least.

Try Patrick Collum....
Oxford Myths and Legends Series? 1950s.  Oxford University Press published a series of books like this in the '50's:  here's one example: Picard, Barbara Leonie FRENCH LEGENDS, TALES & FAIRY STORIES
1st edition 1955, Oxford University Press, in the Myths & Legends series. 5th volume in the series. 216 pages. Striking full page colour and black & white illustrations by Joan Kiddell-Monroe. Stone coloured cloth. Spine gilt, slightly bumped at tail.  (Is "stone coloured cloth" close enough?)
I think you may be thinking of The Young Folks' Shelf of Books put out by P. F. Collier and Sons. The set may consist of 10 volumes(?). Each dealing with a different theme. Vol 3- Myths and Legends, vol 4-Hero Tales, vol 5- Stories That Never Grow Old.etc. May be worth a look!
Ingri D'aulaire, Edgar D'aulaire, D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths.  I remember reading a grey book of greek myths with the drawings on the front being sort of black lineart. I found it but the cover is different. The one I read was a big hardcover.
There seems to be another one on Norse myths so maybe its the series you're looking for? 

#M122--Make-believe bear and a boy:  A story about a boy bringing a bear home is Benny and the Bear, by Barbee Oliver Carleton, but there is no mother in that and the bear is quite real!  Stories about a boy, his mother, and an imaginary bear are the Blackboard Bear series.
Joan Walsh Anglund, Cowboy and His Friend. This the story of a little boy and his imaginary bear friend.
Knoche, Norma and Daly, Eileen, A Story About Me. (1966)  I am sure that the book you are looking for is A Story About Me, by Norma Knoche and Eileen Daly.  This is a Whitman Big Tell-a-Tale book, and the plot is just as you described: a little boy finds a bear in the woods and brings him home, only the boy's  mother is unable to see the bear. This was a childhood favorite of mine also, and I enjoy reading it to my children.
A Story About Me. The book is definitely A Story Bout Me.  It is my all-time favorite children's book and I still have my original copy.  I especially enjoyed the part where Mom gives them milk and cookies and Me Bear is so shy that he doesn'\''t wave to her until he is at the gate at the end of the walk.  I remember reading this to myself, my younger sister, my two girls and now I look forward to reading it to my Grandchildren someday.  Although I think I could recite it from memory, I am glad I have the book.  The illustrations are priceles.

Jerry West, Happy  Hollisters, 1960s??  Could the series be the Happy Hollisters by Jerry West? There are so many titles in that collection-- HH and the Sea Gull Beach. HH and the Sea Turtle Mystery, HH and the Old Clipper Ship are a few.  Or maybe the Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hope,(I think)! BT at the Seashore,BT at Lakeport, BT at Lighthouse Point, and others. Honey Bunch is another old series. I don't know much of this set.
M138 mystery series: this sounds a bit like Captain Ghost (Solved List) but that wasn't a series.
Could this be The Maida Books by Inez Haynes Irwin from the 1940's? The poster gave no indication when these books were read! There is Maida's Little Lighthouse, Maida's Little Island, Maida's Little Houseboat, etc. In M's Houseboat the boat breaks from its dock during a sudden fierce storm and the boat is adrift. It finally runs aground on the island and the children are stranded there for several days. They stay in an old stone house called Stonehenge and they discover a stray dog marooned on the island as well. Many of the stories in this series take place on the large property owned by Maida's father: the Big House where he lives, the Girls House and the Boy's House where the children live--they are on the coast of Massachusetts. There is a dock with the houseboat and the island offshore.The endsheets are illustrated to depict the Westabrook property and the story settings. As a kid I always loved maps and diagrams where I could track the actions as they unfolded!
Could this be the Hilda Boden books about the Marlows? Several titles: Marlows at Castle Cliff, Marlows at the Regatta, Marlows at Newgate, The Two Emeralds. She has other stories but I don't know if the Marlow children are in them- House by the Sea, Treasure Trove, Mystery of the Island Keep. I am not familiar with these books but I came upon them recently- since they were a series I thought I'd give it a shot!
John and Nancy Rambeau, The Mystery of Morgan Castle, 1962.  This is the first book in the series of dark purple books called the morgan bay mysteries.  They are about children who live in morgan bay along the boardwalk and think the morgan house is haunted.  However in it live an old lady with a cane and she has a dog.  Could be what you are looking for.
John and Nancy Rambeau, The Morgan Bay Mysteries. (1962-65)  This sounds remarkably like the Morgan Bay Mysteries, though you seem to be talking about scenes from several of the books, not just one.  These books were hardcover with illustrations in shades of purple.  The first book, The Mystery of Morgan Castle, involves Gabby, Bill and Vinny Summers who live in the seaside town of Morgan Bay.  There is a vine-covered castle at the end of the boardwalk and old Mrs. Wellington lives right next door with her dog (who runs away).  In another book in the series, The Mystery of the Midnight Visitor, the house is fixed up and is the site of a Garden Club party.

ARGH!  I've read this one too - and loved it.  It was called something like To Find Your Love, or I'll Find My Love - I remember a little snatch of song that Mac sings at the end when they realize they were  - to quote Sleepless in Seattle - MFEO  (Meant for Each Other)!  Maybe by Mary Stolz?  Maybe not?  Now, you've got ME going crazy!!
Joan Dirksen, I'll Find My Love (1957)  I was not the original poster, but when I read this I remembered the book perfectly.  It drove me crazy for months, but I rooted around in my 50+ years of memory to finally remember a title.  I ordered it ILL and it is the one!! I got chills when I read the first page!  Yes, it is very 50's in tone, but it is really well-written. I am so excited, all I can say is:  "And now we are so happy, we do the dance of joy!!!"

This isn't a solution, but rabbit tobacco (lavender) is mentioned in Beatrix Potter's stories.
Sally Patrick Johnson (editor), A Book of Princesses
I sent this stumper in, and I just wanted to note that the solution is NOT the Princesses book edited by Sally Patrick Johnson.  There are lots of wonderful stories in there, but no story about a princess named Paz, (actually, I wonder why it is not).  Also, the story about the moon waxing and waning is not in there.  It could be that the Infanta story wasn't really in the book I'm trying to find - I may be remembering that wrong.  And, the rabbit tobacco detail was in a story about animals (maybe rabbits, maybe not), but I don't think it was a Beatrix Potter story.  Thanks for the ideas though!
George Macdonald , Little Daylight.  Could the 'waxing and waning of the moon' refer to George Macdonald's short story "Little Daylight" about a princess who is cursed by an evil hag at her christening to 'wax and wane with the moon"? I read this as a child in an anthology  I thought it was the 'Princesses' book that I suggested earlier, but could be wrong.
This is the original poster again.  Nope, it's not The Princesses.  In my edition of The Princesses (copyright 1962) edited by Sally Patrick Johnson, the George Macdonald story is called The Light Princess.  Her evil aunt curses her to have no gravity (both lack of physical weight and emotional seriousness).  Her Prince must allow himself to be drowned to fill up a sinking lake that the Princess loves to swim in.  So, that is not it - nothing to do with the moon
waxing and waning.  Can you remember which anthology it was where you might have read a different version of the story?  And really, I'm hoping that the "princess named Paz" clue might ring a bell with someone.  As I remember it, the very first line of the story gave her name and explained that Paz meant peace.  But I have had no success in searching for it.  Does anyone out there remember a princess named Paz?
Rina Singh, Moon tales : myths of the moon from around the world,  1999.  This is just a possibility, since I don't actually have the book to check the details, but I thought it was worth mentioning.  It may be too recent.  When did you read it?  The contents list includes stories about rabbits, the moon, and a princess  no Oscar Wilde, though.  "The greedy man (Chinese) -- The thieves of Chelm (Jewish) -- Anansi (West African) -- Hina (Polynesian) -- The daughter of the moon and the son of the sun (Siberian) -- The rabbit and the moon man (Canadian) -- The sun, wind and the moon (Indian) -- The buried moon (English) -- The moon princess (Japanese) -- Why the moon waxes and wanes (Australian)"
No, it is not Moon Tales by Rina Singh.  Great suggestion, though!  I checked through it thoroughly. I also checked similar books of stories about the moon like Sun, Moon and Stars by Mary Huffman and Jane Ray, and The Buried Moon and Other Stories by Molly Bang.  No luck.  I would have read this collection of stories in the late 1960's to early 1970's.  But I think even books with recent copyrights might have old stories that ring a bell.  But none of these did.
THE BEDSIDE BOOK OF FAMOUS BRITISH STORIES maybe?  1956
Elsie Spicer Eells, Tales of enchantment from Spain, 1950, copyright.  Paz is Spanish for peace, so perhaps at least the princess story was a Spanish folktale. This collection includes: White parrot -- Carnation youth -- Wood cutter's son and the two turtles -- Luck fairies -- Bird which laid diamonds -- Enchanted castle in the sea -- Princess who was dumb -- King who slept -- Prince Fernando -- Lily and the bear -- Sun, moon, and morning star -- Frog and his clothes -- White dove of the city of the Swinging Gate -- Flower of beauty -- Magician palermo.

Not quite, but worth a mention:  Barrett, Judy.  Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  Illustrated by Ron Barrett.  Atheneum Books, 1978.
Tom Glazer, On Top of Spaghetti. It sure sounds like the storyline, though I can't vouch for the strange detailed pictures.  Be sure to check out the ones with illustrations by Art Seiden (1966), Tom Garcia (1982), or Jackie Snider (1982) - which would be the ones around in the time period you remember.  Newer versions in print have a different illustrator.
This one may be a long shot. Perhaps it was not a meatball that rolled underground. Perhaps it was a rice dumpling from the book THE FUNNY LITTLE WOMAN retold by Arlene Mosel. A rice dumpling falls through a crack in the old woman's house and leads her underground. It definitely would seem scary to a child because there were statues and monsters down there. ~from a librarian
On Top of Spaghetti sounds like your best bet, since the song is a parody of  "On Top of Old Smokey" and generally starts "On top of spaghetti/All covered with cheese/I lost my poor meatball/When somebody sneezed."  The meatball goes on rolling out the door and I believe it eventually gets mushed or smushed.
I'm voting for The Funny Little Woman because of the hill, the underground city and scariness.  Versions I've seen of On Top of Spaghetti don't have the underground sequence or the frightening factor.

Sounds like a version of Seven Blind Mice, except it's usually an elephant they're describing.  There's a nice modern version of that by Ed Young.
Thanks for the suggestion.  Seven Blind Mice is similar in theme, but it's not the book I'm looking for.
M160 Have you tried consulting A to Zoo?  Most public & school libraries have this reference book that lists picture books categorized by animals. Worth a shot!
Thanks for the advice.  Sadly, I've checked two different directories of children's literature -- but to no avail.  Surely
SOMEONE must remember this book!?! 

M186: Sounds like Walter the Lazy Mouse by Marjorie Flack. See F72. It also reminds me of the movie An American Tail, though I never saw it.
The Grocery Mouse.  The plot involves a young mouse who lives in a grocery store with his large family but is anxious to see the outside world.  His mother warns him of the dangers of the outside.  He is accidently swept outside and travels around searching for food and a place to live. He meets a girl mouse and moves into a tree eventually taking her back to see his family. This is a very cute book-at one point they follow a trail of ants to find food. It was very "vintage" when I received it in the mid-sixties. I have it up in the attic somewhere-if this sounds right, let me know and I will look for it to find the author.
I just found the book.  It is not the one I am looking for.  Thanks.
Could this be Mouse House by Rumer Godden??
Thanks, but it's not the Mouse House either.
Elsa Jane Werner, Patrick the Fuzziest Bunny, 1946.  Could this be the book, it is about a rabbit though not a mouse who gets separated from his family when they go on a picnic, he gets lost and goes through many adventures.  It is a fuzzy wuzzy book?  I had it as a child in the early 50's
Thank you very much, but Patrick The Fuzziest Bunny is not the book I am searching for.  There were no fuzzies and I am sure it was a mouse that was lost.
I seem to remember a series of 2in1 books from 1954 that included My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World, unfortunately the reverse side of that is not the mouse book I am struggling to remember. There is one about a mouse (I believe he is dressed russian style) and he has to go out into the snow searching for something? Which made me think of the description for M186. My memory of this series gets alittle vague, perhaps someone else remembers this series better?
I have THE DANDELION LIBRARY,which includes My Mother is the Most Beautiful Woman in the World, as well as the Russian tale about Trubloff-the Mouse Who Wanted to Play the Balalaika.  The watercolor illustrations of Trubloff traveling with a band of musicians show him cross-country skiing against vast wintery sunsets and starry night skies.There are many wonderfully moving stories and pictures in this collection, including The Three Little Horses, and Johnny Crow's Garden.

Russell & Lillian Hoban, Bedtime for Frances.  Long shot, but could be Bedtime for Frances.  The illustrations are in shades of grey (and green in *some* editions).  While the story does not center entirely around things looking scary in the dark, there are part