Except it was *not *called Bonastacius the Green, no matter what my memory says, as that title does not seem to exist. I remember it as a book about a little boy who befriends a dragon; this would have been in the early 1960s.
Ring a bell with anyone else?
Yes! I know it! In fact, I’m pretty sure I had it.
But I can’t remember the title, either. :smack:
Well, thank goodness, that is *one *part of my childhood I have not hallucinated.
I remember another book, a kind of Secret Garden type thing, only I think the three kids were spies or crime-solvers or something; all I remember is one girl was named Lydia, as that was the first time I had ever seen that name and I loved it.
When you say “little boy who befriends a dragon” I immediately think of My Father’s Dragon (and sequels). It was written in 1948 so it would have been around in the 60’s.
Just looked it up, but nope, that’s not it.
Eve? Who do you love? Bonifacius the Green
I think I had a copy, but am fairly certain I gave it to the booksale during my last book purge. i am so sorry about that part.
About the Lydia book, were the other children boys or girls? Do you remember anything else about it?
*Omigod! That’s it! Thank you! *I have no desire to reread it (I don’t imagine it will be as good as it was when I was in second grade), but it is so nice seeing that dimly-recalled illustration again!
The Lydia book I have fewer memories of, not even much of the plot: three kids, I think ( boy and two girls?) and a secret enchanted garden–it was modern (well, in the 1960s) and I think it had some kind of spy/adventure theme to it. All I really remember is reading the name “Lydia” for the first time–as I remember Jeff’s girlfriend in Mutt and Jeff was named “Gladys” (which I thought was pronounced “GLADE-ees” till my grandmother enlightened me).
One possibility for “Lydia” would be that you’ve mashed up two of Edward Eager’s books: The Time Garden, which deals with a, well, secret enchanted garden, but has 4 kids, none of them named Lydia, and Magic Or Not? or The Well-Wishers, which don’t deal with a secret enchanted garden (but do deal with magic) and DOES have an important character named Lydia.
(There! Great sentence, huh?)
Anyway, the time period is correct–Magic Or Not was published in 1960–and the name “Lydia” works. Eager wrote mostly upper elementary kids’ books with magic as a theme. I enjoyed them quite a bit as a kid, and they hold up pretty well. Just a thought–