# Help Me Find This YA/Childrens' Book? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 25, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-ya-childrens-book/337175 "2005-12-25T17:04:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-ya-childrens-book/337175/1 "2005-12-25T17:04:30Z")
When I was around nine or ten, I came across this novel tucked into a corner of our attic. I must have read it a hundred times, but can’t for the life of me remember the title or author. I’m almost positive the main character’s name is Imogene or some variant thereof, and I **think** that name is in the title. Imogene is around 13 or 14 and is somewhat of a misfit among her peers [think Wednesday from the Addam’s Family]. Her mother is an artist and decides to leave Imogene with her father/grandfather/assorted aunts and uncles who live in a dusty old mansion on the outskirts of town. Imogene’s father/grandfather own and run the town’s department store. The store figures in significantly later when Imogene, bereft at having no friends, decides to steal a mannequin and pass it off as her best friend [or sister maybe?] at some event or other at school. The book ends with her mother returning from the artist colony to take her back to New York [I think]. Does anyone have ANY idea what the title might be? I’ve Googled for ages and can’t find a thing. TIA. ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-ya-childrens-book/337175/2 "2005-12-25T17:41:39Z")
“Irma” not “Imogene.” [The Bad Times of Irma Baumlein"](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689715137/002-7102806-6912052?v=glance&n=283155) by the great Carol Ryrie Brink. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-ya-childrens-book/337175/3 "2005-12-25T17:58:51Z")
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I’m off to Amazon as we speak! ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-find-this-ya-childrens-book/337175/4 "2005-12-26T14:55:07Z")
Glad to help – hope it’s as good as you remember!