# What old children's/young adult book am I remembering? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 19, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-childrens-young-adult-book-am-i-remembering/514383 "2009-10-19T20:16:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-childrens-young-adult-book-am-i-remembering/514383/21 "2009-10-21T14:48:57Z")
Oh man, this is triggering memories! I’m 27 but read tons of books like this in the Catholic grade school library, since they kept books until they fell apart. I made sure to read “Ballet Shoes” at least once a year. Can I contribute a question? I distinctly remember reading a series of books in this same age range that were also set in the 40s or 50s, but it was about Jewish kids, I _think_ in New York. There may have been a character named Veronica? I remember there was stuff about bar mitzvahs and other Jewish things (kind of funny that my Catholic school library would have them, heh). Does this ring any bells? ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-childrens-young-adult-book-am-i-remembering/514383/22 "2009-10-21T23:28:45Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > I distinctly remember reading a series of books in this same age range that were also set in the 40s or 50s, but it was about Jewish kids, I _think_ in New York. There may have been a character named Veronica? I remember there was stuff about bar mitzvahs and other Jewish things (kind of funny that my Catholic school library would have them, heh). Does this ring any bells? This one sounds like the Marilyn Sachs books set in the Bronx. The first one is _Amy Moves In_ and then _Amy and Laura_, and there’s a Veronica who is a bully who bothers Amy (?) but then later Veronica gets her own book. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-childrens-young-adult-book-am-i-remembering/514383/23 "2009-10-21T23:32:05Z")
Oh, and I was also going to ask if _Kitty in the Middle_ was the one that had an episode where one of the girls forgets to bring her veil to church and so she wears a Kleenex on her head, causing a scandal. In the one I’m thinking of, there was also a big thing about which girl was going to be the May Queen. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-childrens-young-adult-book-am-i-remembering/514383/24 "2009-10-22T02:33:32Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > This one sounds like the Marilyn Sachs books set in the Bronx. The first one is _Amy Moves In_ and then _Amy and Laura_, and there’s a Veronica who is a bully who bothers Amy (?) but then later Veronica gets her own book. OH my God I think those are them! THANK YOU! It’s been bugging me on and off since I left grade school! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-childrens-young-adult-book-am-i-remembering/514383/25 "2009-10-26T14:52:59Z")
Okay, I’ve read half of _Kitty in the Middle_ and skimmed through the rest, and I don’t think this is it. Plus, it’s a sucky book - it’s all fakey fake “Remember there’s a WAR on because THIS BOOK IS SET IN THE FORTIES” stuff. Thumbs down. (The Betsy books, however, are as good as I remembered.) ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-childrens-young-adult-book-am-i-remembering/514383/26 "2009-10-27T01:31:07Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I’m positive I read this as well, but I forget the name of it. This is the name book where the protagonist’s parents tell her she was born in another country, and she develops this elaborate fantasy about how she’s actually English and is a member of the British royal family, and then her parents tell her she was born in…Canada. Right? This is the same book, right? Or maybe it was a sequel. Hm. This one is called “Her Majesty, Grace Jones,” or “Her Majesty of Grace.” Not sure if it’s the one described in the OP or not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-old-childrens-young-adult-book-am-i-remembering/514383.md?page=1)