The Mystery Hideout by Ken Follett, 1976.
The first time Mick Williams meets Randall Izard (called “Izzie”) is when the news dealer Mick works for asks him to train the new boy on his paper route, and Mick learns that Izzie will also be going to his school. Mick doesn’t like Izzie much at first. The new boy speaks with a posh accent and is riding an expensive bike that he says was a present from his father, who makes television ads for a living. Mick doesn’t have a father, and he stole the bike that he rides for his paper route.
Mick guesses that Izzie’s family used to have more money but have fallen on hard times, which is why Izzie needs the paper route. Mick is worried about his own future. Someone is building a new hotel on the street where he lives by knocking down the old film studios, and his mother says that they’re going to demolish all the old apartment buildings around it. That means that they’ll have to find a apartment, which isn’t easy because they don’t have much money, and not everyone wants to rent to a lone woman with a child.
Mick kind of envies the criminal gangs that he reads about in the paper, like the Disguise Gang. They stage daring raids on banks while wearing clever disguises so that no one knows that they really look like. They fool everyone and get away with tons of money. Mick wishes that he was that clever! If he was, his mother would never have to worry about money again.
But, Izzie turns out to be a good friend for Mick. They both love to play soccer, and Izzie tells Mick that his father used to work in the old studio buildings that they’re tearing down to build the new hotel. In fact, Izzie even knows a secret way in, so the boys sneak in to explore a little. They’re goofing off with some of the props when they make the startling discovery that the prop guns are loaded with real bullets! Then, the boys have to make a run for it because there are other people sneaking around the old studios. What is going on there?
This book actually takes place in London. I don’t think they actually say the name of the city in the story, but they do mention the Thames, the money is all in pounds, and there are children playing cricket. But, it’s the kind of story that could take place anywhere. Mick and Izzie are realistic characters. Both of them are worried about their families’ hard times. Mick in particular wants to be the man of the house and to help his mother in her struggles to provide for them. His inner debate about which side of the law he should be on is also feels real, and it’s satisfying what he chooses when he realizes what criminals are really like and the danger they pose to people he cares about.
The Adventures of the Red Tape Gang by Joan Lowery Nixon, 1974.
Our Teacher Is Missing by Mary Frances Shura, 1992.
Basically, it’s a puzzle book. In the Arithmetic section, the letters in the words stand for numbers. The book gives an example to demonstrate how to figure out which numbers the letters stand for. The problems get harder through the sections labeled Numbers, Pronouns, and Paragraphs.
Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger by Louis Sachar, 1995.
Meanwhile, the principal declares that “door” is a very bad word and that everyone should say “goozack” instead. Mrs. Jewls tells the children to write poems about colors, but some colors rhyme better than others. Kathy tries to convince everyone that Santa doesn’t exist. Miss Zarves (who also doesn’t exist), laments about how difficult teaching really is.
Wayside School is Falling Down by Louis Sachar, 1989.
Socks figure into many of the stories, with a special jingle invented by Mac, who used to be named Nancy until he traded names with a girl. It’s fortunate that Mac invented the jingle because Allison uses it to free herself from the non-existent 19th story. Myron chooses freedom over safety, emancipating himself from the school’s rules. Bebe invents a younger brother, and things turn around for Leslie when her pigtails pull Paul. Rondi fears that she’s no longer cute now that her front teeth have grown in. Joy learns the best thing about the toy dog that Todd brought to school, and Ron actually tries the school lunch.
Each of the books contains thirty stories, like the school (ha, ha!). It would take awhile to describe them all, but there are stories about each of the kids in Mrs. Jewls’s class. Mrs. Jewls took over the class on the 30th floor after Mrs. Gorf accidentally turned herself into an apple. She used to turn her students into apples when they made her mad, but most forms of revenge backfire eventually. Mrs. Gorf ends up turning herself into an apple when one of her students holds up a mirror, and then, Louis the yard teacher eats her.
Mrs. Gorf does make one more reappearance on the Friday before Halloween. Mrs. Jewls and the children argue that she can’t haunt the school if it’s not Halloween, but when Halloween falls on a weekend, schools have to have their Halloween party on the Friday before. Stephen’s just happy that the ghost of Mrs. Gorf justifies his costume.
Twenty and Ten by Claire Bishop, 1952.
The two groups of children soon make friends, and one of the Jewish children, Arthur, shares something special with his new friend, Henry: a small piece of chocolate. With the rationing, none of them have seen chocolate in a long time. Henry decides to share a little with Janet because he likes her, and they decide to hide the rest and save it for later. When Denise spies them with the chocolate and wants to have a little herself, she steals the piece of chocolate from where Henry has hidden it. The others chase after her to get the chocolate back, and they end up accidentally discovering a cave that none of them knew was there.
Jestress's Forgotten Books and Stories 