Toy Forum
Toy ID Boards => Archive Of Identified Toys => Topic started by: hotpinksweetpea on Friday 09 April 2010, 02:11 am
-
I know it's not a toy, but I figured it would be worth a shot to see if anyone hear remembers the name of a book that I loved when I was younger. I believe the book came out in the mid 80's to very early 90's and was about a dollhouse in which the dolls would come alive. From what I remember, the book centered on the dollhouse and that there was a murder in the dollhouse - one of the little dolls either died or disappeared. A human girl got passed down the dollhouse and I think all the dolls came from an Uncle or Grandpa who traveled and would always bring something back to add to the house for her. I believe their was a a father, mother, 2 children, a baby doll (who was actually bigger than the children because she didn't "match" the set. I think their was a maid doll who was possibly mean? And one of the dolls might have been broken and had a crack on their face. I KNOW the book isn't The Dollhouse Murders, The Dollhouse Caper, or the Dollhouse books with Nancy Drew. I believe the cover of the book was a picture of the whole dollhouse and you can see inside the rooms and maybe a tag line of "there's been a murder in the dollhouse!" It was a paperback book. Does this ring any bells for anyone? A name or an author? Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you so much!
-
Oooooh the thing about the baby being bigger rings a bell. I'll look around.
-
http://www.amazon.com/When-Dolls-Marjorie-Filley-Stover/dp/0590404199
Sounds like When the Dolls Woke except they're looking for treasure instead of solving a murder. There were dolls that came from different parts of the world though.
There's actually another book, which came first:
http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Dollhouse-Apple-Marjorie-Stover/dp/0590449249
I just discovered it and plan on ordering it!
-
The cover to When the Dolls Woke looks very familiar too! Maybe the book was about treasure and I got it confused with a murder instead? I'm ordering that and the Midnight in the Dollhouse too! I know Ive never read the Midnight one before! I'm sooo happy that someone else remembers there was a bigger baby doll in a story too! I was beginning to think I was making this all up! I've been searching for over a year! Thank you guys for your help! Let me know if you come up with anything else!
-
I think its called "Time Windows". I have the book (its not for sale) and on the cover if I remember correctly there is a girl playing with a dollhouse. Here's a link to amazon (the cover looks updated):
http://www.amazon.com/Time-Windows-Kathryn-Reiss/dp/0152023992/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270788923&sr=8-1
Its one of my fav books and it does involve a murder and a dollhouse.
-
This chat has reminded me of a (UK) tv series called Tottie: The Story Of A Dolls' House, which was based on a book.
I found a clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aEF-1qr4CU
-
^ i was thinking of that, too.
it's a really sweet book :)
-
Try "Among The Dolls" by William Sleator. It's been reprinted several times so the covers are different. The synopsis sounds right.
-
ok I have a few more it might be:
The Dollhouse by Bebe Faas Rice
The Ghosts of Austwick Manor by Reby Edmond MacDonald
Sweet Miss Honeywells Revenge:A Ghost Story by Kathryn Reiss
-
wow yeah, I remember that tv series but I couldnt remember what it was called, thankyou! brought back some happy memories.
-
I remember the story, but dont remember the title! I found one, called the Dollhouse Murders, but I seem to remember another one about a dollhouse where its run by a sinister housekeeper or something? I read sooooo much as a kid, and alot of what I read may have been more adult books, so Im not sure if its a childrens book or not. Sorry Im not more helpful!!!
-
okay, so now Im obsessed with figuring this out, lol.
Check out Among the Dolls by William Sleator, this one sounds closer to what you are describing.
-
I already mentioned "Among The Dolls" above
-
I've looked up the plot for Tottie: The Story of a Doll's house, and it sounds like it could be the one you're looking for.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tottie:_The_Story_of_a_Dolls%27_House
I may be wrong though, some of the details don't seem to match.
-
Ive been buying a bunch of the books everyone has suggested off of amazon, and I do believe the book I loved was When the Dolls Woke! I read that around the same time of The Dollhouse Murders and believe I got the plot a little messed up! Thank you everyone for all your help and the great new (old?) books to add to my collection! :)
-
Yay! I love that book so. I have to dig my copy out of storage and read it again after I finish the first one.
-
I went out and bought Among the Dolls, sorry to whoever I had repeated with my mentioning. It wasnt exactly the one I was thinking of. I'm glad you found the one you were thinking of! After reading everyone's posts, and googling like crazy, I think the one I remember was Midnight in the dollhouse.
-
I went out and bought Among the Dolls, sorry to whoever I had repeated with my mentioning. It wasnt exactly the one I was thinking of. I'm glad you found the one you were thinking of! After reading everyone's posts, and googling like crazy, I think the one I remember was Midnight in the dollhouse.
Are you sure it isn't Time Windows? I wish I had a pic of my book with the old cover, but its packed away. Time Windows was about a girl who finds a dollhouse in the attic and when she looks into the windows, she can see in the past of the people who lived in the house. A girl disappeared and by looking into the dolhouse, she discovers the truth of what happened to her.
-
I think it's Tottie (she was the maid doll)
In the story the Plantaginate dolls were very happy there was Mr Plantaginate and his wife Birdy and they had a little boy called apple. They lived happily until one day a horrid doll called marchpane is introduced she then kills the mother doll (set her on fire I believe) and then causes a lot more trouble I think the story ends up happily with Marchpane being sent to a dolls museum and the other dolls living happily if thats not it tell me cos I have one other suggestion of what it could be xxxxx.
-
There was a series of at least 2 of these books by Marjorie Stover.
The first one was "Midnight in the Dollhouse", about the little girl in the late 19th century who is injured or sick or something as has to stay in bed for months, so her brother and father build her a dollhouse and then bring her back dolls and furniture on their sea travels.
The second book was "When the Dolls Awoke", and I think it takes place about 100 years later when a distant relative of the original owner of the dollhouse discovers the dollhouse in the attic or something like that.
The Dollhouse Murders was another great book, but definitely set at a little bit older audience. Also, a different author.
-
Are you sure it isn't Time Windows? I wish I had a pic of my book with the old cover, but its packed away. Time Windows was about a girl who finds a dollhouse in the attic and when she looks into the windows, she can see in the past of the people who lived in the house. A girl disappeared and by looking into the dolhouse, she discovers the truth of what happened to her.
[/quote]
I'm not sure...the name doesnt sound familiar. I will have to check it out and see. Thanks!! Its very possible that I read several books with this theme as a kid and am just rolling all the plots together in memory. =)