What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Child of the 1970s and 1980s. Looking for a book series that focused on a boy and his dog who had adventures in what I recall to be southern parts of the US on a river system. Would have been the Mississippi River I suspect. Lived on a riverboat with family (maybe had sisters, no other boys in the family). Books would have been originally published well before 1970s. The setting leads me to believe it would have been the late 19th to early 20th century.

Cannot find a bookseller who doesnt want to convince me I am asking for Huck Finn. Saw a discussion about Henry Huggins, and thought that could be it, but no. Encyclopedia Brown, Great Brain, etc. were the other book series I read with this missing series.

Beginning to think I may have a book idea locked in my head that I have convinced myself was a series from my childhood.

Help.

Clint--rest easy--I believe that I too have read this series. But I have no idea what its called either. Just that there were a couple of books in it, and that it was historically set. I'm not as convinced as you that it was published "well before", just that it's set in earlier times.

Here's hoping someone else remembers this and still has their copies of the series.

Maybe scan this list?

http://www.riverboatdaves.com/books.html

Glad to know I am not dreaming. I seem to recall in one of the books there was a flood of some sort that the boy and his dog had to deal with too. They spent most of their adventures in the various towns adjacent to this river system. Certainly a fiction book targeted at the pre-teen to early teen audience.

I appreciate the links as well. Have searched riverboat, houseboat, Mississippi, Ohio. My feeling that the book is older is I suspect it has been out of print for long time, which is the reason no matter what obscure book store I walk into they want me to go the Mark Twain section. I did get a Cape Fear suggestion from a bookseller, which was refreshing and still wrong.

There's this book called Carolina Hurricane by Marian Rumsey. Summary: Lost in a crab boat in the middle of a South Carolina salt marsh, twelve-year-old Morgan endures the full brunt of a hurricane.

The boy's dad is a fisherman, and they have a dog called Tater, who gets lost with the kid on the boat. It doesn't seem like a series. The edition I have is from 1977 and has a different cover, black and white.

Good luck! :)

Thank you Erika. Looks like an interesting story, but unfortunately, as you mention, not a series and not the book(s) I am looking to find. Its a race against a brain that gets dimmer and dimmer with each passing year forgetting more and more.

There was a series I remember. One of the books is Augustus and the River, by LeGrand. I read one or two of the books as a child.

abe.com search Keywords: Mississippi boy dog
The Outdoor Chums on a Houseboat or The Rivals of the Mississippi
Allen, Captain Quincy
Published by Goldsmith, New York , 1913


Project Gutenberg

OOHHHH, where did you find that bkl? We don't have it listed on GR. Was it on Project Gutenberg, including the dust jacket picture? Or did you find a copy of it somewhere?

Read the first thing I wrote there ... :)
Found it on abe.com
It's not the only copy there. Also noticed its text was on Gutenberg, but haven't read it so don't know if it's an exact match, but sounds close!

Augustus and the River for Kate's old suggestion.

Quincy Allen for the other, for now - I'll add this book to his page.

Ok, turns out there are two Quincy Allens conflated on the same page. This might take some work to sort out.

Clint, are you still looking for this? Was it anything suggested from msg 7 on?

I am. It has been an on and off search, which apparently now includes some of my family trying to unlock the mystery book(s) in hopes of giving me copies for a birthday or Christmas gift. It has become a Serendipity-like search. Glad to be driving others crazy.

1. Boy.
2. Dog
3. Houseboat
4. Adventures on river
5. Very easy read
6. 1970s to 1980s is when I read it/them

Could it be the Box Car Children series. I read those in the 80's and #12 "Houseboat Mystery" sounds like it could be the book you're looking for.

I believe Kate gave me the answer 2 years ago and somehow I missed her comment back then. Actually just gave up actively looking on Goodreads and would rely on popping into old bookstores instead. Been here all along. So, a big thank you to Kate!

Now to find a book published 50+ years ago is the next journey. Amazon here I come.