Children's Book Finder

January 10, 2005 9:59 PM

Do you remember a children's book that involved a couple of kids who wrote and produced a play (that eventually included Neil Diamond and the Vice-President of the USA) to surreptitiously raise the money they needed to build a hang-glider? What was it?! [+]

This was in the children's or young-adults' section of the public library back in Hastings, MN. I could have sworn the title of the book involved "gliders" or "hang-gliders," but I just can't find the book anywhere. Basically, these kids write a play and make all sorts of crazy promises about who would be in it (e.g., Neil Diamond and the POTUS) in an effort to attract attention. Ultimately, all sorts of crazy people do show up to perform, and they raise a lot of money, but -- if I remember correctly -- the hang-glider thing doesn't work out so well (broken bones?). This is one of 2 or 3 ill-remembered childhood books that are driving me completely nuts in my old age.

posted by subgenius to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

Response by poster: Oh, and I must have read this book in the early-to-mid 1980s.
posted by subgenius at 10:03 PM on January 10, 2005

WTF, Neil Diamond, the Veep and hang gliders - I must read this book. Time to google.
posted by Dag Maggot at 10:53 PM on January 10, 2005

Crap. I know the one you're talking about, subgenius - the protagonist had a genius friend (I think named Jacob?) who created his own computer, as well.
posted by Ryvar at 12:14 AM on January 11, 2005

Completely dead useless, unless you were looking there in the first place: it's probably not in the Dakota County system anymore (esp. since the library in Hastings burned down in 1993...)

(Because I just looked and I couldn't find anything matching that apparent title in the catalog.)
posted by Electric Elf at 12:47 AM on January 11, 2005

Best answer: Grounded, by Todd Domke.

"A group of eleven-year-olds put on a school play in order to raise money to build a glider.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title."
posted by icontemplate at 5:53 AM on January 11, 2005

Thank you thank you thank you - even though I'm not the original poster, having read his query I've spent fully 2 hours digging through Amazon and Google for this. I remember REALLY loving this book as a kid.
posted by Ryvar at 6:22 AM on January 11, 2005

I found it in about five minutes, using our library's NoveList. Quite handy at work when patron's come in only knowing a plot, or want to find something similar to a favorite work. Even handier lately on ask.mefi with all these recent queries about lost childhood books.

I find Amazon to be a bit difficult in finding something with limited information.
posted by icontemplate at 6:32 AM on January 11, 2005

Response by poster: Thank you, icontemplate!!

Electric Elf, that fire has been one of the biggest hurdles to finding books I enjoyed as a kid -- I remember where a lot of them were shelved, but that doesn't do much good, what with everything being torched and the library being reopened in another location and all....
posted by subgenius at 7:08 AM on January 11, 2005