I have a vague memory about reading, and loving, a book that once lived in the teeny library of my parochial elementary school. How vague, you ask?

The child in the book was staying with someone for the summer (a relative?). That someone lived in an ivy covered house. There was a fountain in the yard (dolphin shaped?). When water from the mouth of the dolphin washed over the child's eyes, he (she?) could see another world (shadow people?). I know one of them was a man on a horse. There was an entire family, I believe. I remember the fountain breaking and the child wanting to get back to them...but it's all very sketchy at this point.

The point is...I loved the stupid book. I want to find it again. I am completely unable to do so. I'm getting frustrated. What happened to all of the ancient old librarians that manned the children's section of the library and always knew exactly what I was looking for? Now those desks are manned by gum crackers on cell phones.

If anyone has any suggestions, any children's book experts they could refer me to, please let me know. Otherwise, I'm going to start to think I dreamt the whole thing up.

I finished Harry Potter early Sunday morning, despite my desire to savor it, despite the fact that I went sailing and out to dinner with Aud on Saturday, despite the fact that I kept trying to put the stupid thing down. I'm as disciplined as my male beagle. Anyway, yes I loved it. Yes, I'm sort of depressed that it's all over. Yes, it makes me want to have children so that I can read it with them.

Walking around at the two largest HP parties in Ohio on Friday night had me wondering if I'll ever see anything like this again in my lifetime. All that excitement and joy over a book. A book! I still feel like it's the day after the best Christmas ever.