This could be one book, or two different ones

WendyBee · Post by **WendyBee** » 25 May 2007, 02:53

I`m so sorry to be so vague but this is from over 30 years ago and I don`t have much information.
A young lad whose name I don`t even know lives with a family, but I don`t think its a biological family. The mother figure of this family buys a cyclamen plant or a clementis plant and it grows up to the garden wall (if memory serves).
Anyway part of a plot in this book possibly, this young lad is in a building of some kind with many rooms (could be a warehouse) and he overhears a lot of lads talking. One of the older lads pretends to be a gangster and is talking on a phone which isn`t even a real one...its a red kiddies phone. One of the gang spots him. And that`s where my vagueness hits a blank wall.
So come on your super sleuths, do you have any idea what book I`m talking about? Is it one book or two different ones? And what happens to the young lad when the gang of older lads catch him eavesdropping?
Its been bugging me for years.

Ming · Post by **Ming** » 25 May 2007, 06:53

Sounds like The Six Bad Boys, the telephone part.

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 25 May 2007, 08:18

I agree with Ming that you're probably thinking of The Six Bad Boys, Wendy. The young lad, Bob, spends a lot of time at the house of the Mackenzie family and he buys a cyclamen plant for the mother, but she keeps it indoors. And yes, Bob hears the leader of a gang of boys talking on a toy telephone down in the cellars of a deserted house. I'm not going to reveal what happens to him, though - it'll be much more fun for you to track down a copy of the book and find out for yourself!

Anita

Moonraker · Post by **Moonraker** » 25 May 2007, 11:01

Yes, The Six Bad Boys is one of Enid's best and darkest stand-alone novel. You are in for a treat, Wendy. As Anita says, track one down and enjoy!

WendyBee · Post by **WendyBee** » 25 May 2007, 15:00

Oh wow you are truly amazing. Thank you all so much.