Reviews (50)

A Treasure of My Childhood I Want My Grandchild to Read
About 60 years ago I read as many books from this series that I could find in my local public library. I had passed through a phase of devouring the Dr. Doolittle fantasy series (so damaged by the motion pictures using that title - how could they cast tall lanky Rex Harrison in the role of a short cuddly grandfather-like figure?) Another series in which, as an American boy fascinated by warplanes during the Worl War II era - I went on to become an aerospace engineer - I was enthralled, was "A Yank in the RAF", which I don't think would translate to the 21st Century very well. But the series that made the most impact on me was Ransome's Swallow family.As with Hugh Lofting's Doolittle, the author's drawings enhanced the books.
ages 4 to 8?
A reading level of ages four to eight?I vigorously question that.Perhaps grades four to eight.The vocabulary, as is the case with many older books, is quite sophisticated. That said, this book is a treasure.

Rediscover lost childhood summers
I discovered SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS as a child of twelve and was thoroughly delighted. I cannot imagine why this classic series has not achieved the same status in the United States. This first volume in the series follows the children of the Swallow family as they summer in the English lake country. The story charts their adventures as they sail, camp, discover nature around them interact with each other and two girls from a houseboat (the Amazons). It is a lovely wistful book that evokes the grandeur of childhood games in nature. In the background of the story is a faint hint of the World War (the Swallows' father is in the Navy) but the sense that the children are being sheltered from adult concerns but that only heightens the loveliness of their childhood lives.
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Subjects:  1. Camping    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Fiction    5. General    6. Sailing   

Reviews (9)

Explorers and savages
Set immediately following the events of "We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea," this volume in the Swallows & Amazons series finds the Walkers once again sunk in gloom as their father, Cdr. Walker, has been denied his hoped-for leave, which will apparently prevent them from going on their planned family cruise to a region of marshes and islands suggested by their friend Jim Brading.Then Daddy gets his Great Idea: he and Mother will "maroon" the children (including Ship's Baby Bridget and Ship's Kitten Sinbad) with camping gear and provisions while they go up to London, and the "shipwrecked sailors" will explore and chart the unknown regions in which they've found themselves.The large island that will serve as their headquarters is surrounded by mud flats at low tide and has a farm (promptly christened a "native kraal" by Titty) near the middle of it, and with a small sailing boat of their own, the "Wizard," the self-sufficient and experienced Walkers anticipate no real trouble.
One of the best
This Arthur Ransome is as good as the rest, well written and with a new venue. This is a real location in almost all respects. What I missed reading this as a child was the context. Commander Walker gets an urgent summonds from the navy. As an adult, looking at the date of publication, I see that the book came out in November 1939. This was immediately after WWII was declared by Britain and Commander Walker was obviously very busy!
A step backwards for the S/A series...
...but still worth reading.
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Subjects:  1. Adventure and adventurers    2. Camping    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 1-2    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Islands    8. Sailing   

Reviews (1)

Superb
This book from the 1930s or 40s starts with a group of kids sailing in the Hebrides with Uncle Jim -- the uncle of two of them -- at the end of their cruise. They stop to spend a day taking care of the borrowed boat -- cleaning the bottom and putting on a new coat of bottom paint -- and while the older ones are doing this, the younger ones explore. One of them goes birdwatching, and sees something unusual. Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Nature & the Natural World - Environment   

Reviews (4)

Dated but fun
MISSEE LEE is subtitled "A sequel to PETER DUCK" which should be a tipoff; this is another "fantasy" entry into the S&A series.As such, it has more exotic locations and real danger than the other books.
Lovely, albeit dated, book
I love the whole Swallows and Amazons series, but somehow I read Missee Lee only once -- perhaps it got lost from the library or something. So I had the pleasure of rediscovering it a few years ago when my kids were the right age for it. It's a wonderful "reading aloud" book (as are "We didn't mean to go to sea" and "Great Northern"), with a strong female character -- unusual in children's books from 65 years ago! -- and terrific storytelling and pacing. Twenty-two gong tale belong velly well all ages bimeby
Subtitled "Swallows and Amazons in the South China Seas", this tenth volume in Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series is actually a sequel to the second, "Peter Duck". Those readers familiar with the background to the earlier volume will not be surprised to learn that the emphasis within this book is on rather wild and exotic high-seas adventuring for a group of six English school children, together with their middle-aged uncle, a parrot and a mischievous monkey, aboard their schooner, Wild Cat. Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Adventure and adventurers    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 3-4    5. Fiction    6. Pirates    7. Sailing    8. South China Sea    9. Transportation - Boats/Underwater   

Reviews (2)

Possibly my favorite of the series
When Dick and Dot arrive in the lake country they are expecting a pleasant visit with friends while learning how to sail their very own boat.But things never work out as planned, especially when Nancy has a hand in things -- first thing anyone knows she has Dick and Dot living in hiding from "the Great Aunt" and everybody else reluctantly in on the secret that must not be found out.
Perhaps my favorite in the series
It's hard to pick a favorite -- all the Swallows and Amazon books are good, and I'm sure everybody has their own favorite -- but I particularly like the character of the Great Aunt in this book. She is so...PROPER and so...INTIMIDATING, and the interactions the other characters have with her make for a good story. There is plenty of intrigue, plenty of almost-crisis, plenty of devious scheming by Nancy & crew to subvert the tyranny of the Great Aunt so they can achieve their own goals. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Literature - Classics    2. Classics    3. Juvenile Fiction   

Reviews (8)

"I've never tried writing a detective story..."
That's what Dorothea Callum, aspiring novelist, says when she and brother Dick learn of the troubles of their old friends the Norfolk Coots.But a detective story is what the Callums end up living as they try to help mend the situation.This book probably takes place concurrently with "We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea" and "Secret Water;" it's September, near the end of the summer holidays, and Dick and Dorothea have come down to Horning to stay with Mrs. Barrable again (presumably their parents are off on another archaeological jaunt).The Six of the title are the D's, doctor's son Tom Dudgeon, and the young Death and Glories, Bill, Joe, and Pete (Port and Starboard, the twin sisters of "Coot Club," have been shipped off to boarding school in Paris).The D&G's, through circumstantial evidence, are suspected of setting adrift a number of boats and of stealing and selling a quantity of naval shackles, and Constable Tedder is determined to bring them to book.In sheer self-defense the Six resolve to prove their innocence--and thanks to Dorothea's creative mind and Dick's keen powers of observation, plus a clever photographic trap, they succeed.Though the very best volumes of this series take place in the Lake Country, and there's not as much sailing or even imaginative play in this one as in most, the detections of the Six are very well done, with some of the best scenes coming as Dorothea tries to put herself into the skin of "the villain," as they call whoever seems to be setting the D&G's up for a fall.A good change of pace for this beloved series.

A fun detective adventure
The D's return to the S&A series and to the Norfolk Broads in a late summer adventure.
This book is awesome!
I loved this book and all the other books by Arthur Ransome.My Mom read them when she was young and said I should read them too.She was right.The story is exciting, the characters are fun and I couldn't put this book down. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Boats and boating    3. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    4. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    5. Fiction    6. General    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Mystery and detective stories    9. Norfolk (England)    10. Social life and customs    11. Vacations   

Reviews (3)

Extremely Helpful Navigation Tool
Having read the first of Ransome's books in 1958, then learning that the places actually existed, it took me most of 50 years to get to the source.
Perfect for locating the actual locations ArthurRansome used1
I went to Coniston, England to see the area where Arthur Ransome wrote many of the Swallows and Amazon books.I found this book at the National Park store and used it to locate almost all of the locations from the books!Wildcat Island took me right back to my youth reading these books and dreaming of what it was like.Must have if you plan to visit.

A Wonderful Book
This is a wonderful book for all ages. I love to read it, savouring each part until, sadly, I finish the book. 'In Search of Swallows and Amazons'is a must-have and truly a timeless classic for everyone. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Travel    2. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    3. England   

Subjects:  1. Fiction   

Subjects:  1. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    2. Travel