Swallows and Amazons Forever!
4 primary works • 5 total works
Book 1
Friendship, resourcefulness, adventures! Here's the classic tale of two families of children who band together against a common foe: an uncle who claims he's too busy for his nieces.
The Walker children (John, Susan, Titty and Roger) are on school holiday in the Lake District and are sailing a borrowed catboat named "Swallow," when they meet the Blackett children (Nancy and Peggy), who sail the boat, "Amazon." The children camp together on Wild Cat Island where a plot is hatched against the Blackett's Uncle Jim who is too busy writing his memoirs to be disturbed.
Fireworks--literally--ensue along with a dangerous contest, a run-in with houseboat burglars, and the theft of Uncle Jim's manuscript. How all this is resolved makes for an exciting and very satisfying story. Uncle Jim ends up apologizing for missing his nieces' adventures all summer--thankfully, readers won't miss a thing.
Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has stood the test of time. More than just great stories, each one celebrates independence and initiative with a colorful, large cast of characters. Like the entire series that follows, this book is for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure and imagination, exploring and setting sail.
Book 3
Book 5
Someone is wrecking wild birds' nesting places on the lake and selling eggs to out-of-town collectors. It's the Coot Club Bird Protection Society to the rescue!
Dick and Dorothea Callum came to the Norfolk Broads during the Easter holidays, eager to learn to sail. There, they run into the Coot Club--children who protect the local birds from thoughtless tourists.
Trouble begins when a coot's nest is disturbed by a ship full of "Hullabaloos"--rude holiday boaters. The children try to convince the "Hullabaloos" to moor their noisy boat somewhere else. This fails and frantic chases, calamitous boat collisions, daring rescues (including by a dog, William the pug), and rewards ensue!
Friendship and resourcefulness, dangers and excitement: Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has stood the test of time. More than just great stories, each one celebrates independence and initiative with a colorful, large cast of characters. Coot Club (originally published in 1934) was ahead of its time in its concern for protecting wildlife. It is the fifth title in the Swallows and Amazons series, books for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure, exploration, and imagination.
Book 6
The Swallows, Amazons, and friends search for gold in the Lake District Hills--camping out, evading dangers, and staying in touch via homing pigeon.
Nancy and Peggy Blackett receive a letter from their Uncle Jim who's on his way home after failing to find treasure in South America. When they hear a tale about a lost gold mine in the Lake District hills, Nancy and Peggy decide to find the mine as a surprise for their uncle. The children comb the nearby hills, while being shadowed by a mysterious figure they dub "squashy hat." Undeterred by drought, sudden brushfires, and the continuing presence of Squashy Hat, the young prospectors persevere in their quest--with surprising results (aided by Dick's knowledge of chemistry).
Friendship and resourcefulness, dangers and rescues: Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has stood the test of time. More than just great stories, each one celebrates independence and initiative with a colorful, large cast of characters. Pigeon Post (originally published in 1936) is the sixth title in the Swallows and Amazons series, books for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure, exploration, and imagination.
