Swallowdale

By Arthur Ransome

Book Overview

A summer of adventure with the Swallows and Amazons. The Walker and Blackett children survive a shipwreck, discover a secret valley and cave, and go on a thrilling mountain hike.

On summer holiday, the Swallows (John, Susan, Titty and Roger Walker) and the Amazons (Nancy and Peggy Blackett) meet up on Wild Cat Island. Unfortunately, though, the Amazons have a problem: their Great Aunt Maria has come to visit and she demands that the Amazon pirates act like "young ladies." Things get worse when the Swallows discover a very high hill that just begs to be climbed...

How the Amazons escape the Great Aunt, arrange a rendezvous, and mount an expedition to sleep under the stars on the summit makes a very exciting and satisfying story.

Friendship, resourcefulness, and sailing, too: 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. Swallowdale (originally published in 1931) is the second title in the Swallows and Amazons series, books for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure and imagination.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1567924212
• ISBN13: 9781567924213
• Release Date: July 2010
• Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher
• Length: 431 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.5" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 9 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 9

Customer Reviews

loved by many generations in one family

My mother, who was twelve years old in 1938, wrote a letter to Mr. Ransome telling him how much she loved his books, and asking if she could "be" Nancy, her favorite character. Mr. Ransome very kindly wrote back and bequeathed that character to her. That thought was very important to her, helping her get through some difficult times in her childhood. And her kids grew up to enjoy the books just as much. If I ever have children (or nieces & nephews) I will certainly share the books with them, too. They are fun and adventurous, and also show kids being "real," and also being independent and responsible, and able to help each other out. I wish the world could still be that way for kids.