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 ...
Read More
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.
Read Less
Add this copy of Swallows and Amazons to cart. $3.84, good condition, Sold by Goodwill of Greater Milwaukee rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milwaukee, WI, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by David R. Godine, Publisher.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Book is considered to be in good or better condition. The actual cover image may not match the stock photo. Hard cover books may show signs of wear on the spine cover or dust jacket. Paperback book may show signs of wear on spine or cover as well as having a slight bend curve or creasing to it. Book should have minimal to no writing inside and no highlighting. Pages should be free of tears or creasing. Stickers should not be present on cover or elsewhere and any CD or DVD expected with the book is included. Book is not a former library copy.
Add this copy of Swallows and Amazons to cart. $4.89, good condition, Sold by Goodwill rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brooklyn Park, MN, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by David R. Godine Publisher.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Corners are bent. Stains on outside cover/inside the book. There are tears on paperback. Spine is twisted/bowed. Cover/Case has some rubbing and edgewear. Access codes, CD's, slipcovers and other accessories may not be included.
Add this copy of Swallows and Amazons to cart. $4.97, fair condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by David R. Godine, Publisher.
Add this copy of Swallows and Amazons to cart. $7.57, fair condition, Sold by Once Upon A Time Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tontitown, AR, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by David R. Godine, Publisher.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fair. This is a used book. It may contain highlighting/underlining and/or the book may show heavier signs of wear. It may also be ex-library or without dustjacket. This is a used book. It may contain highlighting/underlining and/or the book may show heavier signs of wear. It may also be ex-library or without dustjacket.
Add this copy of Swallows and Amazons to cart. $7.59, good condition, Sold by Once Upon A Time Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tontitown, AR, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by David R. Godine, Publisher.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear. This is a used book in good condition and may show some signs of use or wear.
Add this copy of Swallows and Amazons to cart. $7.99, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1994 by David R Godine.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Fine - good service & price - what else can I say?
WHRupp
Apr 3, 2007
Just as good years later
Recently my wife read my daughter "The Ballet Shoes". That not being on my reading list as a boy, I looked it up on the net. One review commented that "Ballet Shoes" was a unique book because the children worked for a living in it and didn't 'merely said boats' (I'm paraphrasing the words but not the meaning). Obviously, the reviewer was taking a jab at Ransome's wonderful series of stories about the Walkers, the Blacketts, and their friends and the sailing adventures they all had. These books hold an unassailable place in my memory of my childhood and inspired me to learn to sail at a very young age. Nevertheless, as a parent, I've been less than impressed when I've re-visited some stories by reading them to my daughter (the Narnia series, for instance, holds no delight for me as an adult as it did for me as a child). I am happy to report that Swallows and Amazons offered no such disappointment; I am as happy to read them now as I was to listen to them read to me as a child. Even more wonderful is my daughter's positive reaction to them. Swallows and Amazons is an uncomplicated tale of children having fun on vacation. They live very real lives for the rest of the year, but for a glorious two weeks they are explorers, adventures, pirates, and treasure hunters. Ransome has created a story that is wonderfully told from the perspective of protagonists ages 7-12 that maintains both a firm grasp on the possibilities of the real world and a detailed understanding of how children operate in that world. The crews of the ships Swallow and Amazon are hard working, smart without being unrealistic, and fun kids. They are excellent role models without being too easily classified as such. The stories offer good fun, but also some ambiguity over actions and do pose some real questions for young readers to think about. Some of the language and underlying ideas are a little dated, it is true, but Ransome's fidelity to the ideal of childhood and his genuine openmindedness makes this book, and its followers, delights. I look forward to reading the rest of the series with my daughter and seeing if the others hold up as well as Swallows and Amazons has.
