Name: Swallowdale
ISBN: 9781448139842

Arthur Ransome

'Ahoy! Ahoy! Swallows! Ahoy!' Have you ever sailed in a boat or built a camp? Have you caught trout and cooked it yourself? The four Swallows, John, Susan, Titty and Roger return to the lake full of such plans and they can't wait to meet up with Nancy and Peggy, the Amazon Pirates. When the Swallow is shipwrecked and the Amazon's fearsome Great-Aunt makes decides to make a visit their summer seems ruined. Then they discover a wonderful hidden valley and things take a turn for the better... BACKSTORY: Discover the real Swallowdale, swot up on seafaring and learn all about the adventurous author.

Swallowdale

The Walker family endures a shipwreck, discovers a secret cave and valley, builds a camp on the mainland, and goes hiking in the mountains.

𝚕𝚒𝚕𝚢

Colleen

I recently reread Swallows and Amazons, so of course I had to follow it up by rereading Swallowdale as well. 

My comments on this book are much like those regarding its predecessor: it is a wonderful, family-friendly, wholesome, fun adventure for all ages. It is just as good as the first book in the series. In fact, I actually like it better. There are two main reasons for this. The first is that in encouraging other people to try this series, my parents lent Swallows and Amazons out to people and at some point it was never returned. I didn't take it upon myself to replace the lost volume until I was in college, so Swallowdale was the one that I reread many, many more times in middleschool, highschool, and beyond. 

The second reason, is that I do think Swallowdale is better written and more developed. While I dearly love Swallows and Amazons, it does have a slow start and a unassuming plot. Swallowdale is able to jump right into the story with minimal time going over the who, what, and where. Ransome has already built the world and the beloved characters and now sets about building them up. Another shift in this story, is that while it is still very much about the whole crew, it does focus a bit more on telling things from Titty's perspective which helps center the story. I suppose it also helps that she was always my favorite character. The adventure is almost nonstop too! Oh, how I wanted to join in their fun all through my childhood!

I'll never be too old to enjoy these books. They are timeless. They are ageless. They are truly wonderful, and Swallowdale is my favorite of the lot!


This review fulfills the "Book Your Mom Loves" category of the Popsugar reading challenge. http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-...

Swallowdale

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