Ghostlines by Katya Balen

Blurb: On the Island of Ayrie, everybody knows everyone. They know each other's stories as they know every road, every hill and the coming of the tide. In the summer, there are bonfires to celebrate the migration of the puffins. Everything is familiar, nothing much changes, and for Tilda, nothing ever should – it is beautiful, it is perfect and it is home. When newcomer Albie arrives at the island, Tilda wants to show Ayrie off – Albie wants her to leave him alone. She learns quickly that it'll take more than a tour and some seal viewings to win him around. Then, she remembers stories of the old island just an hour's boat ride away from the shore. The old island is a death trap. The journey there is treacherous. Trips across to it are strictly forbidden. And there's a rumour it's haunted by the ghosts of those left there to die. But with all else having failed, the old island is the only way for Tilda to make Albie see what she sees in Ayrie. Besides, it's a different kind of ghost that worries Tilda. The ghost that's been following her, now, since her brother left the island …

Beautifully written, this story is about family and belonging and community. It explores how you can feel lonely as a newcomer in a place with friendship networks already established. And how tough it is to accept that some things change, even when you don’t want them to. Book Trust

The island of Ayrie might be fictional but it feels as real as the book in your hands. Main character Tilda adores her island home and life there, even if everyone knows everyone and no one knocks when entering other islanders homes. What book Next

Recommended for young readers (aged 10+) who enjoy thoughtful, lyrical writing set in the great outdoors. Reading Time

"Ghostlines is an adventure story about family, friendship, belonging and community. Balen weaves humour through this first person, present tense story. Her original figurative language and use of italics for direct dialogue, immerse the reader into Tilda's perspective." Magpies Magazine March 2025

Readers aged 10+ who enjoy atmospheric stories with touches of mystery and the possibility of ghosts along with kids who put themselves into dangerous situations will enjoy Ghostlines.

"The sea is starting to shift itself and the light is fading. The story is looming and taking in a deep breath before it huffs and blows and shrieks its wild self across the islands."

Listen to an audio sample here - great Scottish accent used for the narrator. Here is a Q&A with the author and Good Reading Magazine. 

I do like the alternate cover:

I do enjoy stories set on islands (this setting feels little like Fair Isle) and of course I am crazy and puffins but, in some ways, even though this story was engrossing, the resolution sort of let me down. I cannot explain why because that would be a massive spoiler. I guess I had especially high expectations because I really enjoyed her previous books October October (four stars from me and the 2022 winner of Yoto Carnegie Medal) and Foxlight (five stars from me). Having said this book was not as good as I expected I will say Katya Balen does give her reader a strong sense of foreboding. At every turn I expected something terrible or life threatening to happen - and this kind of writing does keep you on the 'edge of your seat'.

Companion books to read after Ghostlines:

Giraffe Island

How to sail to Somewhere

Jubilee

The Elephant and the Sea by Ed Vere

A charming winner about purpose, bravery, 

and making one’s dreams come true. Kirkus Star review

As a young elephant, Gabriel dreams of sailing the high seas. When he asks the sailors they say:

"You're a bit young, lad. Come back when you're older. Come back when you're stronger."

So, over the following days, months and years, Gabriel reads books about sailing, he practices his rowing and of course, because he is a young elephant, he grows bigger and stronger. I imagine you have guessed what happens when he asks the sailors again if he can join them.

"Oh, Gabriel, you've grown a bit! You're too big for the boat, lad! We're sorry."

Gabriel is not crushed. He is a problem solver. He builds his own boat and luckily it is finished just in time because a huge storm hits the coast, and the sailors are way out at sea and in danger of drowning. Our young hero Gabriel saves the day, but this is not the end. The other sailors can see his talent and so together they build an even bigger boat so everyone can join in. 

When you talk to your young library group about this book, after reading and enjoying the story, you could talk about the story structure which begins in the present when Gabriel is an old elephant remembering his past, then there is a series of flash back scenes about his childhood and journey into boat building and ultimately the rescue and then the story returns to the present with Gabriel reminiscing about his past. You can see inside this book here. This book was published in 2024 and is available here in Australia in paperback for a really affordable price so you should consider adding this little gem to your school library. If you have a music teacher in your school, it would be fun to learn some sea shanties.

There is so much to love about this book: the repeated ‘heave ho’ of the seamen; the animals in the harbour, mending nets and building boats; the lifeboat crew ... (and) it is the detail that will fascinate readers from 3 years upwards; old Gabriel has a cat called Milou, and young Gabriel is depicted with a very small cat in his duffel coat pocket, or following him as he runs through the harbour, or sitting beside him as he gazes at the sea through his window. And the seagulls alone are worth following through the book as they echo the mood of every page in this delightful fable of determination and courage. Just Imagine

If you loved the problem solving and determination of young Stella in Stellaphant then you must look for The Elephant and the Sea. 

Stellarphant

Here is another book by Ed Vere:

How to be a Lion

To Greenland by Pip Smith illustrated by Beau Wylie

"It's alright,' Lewyn said, 'let's go on, let's persist, we can't quit just because Greenland doesn't exist!' But how would the three of them know where to find a country seen only inside Ellie's mind?"

Lewlyn Sylvester meets an elephant - a green elephant. He is green because he has just returned from Greenland. In Greenland he has seen the most marvelous things - jellyfish lights, ice cream hills and cottages made from chocolate pies. 

The world of Lewlyn Sylvester is so dull. No colour and no excitement. Lewlyn heads over to the zoo to talk to Ellie (the green elephant). 

"I'm sorry for doubting your story so far. I'd love to see Greenland, but I don't have a car."

Lewlyn climbs onto his elephant friend, and they head off across the outback, then over to the coast, across the ocean to arrive at the equator where they are stopped and told they need to fly. Luckily an eel arrives with a small sailing boat. And so their journey continues across the ocean until the arrive on a shore. But is this really Greenland? And if it is not the place of their dreams, what can they do?

"Would you like to visit the land of your dreams? Where hats can be boats, and eels sell ice-creams? I'll turn out the light, tuck you in, shut the door. Close your eyes, are you ready? One two three ... four!"

The final page (which might shock or surprise or puzzle you) made me think of these books:

A house for Wombats

The journey feels little like the famous Lewis Carroll poem - the Hunting of the Snark. 

So much care has gone into the design of this book. It has interesting end papers which are sure to be terrific discussion starters. Extra money has been spent to include green foil on the cover. The way the partial view of the elephant is seen to be marching forward is the perfect invitation to open this book and discover more. 

The illustrations early in the book reminded me of The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan. There are charming extra details inside the emerald igloo such as a train in a bottle, a deep diving helmet, a world map and a pair of skis – all icons of an adventurous explorer. Turning the elephant’s hat upside down is reminiscent of the umbrella Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers. There are also some very clever nods to Dr Suess. 

The word play is such fun – Gator Keeper, Ellie Phant and the eel deal. I love the images of ice cream cones when they construct Greenland. Food used this way reminded me of War and Peas by Michael Foreman. There are so many layers to this story which means it will be appreciated across a range of ages. The page turns add drama and suspense. The messages of wonder and dreaming, of teamwork and perseverance, and the rewards of a community working together are very worthwhile. Even though the rhyme is uneven (I suggest you practice before reading this book aloud to a group of children), I do like the rich word choices. This book celebrates imagination and special friends. The ending is funny and unexpected. Share this book with children aged 6+.

You can see Beau Wylie's quirky art style on his web page here. Scroll down to see illustrations from To Greenland. Click to see an image of Beau painting his green elephant. 

Pip Smith is a novelist, poet, songwriter and children’s author based in Sydney. Her critically acclaimed first novel, Half Wild, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2017, and her first collection of poetry, Too Close for Comfort, won the inaugural Helen Anne Bell Poetry Bequest Award in 2013.

In the end, the hodgepodge group meets a happy ending, proving the importance of teamwork and how communities can work together to make their dreams a reality. Books and Publishing

To Greenland! is an enchanting picture book about the power of the imagination and a tribute to the adage that ‘the journey is more important than the destination.’ Its themes include friendship, teamwork, and persistence. Wylie’s illustrations and Smith’s text are equally divine and work together beautifully. The narrative is written in playful rhyming couplets, and the stunning whimsical artwork appears on single and double-page spreads. The monotone endpapers are compelling and a great talking point. To Greenland! is highly recommended for an audience aged 5 years and older. This talented author and illustrator team are also the creators of the picture book Theodore the Unsure, published in 2019. Buzz Words

Little Bear by Richard Jones

 

Many years ago a Kindergarten teacher asked me for books to share with her class that used the days of the week as a story device. I began to collect them, I added "days of the week" as a subject heading in our library database catalogue and I started a Pinterest of these titles. I have now added Little Bear and I do wish I could share this perfect book with that teacher from all those years ago. (perhaps she reads this blog).

Your youngest reading companions are sure to exclaim over the cover of this scrumptious book - little - that bear is not little - the boy is little - the bear is huge.

Turn to the first page and enormous bear fills the whole page in the same way the bear fills the front cover. Turn the page and we see his real size. This change in perception reminded me of "I'm coming to get you" by Tony Ross. (see cover at the bottom of this post)

On Monday, I found a polar bear in the garden.

He was so small, I held him in my hands.

Preschool children love stories with patterns. In this book, alongside the story device which uses days of the week to advance the plot, we also have the issue of a growing bear. At first the boy can hold the bear in his hands, then he moves into a pocket. By Wednesday he has outgrown the pocket and is placed in a comfortable hat. It is now clear this bear needs to go home. 

You are sure to have read a similar heart-warming story involving the journey of an arctic animal in the wonderful book Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers. In that book the pair of friends, penguin and boy, travel to Antarctica but in this one they need to go to the arctic because that's where Polar Bears live.

The boy and the polar bear climb aboard a small sailing boat but each day the bear gets bigger and so eventually the boy climbs onto the bear's back. Their arrival is a joyous one with a partner for the bear and several young polar bear cubs. The boy is sure his friend is now home and so he says goodbye and sails away. Is this a happy ending? Yes but it is also tinged with a layer of sadness. 

This is a large format, hardcover book and I amazed to say it is not very expensive. I highly recommend you add this book to your school library or preschool library/bookshelf shopping list. Don't hesitate - you need this book now!!

There is joy in their friendship and the scenes are playful and happy even when goodbye is inevitable. A Library Lady

As satisfying as a warm blanket or a cup of cocoa. Kirkus  " Joyous art, celebrating freedom and the beauty of the sea, matches the text in tone and quality."

Very strangely in the US this book has a completely different title and cover illustration - I can hardly believe this is the same book!

I have previously talked about three other books illustrated by Richard Jones (I need to add his name to my list of favourite UK illustrators)

The Proper way to Meet a Hedgehog

Whale in a Fishbowl

The Seed of Doubt

When you want a terrific book to talk about or experience perception of size try to find this one (it is very old).

And as I mentioned Lost and Found will be the perfect companion book.

Lost and Found

I have also added two more books illustrated by Richard Jones to my "to read" list:

The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

"I know that being Touched comes from tiny specks that travel in your body. That is why Nanay and I must be careful not to drink from the same water or eat from the same spoon, 

in case these tiny specks go from her to me. "

Publisher blurb: Amihan lives on Culion Island, where some of the inhabitants – including her mother – have leprosy. Ami loves her home – with its blue seas and lush forests, Culion is all she has ever known. But the arrival of malicious government official Mr Zamora changes her world forever: islanders untouched by sickness are forced to leave. Banished across the sea, she's desperate to return, and finds a strange and fragile hope in a colony of butterflies. Can they lead her home before it's too late?

Opening sentence: "Even if I told you that we have oceans clear and blue as summer skies, filled with sea turtles and dolphins, or forest-covered hills lush with birds that call through air thick with warmth. Even if you knew how beautiful and quiet it is here, clean and fresh as a glass bell ringing. But nobody comes here because they want to."

"Nanay says that in the places outside, they have many names for our home. The Island of the living dead, The Island of no return, The Island at the end of Everything."

Ami is born on this island - it is the place where the lepers have been sent. Ami does not have leprosy but her precious mother is very badly affected.  One day a government official arrives with the news that the untouched children will be taken away to another island to live in an orphanage. 

If you need to share a written portrait of a truly evil person you could explore this man - Mr Zamora.

"His gaze is fixed on the dying butterfly, and all my fear of him returns. He is enjoying watching it die."

Over the next few days all of the children are checked then they are loaded into a boat and taken to a nearby island. Mr Zamora collects and kills butterflies which is a perfect metaphor for the way he treats the precious children from Culion. Ami will be gone for six years but she and her mother promise to write to each other every day. I imagine you have guessed Mr Zamora forbids this but somehow Ami does discover her mother is seriously ill and so with her new friend Mari and a small silent boy from home the three children set off in a leaky boat to make the very dangerous journey home.

Read an extract here. 

I have COVID - I am going to say this is perhaps not an appropriate book to read when you feel ill but on the other hand it was such an engrossing story that I was able to read the whole book in one day. Here is some background reading (for adults) about the history of Culion Island, 

A heartbreaking and heartwarming must-read about love, loss, friendship, and determination in times of desperation. Kirkus Star review

This story was simply stunning. I don't know how I can describe it in many more words. I was swept up in Ami's narrative from the first page and I stayed engrossed until the very last page. ... Yet what I loved most about the story above all else was the themes that flowed throughout. Children's fiction doesn't have to be simple and one-dimensional, and the author proves this by exploring how damaging prejudice can be and how wrong it is to judge others by their appearance. The Book Bag

Poetic, bittersweet and full of heart, this has the feel and quality of an instant classic. BookTrust

You could follow The Island at the end of everything with this book and also Maria's Island:

Beyond the Bright Sea

I added The Island at the end of Everything to my Kindle because I previously loved The Girl of Ink and Stars.

Little Rat sets Sail by Monika Bang-Campbell illustrated by Molly Bang

Little Rat's parents sign her up for sailing lessons but Little Rat is utterly terrified of falling in the water. She is wearing a life jacket but it does not give her courage:

"Little Rat felt shy and nervous.
She looked different from everybody else.
Her life jacket was gray, with a big red stripe across it and laces up the sides.
Everybody else had on neat yellow-and-orange zip-up life jackets.
Everybody else was cool.
Little Rat felt like a dork.
She wanted to go home."

Luckily for Little Rat, the instructor, Buzzy Bear, is patient, intiutive, kind and a terrific teacher and so over the coming weeks of summer Little Rat tries new things, there are no terrible disasters, and Little Rat surprises herself by learning to sail and discovering she actually likes it!

Here are some of the important words for new sailors: mooring, heeling, capsize, centerboard, tiller, mainsail, cockpit, jib. There is also an excellent labelled diagram included.

Little Rat is a brave little sailor with her own shy appeal and Bang’s charming illustrations are impossible to resist. Kirkus

It is such a shame that I am so late coming to this book because it is out of print and because I missed so many opportunities to put this gem of a book into the hands of keen readers in my former school library. I am sure this would have been a popular book so many of the children at my school were sailors or lived in families with boats. Yes we did have a copy of Little Rat sets Sail, and no you can't read every book, BUT I do wish I had taken the time to read Little Rat sets Sail and the sequels. With just 45 pages, and five chapters this is a PERFECT book for a keen sailor, for a reader who is curious about sailing, and for a newly independent reader. I am happy to see this book is still available in my old school library but sadly this other very special book, illustrated by Molly Bang, has been disposed:

Molly Bang is the mother of Monika Bang-Campbell and I was not surprised to discover Monika is a keen sailor. The sailing vocabulary and experience are so accurately explained in this story.

Here are the other two books about Little Rat:

If you are looking for a couple of other books to share with your young sailor or keen boating person.
You might find these in a well stocked library:

And for an older student you could look for Fort Island from the Aussie Bites series:

Across the risen sea by Bren MacDibble

Bren MacDibble takes us once again into the dystopian world of the future. This time the land is covered in water and small groups of people cling to life on tiny islands. Each island has it's own laws and rituals but there is room for some sharing between the communities and debris washed up from all the destroyed cities is now scavenged and adapted for use as shelters. Life feels difficult at times but the people have manged to make comfortable dwellings and they have access to plenty of fish. There is danger though - violent unpredictable storms, dangerous crocodiles, sickness and perhaps the threat of invasion or war.

As this story opens some strangers arrive at Cottage Hill - three tall people who speak a strange language. They are wearing shiny headbands and their boat has a sun image on the prow. It is clear they are powerful, wealthy and have come from a distant place known as Valley of the Sun. The three people, two sisters and a brother, climb the hill above the little island settlement and begin to cut down trees. Over the coming days they erect a tall pole and place two circles of logs around it. They hoist a metal box onto the top of the middle pole and attach wires which stretch down to the ground where they are buried under the inner circle of logs. After their task is completed the three strangers sail away. They refuse to answer any questions.

Old Marta, the leader of their island, knows all of this has something to do with 'teknology' but exactly why this strange contraption has been placed on their island is a mystery.  Neoma and her friend Jag are told to go and sketch the box so Marta can take a drawing to show the inhabitants of other near-by islands in the hope they may know what all this means. Neoma is a curious and fearless girl. She digs into the dirt below the box, even though they have been told by the strangers not to touch any part of this installation. She receives a powerful electric shock and has to run quickly into the sea to put out the flames burning her skin and hair.

Jag and Neoma have managed to complete a drawing of the tower and box so Marta takes Neoma to visit the nearby islands. There is something odd about the island of Jacob's Reach. It is clear their leaders are not telling the truth and there must be some reason why there are no children around.

I think my favourite scene comes next when Neoma, her Ma and Jag head off to Silver Water in their makeshift catamaran Licorice Stix. Silver Water is a high rise building which is now flooded. The kids climb up the stairs until they reach a former restaurant - well Neoma doesn't know it is a restaurant because she has never seen a place like this. No one has found this so it has not been looted and the kitchen is filled with food. It has been eleven years since the flood but the canned food is still okay so Neoma fills her sack. She and Jag then have to rush away because a very dangerous storm is approaching. I held my breath as Neoma's is forced to leap into the sea after tossing her salvage over the balcony rails.

On their way back, as the wild weather and water rages around them, they see a boat. It is the one that visited their island earlier - the one with the strangers from Valley of the Sun. The two women are in the boat. One is dead and one is badly hurt. What has happened? Are Neoma and her community now in danger? The people from Valley of the Sun will be back and they will want answers but no one has anticipated they will also want a payment and this payment comes in the form of a person. Jag is captured and taken prisoner and Neoma thinks this is all her fault and so it is up to her to rescue her friend and hopefully solve all the mysteries - the dead woman, the island of secrets, and most importantly to discover the purpose of device beaming a red light from the top of their island.

Bren MacDibble is a master storyteller. She gives her reader fragments of information that signpost past events and give a sense of place and of climate change:

"Marta was a young woman in the before-times. Before the risen sea drove everyone to the hills. ... She says when she was older she visited the great walled city of Sydney after most of it moved to New Armidale. She remembers when clouds were just white, she says the green is bacteria and it's the way the earth tries to make things right and clean ... "

"The surf coast was where the rich people lived, pretending it was safe from the flooding that was washing out the poorer coastal towns and making salty swamps of farmland. But Cyclone Summer sent six cyclones nose to tail and destroyed it. Survivors moved inland to a mountain range same as the poor people. But the sea rose so quick they din't get to take everything they owned."

My advance reader copy (thanks to Beachside Bookshop) of Across the risen sea has 270 pages but so much is contained within this thrilling story. I would summarise the plot into three 'acts'.

ACT 1. Installation of the 'teknology' on the island and the subsequent mystery of Jacob's Reach which is somehow linked to the death of the woman from Valley of the Sun. Jag is kidnapped.
ACT 2. The rescue of Jag which involves a dangerous pirate woman, a visit to the famed Valley of the Sun (this place is utterly amazing) and the making of a new friend.
ACT 3. The full truth is revealed.

I am going to make a prediction that Across the risen sea will be short listed by the CBCA for their 2021 awards. AND even though it is only June (this book is due for publication in August) I am going to predict Across the risen sea will be among the winners next year.  YES it is that good! This is a thrilling story, a mystery, a story of heroism, pirates, survival and so much more. I read it all in nearly one sitting and I was on the edge of my seat through the whole amazing 'voyage'.

In her letter to the reader Bren MacDibble says:

"I've let adventure lead me on a wild ride with this one. There's sinkholes, crocodiles, sharks, pirates, floating cities, and floating farms. I hope you and those you share books with will also enjoy the ride."

If you haven't discovered the powerful story telling of Bren MacDibble I suggest you RUSH out now and grab her earlier books:

How to Bee

The Dog Runner

Ocean meets Sky by Terry Fan and Eric Fan

The first sentence of Ocean meets sky contains one very powerful word:

Finn lived by the sea,
and the sea lived by him.
"It's a good day for sailing,"
his grandfather would have said.

Did you hear/see/read the word - would? Sadly we can guess his grandfather is no longer with him. That possibly Finn's grandfather has died. Would - is a powerful word - past tense. There is so much longing in these four lines. Finn is in his room and we can see a photo of grandfather, a old hat and a small handmade toy sailing boat.There is a hint of the sepia which we see on the next page. The page turn takes us to times from the past. Grandfather is talking to young Finn, sharing his stories of the place where the ocean meets the sky. There are small treasures on the table - shells, a pipe, a carved bird and grandfathers spectacles. On the facing page the time shifts back to the present.

"His grandfather would have been ninety years old today."

Grandfather is gone but he is not forgotten. His treasures are still lying on the table. The image takes the viewer one step back and allows us to see more of the room -  a model of an airship, a painting of a hot air balloon, a ship in a bottle and Finn himself outside sitting beside the sea. Finn decides to make a boat, the one he and his grandfather had planned together. He gathers all sorts of odds and ends and build his boat then Finn climbs inside to take a nap. When he wakes up the boat is rocking the the adventure is about to begin.

He meets a fish who offers to take Finn to the place where the ocean meets the sky.  The huge golden fish has a face just like his grandfather.

The voyage takes them to the Library Islands "where hundreds of bookish birds were roosting."

Then they explore an island of giant shells, they see giant jellyfish floating just under the surface of the water and finally they reach the magical place where the ocean meets the sky. This is where the story magic really begins for the reader as we silently travel with Finn through a wondrous landscape leading to the place where Finn can finally say goodbye to his beloved grandfather.  Finn hears his mother calling him and in the tradition of Where the Wild things are, she has delicious warm dumplings waiting for him. These are the same dumplings his grandfather used to make.

With a rare sense of silence and wonder this is a story to pore over, to share and to return to again and again. Love Reading 4 Kids

This grand adventure stirs imaginations while also celebrating a loving inter generational relationship and providing comfort and closure after loss. School Library Journal

Inspiration from Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are and David Wiesner’s Flotsam can be seen in both story and art. However, the Fan Brothers’ approach to loss, healing, and inter generational relationships makes this a unique and refreshing offering. Kirkus Star review

Go back and look more closely at the library islands. I adore all the book references - The Call of the Wild; The Secret Garden; The Tempest; Great Expectations; The Wizard of Oz; The Odyssey; and the Fan Brothers own book - The Night Gardener. If you are sharing this book with a group of older students I recommend you spend some time on the page with the moon jellies. The perspective where we look down on the boat, the luminescence, and the opaque transparent jellyfish are simply breathtaking.

I will admit to skipping past this book on many of my library visits because my (incorrect) impression was that this was a long (possibly) complex picture book.  It is complex but also easy to read and contains a beautiful emotional exploration of grief. Ocean meets the sky was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2019.

I am really keen to read another book illustrated by the Fan Brothers - Scarecrow.  It is quite expensive here in Australia and very hard to source but I do have it on my wish list.

Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome audio read by Gareth Armstrong

"In the boathouse below the farm there was the Swallow, a sailing boat, a very little one ... If there had been no island, no sailing boat, and if the lake had not been so large, the children, no doubt, would have been happy enough to paddle about  ... But with a lake as big as a small sea, a fourteen-foot dinghy with a brown sail waiting in the boathouse, and the little wooded island waiting for explorers, nothing but a sailing voyage of discovery seemed worth thinking about."  

One of my treasured memories is of a family friend giving me the Puffin box set of the first four books from the Swallows and Amazons series. I remember reading them and marvelling at the way these kids knew so much about sailing. All that special terminology. Right from the first page where we meet Roger and see him tacking across a field pretending to be the tea clipper Cutty Sark. Then later when their father says the four can sail to their island the Master (John), Mate (Susan), Able-seaman (Titty) and ship boy Roger just seem to know exactly how to sail their little boat Swallow.

"Is there a cleat under the thwart where the mast is stepped?"
"Susan got the sail ready. On the yard there was a strop that hooked on one side of an iron ring called the traveller up to the top of the mast, through a sheave and then down again."

I had no idea what all of this meant as a young reader (and I still have no clue) but that did not take away from my enjoyment of this adventure story. Better still the setting is an island and I have long had a fascination with the idea of living on a small island. You can read the plot for yourself on this wikipedia entry.

This week I have been listening to the audio book of Swallows and Amazons and I found myself lingering in my car so I could continue with the story long after I should have moved on to other things. I had thought I remembered the plot but in reality most of my memory had faded with time. I was surprised by so many things and even laughed out loud several times. I enjoyed all the feasts, the lake and island exploration and the crime solving after Captain Flint is robbed but the aspect I enjoyed most was meeting Titty all over again. John is too busy being the perfect Captain, Susan is too busy (yes it is a stereotype) with cooking and caring, Roger is sweet little boy (perhaps a little too compliant) but Titty is the character I loved. There has been some debate about the name Titty and sadly this was changed for both movie adaptions. Putting that aside here are some words of wisdom from Titty:

"Instead, Titty took Robinson Crusoe. 'It tells you just what to do an an island.'

"It'll be best for him to walk the plank,' said Able-seaman Titty. 'Then we'll take his treasure and buy a big ship, and live in her for ever and ever and sail all over the world. .. We could discover new continents ... There must be lots that haven't been found yet."

Talking with mother about illness : "Of course we've had plague and yellow fever and Black Jack and all other illnesses belonging to desert islands ... But we cured them all at once."

"Abe-seaman Titty, as surgeon to the expedition, washed the knee, and tied it up with Roger's handkerchief. Roger tried to blow his nose in the corner of it that was left after the tying."

"There were two tents, and a shipwrecked mariner on a desert island ought only to have one. .. then she remembered that for part of the time she would not be a shipwrecked mariner, but would be in charge of an explorers' camp, while the main body had sailed away on a desperate expedition."

"Captain Nancy shook her by the hand and slapped her on the back. 'By thunder, Able-seaman,' said she, 'I wish you were in my crew. This morning when I saw that you'd done us all by yourself, I could have swallowed the anchor. You did just exactly what we had planned to do."

Food:
"Then there was a big rice pudding, which had been bought with them on the top of the things in one of the big biscuit tins. It too became a common dish, like the frying pan. Then there were four big slabs of seed cake. Then there were apples all round."

"Then there was cold chicken. Then there was a salad in a big pudding basin. Then there was an enormous gooseberry tart. Then there was a melon. Then there was a really huge bunch of bananas which the female native tied in a tree as if it was growing there."

"Look here,' said Susan, 'hadn't we better have dinner before all the lemonade has gone.' 'Jamaica rum,' said Titty with reproach. 'We've got a lot of sandwiches,' said Peggy. 'We've got pemmican,' said Susan, 'and sardines. We finished the meat pie and the next one doesn't come until tomorrow."

It is interesting to compare audio editions.  My copy was narrated by Gareth Armstrong. Here is a different one (audio sample) with Alison Larkin.

I have been thinking about why I loved Swallows and Amazons so much as a child. Partly it was the setting on an island (which I have mentioned), partly the delicious sounding food but I think the heart of the matter would have been my fascination with this family of four kids (five really but I am not counting their baby sister). I know this could be a criticism, but I did enjoy the way they all got along so well. No conflict, no arguments, no disputes. These kids are kind, but not in an overly sentimental way, to one another. They genuinely encourage each other and seem to accept that each of them have their own talents and strengths. Mother is pretty special too - happy to take on various roles, allowing the kids to have such freedom, arriving with cake and presents, organising the supply of fresh milk and other treats and best of all those amazing tents she made anticipating their expedition.

Here are several cover designs below.

BETTER DROWNED THAN DUFFERS IF NOT DUFFERS WON'T DROWN