Aleria's Adventures

1. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome A classic series of sailing adventure stories from the British Isles in the 1930s and is still as relevant today.  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 .  Uncle Jim (better known as Captain Flint) is too busy writing his memoirs to be disturbed. So the children camp together on Wild Cat Island where a plot is hatched against Uncle Jim when their hired deckhand tells them a daring yarn of his younger days. Soon their boat is on its way to the Caribbean on a treasure hunt and they come up against a shark, a storm, an earthquake, and the vilest eavesdropping pirate. The Swallows and Amazons Series Collection of 4 Books includes the titles Winter Holiday, Peter Duck, Swallowdale, the book that started it all Swallows and Amazons . Also made into ...

The original first edition 1930 Hardback In researching children's books about sailing so I can do a remote session with our grandnephews in isolation in America, I came across what turns out to be a classic book series and set of movies called Swallows and Amazons by British author Arthur Ransome .  His Swallows and Amazons series of novels (written between 1931 and 1947) remain in print today and were made into two successful movies, one in the 1970s and the other released in 2016. Those never made it onto my radar in the US. So I have some catching up to do. They sound wonderful. This first book tells of a wonderful summer of adventure, discovery and friendship. Inspired by the author's own real-life sailing experiences in the beautiful Lake District of Cumbria in the northwest of England as a child. There are many editions over the years, including the first with cover art by Steven Spurrier. The 1st edition was not illustrated, while later editions were illustra...

Finding good children's books to inspire a love of the sea can be a challenge.  I've been keeping track of good selections for some time.  There is a listing of children's books on our website CoastalBoating . Recently, a graphic novel caught my attention.  Here is my review. Granuaile: Queen of Storms   Dave Hendrick and Luca Pizzari, Publication date: 16th February 2015,  ISBN 978-1-84717-671-4 PRICE €12.99/£9.99 PB, Format 259 x 168mm EXTENT 64pp, The O’Brien Press Ltd Tel: +353 1 4923333; Web: www.obrien.ie , Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheOBrienPress , Twitter: https://twitter.com/OBrienPress/ The first graphic novel presenting the story of Granuaile, the Pirate Queen, is set in s ixteenth century Ireland, a turbulent time when clans lived and competed under Brehon Law, the British were expanding ever farther from the East, and the Spanish plundered along the west coast.