Secret water /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

On an uncharted island, the Swallows discover mysterious footprints of a very large animal and a dangerous enemy as well, another group of children known as "The Eels." Thankfully, the Amazons are on their way!

The Swallows and their father, Navy Commander Ted Walker, planned a camping trip but father was called away on naval business. Instead of camping, Father sets them a challenge: use a dingy to explore and create a map of low-lying islands until he can return.

As the children explore the inlets, coves, mudflats, and estuaries, they end up in a friendly "war" with The Eels just as Bridget, Titty, and Roger are trapped in the middle of a ford by a rising tide.

Friendship, family, 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. Secret Water (originally published in 1939) is the eighth title in the Swallows and Amazons series, books for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure and imagination, exploring and setting sail.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Fans of Arthur Ransome's beloved Swallows and Amazons series from the 1930s can enjoy yet another volume with the reissue of Secret Water, the eighth installment in the ongoing nautical adventures of the Walker and Blackett children (Swallows and Amazons, respectively), now camping out alone on a desert island. With black-and-white illustrations. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Children's author Arthur Ransome was born in Leeds, England on January 18, 1884. As a child, he spent many vacations sailing, camping, and exploring the countryside in England's Lake Country. He studied chemistry for one year at Yorkshire College before dropping out to become a writer. He worked for a London publisher and then for the Manchester Guardian newspaper. He wrote his first book, Bohemia in London, in 1907 and went to study folklore in Russia in 1913. In 1916, he published Old Peter's Russian Tales, a collection of 21 folktales. During World War I, he became a reporter for the Daily News and covered the war on the Eastern Front. While in Russia, he also covered the Russian Revolution in 1917. He eventually settled in England's Lake District with his second wife. In 1929, he wrote Swallows and Amazons, which was the first book in his well-know Swallows and Amazons series about children who sail and explore the lakes and mountains of England. He drew inspiration for the books from his own childhood memories. In 1936, he won the Carnegie Medal for children's literature for Pigeon Post. He died on June 3, 1967.

(Bowker Author Biography)