Swallows and Amazons Forever!

(and death to Uncle Jim!)
I say! Have you ever read Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome?  If you haven't, you jolly well ought to.  The story is set in the 1930s and follows the adventures of the four sailing-mad Walker children and their boat Swallow on holiday in England's Lake District.  For two glorious weeks their mother lets them camp - on their own - on Wild Cat Island, where they meet the Amazon Pirates, a couple of local girls called Nancy and Peggy Blackett, and a retired pirate called Captain Flint, who is beastly at first.  Buck up and read it, do. It's awfully good fun.



I loved Swallows and Amazons when I was growing up. There are 12 books in the series and I still have them all.  Last month I began reading the first book aloud to my boys and by gum, they jolly well love it too.  Arthur Ransome has a real knack of storytelling and an understanding of the older child's mind. I don't know that I've read any book to my boys which has so captured their imaginations.  They plead for just one more chapter! at night.  Then, when they go to bed, they arrange bedsheets and window poles to make their own sailing boat in the bunk and play imaginative games.  I hear the call of Ready About! most nights as they settle down.

The catchcry of the book series is Swallows and Amazons forever! and now that I am passing it on to the next generation, I find that yes, they are forever! Hurrah!

Edited to add:

Last night, we read the bit where Captain Flint gave the Able-Seaman the parrot, the one that the Amazons try to teach to say Pieces of Eight instead of Pretty Polly.  This morning Cherub whipped up his own parrot.  He's called him Crackers.  You see what I mean about their imaginations being inspired.