Arthur Books

I have called my sister's dachshund Noodle, instead of her real name Nola, forever. So now that sister is having a baby, and requested a library of baby books, what could have been more perfect????????
As a bonus, the reviews about the content have been wonderful.

Yes, a perfect book....with or without a connection to a real Noodle.

This book was originally published by Munro Leaf in 1937 and has been out of print for a VERY LONG time. This book has a great appeal to children because it is about animals and celebrates their many different traits. It also teaches the moral that everyone is unique and special in his or her own way, and that one should be proud of who they are. It is a story of a dachshund, Noodle, who gets one wish from a dog fairy. Noodle decides he wants to be a new size and shape, since being a dachshund he has short legs and a long body. The story is Noodle's quest to find out the best size and shape, and along the way he meets many zoo animals who all have different opinions. In the end Noodle realizes exactly what size and shape is best for him. This story was my mother's favorite book as a child, and my brother and I grew up reading this story with our pet dachshund. This book has been well-loved, and I am excited that it is back in print for children to love and cherish today.

I have a good friend in Vero Beach who owns a dachshund named Noodle. His birthday is next month and I bought the book as a gift for him and his "momma". It was a very sweet and compassionate book and I'm sure both my friend and Noodle will be as delighted with it as I was. Thanks for making it available.

I gave several books for a 6-year-old on his birthday. This was his favorite.

Alex Dorros and Arthur Dorros' NUMERO UNO receives Susan Guevara's warm drawings as it tells of a small Mexican village where Hercules is known for strength and Socrates for knowledge. Each is important to the town - but the two bicker about who is the best. It's up to the clever villagers to devise a competition to decide who is 'numero uno' once and for all in this affectionate story of competition and importance.

Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 9) for Reader Views (5/07)

I'm stronger than you are! I'm smarter than you are! Of course, we all have heard this from our brothers or sisters. And even from us. " Número Uno" has two main characters, Hercules and Socrates. They both claim to be the best and most helpful in building a bridge in their small town. Socrates came up with the idea of building the bridge but Hercules was sure he was more valuable. An old man and a young boy got tired of listening to these two fighting. Then these two go away and work out their differences. They were both so sure that they would be missed greatly. Instead when they return, they find out that they were missed, but not for their individual strengths; they were missed for their weakness.

"Número Uno" is an excellent book about teamwork. It shows that claiming to be the most valuable does not pay. The pictures in this book are very beautiful and add joy to the script. There are Spanish words included in the script making this a great book for someone who is interested in that language. This book is geared for children ages 4-8. I am older than this book's target market but I really loved the story!

Note from Brianne's mother: Brianne loved the pictures and storyline of this book. She will be starting to learn the Spanish language next year in school and this book gave her great exposure to some Spanish words.

NUMERO UNO is number one. Being an elementary school teacher, I really liked it for a variety of reasons. As you often hear students talking about why they are better or more important than someone else, this story gives them an opportunity to see that different people and different characteristics can be equally important. The point was made in a fun way, and the beautiful illustrations work well in capturing the dynamic personalities of Hercules and Socrates. After reading that Alex Dorros got the story idea when he was 12 years old, I thought it was wonderful that the story grew with his efforts over a number of years into a really strong book. The students I have read the book with have found it to be very enjoyable. Many of them were inspired to think harder about their own writing ideas when they found out this story was that of the younger Dorros team.

You know what instantly sounds like an awful idea for a picture book? A father-son writing team. Even worse, a father-son writing team where the son wrote a book when he was twelve and then the dad signed on later and got it made. Sounds icky-sticky sweet without any possible redeeming qualities,doesn't it? And your mind probably wouldn't be changed too much if you knew that the author in question was Arthur Dorros of Abuela fame either. Even good authors of picture books have been known to be suckered into poor writing decisions at the hands of their darling beloved offspring. But then, what if I told you that the illustrator was Susan Guevara? Which is to say The Great Susan Guevara? The woman who brought Gary Soto's Chato books so swimmingly to life? Certainly you'd be swayed neither way when I told you that the book, "Numero Uno" was a fable, but then you might actually get a chance to pick up and read the book. And in doing so your skepticism would just melt out of your ears, I assure you. Dorros and Son (as they shall hitherto be known) make a pretty good team. Add in a magnificent illustrator and a solid storyline and what once felt like an awful idea for a picture book turns into a fairly swell idea instead.

In a small village in Mexico lived two men of monumental ego. On the one hand was Hercules. He thought himself a pretty primo guy due to his manly physical prowess. On the other hand there was Socrates. He's scoffed at the notion of muscles, placing his trust entirely in the realm of the cranium. As it happened, Hercules was in the construction business and Socrates the architectural side. So when a bridge needed to be built across the local river, both fellows felt they were of the greatest importance to the villagers. So vehemently did they fight about this that a contest was thought up by a local boy. Both men would leave the village and the people remaining would try to build the bridge without them. Whoever they missed more would be of the greatest importance to everyone. Well that's all well and good but that means that these two rivals have to spend time together in the wilderness. Bickering all the way, they find food, warmth, and shelter with a combination of brawn and brains, never realizing how much they rely on one another. Inevitably, when they return home they've both been equally missed. The bridge is completed with their help and there is at least one thing everyone can agree on. They may have missed their intelligence and strength but when it comes to arguing, nobody missed Hercules and Socrates one little bit.

The writing doesn't feel like a twelve-year-old came up with it. Obviously Dorros Sr. did some cleaning up in that particular area, leaving a tidy little story in his wake. Spanish words are worked effortlessly into the text, cropping up best where they make the most sense. There's also enough repetition to keep the story hopping along. The old man in the village often says, "Basta!". Socrates and Hercules rely mostly on the word, "Yo!" And I can't help but think that this kind of repetition would make for a pretty goodreadaloud . Just get half of the kids in the audience to say whatever Hercules says while the other half takes the side of Socrates (the parents or teachers could take the part of the old man). Not only would that make for a more interesting reading, you'd actually get the kids actively interested in who's going to win the contest. After all, they're going to believe that they will either end up the winning side or the losing side, as chosen by the book.

I don't know if I would have immediately have thought that this was a Susan Guevara book if I hadn't been told. It's a quieter effort on the artist's part. Guevara's paintings for "Numero Uno" don't have the raw intensity of her Chato books. That's due in part to the change of location. Instead of gritty city streets and back barrios we're in the countryside now. According to thebookflap, Ms. Guevara has been studying plein air painting with the Canadian landscape painter Ian Roberts. "Numero Uno", therefore, gave her a chance to try her hand at capturing hills, valleys, streams, and fields. It's a quiet cool style that shifts perspective constantly. One moment you see Hercules and Socrates being rowed out onto the river by a clearly jaded young boy. The next we're soaring high, just above an owl with a world of greens and blues, and yellows stretching away below us. In this particular scene we can also see several different versions of the two men on their own separate paths, trying to reach their destination before the other. Whenever they talk, words leap from their mouths. Of course, being the fellows they are, that usually consists of the "Yo!", "No!" and "Si!". Guevara's is a blotchy style and won't be to everyone's liking. For this book, however, it matches the narrative and dialogue just fine.

The moral is nothing new and kids will guess at it long before the self-absorbed heroes do. The ending could have stood a little more oomph, but as it stands this is a lovely little book. Insofar as the human race continues to argue the brains vs. brawn question (and they will) this book will continue to have a lot of cache in the years to come. An worthy addition to any folktale section of libraries, both personal and public.

Arthur Heath's ability to take you from present day, to the past, and back again is ingenious. He has uniquely created true-to-life locations, people and situations that flow throughout the novel while gradually introducing different segments involving history, war and the power of maternal instinct. I have visited this area of Georgia before and am truly amazed at his vivid and colorful descriptions. I commend him on his ability to transcend us into another era on this historical journey into present day Georgia. I eagerly await his next novel.

This book is such a good read. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. It begins in present time and then flashes back to the Civil War era to demonstrate the many interactions among southern families living and working on plantations in the Ocoosa County, Georgia area.

The Endicott Plantation daughters lost their mother at a very young age and a female field hand has been promoted to house mistress to care for the girls and their home. The family hears of the march of Sherman's soldiers as they get closer and closer. Preparations are made within the household to hide the assets and personal belongings of the owner from the soldiers.

When the soldiers arrive, and upon the order and personal vendetta of their Major, they murder the master of the plantation and subject the slaves and daughters to horrorific tortures. Only one daughter survives who is nursed back to health by her loving house mistress only to find she is pregnant from one of the many soldiers who raped her.

History is forwarded to present time to Loretta who moves to Ocoosa County and learns from a map with a notation about newborns murdered at the hands of their mothers. She begins to see a pattern emerge and sets out to break its cycle, finally relating these terrible events to the happenings at the Endicott Plantation during the Civil War.

This is a fast reading book as it pulls you into two time periods and holds your interest throughout both. It is hard to believe this is Mr. Heath's first book. I can't wait for him to write another!!!! Please put me on the list for Heath's next book.

This is the kind of book one might inadvertently pass by without a second glance, save for the cryptic title and the haunting book cover. I picked it up, not expecting that I would be taken by its short synopsis on the back. I flipped through the pages and briefly noted two time sequences intertwined within the story, incorporating what seemed to be flashbacks in history and a possible connection to present day occurences. Inside, on a solitary page, was a simple paragraph written by the author which garnered my interest:

"The land remembers what evil has been done upon it.
Impartial, it does not judge;
unblinking,it is the perfect witness of history and time.
Learn to listen, and it will whisper tales of great shame and sorrow.
- Randolph Martin, 1935"

I found myself securely hooked and netted when I read the PROLOGUE to the story . As an afficionado of mysteries, true crime, supernatural, and a bit of horror, THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL...with a little bit of factual history thrown in for great measure. As with all wonderful books, you will find yourself staying up late nights immersed in this page-turner, mesmerized by not only the storyline but the author's descriptive and flowing prose.
I have now added THE OCOOSA COUNTY BURDEN among my 'Top Ten Great READS', which include THE GODFATHER (Mario Puzo), THE STAND (Stephen King), THE COLOR PURPLE (Alice Walker), BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE (Dee Brown), SOPHIE'S CHOICE (William Styron), SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (Thomas Harris) and CHILDHOOD'S END (Arthur C. Clarke).

I guarantee you will do the same.

The Ocoosa County Burden
I was honored to be able to read this book in manuscript form at an early point and was so impressed I offered to create the cover. Now that it has been published I have reread it and found it even more impressive on second reading. The author has written a fascinating story with such style and depth of character development, and plot involvement, that one finds themself drawn into it immediately. The sudden flashback to the Civil War and the use of the language of the times is so compelling I almost wished it would continue. The vivid telling of this important part of the story is so powerful that I completely understood the "burden" and could only anxiously await the rest of the story. Once started this book is very difficult to put down. I recommend it strongly! I'm really looking forward to the next novel from this author.

The author uses the metaphor of a zoo to describe the various personalities and groups found in the typical organization. The characterizations are most apt, like hyenas who conspire together to bring down larger animals, to whales, whose strengths often become their weaknesses. The author (a biologist turned organizational change coach), also shows how you can use the habit of identifying which kind of creature a colleague or competitor most resembles to your advantage, by identifying their most conspicuous qualities, as well as hidden ones. He shows how to use the zoo analogy to lighten meetings, identify opportunities, and generally make the workplace experience lighter and more illuminating. If nothing else, you will laugh as you identify the animal habits of your most annoying colleagues!

Excellent use of storytelling, humor and metaphor to define modern workplaces and help to identify that "monster" in the corner! Fun read and highly recommended.

Are you being over run by the 'herd' at your work place? Have a read of this book and work out some 'survival' strategies! If you work in HR and are planning your next 'working together better' seminar, I recommend you read this book and incorporate some of the ideas. A nice analysis of office politics.

This book is seriously humorous. I have tested it out on Masters degree students for a reaction and had an extremely positive response. It makes people think about leadership, followership, organisational culture and stakeholders in an interesting and reflective way. It has some useful exercises in the back that these experienced management students all enjoyed and learned from. I also will use it with my doctoral students and I'm sure that it would also work well with undergraduates. It is also one of those books that a management practitioner can read on a plane and be able to pick up and put down. It operates at both an academic level and if you liked 'the office' TV series you would also find this entertaining. In summary, it is seriously funny!

Professor Derek Walker, Program Director, Doctor of Project Management RMIT University Melbourne Australia

this book is the best teaching book i ever read, who read this book must keep it and read it time on time.

I would recommend this book to everyone interested in the original treasure of these famous fables. This is the Best translation of the Panchatantra I have read. Happily, it does not read like a translation. The spirit of the fables has been captured very well, while the verses especially, having retained their lyrical quality.

Excellent didactic leisure reading for all ages.

Arthur W. Ryder has done an exemplary job in translating this monumental book. I read many versions of the stories by many who attempted to translate the original Sanskrit book. This is a remarkable translation of Panchatantra I have read so far. Panchatantra is presented in many flavors by many "translators", and only Arthur W. Ryder has done the job of a true translator i.e., to bring forth the beauty of the stories told by Vishnu Sarma in Sanskrit. Rest of the translations pale in front this truly great work. Highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to read a English version of Vishnu Sarma's Panchatantra.

I read this book a long time back and I still treasure that same copy. It is fun to read and full of 'animal' wisdom and wit. I read this book aloud to kids and they too enjoy listening. I would recommend this book as one of the best translations of the Panchatantra. The book accurately captures the very spirit and essense of the original Sanskrit text without the tedious victorian overtones so much evident older oriental translations.

Buy this book - Keep it - Read from it from time to time.

Clearly THE book for the beginner and intermediate collector. It gives an excellent overview of each type of note (Nationals, Silver Certs, etc.) as well brief descriptions of each note within each type. A great way to learn the history associated with the engravings on U.S. paper currency from the Civil War (1861) to the present.

And, of course, the Friedberg numbering scheme is the standard method of referencing notes among collectors and dealers alike.

It should be noted however, that the values given for the notes are very rough approximations (very conservative). This is especially true for the UNC grade(MS60-64). There are no values for GEM notes (MS65+).

If you're looking for a comprehensive note reference with ball park values, this book is for you.

I find this is a great book for any collector of U.S. Currency. Crisp photos of just about EVERY diff Note 1861-Current (Very Nice color section in the back) and up-to-date pricing in the fast changing currency market. Also great for keeping track of your own collection. Definately Recommended!

This is the standard reference work on United States Currency for the collector. While the prices given are pretty much obsolete in the volatile currency market, the Friedberg Numbering system is universally used by dealers and collectors alike. If you are considering participation in floor or online auctions, you cannot tell what you are bidding on without this book, as all notes will be listed by FR#. Well worth the investment!

This book is a must-have for the serious US currency collector, along with the Standard Catalog, 17th edition. Together they provide a great catalog and price guide for US Treasury issues. There are good sections on fractionals and Confederate currency, and decent treatment of colonials. No obsoletes or military payment certificates. The black and white photos are quite a bit larger than those in the Standard Catalog. The color pictures in the back are a nice touch, but the printing is not the world's greatest -- many of the reds come out as pinks, the greens look almost fluorescent, etc.

There aren't many anecdotes or interesting bits of trivia, but as a guide and catalog it is top notch.

First off, I'll say that I totally agree with the three earlier reviews posted herein for this truly wonderful work of historical fiction! Ms. Helen Hollick is just an OUTSTANDING writer! Her research coupled with her talent for bringing to REAL LIFE the personalities about whom she writes speaks so very highly of her. I too consider her my friend!
This book, the second in the "Pendragon's Banner Trilogy" just does a marvelous job of bringing us a realistic and moving portrayal of King Arthur Pendragon, his wife Gwenhwyfar, their children, and the life & times in which they lived. At the height of his kingship, Arthur must struggle mightily to maintain a balance between his love for his family and desire for peace and stability against the forces which would destroy him, his beloved family, and all that he's worked for.
If you're looking for magnificent, "stay up all night" reading (because, at least in my case, once I started, I find it near impossible to stop reading Helen's books!) that's REALISTIC to the time, Helen's Pendragon books are for you! However, if you're looking for the well-worn "fairy tales" (originally generated by the Normans as Helen has pointed out) of King Arthur, Pendragon's Banner is not going to be your cup of tea! There is war and the brutality thereof, lust, treason, murder, and some very evil people in King Arthur's world. Which makes for a very real and thoroughly exceptional reading experience! Helen Hollick has "the right stuff" in her works. She rates at the top of the list of medieval historical fiction writers, along with such wonderful authors as Sharon Kay Penman and Bernard Cornwell. Thank you Helen, for the splendid job you've done in writing this book and the entire "Pendragon's Banner Trilogy"!!

This second book of Hollick's trilogy is pure delight; the characters and their relationships are now well developed coming off the first book (even the horses!) and Arthur's fateful tragedies are deeply felt. Hollick allows the critical story passages space to breathe, giving this sweeping novel time to develop for the final book. Well done again. 5 stars.

I have now read all three of these books. This trilogy by Helen Hollick has been wonderful. Am now very sad I have finished them! Well written, believable characters who develop and make sense. Terrific storyline woven together by a master of her craft. Cannot recommend these books more highly, well done Helen and PLEASE can we have some more of your stories soon. Thankyou.

Not only am I a great fan of Helen Hollick's books, I am also proud to call myself one of her friends. After reading her books and writing to her we have been corresponding for about 3 years. I was also able to meet her in London about 2 years ago. She is so personable and fun that you just know where her fabulous stories are coming from. Her books are my favorite in the entire world and Helen is one of my favorite people also. Thanks, Helen, for the books and the friendship!

Pendragon is Blake and Lloyd's second book, and builds creditably on their first one, Keys to Avalon. They have painstakingly documented the evidence which leads them to the conclusion that Arthur was Welsh and lived, fought, and died in Wales. The evidence for this appears incontrovertible, even if the particular details are not necessarily as easily fleshed out. If nothing else, this is an incredibly important gift to Arthurian research, which hopefully will eventually supercede the always dubious, Arthurian claims of regions from Cornwall to Scotland.

As an anthropologist, I most appreciate their attention to the differences in language and culture which prompted later chroniclers and authors to shift Arthur from his original location to Great Britain as a whole.

Anyone looking for the 'real', historical Arthur will find him here.

Pendragon: The Definitive Account of the Origins of Arthur does indeed come closest of all the Arthurian literature to identifying the real 6th century man. Mssrs. Blake and Lloyd do a great job of peeling away the later Medieval romanticist mythology to get at the northern Welsh warband leader as depicted in the original Welsh texts. Their examination of the geographic locations associated with Arthur and his compatriots is much more plausible an explanation than any other. Enlightening and again sound is their assertion that he fought most, or even all, of his battles against fellow Welsh Britons rather than Saxons (except possibly at Badon).

If there is one criticism it would be that the authors failed to follow their own evidence to what seems to me to be an obvious conclusion. They claim that Arthur was only a war leader and never a king but admit that Arthur is not a Welsh name. From their own information, it is possible that he started as a war leader under King Maelgwn of Gwynneth, where one of Arthur's hill fort 'courts' resides and where the early documents reveal to be his original homeland. Yet, he may have later become a king in his own right, the one they identify as Cuneglasus of the Bear's Stronghold. (Arthur comes from the Latin Artoris, which means The Bear.) He may well have been one of the adulterous underlings that Gildas criticized but also later one of the five kings who Gildas likewise lambasted. The second hill fort 'court' they identify lies within the small realm of that minor Welsh king. It is a real possibility that Arthur was Cuneglasus. As they point out, it was Gildas who attached animal names to the five kings he criticized, that one being the Bear. They also cite several early Welsh texts that call him a king or sovereign as well.

Their analysis of the origin of Pendragon, as part of that discussion, is ingenious.

All in all, for anyone who is interested in clearing away the Medieval Romance and finding out about the real Arthur, this is probably the most important tome to read. I heartily recommend it.

Who was King Arthur? The honest answer is, "We don't know." However, it certainly is a lot more fun to at least try to see what the evidence says. And in that vein, this book excellently approaches answering that question by looking at the oldest Arthur evidence written more closely in time to when Arthur would have lived and written in a tongue that he was more likely to have spoken. While it's true that for most people these limitations would produce only a small amount of literature akin to a book of haiku, this book uses that evidence as a starting point to make educated suppositions as to who Arthur was and when he lived.
For those who's interest in Arthur was piqued by the recent movie featuring Keira Knightly in a leather bikini, it's an interesting topic so read the book. To those who've read only the book, go see the movie because you need to get out more.

One of the best written historical references I have had the pleasure to read. Gives a historical document based evaluation of the Authurian theory.

Having used Linux since 1995, my biggest struggle has been in finding reliable sources of information. This book is such a source and and all around excellent Linux guide.

I run Slackware and Debian so I wasx hesitant that I saw Red Hat, SuSE, and Caldera featured, but that didnt matter. An non-distributipon-specific, clearly written explanation is given and then they take small detours into each of those distributions, pointing out specifics to those (usually under X).

I began this book in chapter 8, User Administration and continued through. I am self-taught which has it's own merits, yet tends to leave holes in my "home-grown Linux Education". This book filled in the gaps and have made me an much more competent Linux user/administrator.

I can not write as a new Linux user so I can not honestly say how this book would be for some one totally new to Linux (although my guess is that it wouldn't be a bad choice to start off with!)

When in the company of other Linux users, I find they talk about things without explaining what they are, where they are found, what they do, or what other options may exist. Those are the kinds of holes I had in my Linux education. Now, init, X configuration, mysterious configuration files, and many advanced topics that I had desperately been trying to understand and piece together, are all much clearer to me now thanks to this excellent book.

In summary, this book has helped this Linux user to sort out and relate the commands and configuration that once "kept me in the dark".

I finally became so frustrated with the Crash-A-Lot software from Redmond (some of us actually have work that needs to get done, OK, Bill?) that I decided to give Linux a try. I bought a copy of Mandrake and after some fiddling got it installed on an old laptop. The problem was, I really didn't know what I was doing. It ran even more slowly than Bill's stuff (although it didn't die of embarrassment and crash every time I looked at it funny). I knew there had to be ways to make it run better, but I was clueless about how to go about it. The stuff that came with the disk was almost useless, and the books in the stores seemed to either be written for somebody who ought to be getting juice and cookies before nap time or for major software gurus. Then I discovered this book. It explains how Linux works, how to set it up, and how to make it work better. HE ACTUALLY EXPLAINS HOW LINUX WORKS! Here and there I had to go elsewhere to look up a few terms and some stuff he assumes his readers knew (how to get into BIOS, on my ancient Thinkpad you hit F2 as soon as it starts up), but for the most part it's all there. I recommend reading this thing all the way through, even the chapters about stuff you don't think you will need, before you try anything because his approach is to talk about something like partitioning a hard drive and then a few chapters later approach it from a different angle and add some more useful information. If you want to hit a topic all at once, there is an excellent index. I'm going to give Debian or Slackware a shot and between the online documentation at their sites and this book I think I can handle it. I know some of you guys hate to ask for directions, but save yourselves a lot of trouble and read this book.

This is a great book for the Linux beginner looking to take the next step. Most of the beginner books I've seen and bought, come with a distribution. The first half of the book descibes the installation of the software and the second half is too generic to be really insightful. The advanced books are just a little too technical for my needs. That's where a book like this really fits in. It's written in plain English that's easy to understand and a pleasure to read. There's a lot of information that's useful for any Linux distribution. And, a few examples that are distribution dependant. (Red Hat, SuSE and Caldera) This book has helped me gain a better understanding of the set-up and use of my Linux system.

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The other reviewers have just about said it all: in short, this is a GREAT book!
I would just like to add that it is good to have ONE book that over ALL the essentials of Linux as compared to those who cover just PARTS in one book and more PARTS in another (just to sell more books?).
I own MANY books on Linux, but if I were forced to discard them all but ONE, THIS is the one I would definitely KEEP! When you have the BEST, why mess with the REST? :o)

Lloyd W. Cary
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One of the greatest of the series, this book unusually partners the Ds and the Amazons, with the Swallows not arriving until the day after the last page. As usual Nancy and Peggy are in dire straits, this time thanks to a surprise visit from the dreaded Great Aunt. With their guests, Dick and Dorothea just arrived, they are forced to take extreme measures to keep life on, what they consider, an even keel. Dragged into their web of deception are a myriad of ýNativesý including the doctor, Squashy Hat, Cook and the postman. As usual, there is continual suspense and excitement and once again we are transported to a better world and left the better for it.

It's another fun holiday with the Amazon Pirates, Nancy and Peggy, until their Great Aunt discovers that Mother is away, and they have no one to look after them! Nancy and Peggy know they must hide visitors Dick and Dot, but where? Of course! In an old abandoned hut in the woods! They will be "Picts" while the suffering Amazons will be "martyrs." Will the G. A. find out? Will the doctor give away the secret? Will Dick be able to help Timothy with his experiments? Will the amazons be stuck in frilly frocks for the rest of the summer?

Sail with Dick and Dot on their new boat--the Scarab--in this funniest of Arthur Ransome adventures through the Lake District.

Very few things scare Amazon Pirate First Mate Peggie Blackett -- mostly thunder, but also the Great Aunt.

The only thing that scares Amazon Pirate Captain Nancy Blackett (well, "Ruth", properly, but Amazon Pirates are ruthless) is the Great Aunt.

Great Aunt Maria Turner, who raised Nancy & Peggie's widowed Mother and their Uncle Jim, is a formidable maiden lady of firm opinion, unbending will and repressive manner. "Having fun" is not on her list of summer tasks that well-brought-up children need to perform during the Summer Holidays. And dressing in comfortable shorts, knit shirts and red stocking caps is hardly suitable for Young Ladies in their early teens.

Not that this is particularly worrisome in the normal frame of things, because she lives Far Away.

But somehow Aunt Maria gets word that Ruth and Margaret are to be alone for a goodly part of the Summer Holidays as Uncle Jim (Captain Flint) takes their mother on a cruise for her health... and decides to visit Beckfoot for most of that period and make sure that Nancy and Peggie don't get into trouble.

Not that this, even so, would be worse than Unpleasant... except that their friends, Dick & Dorothea Callum ("the D's") are to be staying at Beckfoot... and it's a sure bet that the Great Aunt would visit a devastating scold on their Mother if she found out that they were having other guests their own age to stay, to be supervised only by Cook.

And so, quicker than you can say "Are you sure this isn't a Bad Idea?" Dick and Dorothea, city kids with limited experience at camping and fending for themselves, wind up ensconced for the length of the GA's visit in "the Dog's Home" -- a one-room stone forester's hut in the woods up above the lake.

And, since a number of people know that they're supposed to be at Beckfoot, and don't know it's a secret, and because Dick is supposed to be working with Captain Flint's friend on Captain FLint's houseboat on some chemical analysis of samples from a mine they discovered in the previous book and because Murphy's Law applies to everything in life, from there the story becomes more and more complex and full of hair's-breadth escapes and humourous adventures and close calls (the burglary at Beckfoot being particularly fun).

In the end, of course, all is (relatively) well, the GA gone, the D's have their own boat to race with "Swallow" and "Amazon" and the Swallows are due to arrive any day and most of the Summer still stretches ahead.

Like all the rest of the series, humourous adventure fiction for the YA age group. (And perhaps a bit younger; since they were mostly written for British juvenile audiences, and sixty to seventy years ago to boot, the "Swallows & Amazons" books may contain references and language that today's younger readers may have some problems with. OTOH, i first read "Swallows & Amazons" [the first book] at age eight or nine and i had no problem with it.)

Which is not to say that adults can't enjoy them -- many do. Buy them for a son, daughter, nephew or niece and give them a try before you pass them on; Ransome has a huge adult readership worldwide, even today.

This is a typically terrific Arthur Ransome book. Who on earth listed it for babies and toddlers hasn't read any of Arthur Ransome's works let alone this one.

This whole series is great for reading aloud to children 7 or 8 and up.