Just finished reading this fast-moving and rollicking adventure story out loud to my sons, aged 8 and 10. Read it from my iPad which just seems wrong somehow, but it was a free public-domain version, so what the heck. I must say this was a fun book to read out loud, especially when I got to change my voice for the narrators—young Jim Hawkins and Doctor Livesay mainly, although John Silver and the mutineers had lots of salty dialogue; all of the Pirate-speak left my throat a little hoarse on some evenings, but sure and it was worth it, matey, by Thunder! Good and bloodthirsty, just as stories for boys of this age should be, and my sons loved it. I first encountered this story myself when my Grade 6 teacher read it out loud to us many years ago, and I was pleased to note that it hasn't become old and musty since then. The animated feature "Treasure Planet" does an excellent job adapting this story to a different world, in my opinion, even capturing the essence of Long John Silver's ambiguous mentoring relationship with young Jim Hawkins.

Enjoy passing this fine story on to the next generation, shipmates!