PIRATE'S ISLAND.

by John Rowe Townsend

A tubby, tormented twelve-year-old lets a highly imaginative skinny little eight-year-old girl talk him into friendship and a search for pirates' treasure on a little island in the river that borders their slum; when the object of their search becomes the real treasure that has been stolen from an old man, their efforts bring solutions to some of their own problems.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

John Rowe Townsend (born 1922) is a British children's author and academic. His best-known children's novel is The Intruder, which won a 1971 Edgar Award, and his best-known academic work is Written for Children: An Outline of English Language Children's Literature (1965), the definitive work of its time on the subject.

He was born in Leeds, and studied at Leeds Grammar School and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Among his popular works are Gumble's Yard (his debut novel, published in 1961), Widdershins Crescent (1965), and The Intruder (1969), which won a 1971 Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile Mystery. In Britain, The Intruder was made into a children's TV series starring Milton Johns as the stranger. Noah's Castle was filmed by Southern television and transmitted in seven 25-minute episodes in 1980.

Reviews

[Walt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Young adult literature is sometimes the best literature to read. Harry Potter comes to mind. Pirate's Island is no Harry Potter. Instead, this is the story of two kids, both of whom are on the periphery of society. No one likes them. In fact, they do not seem to like each other. However, they slowly befriend each other and share an incredible adventure.

The story is set in a fictional English city during WWII. Cobchester could be any city transitioning from the industrial revolution into modernity. Charles and Sheila are seemingly average kids who reside in the poor section of town. Charlie comes from the successful butcher's family - he is chubby and never lacks food. The other kids tease and bully him relentlessly because of his father and his girth. Sheila is the total opposite. She is the poorest of the poor and sharing a home with a brutish step-brother who is the terror of the slum. She keeps herself entertained by living in a fantasy world from books like Treasure Island.

It is a chance encounter that leads the two unlikely kids into each other's company. Sheila entices Charles with a pirate story and Charles, even knowing that the story is bogus, decides to go along with her. Along the way they become involved in a case of robbery and buried treasure that sees Charles struggle with bravery and perhaps something more.

The book is heart-warming. I enjoy it because the two kids are so average. They are not orphans. They do not have superpowers. They are not guided by destiny or magic. No one steps forward to save them. Everything they do, they do on their own. The adventure is pale by comparison to more famous books and stories. However, it is enjoyable and likely to leave a good impression on impressionable minds.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising gem. This was a read aloud for a six year old boy. Both parent and child really enjoyed this story. For a kids book it has fairly flushed out and interesting characters.