Boston: David R. Godine, Publisher, (1992). The first book in this classic series of children's adventure stories, set in England's Lake Country in the years between the World Wars. The four Walker children from London, staying at a lakeside farm during the school holidays. They have a dinghy named Swallow, and the two local Blackett girls, living across the lake, have one named Amazon. The children originally clash on an island in the lake, become friends, and have a series of adventures together involving tales of pirates and exploration. A picture of everyday life in rural England. Illustrated by the author. 351 pp.