Secret Water facts for kids
| Author | Arthur Ransome |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Swallows and Amazons |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
|
Publication date
|
28 November 1939 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| ISBN | 978-1-56792-064-2 (David R. Godine, Publisher: paperback, 1996) |
| Preceded by | We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea |
| Followed by | The Big Six |
Secret Water is an exciting children's book by Arthur Ransome. It is the eighth book in his popular Swallows and Amazons adventure series. The book was first published in 1939.
This story takes place in a real area called Hamford Water in Essex, England. This spot is near the seaside town of Walton-on-the-Naze. In this book, the famous Swallows and Amazons families meet up. You also get to meet some new characters: the Eels and the Mastodon. Arthur Ransome himself explored Hamford Water in his boat, the Nancy Blackett. He loved this area of salt marshes and small islands. Its tidal waters made it a perfect new setting for his characters to explore and map.
Contents
What is Secret Water About?
This section tells you about the main story of Secret Water.
The Swallows' Island Adventure
The Walker children, known as the Swallows, plan to sail their boat, the Goblin, to Hamford Water. They want to camp there with their father. But their father, who is in the navy, gets called away for work. Instead, he leaves them on a small island with a little boat called a dinghy. Before he leaves, their father gives them a basic map. He suggests they explore and map the area, which they call Secret Water. This way, they will have a completed map when he returns to pick them up.
Meeting New Friends and Rivals
As a surprise, their father arranges for the Blackett children, the Amazons, to join them. The Amazons travel all the way from the Lake District with their own dinghy. Soon, the Swallows find mysterious footprints. These turn out to belong to a local boy they call the Mastodon. He thinks the Swallows are another family, the Eels, who often camp in the area. Later, the real Eels arrive. At first, they are not very friendly. But soon, everyone settles down for a fun, friendly "war" game.
Mapping the Secret Water
The children face many challenges while trying to map the area. There are distractions from their games and the tides often cut them off. It seems like their map, or "chart," might not get finished. However, on the very last morning, two different groups of children work together. They manage to complete the map just in time!
Related Places to Explore
Images for kids
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A map showing where Secret Water is set. Click to enlarge.
