# Books to get kids interested in sailing?



## jasenj1

My 9 yo daughter is into the "reads a lot" phase. I'd like to point her towards some books that feature sailing and may help plant some seeds to grow a love for the water and sailing. She is very much into girl books - if it's not about a young girl, she's not nearly as interested. She's read all of American Girl's Caroline books. Any other suggestions?

- Jasen.


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## manatee

I thought someone would have answered by now, but as they have not, here's my 2-cents worth:
The 'Swallows and Amazons' books by Arthur Ransome. Set in the 1930s, several groups of English kids (ages 7 - 12) sailing 14' boats (for the most part) on lakes, rivers, estuaries, the English Channel, a Caribbean treasure hunt...
They are great fun and quite addictive. There is a good bit of basic seamanship in the books, too. 

Two of the main characters are sisters about your daughter's age who style themselves the Amazon Pirates. WARNING: you may become the target of incessant pestering for a boat of her own by the munchkin.

The first in the series (of a dozen) is the eponymous 'Swallows and Amazons'. If your library doesn't have them, they are available in paperback from Barnes & Noble.


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## Faster

There's a cute book called 'Adrift', bout some kids learning to sail a dinghy.. not sure if this is correct link...Adrift | Canadian Children's Book Centre

Also 'Kids for Sail': Kids For Sail: Amazon.ca: Pamela Bendall, Sue Bendall: [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@41ZDFV496NL

Another treat for new readers, about adventurous kids but not really sailing, is the "Adventure series" by Enid Blyton.. interesting, too, in the British terminology used, esp for NA kids. The Adventure Series with Jack, Philip, Dinah, Lucy-Ann, and Kiki the parrot

It's great having kids on board who like to read for those longer legs, and wet, grey days.


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## jasenj1

manatee said:


> The 'Swallows and Amazons' books by Arthur Ransome.


Excellent. Exactly the sort of thing I'm looking for.



> WARNING: you may become the target of incessant pestering for a boat of her own by the munchkin.


She already has her own kayak. I'm hoping to get her into Optimist lessons in the next year or two. We still don't have a family boat, but I want her primed for when we do get one.

- Jasen.


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## jimgo

This is a great thread; thanks for starting it! I have a 4 1/2 year old who is learning to read, and a 7 year old who is an avid reader, so this is very timely for me!


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## hamburking

Dove
True Spirit
Treasure Island


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## jasenj1

Here's a few that popped up in Amazon for young readers.
Sail Away, Little Boat (Carolrhoda Picture Books): Janet Buell, Jui Ishida: 9781575058214: Amazon.com: [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@51AIttyojpL
Sail Away: Donald Crews: 9780688175177: Amazon.com: [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@51FTwWscX6L
The Little Sailboat (Lois Lenski Books): Lois Lenski: 9780375810787: Amazon.com: [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@51siJDyk9aL

I may try Dove and the other soloing around the world books in a few years.

- Jasen.


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## windwalker

I will second The Little Sailboat. My kids have all loved that book. Go Tinker go!


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## jameswilson29

I second the recommendation of "Dove" by Robin Lee Graham - definitely got me hooked...


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## jasenj1

My local library had "Swallows and Amazons". I read it and then had my daughter read it. She wasn't as hooked as I'd hoped, but she did read the whole book. I had her write down any terms she didn't understand and I explained them to her.

A few months later we were watching Jeopardy and one of the categories was about sailing. She correctly gave the answer/question, "What is tacking?" when none of the contestants knew the answer. Made me proud.

- Jasen.


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## AdamLein

Captains Courageous, by Rudyard Kipling. Grand Banks fishing schooner.


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## Donna_F

I have _Swallows and Amazons_ on my shelf. I bought it a few years ago because I always read that it's a great book but I never got around to it. I will now.


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## aarond

2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th on the Swallows and Amazons series (that's one vote from each member of our family). My wife has been reading Ransome's books to my 5 1/2-year-old son, and he's eating it up. Even our 2-year-old daughter seems to enjoy it ("What John doing, Mommy?"). Ransome really captures a child's vivid imagination and the seriousness of play.

Other possibilities:

--Jessie's Island, by Sheryl McFarlane and Sheena Lott. Not sailing exactly, but a really well-done exposition of the joys of exploring a Canadian Puget Sound island. And beautifully illustrated. Great for younger kids

--Danger, Dolphins, and Ginger Beer, by John Vigor. We just found a used copy, and haven't read it yet. It looks to be in the same genre as Swallows and Amazons, and we've appreciated Vigor's other writing, so we're looking forward to this one too.

--The Annapolis Book of Seamanship. Don't ask me why, but it's been one of his favorite books for months now, and a frequent request for bedtime 'stories'.

Aside from books, the things that have probably most impacted our son's sailing addiction are getting to helm our little skiff, and watching America's Cup on YouTube. Say what you like about AC34 (and there's plenty to say), but he's pretty well justified in finding watching 72-foot foiling cats a pretty exciting pastime.


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## sully75

The Craft of Sail is an amazing how to book. If you absorb everything in that book you'd be a pretty good sailor. Pictures are so well done. It has everything. Racing tides anchoring history theory. Short and sweet.


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## bwalker42

AdamLein said:


> Captains Courageous, by Rudyard Kipling. Grand Banks fishing schooner.


This is absolutely on of my most favorite movies!! Can't watch it enough! I love it!


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## jimgo

I started reading _Swallows and Amazons_, and thought it was severely dated. I'm not sure my boys (7 and 5) would enjoy it. I could see it for older kids (10-12), but for younger kids, I think it may be a bit much.


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## bwalker42

My grandsons are that age!! 10 & 12


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## hamburking

I would like to agree with the previous post...captains couragious...excellent....there is also a (black and white) movie version which was very well done and available on netflix. 

For older kids, especially girls, Jessica Watson's book...True Spirit is a good read.

I have been trying to get my kids to read treasure island with no success...the "old english" just turns them off...they want modern books.

My personal favorites have to be Joshua Slocums hilarious book...Sailing Alone around the world, and Ernest Shackletons terrible tale of the south pole... Endurance (also South, same story).

Almost every cartoon series has characters sailing across an ocean to find adventure...Dora, the backyardigns, etc.


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## Signalcharlie

Just wrote a book, "Zip the Little Wooden Sailboat", good for K-1st grade. It has some terms and a diagram at the end. Look for it on amazon.


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