Ransome Readers Recommend


Ransome Readers Recommend contains brief reviews and recommendations of books which Ransome readers feel that other Ransome readers would enjoy. These recommendations originally started as a "Feature Column" in the U.S. TARS newsletter Signals from TARSUS about a decade ago, and appeared periodically as new reviews were received by the editor. The focus was recommendations targeted at, although not exclusively for, juniors and younger readers, and Mary Wessel Walker, who conceived the column and was its first contributor, was in high school at the time. Introducing the original column, Mary wrote:

"All of us who love Ransome's work have noticed this one problem with it. There's not enough! But sometimes we stumble across books that, for one reason or another, remind us of Ransome. Maybe characters remind us of Ransome characters, or maybe they go sailing or camping. Sometimes a book reminds us of Ransome because it just FEELS right. In this new column of Signals from TARSUS we invite all TARS, especially Juniors, to write short book recommendations for other Ransome lovers. Be sure to include a mention of the general age group and reading level you think the book is best suited for."
All Things Ransome has retained the name Ransome Readers Recommend for this section in recognition of the original column and the permission on the part of the contributors to present their contributions on the website. We certainly don't think it should be static, though, and encourage Ransome readers worldwide to contribute a brief review and recommendation for their favorite book(s) which they think other Ransome readers will enjoy. Junior contributors especially encouraged! Please send your contributions to Ransome Readers Recommend.

Some of these books can be very hard to find, as they are often British, and frequently were published a long time ago. Here are some suggestions to help in finding the book you want: How To Find Your Book.


Author Title Reviewer
Adams, Andy The Andy Adams Books Pam Adams
Adams, Pam Essay: What To Read Next Pam Adams
Beard, Daniel The American Boy's Handy Book Mary Wessel Walker
Beil, Michael D. Summer at Forsaken Lake Jane Rice
Boston, Lucy M. The Green Knowe Books Molly McGinnis
Boston, Lucy M. The Children of Green Knowe Adam Quinan
Roland Chambers The Last Englishman Peter Ceresole
Delderfield, R.F. The Adventures of Ben Gunn Claire Barnett
Duder, Tessa Night Race to Kawau Bill Dashfield
Duff, Steven Raiders of the Lost Barque Jonathan M. Labaree
Enright, Elizabeth The Elizabeth Enright Books Eric Benke
Estes, Eleanor The Eleanor Estes Books Ben Burwell
Faulkner, J. Meade Moonfleet Adam Quinan
Findlay, Kirsty Nichol Arthur Ransome's Long-Lost Study of Robert Louis Stevenson Owen Roberts
Findlay, Kirsty Nichol Arthur Ransome's Long-Lost Study of Robert Louis Stevenson Peter Willis
Hall, Duncan BrambleHolme Summer Elizabeth Jolley
Hardyment, Christina The World of Arthur Ransome Owen Roberts
Harnett, Cynthia The Wool-pack Adam Quinan
Helme, Eleanor
    & Paul, Nance 		Seek There Tom Napier
Hull, Katherine
    & Whitlock, Pamela 		The Oxus Books (The Far-Distant Oxus and sequels) Alan Truelove
Jones, Julia The Salt-Stained Book Tod Klein
Jones, Julia The Salt-Stained Book and A Ravelled Flag Peter Willis
Kipling, Rudyard Puck of Pook's Hill and Rewards and Fairies Adam Quinan
Knight, E.F. The Cruise of the 'Alerte' David Bamford
LeGuin, Ursula K. The Earthsea Trilogy (A Wizard of Earthsea and sequels) Adam Quinan
L'Engle, Madeleine The Young Unicorns Mary Wessel Walker
Lindsey, Norman The Magic Pudding Adam Quinan
Lloyd, Marjorie The Fell Farm Books (Fell Farm Holiday and sequels) Dave Thewlis
Lovelock, Julian Swallows, Amazons and Coots Mike Dennis
Mackenzie, James Another Country - A Guide to the Children's Books of the Lake District and Cumbria Owen Roberts
Mackinnon, A. J. The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow Pam Marshall
Mackinnon, A. J. The Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow David Bamford
Masefield, John Jim Davis: A High Sea Adventure Pam Adams
Mayne, William Four Books by William Mayne Molly McGinnis
McPhee, John The Founding Fish Sam & Molly McGinnis
Moody, Ralph Little Britches Pam Adams
Mühlenweg, Fritz Big Tiger and Christian: Their Adventures in Mongolia Dave Thewlis
Murray, Nina Chandler The Cruise of the Blue Dolphin: A Family's Adventure at Sea Pam Marshall
Nordhoff, Charles The Derelict Thomas Grimes
Nordhoff, Charles The Pearl Lagoon Dave Thewlis
Pearson, Kit The Guests of War Trilogy Adam Quinan
Rousmaniere, John Fastnet, Force 10 John Wessel Walker
Rowlands, John J. Cache Lake Country Jerry Crouch
Sperry, Armstrong All Sail Set Mary Wessel Walker
Sperry, Armstrong Call It Courage Dave Thewlis
Stevenson, Robert Louis An unusual report on the Treasure Island books Tom Grimes
Sydney Taylor All-Of-A-Kind Family Pam Adams
Trease, Geoffery No Boats on Bannermere Elizabeth Jolley
Trease, Geoffery No Boats on Bannermere Pam Adams
Tripp, H. Alker Shoal Waters and Fairway David Bamford
Villiers, Alan The Grain Race Trilogy
A Literary Pages article that includes a review of the Grain Race trilogy 		Donald Tunnicliff Rice
Wainwright, A. Memoirs of a Fellwalker David Bamford
Welch, Ronald The Gauntlet Dave Thewlis


The individual contributions are copyright to the authors, and are presented on All Things Ransome with their permission.

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