Common Sense Media Review
By Common Sense Media
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Boy and pirates hunt buried treasure in thrilling adventure.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
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Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 15 parent reviews
What's the Story?
Robert Louis Stevenson's classic pirate adventure TREASURE ISLAND begins in the west of England, where an old sea captain is drinking his life away at the Hawkins family's inn, the Admiral Benbow. Among the old captain's things, young Jim Hawkins discovers a map showing the location of buried pirate treasure. When Jim shows it to the local squire, the squire buys and outfits a ship and, with Jim and the local doctor, hires a crew and they all set sail on the Hispaniola to seek the treasure. Once the party is at sea, Jim learns that at least some of the crew are former shipmates of the captain: pirates who will do anything to get their hands on the map and the treasure.
Is It Any Good?
Robert Louis Stevenson's most well-known book defines the classic adventure story. Treasure Island comes complete with a lionhearted young hero, ruthless pirates, mutiny, and buried treasure. Though some of the language in this 1883 novel can seem old-fashioned, and occasionally racist, there's plenty of suspense and swashbuckling battles to keep readers engaged. Equally appealing is the way the author develops characters and the relationship between Jim Hawkins and the one-legged Long John Silver.
Silver is a complex character, with measured judgment and superior intelligence, and Stevenson's descriptions of his appearance and manner of speaking created the mold for just about every fictional pirate that came after him. Likewise, elements of the book -- including the treasure map marked with an "X," the song "Dead Man's Chest (Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum)," and parrots -- show the way Stevenson invented the popular image of a pirate. This is an important book and a thrilling one.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes a book a "classic." What made Treasure Island stand the test of time?
What's the attitude toward good guys and bad guys in Treasure Island'? In which category would you put Long John Silver?
Treasure Island was one of the first pirate adventure books. What things in this book were used in later pirate stories?
Book Details
- Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
- Illustrator: N. C. Wyeth
- Genre: Adventure
- Topics: Adventures , Great Boy Role Models , Pirates
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
- Publication date: November 14, 1883
- Number of pages: 302
- Last updated: February 10, 2020
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