A sturdy hardcover I picked up at a second hand book store at the end of last year. A librarian I knew had grown up with them, and we share a love for childrens' books, so when I saw it, I bought it though I'd never read any. And I don't regret it. It's a lovely, wholesome series full of good, old-fashioned fun when everything kids did, no matter how mundane, was interesting and vital. Kind of like Trixie Belden - they have lovely family times. Anyways, my book looks just like that, only it's brown (blechh) and has a different picture and no title or author, just a brown dog in the corner. The story had the most coincidences and unbelievable and understated events ever. I havent' been a kid in a long time, so it was difficult suspending my disbelief but younger kids I know have loved it. The story runs along these lines: the Bobbsey twins (Nan and Bert, the older set, and Freddie and Flossie, the younger set. No one thinks about how much pain it must have been to carry these 4 to life.)comes with their family to Storm Haven, a seaside holiday area. Early on, they meet a Captain Van Pelt, who takes a particular liking to fat, fair-headed Flossie. We later find out it is because of his "secret" ie. he's looking for his wife and daughter who moved away whilst he was shipwrecked on an island, thinking he was dead. And he's spent the rest of his life looking for them, particularly in Storm Haven. Well, maybe people didn't move away so far in those days? If you were to lose someone now, they would probably end up from Africa to Russia or something. Anyways, the Bobbsey twins really want to help him find them. They go aboard his ship for a day-voyage and get caught in a storm. There, they meet an accidental stowaway, a school teacher called Miss Perkin who's down for the summer to earn some money, only she can't get employed. In the storm, Miss Perkin falls overboard in about 2 sudden sentences and is fished out just as quickly, safe. (There is a lot of falling into water in this book). They return after the storm has blown over. Later, the Captain decides to show them his treasure box on the beach, but a humungous (coincidental) wave sweeps it away. He is heartbroken, because it was full of treasure he was saving for his family. The Captain sails away for a while, and the kids go picking huckleberries (which I've never had before) in a bog. There, they meet a bear O_O and he's chasing after them until a dog chases him away. Go figure. They don't seem very frightened either. Then they're lost, get rescued by a muskrat hunter who they tell the Captain's story to. He suggests go see the guestbook in the Old Church and takes them there. Voila. The Captain's wife and daughter, Hannah and Debby Van Pelt, have signed it, with their town name. They can't wait to tell the Captain when he comes back.
Meanwhile, Bert sells his huckleberries to buy cushions for his new catboat in which he is learning to sail. I don't know about prices in those times, but that sounds like a mighty expensive holiday present though they're supposed to get it cheap. He's selling them to the hotel, and similtaneously recommends Miss Perkins as a piano entertainer so she gets her chance to earn some money. The family goes fishing, and Freddie, little chap that he is, fishes up this huge fish just about as big as him. I wish I had a superbrother like that. When the cook guts it, she finds a locket inside that (coincidentally) has the Captain's daughter and wife's photo! They can't wait to give that back either. Flossie meets a prize diver around her age called Marion, who has a close shave from hitting a hard raft when diving in the pool. But like everyone else in this book, she is unperturbed by danger. I don't think she even realises she almost split her head open. They become good friends. The family goes fishing again, and (even more coincidentally) this time Bert fishes up the Captain's treasure chest! The Bobbsey twins are handy to have around, aren't they? So now they've got a whole heap of things to return to the Captain.
Sometime before this, the Captain's come back and heard about his Debby and gone off to look for her in New York, and found out she could be the wife of a man working in insurance. Small world, that New York. Now he comes back and gets a lapful of treasure. The rest of the world, meanwhile, is preparing for a masquerade ball at the hotel where the Captain's staying. On the night, Nan goes dressed as Mary Bo Peep, Bert as a pirate, Freddie as a sailor and Flossie as a fat little fairy. There, they see Marion who's in one of her mother's childhood dresses. She's the spitting image of the girl in the locket, and the Bobbsey twins get excited and call the Captain down, who takes one look and gives Marion a great big hug. The mother comes along and is all "What are you doing with my daughter?!" This is the only part of the book where propriety makes an entrance. There's nothing strange about the Captain's First Mate stripping off his shirt to show the kids his tattoos, of course. But voila, it's a family reunion where everyone is very very happy. Marion is Debby's daughter, the Captain's granddaughter, but his wife has since passeed away. The Captain gives Bert sailing tricks for helping him find his family and Bert (coincidentally) wins the boat race at the hotel. And everyone's happily ever after.
I may wax sarcastic, but it's quite a cute little book. Sure, i didn't believe any of it but that didn't stop me enjoying it all, and guessing who the Captain's daughter was because of course, I knew she would be found. Good for kids. LITERARY MERIT: ** ENJOYMENT: ***
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