Coot Club — Arthur Ransome

Danger and excitement await a vacationing brother and sister when they team up with local children to stop poachers in eastern England.

Dick and Dorothea Callum came to the Norfolk Broads during the Easter holidays, eager to learn to sail. There, they run into the Coot Club Bird Protection Society―children who protect the local birds from thoughtless tourists.

Trouble begins when a coot's nest is disturbed by a ship full of “Hullabaloos” ―rude holiday boaters. The children try to convince the “Hullabaloos” to moor their noisy boat somewhere else. This fails, and frantic chases, calamitous boat collisions, daring rescues (including by a dog, William the pug), and rewards ensue!

Friendship and resourcefulness, dangers and excitement: Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series has stood the test of time. More than just great stories, each one celebrates independence and initiative with a colorful, large cast of characters. Coot Club (originally published in 1934) was ahead of its time in its concern for protecting wildlife. It is the fifth title in the Swallows and Amazons series, books for children or grownups, anyone captivated by a world of adventure, exploration, and imagination.

“This exciting story of the Norfolk Broads is definitely the best Mr. Ransome has written. It is genuine adventure, and yet there is not an incident which could not easily occur sailing about the waters of East Anglia.” ―Daily Mail (UK)

“There is satisfactory realism about all that happens to the Coot Club, and the atmosphere and detail of the odd part of England where they navigate are conveyed with a charm and accuracy that only this author perhaps could bring to bear.” ―Guardian (UK)