Treasure Island by R. L. Stevenson
Possibly R. L. Stevenson’s best known novel, Treasure Island is a coming-of-age story of pirates and buried treasure. Noted for its characters, atmosphere and action, with a subtext of lack of morality. This classic Scottish novel has inspired many imitators and is one of the most frequently dramatized novels in the world. The morally ambiguous character of Long John Silver is unusual for children’s literature and adds another dimension to what is an already exciting tale of adventure.

 

The Coral Island by R. M. Ballantyne

A tale of three boys shipwrecked and marooned on a South Pacific island. This is one of the first children’s books to feature exclusively adolescent heroes and was the inspiration for William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. As well as offering excitement and adventure, this classic tale also offers insight into Victorian society with the themes of Christianity, social hierarchies and the then perceived superiority of civilised Europeans. Ballantyne’s work was also said to have inspired two of the most famous Scottish children’s novels, Treasure Island and Peter Pan.

 

The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The first of Conan Doyle’s Professor Challenger stories. A tale of adventure and discovery which recounts an expedition to the Amazon basin where prehistoric creatures thought long-extinct still survive. The novel also features the conflict between the indigenous tribe and vicious ape-like creatures. Like The Coral Island, this novel was written at a time of strong colonialism which is reflected in the way some people are described. This does not make the novel any less exciting and the modern reader will find it interesting, perhaps even amusing, to read about the views and opinions of people from this time.