The Coral Island by R.M. Ballantyne Fiction Literary Action & Adventure

<p><strong>One night soon after we entered the tropics an awful storm burst upon our ship. </strong>The first squall of wind carried away two of our masts and left only the foremast standing. There was no room for me upon the lifeboat; but being left behind saved my life -- and the lives of Peterkin and Jack Martin my two companions. Come boys said Jack Martin in a grave tone as we stood on the quarterdeck awaiting our fate -- You see it is impossible that the little boat can reach the shore crowded with men. He had us take hold of a loose oar and guided us to shelter on a deserted coral isle. . . . . . . and that is the beginning of my harrowing tale. The novel was still considered a classic for English primary school children in the early 20th century. In the United States it was long a staple of suggested reading lists for high-school students; such a list discussed in a 1915 article in The English Journal recommends the novel in the category Stories for Boys in Easy Style.</p>