The Mystery of the Island - Isobel Knight

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pete9012S
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by pete9012S »

I think that is a very short book of about 56 pages if my memory is correct??

Interestingly,when someone else was trying to remember /locate The Mystery Of The Island by Isobel Knight on another site a few years ago:
1chris_black
May 26, 2013, 10:48am Top
I've been trying to figure out the name of a children's book that I read years ago but I can't figure it out and google has been no help.

It was about a family who moved to a small Scottish island to work a croft because the father had been sick. Locals said the farm was cursed as it had quite a few owners and there was a ruined castle nearby that was supposedly haunted. Strange things start to happen, the father gets seriously injured and taken to the mainland (the mother goes with him) but the kids stay. They figure out that it's all related to a gang of smugglers because of pearls on the beach and everything rights itself.
One poster suggested:
2diana.n
Edited: May 31, 2013, 6:35pm Top
Strongest possibility, so far: Highland Fling, by Sybil Burr: Per Loganberry, "Highland Fling, by Sybil Burr, published Westminster 1957. "In this suspense-filled adventure story, three youngsters explore the Scottish island of St. Bride and become involved with a secret hidden in an old tower." (HB Apr/57 p.182 ad)."
This book 'Highland Fling' by Sybil Burr looks interesting itself.
a search for 'Highland Fling' reveals that it was originally called 'The Saint Bride Blue' and is now an extremely scarce title:

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/Saint-Bride-B ... 0586963/bd" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Rob Houghton »

Talking of other titles, there are some intriguing ones on the back of my Abbey Rewards version of The Mystery of the Island, but unfortunately no details of the authors. -

'Girls' Fiction -

Island of Secrets
Caravan Creek
The Moorings Mystery
All Because of Posy
Polly of Primrose Hill
The Chartfield School Mystery
Gypsy At Greywalls
Sidney Seeks Her Fortune
Rosamond Takes The Lead
Adrift in the Stratosphere
The Long Haul
The Prairie Wagon Train
Hammond's Hard Lines

Boys' Fiction -

Berenger's Tough Case
The Secret of Pedlar's Piece
Wrecker's Bay
Fitton Four Poster
Calling Base 10
The Sky Pirates
Nursing in the Outback
Family At Kilmory
Under Australian Skies
The Black Bog Mystery
The Quest of the Bellamy Jewels
The Potato Riddle
The Secret of Rumbling Churn


8) I fail to see how some of these are expressly for 'Boys' or 'Girls' . :shock:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Daisy »

I recognise some of the titles - more in the girls' section and do possess 4 of them - one from the boys' section.
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by John Pickup »

I've got Island Of Secrets by Laurence Edwards, published by Collins. On the back of the book it is firmly in the Boys section whereas Robert has it in the Girls section. I wonder if it is the same book?
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Rob Houghton »

As Pete said earlier, The Mystery of the Island is sometimes listed as a teenage girls book - but on the back of my Reward version, listed above, it's in the Boys section! (I left it off my list above as it's a book we're already discussing). It's maybe proof that some books shouldn't be categorised! :D
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Kate Mary »

Robert's list of titles in the Abbey Rewards series is very interesting. I have a number of these in the earlier Peal Press edition and some of the boys' titles are listed as girls' and vice versa in my copies. I doubt if many boys would want to read Nursing in the Outback by Phyllis M. Power.

Girls' Titles

Caravan Creek Gladys Mitchell
The Moorings Mystery Alice Sterry
Al because of Posy Kathleen O'Farrell
Polly of Primrose Hill Kathleen O'Farrell
Chartfield School Mystery Monica Marsden
Gypsy at Greywalls Judith Carr
Sidney seeks her fortune Catherine Christian
Family at Kilmory Elizabeth Leitch
Under Australian Skies Phyllis M Power
Quest of the Bellamy Jewels Natalie Barkas
The Fitton Four-Poster George E Evans


Boys' Titles

Adrift in the Stratosphere Prof. A M Low
Berenger's Toughest Case Douglas V Duff
Secret of Pedlar's Piece R R Stephens
The Potato Riddle Agnes & Norman Furlong
The Black Bog Mystery Lane Mitchell
Secret of Rumbling Churn John Sweet
Prairie Wagon Trail Rowland Walker
Sky Pirates Douglas V Duff

The above titles are listed in the back of another Peal Press edition; Clover Cottage by Frances Cowen. I've got 3 or 4 of the above books.
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Rob Houghton »

Thanks for supplying the authors, Kate Mary! :-) My list didn't give the authors, and as you say, the categories of 'Boys' and 'Girls' seem a bit wrong! I'm not sure whether 'The Mystery of the Island' could be classed as either boys or girls - to my mind, it's equally suitable to both, and probably a good half of the books above would be suitable for both sexes too.
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by pete9012S »

Image
Boys' Titles

Adrift in the Stratosphere Prof. A M Low
I decided to check this intriguing title out in a bit more detail:
What a strange old beast this is. It was first published in 1937 – and shows it. Its three protagonists are (in one case ex-) public schoolboys who say things like, “I say, you chaps,” “jolly well” and “Rather!” and get through more by luck than expertise. They become adrift in the stratosphere by accidentally taking off in a spaceship that someone has built (in a barn!) where they’d stopped off on a motorbike excursion......
http://jackdeighton.co.uk/2014/06/21/ad ... f-a-m-low/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
" A kind heart always brings its own reward," said Mrs. Lee.
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Rob Houghton »

Interesting, Pete! And I thought The Mountain of Adventure was far-fetched! :wink:
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by pete9012S »

Anyway,despite what I said about reading the book on holiday in a few weeks time,I've started it now and can't stop!! :D
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Courtenay »

pete9012S wrote:Anyway,despite what I said about reading the book on holiday in a few weeks time,I've started it now and can't stop!! :D
Bit like that, isn't it? 8)

I enjoyed the book so much (except I felt the ending was just a little rushed) that I ended up buying a nicer copy of it, the Blackie edition with dust jacket and three plates by W. Lindsey Cable. Interestingly, the back of the dust jacket also lists the publisher's new titles "For Boys" and "For Girls" - and in this one, The Mystery of the Island is "For Girls"! Interesting how different publishers categorised it - I thought it was a fine example of a book that would easily appeal both to boys and to girls, so there we go.

(I can't help laughing a bit at the publisher being called Blackie, since that - spelled Blacky - was also the name of my late cat, a lovably gormless creature who would have been far too busy sleeping to bother with books even if he'd had the ability to read... :wink: )
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Rob Houghton »

pete9012S wrote:Anyway,despite what I said about reading the book on holiday in a few weeks time,I've started it now and can't stop!! :D
That's great! :-)

Courtenay - I can't recall if I ever found the ending a bit rushed...even though I've read it nine times! Maybe I'm so used to it I didn't notice. I'm due a reread so I will look out for that! :-)

I'm very pleased to hear you've bought a nicer version of the book...and you can't blame me this time for making you part with your hard earned cash! :lol:

Our neighbours had a cat called Blacky - although it spent most of its time in our house, with our cat Korky. They were great friends despite a 10 year age gap. Blacky taught Korky to lift the letterbox on our front door and rattle it when he wanted to come in, and the two cats used to curl up together on the rug by the fire. :-)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Courtenay »

Oh, I just felt it was a little rushed because there were so many exciting things happening right up until the end and the actual mystery wasn't solved until the last few pages! :D I'm more used to stories that have a chapter or so after the great denouement for everyone (including the reader) to wind down and settle. But it was still an excellent book.

And I will still blame you for making me part with my hard-earned cash, because the nicer copy I bought was the one from AbeBooks that you gave us the link to, which I wouldn't have known about if you hadn't mentioned it!! :twisted:
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I have arrived at last! Kirrin Island in the background? :D

Image

It is listed as a Girls' book on the back of my copy, along with The Queer Island - I wonder if that title is still in print! :roll:
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Re: Mystery Of The Island - Isobel Knight

Post by Rob Houghton »

Courtenay wrote:
And I will still blame you for making me part with my hard-earned cash, because the nicer copy I bought was the one from AbeBooks that you gave us the link to, which I wouldn't have known about if you hadn't mentioned it!! :twisted:
I'm getting jealous of all these nice dust wrapper versions that people are buying on my recommendation! It's interesting just how many versions of this book are out there - it certainly must have been very popular in its day! I'm feeling I will have to buy a nice version in a DW before too long! :-)

Tony - that's a nice cover! I was sure you posted a link earlier to a different version - with the dw by Lindsay W Cable - but now I can't find it so maybe I'm mistaken -anyway- I think this cover is nicer than the original. :-)
'Oh voice of Spring of Youth
hearts mad delight,
Sing on, sing on, and when the sun is gone
I'll warm me with your echoes
through the night.'

(E. Blyton, Sunday Times, 1951)



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