The
Silver Dagger by Allan Dwight
First
published by Macmillan 1959. My copy is by Acorn Books, paperback, 1963.
Upper
elementary/jr high reading level. Historical Fiction.
About
the Author:
From
the dust jacket – “’Allan Dwight’ is a pen name for the husband-and-wife team
of Turney Allan Taylor and Lois Cole Taylor, who have written many exciting
adventure stories for young people. Their previous books include Drums in the Forest, The Silver Dagger, Guns
at Quebec, and Soldier and Patriot:
The Life of General Israel Putnam. Turney Allan Taylor, who recently wrote Morgan’s Long Rifles under his own name,
was for twenty years a special writer on the staff of the Sunday edition of the
New York Times. Lois Cole Taylor is
at present senior editor with Walker & Company, and for many years was an
editor with The Macmillan Company and senior editor with William Morrow &
Co., Inc. The Taylors are long-time residents of New Jersey.”
I
just recently read To the Walls of Cartagena,
also by this husband-wife team. Excellent historical fiction. And I have Guns at Quebec and Morgan’s
Long Rifles, found at a used bookstore this summer, that I haven’t read yet
but plan to soon. If you enjoy
historical fiction, or your sons do, I recommend this author.
The
Story:
From
the book cover – “Young Mark Woodbridge opened the door of his Connecticut
farmhouse one wet spring evening in 1762 to a cloaked and sinister stranger who
called himself Galvez – and thus began the adventure that was to change the
whole course of his life. The appearance of Galvez triggered the discovery that
Mark had inherited a hoard of treasure, buried somewhere in Cuba. To get there,
Mark enlists with the Colonials, and together with his friend Simon he sails to
that faraway island – right into the middle of dangerous intrigue. During the
long siege of Morro Castle, and with the agents of the evil Galvez on his
trail, Mark seeks for the hidden chest of jewels. Trapped and imprisoned, he
escapes to find the treasure at last, and in finding it discovers something
even more important.”
This
story line is fast-moving, full of adventure and danger, and ends in a satisfying
way. Mark matures as the story goes along, so that he begins to think before he
acts, learns to value true friendships, and sees beyond riches to do what is
right. The characters of the story are well-defined, both protagonist and
antagonist. One can almost feel the oppressive heat of Cuba and sympathize with
the desire for the New England home. Similar to the main character of the Henty
novels, Mark gets into one scrape after another, yet always comes out on top.
Still, if you have a son of upper elementary or junior high age, this adventure
story may appeal to him. The writing is
similar in length, level and style to William O. Steele, Leonard Wibberley, and
Stephen Meader, all great writers for boys.
Recommended
additional books/resources to aid your studies:
Connecticut
by Bernadine Bailey
Pirate
Chase by Earl Schenck Miers
The
Black Buccaneer by Stephen Meader
Unwilling
Pirate by West Lathrop
Pirate
– DK Eyewitness book
Indians
of the Longhouse, the Story of the Iroquois by Sonia Bleeker
Cuba
by Clifford Crouch
Cuba
by Karen Jacobsen, A New True Book
Soldier
and Patriot: Israel Putnam by Allan Dwight – he is briefly mentioned in the
story
Israel
Putnam: Fearless Boy by Augusta Stevenson, Childhood of Famous Americans
Today
in Old New York City by Elva Jean Hall
New
York by Susan & John Lee
A
Day in the Life of a Colonial Soldier by J.L. Branse
Boys
and Girls of Colonial Days by Carolyn Bailey
If
You Lived in Colonial Times by Ann McGovern
Everyday
Life in Colonial America by Louis Wright
Colonial
Living by Edwin Tunis
Colonial
American Troops, 1610-1774 by Rene Chartrand, Men-at-Arms series
Wooden
Ship-Building by Charles Desmond
Once
Upon a Time: The Way America Was by Eric Sloane
Other
historical fiction of this time period:
The
Young Voyageur by Kirk Gringhius
Time
of the Tomahawk by Robert Edmond Alter
The
Great Pine’s Son, A Story of the Pontiac War by Margaret Widdemer
A
Spy in Old Detroit by Anne Emery
River
of Danger, a Story of Samuel Kirkland by Denice Williamson, a missionary story
in upstate NY
(Book
review by Sandy Hall. All rights reserved. July 30, 2017)
