The Coral Island

First published in 1857, ‘The Coral Island’ is one of Scottish author R.M. Ballantyne’s best-loved children’s books. When the good ship ‘Arrow’ is wrecked in the Pacific Ocean, the sole survivors are three young friends: Jack, Ralph, and Peterkin. Washed up on the shore of an unfamiliar island paradise, the boys must learn quickly in order to survive. There are plenty of twists and turns ahead in this classic adventure story, which is packed full of danger and excitement. An instant success upon publication, ‘The Coral Island’ was the inspiration behind famous author Robert Louis Stevenson’s later adventure tale ‘Treasure Island’. R.M. Ballantyne (1825-1894) was a Scottish artist and prolific author of mostly children’s fiction. Born in Edinburgh, Ballantyne was the ninth of ten children. At the age of 16 Ballantyne moved to Canada, where he worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company, travelling all over the country to trade for fur. He returned to Scotland in 1847 following the