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 death of his father, and it was then that he began his literary career in earnest, writing over 100 children’s adventure books over the course of his life. Stories such as ‘The Coral Island’ and ‘The Young Fur Traders’ were hugely popular, and many of them drew on his own experiences of travelling throughout Canada. A stickler for detail, Ballantyne continued to travel widely to research the backgrounds and settings for his exciting stories. His tales became an inspiration for authors of the future, including ‘Treasure Island’ novelist Robert Louis Stevenson. Ballantyne spent the latter period of his life living in London and Italy for the sake of his health. He died in Rome in 1894 at the age of 68.