A thoroughly delightful adventure that proves every "bad boy" just needs the right journey. Martin Rattler has been labeled troublesome by his aunt and the villagers of Ashford, but when a mix-up lands him aboard the ship Firefly headed for the South Seas, his mischievous spirit finally finds its outlet. Along with his friend Barney O'Flannagan, Martin escapes pirates, survives a shipwreck, and embarks on a wild traversal of South America that includes canoeing down the Amazon, narrowly evading an alligator, an ill-advised meal of anaconda and turtle eggs, and capture by indigenous peoples. When the friends are separated, Martin makes a daring cliffside escape and finds himself working in a diamond mine, all while wondering if he'll ever see his companion again. Ballantyne writes with Victorian vigor and humor, capturing the boundless energy of a boy who transforms trouble into triumph. This is adventure fiction at its most infectious: optimistic, exciting, and told with a wink.
