More Book Posting - Young Person's Division

This may be kind of a long shot, but does anybody out there recall the name of a kid's book from years ago about a boy who gets involved in smuggling/guerilla operations in a boat on Long Island Sound during the Revolutionary War? I only remember the name of the boat, which was the Spindrift, but I think the book had some other name - The Devil's Something or Other, possibly.

This has been bugging me on and off for some time past. I'm reminded of it again because the eldest Llama-ette, who turns eight in March, has recently taken to reading for pleasure in a big way. She's in the midst of a series called Myth-O-Maniac by Kate McMullan, the premise of which is that Greek mythology has been spun by Zeus to make him look better. In these books, Hades tells things "the way they really happened" and in a modern tone. I was a bit skeptical at first, but the gel loves them. In addition, she's been fact-checking the author's ass, and has caught her out on some Olympian family connections.

I was just about the gel's age when I started reading in a serious way, too. And it is immensely gratifying to see her taking such an interest.

Funnily enough, all this ties directly to a certain trait of mine which has caused so many people reading this blog to roll their eyes from time to time.

Allow me to explain.

One of my favorite books from that age was Sid Fleishman's Bullwhip Griffin, the story of a young boy who runs away from his affluent Boston family to the California Gold Rush, and the faithful family butler who follows him in order to look after him. I must have read the book thirty times.

Well, finally I got to see Disney's 1967 movie version of it. I was terribly excited, not only because I liked the story so much but also because Suzanne Pleshette, one of my first crushes, was in it. However, when the big day came, I found that Disney had so altered the story as to make it almost unrecognizable to me.

I was crushed. And infuriated.

As regular readers will recognize, I still carry the scar tissue.

So, the next time I light into a screen adaptation of some favored book, you'll understand why.

UPDATE: I love the blogsphere! The book name I was groping for is Spies On The Devil's Belt by Betsy Haynes. As the name suggests, the story is about espionage, not actual fighting. (BTW, the book seems to have gone out of print.)

Aaahhh....I feel much better now.

Great big yips! to Amelie at for a breath I tarry for the assist!