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The Button Boat
The Button Boat was optioned for a TV-Movie by the late TV producer, David Victor, and an adaptation was done by Emmy-winning writer John McGreevey. This juvenile novella is a Depression-era tale of action and suspense and kids' scary fun that will remind the reader quite a bit of the famous 1955 thriller film, The Night of the Hunter, starring Robert Mitchum and Lillian Gish and directed by actor Charles Laughton, based on Davis Grubb's novel.
"Bushwah!" shouts Auston. Hold your hats, folks. Off we go on a rollicking adventure down a river in a clamming boat with Auston and his older sister, Dixie, two of the sweetest, poorest, smelliest kids you'd ever hope to meet. This is an old-time, thriller-chiller-killer-diller of a story, complete with bank robbers, a daredevil hero, a villainess who drinks pink lemonade, a dog who likes beer, a hateful stepfather who just plain drinks, and two river kids who were tickled by a dream and opened up their shells just enough to get hooked before they could say, "What the Sam Hill goes on here?"
Will they escape their drunken stepfather? Will they ever get to go to a real school? Can a black valise crammed full of money really change their lives? Can the sweet smell of character overcome the superstink of the icky, sticky clam? Read on and find out.
Reviews --
What a razzle-dazzle ring-a-ding movie it would make!" Kirkus Reviews
"Two beaten-down children of the Depression triumph over a wicked stepfather in a story that is melodramatic, suspenseful and funny." Outstanding childrens' books of 1969, selected by Polly Goodwin, Book World
"Here is a tale with flavor. Its authors tell, with rare good humor, the story of a brother and sister, whose world is the river where they fish for clams, for inedible clams their drunken stepfather sells (this story takes place in pre-plastic days) to make clothing buttons. The sister fishes, too, for words to teach her younger brother, to redeem the pledge she had made to their mother to take care of Auston. This is going to make a dandy movie, a dramatic, lusty movie for lucky children, that is if a director like Robert Radnitz gets his honest hands on it." Publishers Weekly
"The Button Boat is a sort of Bonnie and Clyde of a juvenile -- an exhuberant story set in 1934 involving two poor, smelly kids, their drunken stepfather, bank robbers, a peace officer, a beer-swilling dog, and a clamming boat 'so square at both ends that only the river knows whether it's coming or going.' "
Some Notable Childrens' Books, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, New York Times
"Melodramatic, with silent-picture type captions for chapter headings and plenty of wrong-era experssions such as 'banana oil,' 'bushwah,' and 'abadaba,' this is a very funny story in which the good guys triumph in the end. Children today are said not to be interested in the Depression. hey will be unable to resist the gritty Dixie and her little brother, Auston, and unable to put the book down after the first page."
Jane Clark, Washington Post Book World
"This is a cleverly-written book. It is full of energy and colour, a literary extravaganza....There are moments of quiet beauty, of farcical comedy, of subtle social comment. In short, the book is in many ways brilliant." Children's Book Review, Great Britain
"The Button Boat is pure delight. The husband and wife co-authors, have produced a book which is almost a work of art. Its racy, descriptive style is way out and great fun. The illustrations by Suzanne Verrier are superb." Manchester Evening News, Great Britain
"This is an enthralling book for intelligent young readers of nine upwards and while the language may not belong to 'England Lit'
"Bushwah!" shouts Auston. Hold your hats, folks. Off we go on a rollicking adventure down a river in a clamming boat with Auston and his older sister, Dixie, two of the sweetest, poorest, smelliest kids you'd ever hope to meet. This is an old-time, thriller-chiller-killer-diller of a story, complete with bank robbers, a daredevil hero, a villainess who drinks pink lemonade, a dog who likes beer, a hateful stepfather who just plain drinks, and two river kids who were tickled by a dream and opened up their shells just enough to get hooked before they could say, "What the Sam Hill goes on here?"
Will they escape their drunken stepfather? Will they ever get to go to a real school? Can a black valise crammed full of money really change their lives? Can the sweet smell of character overcome the superstink of the icky, sticky clam? Read on and find out.
Reviews --
What a razzle-dazzle ring-a-ding movie it would make!" Kirkus Reviews
"Two beaten-down children of the Depression triumph over a wicked stepfather in a story that is melodramatic, suspenseful and funny." Outstanding childrens' books of 1969, selected by Polly Goodwin, Book World
"Here is a tale with flavor. Its authors tell, with rare good humor, the story of a brother and sister, whose world is the river where they fish for clams, for inedible clams their drunken stepfather sells (this story takes place in pre-plastic days) to make clothing buttons. The sister fishes, too, for words to teach her younger brother, to redeem the pledge she had made to their mother to take care of Auston. This is going to make a dandy movie, a dramatic, lusty movie for lucky children, that is if a director like Robert Radnitz gets his honest hands on it." Publishers Weekly
"The Button Boat is a sort of Bonnie and Clyde of a juvenile -- an exhuberant story set in 1934 involving two poor, smelly kids, their drunken stepfather, bank robbers, a peace officer, a beer-swilling dog, and a clamming boat 'so square at both ends that only the river knows whether it's coming or going.' "
Some Notable Childrens' Books, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, New York Times
"Melodramatic, with silent-picture type captions for chapter headings and plenty of wrong-era experssions such as 'banana oil,' 'bushwah,' and 'abadaba,' this is a very funny story in which the good guys triumph in the end. Children today are said not to be interested in the Depression. hey will be unable to resist the gritty Dixie and her little brother, Auston, and unable to put the book down after the first page."
Jane Clark, Washington Post Book World
"This is a cleverly-written book. It is full of energy and colour, a literary extravaganza....There are moments of quiet beauty, of farcical comedy, of subtle social comment. In short, the book is in many ways brilliant." Children's Book Review, Great Britain
"The Button Boat is pure delight. The husband and wife co-authors, have produced a book which is almost a work of art. Its racy, descriptive style is way out and great fun. The illustrations by Suzanne Verrier are superb." Manchester Evening News, Great Britain
"This is an enthralling book for intelligent young readers of nine upwards and while the language may not belong to 'England Lit'
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 1969
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Glendon Swarthout
52 books95 followersGlendon Fred Swarthout was an American writer. Some of his best known novels were made into films of the same title, Where the Boys Are, The Shootist and They Came To Cordura.
Also wrote under Glendon Fred Swarthout. Twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glendon_...
Also wrote under Glendon Fred Swarthout. Twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glendon_...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 28, 2025
4.25. all I wanted was for them to get a bath and know what it was like to feel clean. very stressful children's book. and the description of Jake in the water ...
June 19, 2014
The Button Boat by my parents, Glendon and Kathryn Swarthout, is another forgotten children's novella which would make a great TV-Movie by a family TV channel like Hallmark. I having nothing more to add to this fine book's original synopsis except a couple more of its excellent book reviews from all over the world.
More about the writing Swarthouts, all the novels, the 9 films made from them, movie trailers, and the screenplays (originals and adaptations) is available on our literary website -- www.glendonswarthout.com
Book Reviews --
"The Button Boat is pure delight. The husband and wife co-authors, have produced a book which is almost a work of art. Its racy, descriptive style is way out and great fun. The illustrations by Suzanne Verrier are superb."
Manchester Evening News, Great Britain
"Glendon Swarthout, the well-known American writer and his wife, Kathryn, have combined to produce their second widely-distributed book, The Button Boat. It is complemented by excellent line and wash drawings by Suzanne Verrier. A story with a social conscience about the Depression in the deep south, it features two dirty, smelly, lovable children. A fun-filled story that will influence every reader."
Rand Daily Mail, South Africa
"How refreshing to find among this year's crop of early readers some books of outstanding quality. All to often our young readers have had to make do with books of mundane ordinariness that have done nothing to extend their boundaries beyond the cozy worlds in which they live. Seldom, until now, have they had the opportunity of being thrown into the harsh, poverty-stricken days of the American Depression or been able to live the lives of two smelly little kids who dig for clams and try to outwit their hateful, drunken stepfather. The Button Boat by Glendon and Kathryn Swarthout provides all this in a fascinating, down-to-earth, thrilling story that carries the reader along like a tidal wave and cannot fail to sink deep."
Audrie Godsell the Birmingham Post, Great Britain
More about the writing Swarthouts, all the novels, the 9 films made from them, movie trailers, and the screenplays (originals and adaptations) is available on our literary website -- www.glendonswarthout.com
Book Reviews --
"The Button Boat is pure delight. The husband and wife co-authors, have produced a book which is almost a work of art. Its racy, descriptive style is way out and great fun. The illustrations by Suzanne Verrier are superb."
Manchester Evening News, Great Britain
"Glendon Swarthout, the well-known American writer and his wife, Kathryn, have combined to produce their second widely-distributed book, The Button Boat. It is complemented by excellent line and wash drawings by Suzanne Verrier. A story with a social conscience about the Depression in the deep south, it features two dirty, smelly, lovable children. A fun-filled story that will influence every reader."
Rand Daily Mail, South Africa
"How refreshing to find among this year's crop of early readers some books of outstanding quality. All to often our young readers have had to make do with books of mundane ordinariness that have done nothing to extend their boundaries beyond the cozy worlds in which they live. Seldom, until now, have they had the opportunity of being thrown into the harsh, poverty-stricken days of the American Depression or been able to live the lives of two smelly little kids who dig for clams and try to outwit their hateful, drunken stepfather. The Button Boat by Glendon and Kathryn Swarthout provides all this in a fascinating, down-to-earth, thrilling story that carries the reader along like a tidal wave and cannot fail to sink deep."
Audrie Godsell the Birmingham Post, Great Britain
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews