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The Secret of Saturday Cove
A delightful mystery about a girl and boy who try lobstering to help support their family. Dedicated to the boys and girls of Friendship, Maine. For readers grades 3-5.
168 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1961
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93 people want to read
About the author
Barbee Oliver Carleton
9 books13 followersBorn in Thomaston on August 17, 1917, Barbee Oliver Carleton was the daughter of Charles Forrest Oliver of Thomaston and Mildred Getchell Thurlow of Stonington.
Barbara grew up in Camden and graduated with the Camden High School Class of 1935. In 1940, she graduated from Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, where she majored in English.
After teaching high school English, she married Granville Carleton of Rockport. They settled in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts, where they raised their two children and had their careers. Continuing her career in education, Barbara taught for many years at Brookwood School, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. She also wrote and published numerous children’s stories and books. Her prolific writing career spanned a period of forty years.
Throughout their adult lives, Barbara and Granville consistently returned to Rockport in the summers, and in 2007, they returned to Rockport as year-round residents.
Barbara Carleton died on July 18, 2015 at Quarry Hill in Camden.
Barbara grew up in Camden and graduated with the Camden High School Class of 1935. In 1940, she graduated from Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, where she majored in English.
After teaching high school English, she married Granville Carleton of Rockport. They settled in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts, where they raised their two children and had their careers. Continuing her career in education, Barbara taught for many years at Brookwood School, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. She also wrote and published numerous children’s stories and books. Her prolific writing career spanned a period of forty years.
Throughout their adult lives, Barbara and Granville consistently returned to Rockport in the summers, and in 2007, they returned to Rockport as year-round residents.
Barbara Carleton died on July 18, 2015 at Quarry Hill in Camden.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 6, 2014
Wow! I’d have loved this when I was 8,9, or 10 (it was published when I was 7 or 8) but I’m virtually certain this is the first time I’ve read it. I found it thanks to GR friend Kathryn. Either my school and public library didn’t have it back then or I skipped it because of the boy character(s) and that would have been a shame because the two boys and a girl have equally good roles, and they’re all wonderful. It’s a good “boy” AND a “girl” book.
The story is charming and fun, suspenseful, heartwarming, full of adventure and family and friendship. It’s well written and it’s a riveting and well-crafted story. The characters are well developed too, and I had strong feelings about most of them. The mystery is very good, and I was actually surprised by the end, pleasantly surprised. The chapter titles are useful and a tad bit red herring like at times, but I enjoyed that. The illustrations are top notch a lovely to view, and they really enhance the story. The whole book is so evocative and there is some interesting historical information in it as well. There was room open for a sequel and I wish there had been one.
I’d have torn through this book, then and now, if I could have taken the time. It could easily be read in one day.
I admit all the lobstering talk was a bit much for me and I’d recommend it to vegan/vegetarian (and kosher keeping?) children only along with some explanations. But why it almost got only 4 stars from me is I had a hard time understanding the decisions and motivations of a few characters a few times. I think I might be the one wanting here though, so I’ll ask the only other person I know who’s read it to tell me her take.
It wasn’t until I read the author bio at the end of the book that I realized the author was a woman and not a man. it hardly matters but I found that interesting.
There is only one copy of this book in the entire LINK+ system my library uses (many public, university, and private libraries in California and Nevada) and this copy belongs to San Jose State University. Given what a gem it is it really should be more available, and I fervently hope this copy stays in circulation. I feel lucky that I was able to borrow it.
The story is charming and fun, suspenseful, heartwarming, full of adventure and family and friendship. It’s well written and it’s a riveting and well-crafted story. The characters are well developed too, and I had strong feelings about most of them. The mystery is very good, and I was actually surprised by the end, pleasantly surprised. The chapter titles are useful and a tad bit red herring like at times, but I enjoyed that. The illustrations are top notch a lovely to view, and they really enhance the story. The whole book is so evocative and there is some interesting historical information in it as well. There was room open for a sequel and I wish there had been one.
I’d have torn through this book, then and now, if I could have taken the time. It could easily be read in one day.
I admit all the lobstering talk was a bit much for me and I’d recommend it to vegan/vegetarian (and kosher keeping?) children only along with some explanations. But why it almost got only 4 stars from me is I had a hard time understanding the decisions and motivations of a few characters a few times. I think I might be the one wanting here though, so I’ll ask the only other person I know who’s read it to tell me her take.
It wasn’t until I read the author bio at the end of the book that I realized the author was a woman and not a man. it hardly matters but I found that interesting.
There is only one copy of this book in the entire LINK+ system my library uses (many public, university, and private libraries in California and Nevada) and this copy belongs to San Jose State University. Given what a gem it is it really should be more available, and I fervently hope this copy stays in circulation. I feel lucky that I was able to borrow it.
August 24, 2014
Absolutely wonderful! It's a shame this gem isn't better known. I found it in the library discard sale, chose it for the charming sketched illustrations, and knew when I read the first page that the story would be a keeper in its own right.
As there are no written reviews, I'm going to take my time and try to write a good one in the hopes of enticing more lucky readers to this tale of adventure, friendship, courage and humanity. So fitting that the story is about children seeking lost treasure, for the book itself is a lost treasure. Highly recommended!
This story is perhaps "dated"--but in the very best way--for in the early 1960s, most children were allowed a freedom to explore and wander, and to do meaningful adult work (and to do meaningful adult things with their earnings), that few children in America today are able to experience. For here is a tale of adventure and intrigue, in which children try to solve a mystery that adults had long ago given up on, and they face real danger along the way. They are brave, but not reckless. They face threats, perhaps none more troubling than the one to their reputation. They know when to turn to the guidance of adults--yet they also learn that poignant childhood discovery, that sometimes "grown men, even the finest of them, were not always right." I love that the parents are present, offering strength when needed, but not intrusive. The brother and sister squabble at times, like all do, but there is a strong sense of love and loyalty that is most refreshing. And the friendship between the boys feels so fully realized, so complete and nuanced. The atmosphere of summertime in the Penobscot Bay area of Maine is tangible--I could feel the salt spray, the sparkling sunlight after thick fog. The story is fun, exciting, thoughtful and well-written. I loved everything about it, except the lobstering, and highly recommend it to those looking for a quality middle-grade read. I've probably talked it up too much, for indeed I had no preconceived notions about it when I started reading, but it makes my heart ache that it's being discarded from libraries and has so few reviews here on GoodReads. It deserves a new and wider audience.
Here is the blurb from the cover, it is more accurate than the one currently listed on GoodReads, though it contains very minor spoilers:
"David Blake and his sister Sally have grown up with the legend of the Blake treasure, buried on one of the islands off Saturday Cove, a fishing village on the coast of Maine.
One day, while lobstering in the bay, David and Sally seek shelter from a summer storm in an abandoned house on Blake's Island. There they find a musty chart that seems to be a definite clue. Curious and excited, they decide to solve the family mystery.
But Sally loses the chart, and David reckons without the troublesome interference of Roddy McNeil, a newcomer to Saturday Cove. Roddy's father threatens to buy Blake's Island and the children fear the treasure will be lost to them forever.
The mystery is heightened with the discovery of an unidentified eavesdroppers, the disappearance of a rare pewter button, and the fishermen's growing suspicion that it is David who is stealing lobsters from their traps.
Barbee Oliver Carleton successfully captures the special flavor of the Maine coast, and brings to children a story of unusual imagination and excitement."
As there are no written reviews, I'm going to take my time and try to write a good one in the hopes of enticing more lucky readers to this tale of adventure, friendship, courage and humanity. So fitting that the story is about children seeking lost treasure, for the book itself is a lost treasure. Highly recommended!
This story is perhaps "dated"--but in the very best way--for in the early 1960s, most children were allowed a freedom to explore and wander, and to do meaningful adult work (and to do meaningful adult things with their earnings), that few children in America today are able to experience. For here is a tale of adventure and intrigue, in which children try to solve a mystery that adults had long ago given up on, and they face real danger along the way. They are brave, but not reckless. They face threats, perhaps none more troubling than the one to their reputation. They know when to turn to the guidance of adults--yet they also learn that poignant childhood discovery, that sometimes "grown men, even the finest of them, were not always right." I love that the parents are present, offering strength when needed, but not intrusive. The brother and sister squabble at times, like all do, but there is a strong sense of love and loyalty that is most refreshing. And the friendship between the boys feels so fully realized, so complete and nuanced. The atmosphere of summertime in the Penobscot Bay area of Maine is tangible--I could feel the salt spray, the sparkling sunlight after thick fog. The story is fun, exciting, thoughtful and well-written. I loved everything about it, except the lobstering, and highly recommend it to those looking for a quality middle-grade read. I've probably talked it up too much, for indeed I had no preconceived notions about it when I started reading, but it makes my heart ache that it's being discarded from libraries and has so few reviews here on GoodReads. It deserves a new and wider audience.
Here is the blurb from the cover, it is more accurate than the one currently listed on GoodReads, though it contains very minor spoilers:
"David Blake and his sister Sally have grown up with the legend of the Blake treasure, buried on one of the islands off Saturday Cove, a fishing village on the coast of Maine.
One day, while lobstering in the bay, David and Sally seek shelter from a summer storm in an abandoned house on Blake's Island. There they find a musty chart that seems to be a definite clue. Curious and excited, they decide to solve the family mystery.
But Sally loses the chart, and David reckons without the troublesome interference of Roddy McNeil, a newcomer to Saturday Cove. Roddy's father threatens to buy Blake's Island and the children fear the treasure will be lost to them forever.
The mystery is heightened with the discovery of an unidentified eavesdroppers, the disappearance of a rare pewter button, and the fishermen's growing suspicion that it is David who is stealing lobsters from their traps.
Barbee Oliver Carleton successfully captures the special flavor of the Maine coast, and brings to children a story of unusual imagination and excitement."
Read
August 20, 2018I read this thanks to Rachel Manija Brown's Dreamwidth review of it, and it was exactly as promised, a tightly plotted, satisfying middle-grade adventure story, with likable, believable characters deftly sketched in. I was more interested in younger-sister Sally and slightly-older-friend Poke than in the protagonist, David, but all the characters were allowed their time on the stage. Extenuating circumstances are evident for the antagonist, so you can imagine that he straightens himself out in time. I admired that the author had the characters face several sorts of difficulties--not merely exterior ones, but interior ones too, including suffering when wrongly accused, and being misunderstood by your friends. Some of the plot developments are pretty broadly signaled, but that's all right: the story's for young readers. All in all a very pleasant read, and feels plenty contemporary even though the original was apparently published in 1961.
April 23, 2022
This book is fantastic, and i am going to be on the lookout for more by this author. i pulled it out of my little free library to inspect because i could see by the spine that it was 70 years old. Then i kept it out of curiosity because the author’s first name is the same as my maiden name. But the writing is superb—all the sentences lean and vibrant, the characters believable, the plot complex. i just can not get over how much i enjoyed this random discovery. It makes me want to write, and keep writing.
September 25, 2024
Randomly found this middle grade book and was surprised at how deep the plot was! Really enjoyed it.
July 21, 2020
A fun and charming summer read! I like the way the author writes, and the descriptions are lovely. The kids are good protagonists and it was exciting following along with them on their treasure hunt.
August 3, 2017
Satisfying old-fashioned children's mystery.
March 10, 2022
Vintage children's book.
Charming.
Charming.
August 9, 2022
This was a nice and nostalgic read harking back to simpler times, when children worked and earned to pay for their college education, rowed off all by themselves, caught lobsters, went out at night without parents having to worry about them. Though it was published well before my time, I kept yearning for the good old days. The dialogues were also realistic and not cliched ones that are in most children’s books. Since it is set in a fishing town, there were a lot of colloquial words which I had never heard of – words like dory, keelson, skiff, williwaw and many more. The mystery and treasure hunt is not great, but it was fun reading about it.
I wonder why some children’s authors like Carleton are so obscure. Their books should have also become popular. I would love to read more of Carleton’s books, but they are not available easily; those few copies which exist, are exorbitantly priced. Surprisingly, her GR profile reads : “She also wrote and published numerous children’s stories and books. Her prolific writing career spanned a period of forty years.” My question: where are all these books of hers? Amazon just shows 3 books at the most.
I wonder why some children’s authors like Carleton are so obscure. Their books should have also become popular. I would love to read more of Carleton’s books, but they are not available easily; those few copies which exist, are exorbitantly priced. Surprisingly, her GR profile reads : “She also wrote and published numerous children’s stories and books. Her prolific writing career spanned a period of forty years.” My question: where are all these books of hers? Amazon just shows 3 books at the most.
August 16, 2019
This is one of those pleasurable mysteries from another time, about two kids who spend their time on the ocean trying out lobstering and looking for clues in an ages old mystery. Add in a new kid who's snotty as they come, and you've got the elements for the perfect story, that makes you think of summer reading in a hammock like you did when you were a kid.
What I loved best about this book is just how real the kids are, and how much I connected to the story. The mystery part might have been a little obvious as to who was sabotaging the lobster pots, but the treasure the kids were hunting was crafty and interesting and told with just the right element of danger to give a thrill.
In the end, what can I say but that I'd like to visit Saturday Cove again. If I could find the other books by this author I definitely would. Highly recommended!
What I loved best about this book is just how real the kids are, and how much I connected to the story. The mystery part might have been a little obvious as to who was sabotaging the lobster pots, but the treasure the kids were hunting was crafty and interesting and told with just the right element of danger to give a thrill.
In the end, what can I say but that I'd like to visit Saturday Cove again. If I could find the other books by this author I definitely would. Highly recommended!
February 8, 2020
One of my favorites from the book club: there was also The Ghost of Follonsbee's Folly, The Vandals of Treason House, and The Eighteenth Emergency. I couldn't begin to tell you if it is good because it has such a warm, nostalgic glow for me that I can't see it clearly.
(My last year of college I had too much free time one summer and spent it rereading all my favorite childhood books: that's the '88. It was a lovely summer.)
Personal copy
(My last year of college I had too much free time one summer and spent it rereading all my favorite childhood books: that's the '88. It was a lovely summer.)
Personal copy
September 4, 2025
I picked up this sixties era children's book at a garage sale without knowing much at all about it. As an adult, I could pretty easily tell where all the plot lines were going, but as a child, I would have loved this book. A mystery, a lost treasure, friendship, the good people winning, all the things that help make a fun story. It will be fun to read to my boys when they're a little older.
May 26, 2023
Read this out loud to boys ages 8 and 10 and they LOVED it. A really exciting treasure hunt mystery, main characters are so cool because they are hard-working independent kids (kind of like Boxcar kids), and cool to learn about lobstering too.
June 2, 2024
This book is set in Maine, and David and Sally Blake are searching for a long lost treasure. Their best friend, Poke, will never go near the water, and somebody also knows about the treasure. Will they figure out where the treasure is, and before anyone else?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 4, 2021
(with Mabry)
September 14, 2021
fine, but not particularly thrilling. If you want "kids lobstering" books, this is for you.
October 9, 2023
kids. boats and lost treasure, what's not to love?
May 30, 2024
I love a good treasure hunt. Without one or two contrived scenes seemingly inserted merely to increase tension, this one would have quite easily ranked four stars.
June 15, 2024
Cute children's mystery. Nice illustrations.
September 18, 2014
Loved the story and especially love the illustrations. One of my favorite illustrators.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews