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Mes varnų saloje
Apysaka "Mes Varnų saloje" - iš realistinių knygų grupės. Tai yra, niekas čia stebuklų nekrečia ir burtais nesinaudoja. Nors… Jei pabučiuota varlė įšoka į jachtą, o iš jos išlipa vaikinas - nei pridėk, nei atimk - tikras princas - tai bene čia ne stebuklas vaiko akimis? Na ir kas, kad tasai neišsiduoda, o vėliau niekaip nenori vėl atgal į varlę atvirsti. Būna gi užsispyrusių varlėnų… Žodžiu, turint fantazijos, - o kam jos turėti, jei ne vaikams? - bet kuris dalykas gali stebuklingai atrodyti. O jei dar aplink tokia gamta: šcherai, fiordai ir amžinai besimainanti jūra. Nuostabi ir nepamirštama knyga apie tris brolius ir seserį, puikiai leidžiančius atostogas saloje. Apysakoje šiltai, su humoru atskleidžiami vaikų santykiai su tėvu, jų tarpusavio bendravimas, meilė gyvūnams.
206 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 1964
164 people are currently reading
1905 people want to read
About the author
Astrid Lindgren
1,243 books3,887 followersAstrid Anna Emilia Lindgren, née Ericsson, (1907 - 2002) was a Swedish children's book author and screenwriter, whose many titles were translated into 85 languages and published in more than 100 countries. She has sold roughly 165 million copies worldwide. Today, she is most remembered for writing the Pippi Longstocking books, as well as the Karlsson-on-the-Roof book series.
Awards:
Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (1958)
Awards:
Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing (1958)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 361 reviews
July 25, 2023
Astrid Lindgren gehört natürlich auch zu meiner Kindheit dazu, auch wenn ich mich da mehr an die Filme als an die Bücher erinnern kann. Aber ich habe vor kurzem eine Biografie über Astrid Lindgren als Hörbuch gehört und nun richtig Lust bekommen, ihre Geschichten für mich noch einmal zu entdecken.
Der Anfang macht "Ferien auf Saltkrokan". Ein herrliches Sommerbuch, das sofort Kindheitserinnerungen weckt. Urlaub in den Schären, spielen in der Natur, neue Freunde kennenlernen, alles scheint herrlich unbeschwert. Dann kommt der Winter, und der ist genau so schön!
Ein richtiges Wohlfühlbuch und für Kinder als auch Erwachsene empfehlenswert! Die Geschichte ist ja nun schon etwas älter, aber immer noch schön und viellelicht gerade wegen des Alters besonders charmant :)
Der Anfang macht "Ferien auf Saltkrokan". Ein herrliches Sommerbuch, das sofort Kindheitserinnerungen weckt. Urlaub in den Schären, spielen in der Natur, neue Freunde kennenlernen, alles scheint herrlich unbeschwert. Dann kommt der Winter, und der ist genau so schön!
Ein richtiges Wohlfühlbuch und für Kinder als auch Erwachsene empfehlenswert! Die Geschichte ist ja nun schon etwas älter, aber immer noch schön und viellelicht gerade wegen des Alters besonders charmant :)
June 10, 2020
"Hemma på vår gata i stan..."
In the summer of 2020, when people rediscover vacation in the close vicinity of "their street in town", as Stina would label her Stockholm home, the recommended reading list will look different from other years too. May I make a case for one of Astrid Lindgren's lesser known books, one of those that were eclipsed by the wonderful tv series but turns out to be quite a piece of art when you finally get to read the original story to your children?
A writer, quite clumsy, takes his family to a messy house on an island in the Stockholm Archipelago and discovers a microcosm of people mirroring the big world in all possible ways.
Even though nothing much happens, a lot goes on in the minds of vacation guests and native islanders alike.
For all of us who stare at vouchers from cancelled trips, a happy summer close by "hemma på vår gata i stan" may contain surprises we don't expect!
To staycation season, from a teacher seeing the end of the term coming ... whatever is not a classroom is a good holiday!
In the summer of 2020, when people rediscover vacation in the close vicinity of "their street in town", as Stina would label her Stockholm home, the recommended reading list will look different from other years too. May I make a case for one of Astrid Lindgren's lesser known books, one of those that were eclipsed by the wonderful tv series but turns out to be quite a piece of art when you finally get to read the original story to your children?
A writer, quite clumsy, takes his family to a messy house on an island in the Stockholm Archipelago and discovers a microcosm of people mirroring the big world in all possible ways.
Even though nothing much happens, a lot goes on in the minds of vacation guests and native islanders alike.
For all of us who stare at vouchers from cancelled trips, a happy summer close by "hemma på vår gata i stan" may contain surprises we don't expect!
To staycation season, from a teacher seeing the end of the term coming ... whatever is not a classroom is a good holiday!
January 31, 2023
Ferien auf Saltkrokan (titled Vi på Saltkåkan in the original Swedish) was one of my absolute favourite Astrid Lindgren novels from when I was a child (and even from when I was a teenager, when I rather continuously if not obsessively reread it and so much so that the novel began to fall apart). I loved reading Astrid Lindgren's magical and evocative descriptions of the rugged Swedish coastline and its small islands with their delightful and generally pretty well self-sustaining and self-sufficient life and culture. I adored young but oh so self-assured Tjorven and her faithful Saint Bernard Bootsmann, and indeed I also found the bumbling author father of the Melkersson clan while at times annoyingly childish and impractical, generally immensely loveable (and of course the ending of Ferien auf Saltkrokan, where two of the youngest children, where Tjorven and Pelle manage to do what the adults have not been able to achieve, where the two children manage to save the desired holiday house from being bought by a scheming developer by locating the actual owner of the cottage and purchasing it for just some pocket change, both surprising the adults and of course massively angering and infuriating the entitled and superior acting developer and lawyer, that has always made me smile with very much appreciation).
However and that having all been said, as an older adult rereading Ferien auf Saltkrokan, while I still enjoy and appreciate most of what I adored about the novel in my younger days (albeit that I do now kind of think that in particular Tjorven is depicted in a rather exaggerated fashion by Astrid Lindgren), there is also quite some annoying and frustrating personal displeasure present. For as an older reader, I do indeed consider the almost constant childish helplessness of the father rather problematic at times (and would like to shake Melker Melkersson a bit into reason), not so much because he is disorganised, distracted and generally forgetful (and with the tendency towards emotional outbursts at all and sundry problems and potential issues), but more so because Melker Melkersson totally and without any type of contrition and shame on his part gladly seems more than willing to let his oldest daughter, to force 19 year old Malin to shoulder ALL responsibilities for the family and for how the family home is run and kept working. And while of course I do still very much like reading Ferien auf Saltkrokan, I do NOT so much anymore (if at all) really appreciate the amount of constant domestic responsibilities, chores and duties Malin has on her young shoulders and that the entire family (from her father to her brothers) seem to think that Malin is somehow their domestic servant in many ways, with the brothers even actively attempting to thwart any and all romantic aspirations their sister might have and simply because they do not want Malin to marry (and thus leave them without their "housekeeper"). Therefore, while I still do highly recommend Ferien auf Saltkrokan (which seems to be called Seacrow Island in its English translations), I do indeed only recommend the novel with the caveat that there should in my humble opinion and yes definitely also be some major discussion regarding the amount of domestic duties Malin Melkersson is constantly being saddled with and that everyone (and in my opinion even Astrid Lindgren herself to a point) seems to regard her as simply a housewifely type of person, as basically the one person in the Melkersson family who is and should be (even though she is only 19 years of age) responsible for everything and that it is even seen as acceptable and normal, natural that her father simply does nothing and is generally not responsible for anything regarding house and home.
However and that having all been said, as an older adult rereading Ferien auf Saltkrokan, while I still enjoy and appreciate most of what I adored about the novel in my younger days (albeit that I do now kind of think that in particular Tjorven is depicted in a rather exaggerated fashion by Astrid Lindgren), there is also quite some annoying and frustrating personal displeasure present. For as an older reader, I do indeed consider the almost constant childish helplessness of the father rather problematic at times (and would like to shake Melker Melkersson a bit into reason), not so much because he is disorganised, distracted and generally forgetful (and with the tendency towards emotional outbursts at all and sundry problems and potential issues), but more so because Melker Melkersson totally and without any type of contrition and shame on his part gladly seems more than willing to let his oldest daughter, to force 19 year old Malin to shoulder ALL responsibilities for the family and for how the family home is run and kept working. And while of course I do still very much like reading Ferien auf Saltkrokan, I do NOT so much anymore (if at all) really appreciate the amount of constant domestic responsibilities, chores and duties Malin has on her young shoulders and that the entire family (from her father to her brothers) seem to think that Malin is somehow their domestic servant in many ways, with the brothers even actively attempting to thwart any and all romantic aspirations their sister might have and simply because they do not want Malin to marry (and thus leave them without their "housekeeper"). Therefore, while I still do highly recommend Ferien auf Saltkrokan (which seems to be called Seacrow Island in its English translations), I do indeed only recommend the novel with the caveat that there should in my humble opinion and yes definitely also be some major discussion regarding the amount of domestic duties Malin Melkersson is constantly being saddled with and that everyone (and in my opinion even Astrid Lindgren herself to a point) seems to regard her as simply a housewifely type of person, as basically the one person in the Melkersson family who is and should be (even though she is only 19 years of age) responsible for everything and that it is even seen as acceptable and normal, natural that her father simply does nothing and is generally not responsible for anything regarding house and home.
November 7, 2009
This is without a doubt my favorite book by Astrid Lindgren.
I remember being twelve or so and saving up to buy my own copy. The book still remains on my bookshelf and I like to pick it up and read it every once in a while.
It doesn't feel like a children's book when I read it. It simply feels like a wonderful and heartwarming story about children on Seatcrow island.
It's definitely a book I'll be reading to my own children:)
I recommend this book wholeheartedly!
I remember being twelve or so and saving up to buy my own copy. The book still remains on my bookshelf and I like to pick it up and read it every once in a while.
It doesn't feel like a children's book when I read it. It simply feels like a wonderful and heartwarming story about children on Seatcrow island.
It's definitely a book I'll be reading to my own children:)
I recommend this book wholeheartedly!
April 4, 2016
Astrid Lindgren is of course the creator of Pippi Longstocking. This book is rather different, being a character-driven family story. Malker is a widowed, deeply impractical, writer. His oldest child and only daughter, Malin, is 19, and looks after the household (all the cooking, cleaning, mending, etc) and her three younger brothers. Niklas and Johan are 12 and 13 (I don't remember which is which), and Pelle, the youngest boy, who is crazy about animals, is 8. The book opens on board a ferry boat on its way to an isolated island off Sweden's coast where Malker has impulsively rented a summer cottage sight unseen. The cottage turns out to be dilapidated yet cozy, and the family is soon having little summer adventures, and getting to know the islanders.
The cover illustration is appealing and I like stories about both islands and families so I was really prepared to love this book. But to my surprise, I found it a little hard to get in to. Perhaps the translation was not quite as fluid as it could have been. I felt sorry for Malin for having all the responsibility of the household on her shoulders. Her father is essentially an additional child, which is never a situation that I find charming, although I think Lindgren means us to. Malin's diary entries, which are interspersed throughout the book, have a bright artificial tone that I found off-putting (perhaps it would have been more realistic to have her express some ambivalence about her situation!). Niklas and Johan never really developed distinct personalities in my mind. I was also unconvinced by Tjorven, a seven year-old island girl, who, Lindgren assures us, has a sort of magnetic charm that enthralls all the characters, but to which I was impervious. However, I kept reading, and I'm glad I did. The book doesn't end at the close of the summer as one might expect, but covers a full year, so you see the island in Fall, Winter and Spring, and start to feel at home there. The characters also grew on me, especially Pelle, with his fervent love of animals, including his "pet" wasps who live under the eaves. A major problem at the end was resolved in a rather facile way, but even so, when the book ended I was distinctly sorry to say goodbye to Seacrow Island.
The cover illustration is appealing and I like stories about both islands and families so I was really prepared to love this book. But to my surprise, I found it a little hard to get in to. Perhaps the translation was not quite as fluid as it could have been. I felt sorry for Malin for having all the responsibility of the household on her shoulders. Her father is essentially an additional child, which is never a situation that I find charming, although I think Lindgren means us to. Malin's diary entries, which are interspersed throughout the book, have a bright artificial tone that I found off-putting (perhaps it would have been more realistic to have her express some ambivalence about her situation!). Niklas and Johan never really developed distinct personalities in my mind. I was also unconvinced by Tjorven, a seven year-old island girl, who, Lindgren assures us, has a sort of magnetic charm that enthralls all the characters, but to which I was impervious. However, I kept reading, and I'm glad I did. The book doesn't end at the close of the summer as one might expect, but covers a full year, so you see the island in Fall, Winter and Spring, and start to feel at home there. The characters also grew on me, especially Pelle, with his fervent love of animals, including his "pet" wasps who live under the eaves. A major problem at the end was resolved in a rather facile way, but even so, when the book ended I was distinctly sorry to say goodbye to Seacrow Island.
June 30, 2021
Ох, яка літня книга 😍 і добра і світла☀️радію, що прочитала. Якщо скучили за чимось милим та сердечним і полюбляєте історії про пригоди дітей та дорослих - раджу🙌
April 24, 2024
Aizlāpīju caurumu bērnības izglītībā 🙂 Lieliska vasaras grāmata!
August 14, 2021
I wanted to pick it up because I heard there will be a new TV series (don't know if it's out yet) kinda based on "Vi på Saltkråkan". Same characters but modern setting. I already don't like it but I might change my mind after watching it. Anywho I don't think I've read the book even as I child but I grew up with the movies and absolutely adored it. So did my mom as I think she had grown up with the story as well. It's sweet and cozy and is a very magical story even though containing no magic. The summer vibes is just so strong and lovely. An obviously 5 stars from me!
July 30, 2025
Saariston lapset oli tämän kesän iltasatukirja. Ja voi pojat, voisiko täydellisempää kesäkirjaa ollakaan! Luin kirjaa ääneen 12-vuotiaalle pojalleni, vaikka periaatteessa olen lopettanut ääneenluku-urani.
Melkersonit - isä ja neljä lasta - vuokraavat kesäksi mökin saaristosta. Perheen äiti on kuollut, joten perheen 19-vuotias esikoistyttö Malin hoitaa äidin roolia parhaansa mukaan. Hoidettavaa riittää, sillä perheen pojat Johan, Niklas ja Pelle kuluttavat päivänsä seikkailemiseen. Malinille on toisaalta tarjolla rakkausseikkailuja, joihin pikkuveljillä on sanansa sanottavana.
Nikkarilasta, eli heidän ränsistyneestä vuokramökistään, tulee koko perheelle rakas paikka. Saariston muista lapsista tulee Melkersonin lasten parhaita ystäviä. Kukapa voisi vastustaa kauppiaan kuopusta, Pampulaa, jolla on lemmikkinä uskollinen Laivuri, viisas bernhardinkoira.
Tuntuu, että sanat eivät riitä tämän vilpittömän kirjan kuvaamiseen. Eipä tämän aidompaa tarinointia enää tule juuri missään vastaan. Perheen keskinäinen rakkaus ja saaren asukkaiden keskinäinen yhteisöllisyys lämmittävät sydäntä. Pellen, Pampulan ja Stinan eläimet, heidän keskinäiset suhteensa ja seikkailut, joita he kokevat, toivat sopivasti jännitystä peliin.
Tästä tuli rakas kirja!
Melkersonit - isä ja neljä lasta - vuokraavat kesäksi mökin saaristosta. Perheen äiti on kuollut, joten perheen 19-vuotias esikoistyttö Malin hoitaa äidin roolia parhaansa mukaan. Hoidettavaa riittää, sillä perheen pojat Johan, Niklas ja Pelle kuluttavat päivänsä seikkailemiseen. Malinille on toisaalta tarjolla rakkausseikkailuja, joihin pikkuveljillä on sanansa sanottavana.
Nikkarilasta, eli heidän ränsistyneestä vuokramökistään, tulee koko perheelle rakas paikka. Saariston muista lapsista tulee Melkersonin lasten parhaita ystäviä. Kukapa voisi vastustaa kauppiaan kuopusta, Pampulaa, jolla on lemmikkinä uskollinen Laivuri, viisas bernhardinkoira.
Tuntuu, että sanat eivät riitä tämän vilpittömän kirjan kuvaamiseen. Eipä tämän aidompaa tarinointia enää tule juuri missään vastaan. Perheen keskinäinen rakkaus ja saaren asukkaiden keskinäinen yhteisöllisyys lämmittävät sydäntä. Pellen, Pampulan ja Stinan eläimet, heidän keskinäiset suhteensa ja seikkailut, joita he kokevat, toivat sopivasti jännitystä peliin.
Tästä tuli rakas kirja!
May 10, 2015
If Enid Blyton Had Been Swedish, and a Bit Edgier
This is a warm and affectionate memoir of a close family's summer on a remote island, but I read it as a bit edgier, (and thus more interesting), than many of the reviewers who have comfy childhood memories of this book. This isn't "The Sound of Music" with fish.
The Melkerson family comprises father Melker, who is rather scatterbrained, theatrical and ineffectual, except when he's not. We have twelve and thirteen year old Johan and Niklas and "baby" Pelle who are more typical young boys. For me, the central figure of the family is nineteen year old Malin, the daughter who is essentially the mother/housekeeper/responsible adult for this crowd. She is buffeted and confused and exasperated by all of her roles and is fascinating as she switches gears and moods during the course of the summer, (actually, sometimes during the course of a day).
On top of all of this we have the islanders, who are a mixed bag of characters, mostly with redeeming or at least eccentric and engaging qualities. Leading the island pack is seven year old Tjorven, a willful independent neighbor girl who is usually at the center of the action.
This is not some mild Swedish version of "Five Little Peppers" or "Little Women". This has some vinegar and conflict and spark that spices up the island summer. There are touching family scenes, some sensitive nature writing, a few antic comedy events, lots of swimming and boating, some very dry humor, (a dog and a fish having a staring contest), a bit of suspense and adventure, and some broad humor. Underlying it all is an odd blend of cheer and wistfulness. The Melkerson children can be difficult or careless, but Lindgren draws them with affection, not judgment, and leaves us with a sweet and bracing memory of a real family during a real summer in a real place. This may be children's literature, but the emphasis here is on literature. (Although it's curious to note that this is actually a novelization of the beloved 13 episode T.V. series that Lindgren wrote in 1964.)
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of the new edition of this book, (same Ramsden translation), in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
This is a warm and affectionate memoir of a close family's summer on a remote island, but I read it as a bit edgier, (and thus more interesting), than many of the reviewers who have comfy childhood memories of this book. This isn't "The Sound of Music" with fish.
The Melkerson family comprises father Melker, who is rather scatterbrained, theatrical and ineffectual, except when he's not. We have twelve and thirteen year old Johan and Niklas and "baby" Pelle who are more typical young boys. For me, the central figure of the family is nineteen year old Malin, the daughter who is essentially the mother/housekeeper/responsible adult for this crowd. She is buffeted and confused and exasperated by all of her roles and is fascinating as she switches gears and moods during the course of the summer, (actually, sometimes during the course of a day).
On top of all of this we have the islanders, who are a mixed bag of characters, mostly with redeeming or at least eccentric and engaging qualities. Leading the island pack is seven year old Tjorven, a willful independent neighbor girl who is usually at the center of the action.
This is not some mild Swedish version of "Five Little Peppers" or "Little Women". This has some vinegar and conflict and spark that spices up the island summer. There are touching family scenes, some sensitive nature writing, a few antic comedy events, lots of swimming and boating, some very dry humor, (a dog and a fish having a staring contest), a bit of suspense and adventure, and some broad humor. Underlying it all is an odd blend of cheer and wistfulness. The Melkerson children can be difficult or careless, but Lindgren draws them with affection, not judgment, and leaves us with a sweet and bracing memory of a real family during a real summer in a real place. This may be children's literature, but the emphasis here is on literature. (Although it's curious to note that this is actually a novelization of the beloved 13 episode T.V. series that Lindgren wrote in 1964.)
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of the new edition of this book, (same Ramsden translation), in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
November 2, 2010
Little idillic island parted from the main land. Few good people live here in peace, having simple jobs, great food, amazing landscapes and a lot of fun.
Tjorven, 7 years old girl, who's having huge dog, named Båtsman and wild, strong and independent temper (she's easily can be placed in the gallery of such Lindgren characters as Pippi or Karlson).
Pelle, same age, who's living here with his family in Summer and having wasps as pets.
Stina, who's fighting with Tjorven for Pelle attention and having a little seal.
Melker Melkersson, Epikhodov-like arrogant Pelle's father, who can't do anything right and tends a lot towards theatretical poses and speeches, but recieves a lot of love from his children.
Johan and Niklas, his other two sons who are Tommy and Annika of this story. And Teddy and Freddy, two Tjorven sisters, who are teaching Johan and Niklas to live on this isolated island.
Malin, elder sister of Pelle, Johan and Niklas, who plays mother's role in their family since they have no real mother and whole gallery of her admirers.
Children are fighting guys who are hitting on Malin, fearing they will loose her. Tjorven and Stina competing over Pelle. Melker tries to play a cool guy in front of other people. All those people are fun, funny and good and yet not sugary even a little bit. A lot of beatifull realistic prose by Astrid Lindgren, which we loved with my daughter.
Tjorven, 7 years old girl, who's having huge dog, named Båtsman and wild, strong and independent temper (she's easily can be placed in the gallery of such Lindgren characters as Pippi or Karlson).
Pelle, same age, who's living here with his family in Summer and having wasps as pets.
Stina, who's fighting with Tjorven for Pelle attention and having a little seal.
Melker Melkersson, Epikhodov-like arrogant Pelle's father, who can't do anything right and tends a lot towards theatretical poses and speeches, but recieves a lot of love from his children.
Johan and Niklas, his other two sons who are Tommy and Annika of this story. And Teddy and Freddy, two Tjorven sisters, who are teaching Johan and Niklas to live on this isolated island.
Malin, elder sister of Pelle, Johan and Niklas, who plays mother's role in their family since they have no real mother and whole gallery of her admirers.
Children are fighting guys who are hitting on Malin, fearing they will loose her. Tjorven and Stina competing over Pelle. Melker tries to play a cool guy in front of other people. All those people are fun, funny and good and yet not sugary even a little bit. A lot of beatifull realistic prose by Astrid Lindgren, which we loved with my daughter.
November 23, 2018
Tyra, šmaikštu, genialu ir lengva. Lyg kvėpti vasarą.
July 13, 2020
“საოცარია, მაგრამ ზაფხული ყოველთვის ძალიან მალე გადის!”
September 29, 2016
Generally Astrid Lindgren can do no wrong for me and I know she can't help the period she grew up in and all the ingrained sexism and gender roles but wow, some serious side-eye here for how a 19-year-old-girl is totally expected by everyone to cheerfully embrace and love her role as kitchen slave and replacement mum for her scatterbrained widowed writer dad and "lovably" terrible three younger brothers. (Until some dude worthy of her and approved by all the other males in her family comes along to sweep her off her feet into married bliss, of course). It's kinda sad considering how Lindgren's more fantasy-based heroines (Ronja & Pippi) would burst out laughing at the idea of being expected to fit into those stereotypes, but the moment she wrote a story set in the real world, the bossy-but-cheerful mother/caretaker role seemed to be the only one available to women.
Right. I think I'm just gonna focus on the celebration of uninhibited childhood funtimes and animal rights, instead :p
Right. I think I'm just gonna focus on the celebration of uninhibited childhood funtimes and animal rights, instead :p
July 24, 2016
I'm marking this historical fiction though it was contemporary when it was written in the 1960s.
The Mekerson family has rented a cottage on Seacrow Island for the summer. Their planned holiday doesn't quite go as expected at first: the island is only accessible by boat, they arrived in the pouring rain to a freezing cold, damp house with a leaky roof and the only children are girls! Once the sun comes out, however, the Melkersons discover just how charming Seacrow Island is. From the old beyond her years little Tjorven and her dog to tomboyish girls always ready for adventure, the Melkerson boys have a magical summer. It's only the eldest, Malin, age 19, who wonders when her time for a romantic adventure will come.
This story was really slow to start off with and I had a hard time getting into it. It didn't pick up for me until the last third when there was a cohesive plot to glue the story together and keep me reading. The Melkersons are not all that interesting or memorable, but the people they meet and the adventures they have are both interesting and enjoyable. With the island setting this story could have been set in Maritime Canada or New England. It felt like Maine to me.
I felt very sorry for Malin having to assume a motherly caregiver role at such a young age. Between Pelle's dependency and the older boys' teasing, she had no chance at a personal life. Pelle is the character I can relate to the most. I identified with his need for an animal companion and felt his emotions right along with him. I liked little Tjorven and her beloved pets. When I was that age I would have loved to be a part of their adventure with Moses and probably would have acted the same way. I also loved her rivalry with Stina and Stina's firm belief in fairy tales. That part was very funny. I wasn't crazy about Mr. Melkerson. He's like a big child and relies on Malin as much as the boys do- if not more. He was so absent-minded and lost to anything practical. His attempts to make the house more convenient for Malin were amusing but mostly I found him annoying. The ending is a little unrealistic but charming and just right for a children's book written in the mid-20th century.
The Mekerson family has rented a cottage on Seacrow Island for the summer. Their planned holiday doesn't quite go as expected at first: the island is only accessible by boat, they arrived in the pouring rain to a freezing cold, damp house with a leaky roof and the only children are girls! Once the sun comes out, however, the Melkersons discover just how charming Seacrow Island is. From the old beyond her years little Tjorven and her dog to tomboyish girls always ready for adventure, the Melkerson boys have a magical summer. It's only the eldest, Malin, age 19, who wonders when her time for a romantic adventure will come.
This story was really slow to start off with and I had a hard time getting into it. It didn't pick up for me until the last third when there was a cohesive plot to glue the story together and keep me reading. The Melkersons are not all that interesting or memorable, but the people they meet and the adventures they have are both interesting and enjoyable. With the island setting this story could have been set in Maritime Canada or New England. It felt like Maine to me.
I felt very sorry for Malin having to assume a motherly caregiver role at such a young age. Between Pelle's dependency and the older boys' teasing, she had no chance at a personal life. Pelle is the character I can relate to the most. I identified with his need for an animal companion and felt his emotions right along with him. I liked little Tjorven and her beloved pets. When I was that age I would have loved to be a part of their adventure with Moses and probably would have acted the same way. I also loved her rivalry with Stina and Stina's firm belief in fairy tales. That part was very funny. I wasn't crazy about Mr. Melkerson. He's like a big child and relies on Malin as much as the boys do- if not more. He was so absent-minded and lost to anything practical. His attempts to make the house more convenient for Malin were amusing but mostly I found him annoying. The ending is a little unrealistic but charming and just right for a children's book written in the mid-20th century.
January 9, 2016
A good comfort read about the perfect summer holiday. The house is less than perfect, but that makes it more like "camping out" for the kids. Each of the four Melkerson gets a chapter or two in which to shine, from little animal-loving Pele and his island friends to 19-yr-old Malin that all the boys flock to, though she just wants to sit alone and relax from her family duties. Mum died in childbirth so it just naturally fell to her to take over as "parent" at the age of 14.
Their father is yet another child for Malin to look after, an otherworldly writer who thinks he can do anything and often tries, with disastrous results. Their relationships with the other adults on the island could have been developed a bit more, as they were a bit cardboard/background, but it is, after all, a children's book!
The only character I didn't care for was little Tjorven, a bossy six-year-old girl who manages to make most people, kids and adults both, do what she wants. Which is surprising, as her character is pretty obnoxious, yelling "Are you deaf??" at people who don't jump to do her bidding. I found that interesting, as at first she is presented as a loveable, pretty little girl that everyone adopts as soon as they see her. Maybe the author herself didn't warm to her. I have heard that often characters will not do what the author wants them to do; Tjorven may be a case in point. And of course all kids know someone like her, who uses her "cuteness" to get her own way with adults, while tyrannising over her peers in games etc. And some of them never grow out of it, continuing to do this well into adulthood. I do know I got tired of her, and found myself skimming scenes she was in because she got far too much page-time toward the end.
Their father is yet another child for Malin to look after, an otherworldly writer who thinks he can do anything and often tries, with disastrous results. Their relationships with the other adults on the island could have been developed a bit more, as they were a bit cardboard/background, but it is, after all, a children's book!
The only character I didn't care for was little Tjorven, a bossy six-year-old girl who manages to make most people, kids and adults both, do what she wants. Which is surprising, as her character is pretty obnoxious, yelling "Are you deaf??" at people who don't jump to do her bidding. I found that interesting, as at first she is presented as a loveable, pretty little girl that everyone adopts as soon as they see her. Maybe the author herself didn't warm to her. I have heard that often characters will not do what the author wants them to do; Tjorven may be a case in point. And of course all kids know someone like her, who uses her "cuteness" to get her own way with adults, while tyrannising over her peers in games etc. And some of them never grow out of it, continuing to do this well into adulthood. I do know I got tired of her, and found myself skimming scenes she was in because she got far too much page-time toward the end.
August 30, 2020
„Kvailystė, pasakė jis, graužtis dėl rytojaus dienos. Reikia džiaugtis ta diena, kurią turi.“
Iš tiesų, nežinau, kada būčiau pasirinkusi perskaityti šią knygą, jeigu ne Vasara su knyga knygų iššūkis. Tema - knyga apie draugystę. Ši knyga nebuvo įtraukta į rekomenduojamų knygų sąrašą, bet jau labai seniai gulėjo mamos knygų lentynoje. Tai, kad tikrai mėgstu skaityti paauglių literatūrą, jau žinojau (Bado žaidynės vis dar mano mėgstamiausia istorija ir taip, laukiu, kada galėsiu įsigyti 4-ąją jos dalį, išleistą po dešimties metų), tačiau vaikų literatūros skaityti neteko net vaikystėje, nes tikrąja skaitytoja tapau tik gerokai vėliau. Dabar suprantu, kad esu ir vaikiškos literatūros gerbėja.
Kad Astrida Lindgren yra puiki rašytoja tikriausiai žino visi, net tie, kurie jos nėra skaitę. Dabar apie jos tobulą rašymo stilių, minčių dėliojimą, pasakojimo įtikinamumą žinau ir aš iš "praktinės" pusės. Įtikėjau kiekvienu veikėju (net jeigu veikėjas yra šuo), visus juos mylėjau, su jais džiaugiausi ir liūdėjau. Ir dar kartą - taip gaila, kad tokios istorijos mane pasiekė šiek tiek vėliau, nei turėjo.
Trumpas pasakojimas knygų puslapių skaičiumi, tačiau temų apstu - naujos draugystės, santykiai tarp vaikų ir tėvų, brolių ir seserų, netektys, pasiaukojimas.
Pasakojimas, kvepiantis nuotykiais ir vasara.
Iš tiesų, nežinau, kada būčiau pasirinkusi perskaityti šią knygą, jeigu ne Vasara su knyga knygų iššūkis. Tema - knyga apie draugystę. Ši knyga nebuvo įtraukta į rekomenduojamų knygų sąrašą, bet jau labai seniai gulėjo mamos knygų lentynoje. Tai, kad tikrai mėgstu skaityti paauglių literatūrą, jau žinojau (Bado žaidynės vis dar mano mėgstamiausia istorija ir taip, laukiu, kada galėsiu įsigyti 4-ąją jos dalį, išleistą po dešimties metų), tačiau vaikų literatūros skaityti neteko net vaikystėje, nes tikrąja skaitytoja tapau tik gerokai vėliau. Dabar suprantu, kad esu ir vaikiškos literatūros gerbėja.
Kad Astrida Lindgren yra puiki rašytoja tikriausiai žino visi, net tie, kurie jos nėra skaitę. Dabar apie jos tobulą rašymo stilių, minčių dėliojimą, pasakojimo įtikinamumą žinau ir aš iš "praktinės" pusės. Įtikėjau kiekvienu veikėju (net jeigu veikėjas yra šuo), visus juos mylėjau, su jais džiaugiausi ir liūdėjau. Ir dar kartą - taip gaila, kad tokios istorijos mane pasiekė šiek tiek vėliau, nei turėjo.
Trumpas pasakojimas knygų puslapių skaičiumi, tačiau temų apstu - naujos draugystės, santykiai tarp vaikų ir tėvų, brolių ir seserų, netektys, pasiaukojimas.
Pasakojimas, kvepiantis nuotykiais ir vasara.
August 12, 2016
10-11 წლის ვიყავი პირველად რომ წავიკითხე და მას შემდეგ ზაფხული მის გარეშე უბრალოდ არ მოდის.
ასტრიდი ბავშვობის საყვარელი მწერალია, ყველაფერი მიყვარს, მაგრამ ეს არ არის უბრალო წიგნი...მთელი ბავშვობის ოცნებად მექცა ზაფხულის სალკტროკაზე გატარება.
მახსოვს პირველად ერთი ამოსუნთქვით როგორ წავიკითხე, ბოლო ფურცლებს ვიზოგავდი, მეშინოდა, რომ შემდეგ წაკითხვაზე ასე ვეღარ მომეწონებოდა, თუმცა ყოველ შემდეგ გადაკითხვაზე ისევ ზღვა ემოციას მიტოვებს. უბრალოდ განსაკუთრებულია...
ასტრიდი ბავშვობის საყვარელი მწერალია, ყველაფერი მიყვარს, მაგრამ ეს არ არის უბრალო წიგნი...მთელი ბავშვობის ოცნებად მექცა ზაფხულის სალკტროკაზე გატარება.
მახსოვს პირველად ერთი ამოსუნთქვით როგორ წავიკითხე, ბოლო ფურცლებს ვიზოგავდი, მეშინოდა, რომ შემდეგ წაკითხვაზე ასე ვეღარ მომეწონებოდა, თუმცა ყოველ შემდეგ გადაკითხვაზე ისევ ზღვა ემოციას მიტოვებს. უბრალოდ განსაკუთრებულია...
July 21, 2017
Parasta kesäluettavaa - ja maailma tuntuu taas astetta valoisammalta paikalta<3
May 19, 2018
I just love Astrid Lindgren so much and she is my childhood. I honestly want to jump into (almost) all of her stories and live their lives.
January 11, 2021
Oggettino delizioso, che ci trasporta in una Svezia da sogno, al confine tra la felicità e la fantasia, su un’isola a cui è impossibile resistere.
July 18, 2020
Okej jag VET!!!! Att jag langar ut fem stjärnor åt höger och vänster och att min trovärdighet eventuellt sjunker en aning i den aspekten men det råkar vara så att jag hela tiden lyckas läsa helt FANTASTISKA böcker och så är det med den saken.
💙💙💙SALTKRÅKAN💙💙💙
HUR ska jag ens påbörja min kärleksförklaring till den här fenomenala sommarboken???? Jag VET inte. Alltså älskade den på ett obehagligt sätt. Handlar kanske till viss del om att jag råkar hänga en hel del i området där boken utspelar sig i sommar och känner numera igen många av platserna som beskrivs, kan åka och titta på hur det ser ut i verkligheten och har dessutom varit och kikat på Lindgrens gamla sommarhus i Furusund där hon enligt min inbillning suttit och skrivit det här geniala verket.
Rolig grej: har haft otroligt svårt både för Tjorven och farbror Melker i filmen om Saltkråkan men tyckte om dom SÅ mycket i boken, särskilt Tjorven. Fantastisk unge.
En varm berättelse om den starka kärleken gentemot en plats, vänner, djur och familj beskrivet i en salig blandning av ilska, glädje och sorg. Läs den här om ni vill ha lite själbalsam. Mitt nya favoritord är för övrigt brudgumse.
💙💙💙SALTKRÅKAN💙💙💙
HUR ska jag ens påbörja min kärleksförklaring till den här fenomenala sommarboken???? Jag VET inte. Alltså älskade den på ett obehagligt sätt. Handlar kanske till viss del om att jag råkar hänga en hel del i området där boken utspelar sig i sommar och känner numera igen många av platserna som beskrivs, kan åka och titta på hur det ser ut i verkligheten och har dessutom varit och kikat på Lindgrens gamla sommarhus i Furusund där hon enligt min inbillning suttit och skrivit det här geniala verket.
Rolig grej: har haft otroligt svårt både för Tjorven och farbror Melker i filmen om Saltkråkan men tyckte om dom SÅ mycket i boken, särskilt Tjorven. Fantastisk unge.
En varm berättelse om den starka kärleken gentemot en plats, vänner, djur och familj beskrivet i en salig blandning av ilska, glädje och sorg. Läs den här om ni vill ha lite själbalsam. Mitt nya favoritord är för övrigt brudgumse.
July 2, 2023
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 stars
Seacrow Island/Vi på Saltkråkan/Samen op het eiland Zeekraai is one of the most beautiful book I have ever read, and definitely my favourite book of Astrid Lindgren. I read this book for the first time when I was around nine, and twelve years later it is without doubt the book I have read most in my life. It is heartwarming, makes me smile, laugh, and even brings tears in my eyes once in a while. Many books of Astrid Lindgren have found their way from the library to my home, but this one kept coming back. Now I have my own copy, I find myself reading bits of the book every now and then, feeling instantly happy when I read the names that have become so familiar to me the last decades. This book is one of the few that, when reading it now, feels the same as when I was still a child, and I think that only shows the talent and love Astrid Lindgren managed to weave into all her books ♥
Seacrow Island/Vi på Saltkråkan/Samen op het eiland Zeekraai is one of the most beautiful book I have ever read, and definitely my favourite book of Astrid Lindgren. I read this book for the first time when I was around nine, and twelve years later it is without doubt the book I have read most in my life. It is heartwarming, makes me smile, laugh, and even brings tears in my eyes once in a while. Many books of Astrid Lindgren have found their way from the library to my home, but this one kept coming back. Now I have my own copy, I find myself reading bits of the book every now and then, feeling instantly happy when I read the names that have become so familiar to me the last decades. This book is one of the few that, when reading it now, feels the same as when I was still a child, and I think that only shows the talent and love Astrid Lindgren managed to weave into all her books ♥
June 23, 2023
Einfach ein schönes Wohlfühl-Sommer-Kinderbuch, auch wenn überholte Werte vermittelt werden ☀️
January 23, 2025
Šoreiz lasīju bērniem. Joprojām izcila.
June 19, 2022
Ta historia się nie starzeje, uwielbiam i będę czytać w kółko do końca życia.
Edit. 2022 niezmienna miłość, totalnie wakacyjny vibe
Edit. 2022 niezmienna miłość, totalnie wakacyjny vibe
March 19, 2021
Astrid Lindgren remains one of my all-time favorites, and this book is so full of beauty, wisdom, humour, and childhood memories that I enjoyed every page of it :)
October 28, 2025
Högläsning inför ny tv-serie
April 30, 2022
Soms droom ik zo prachtig, dat ik baal als ik wakker word. Dit boek voelt als zo'n droom en wat ben ik blij dat ik iedere keer weer terug kan naar Zeekraai. Werkelijk het perfecte kinderboek.
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