Reviews (1)

Tom Swift + re-invention = GREAT!
This is a great book in the newly re-invented Tom Swift series. In fact, this would have made a better book #1 and introduction to this new series (some early cover art shows this as #1 in the Young Inventor series.) Tom and his family, friends, and environment are nicely introduced in this story. We have descriptions of the characters and the town of Shopton (which boasts a "Statemeyer Street" and is said to by quite bustling). Another great nod to the original Tom Sift and Tom Swift Jr series is the lobby of Swift enterprises, which holds a museum to Tom's father's early inventions (including the Giant Robot., G-force inverter, triphibian atomicar, etc from the Tom Swift Jr series of the 50's and 60's.) Mr. Swift is married to Mary Nestor, and Tom's little sister is Sandy.I feel these are nice touches to long-time fans of the series. Tom's friends are funky and fun, and they make a well rounded trio for todays readers. Overall, a great book, with books #1 and #2 a perfect introduction to the new Tom Swift, Young Inventor series! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Boys / Men    3. Children's All Ages - Fiction - General    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 3-4    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Science & Technology    8. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Reviews (1)

A GREAT re-launch for this series!
This is a great re-launch for the Tom Swift series! An action-packed story, told in the first person (like the new Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series) make this an entertaining read for all ages. The cover art/packaging is also very cool, appealing to new readers to this series and collectors of old. I can't wait for more, and hopefully a new Dana Girls series is not far behind! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Boys / Men    3. Children's All Ages - Fiction - General    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Science & Technology    8. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Boys / Men    3. Children's All Ages - Fiction - General    4. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 2-3    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Science & Technology - Astronomy/Space    8. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Reviews (4)

A Period Story from 1910
When I was a young boy I read the adventures of Tom Swift, Jr., the son of the Tom Swift in this series of books.I was accustomed to the science fiction stories in the new series, and I thought the original series would be similarly oriented.While this series of books incorporates technology, the level of technology is so archaic as to occasionally be humorous.Some terms are no longer used, and I suspect some technologies have changed so much from this series that I found it difficult to understand precisely what Tom was doing as he adjusted an engine.
A very good story from 1910
In this sequel to Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle, Tom purchases the motorboat used by the gang in their nefarious activities. In the midst of his competition with Andy Foger, Tom discovers that someone is tampering with his boat. Who is tampering with the boat, and what are they up to? As usual, Tom combines his love of things mechanical with his boyish energy and big heart to help his friends and bring the villains to justice. Great gift for a young person . . . .
This fine facsimile of a classic 1910 boys' adventure book would make a beautiful gift.Young people up to about age 14 would love it. Tom discovers a secret tunnel dug by criminals to access Swift Enterprisesgrounds and steal his secrets. He soups up a motorboat to get double theoriginal speed.At one point, he fights for his life as he tries tooutrace a boat full of gunmen from a criminal gang. Tom is kidnapped andimprisoned, but escapes. The style is lucid, simple, and clean for youngreaders. The setting of 1910 adds an exotic quality to today's readers.These were the best-selling boys books of all time, with possible exceptionof Hardy Boys. Your son or grandson would love it.In a beautiful reprintof the original edition. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Literary Collections    3. Literature - Classics / Criticism    4. Literature: Classics    5. Collections & anthologies of various literary forms   

Reviews (1)

Aliens on Earth as a minor plot device, not well done
In this story, Tom has created a submarine that can explore the depths of the ocean. His adversary is the evil agents of Brungaria, who are searching for a sample of a new and more powerful explosive. They stole it from the U. S. military and when it appeared that they would be discovered, they placed the sample in a whaling harpoon and shot it into a sperm whale. The Brungarian sub and Tom in his Dyna-4 are in a race to find the harpoon and obtain the formula.
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Reviews (8)

Series Book Heaven
Famed childrens' book author and newspaper reporter Howard Garis wrote this classic volume. It captures life in rural New York state during the 1910's. The story is simple and fast paced, and contrary to popular opinion, it does not contain "tom swifties" (bad puns). In fact, it is quite well written. Also, it is not marred by the supposed antisemitism that crept into later volumes. Anyway, the later volumes that depict Jewish gangsters are no more antisemetic than The Godfather is anti-Italian. The character of "Rad" has been criticised as being racist, but, in spite of his Uncle Remus/Mark Twain type dialogue, "Rad" is loyal, hardworking, and clearly one of the good guys. In fact, he provides Tom with an important clue, without which Tom would not have been able to solve the problem. One weakness is that Tom, who is clearly middleclass, is suspicious of those with less money - but he also does not trust the wealthy and powerful. The basic theme of the story could be summarized in the letters PMA - Positive Mental Attitude. While positive thinking does not always "work" in the story, it certainly does not hurt! Tom may get discouraged, but he refuses to give up hope. This is a good lesson for all ages.

Tom Swift Adventures Are Great Reading!
Tom Swift is one of my favorite books by Victor Appleton.Tom Swift has lots of adventures in it.So, if you like adventures then get one of the Tom Swift adventure books to have some fun!(I give it five stars, but for some reason my review shows only two.)
A wonderful Book!
I read this book to my 8 1/2 year old son and he could hardly stand it when we ended the chapter at night, begging me to read to him the next night.We both loved it.The vernacular lent a perfect discussion to the meaning of words and expressions and how our language has changed.Others have referenced the character "Eradicate" who is a "Darky" as being a negative.I found it just the opposite with a wonderful teaching platform as to how our world has changed.My son understands that Blacks weren't always viewed with respect and he's thankful that has changed.He also loved thinking that his grandfather who died before he was born also read these books.I highly recommend it for some good old fashioned fun. Editor reccommends 4-8 years old. I'd say 8-16 years. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Adventure and adventurers    3. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Fiction    6. Juvenile Literature    7. Motorcycles    8. Children's Books/Ages 4/8 Fiction    9. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure    10. Theometrics/Secular   

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Reviews (3)

Another flashback to 1910
In this sequel to Tom Swift and His Motor-Boat, Tom Swift and his new friend John Sharp build Sharp's dream aircraft, a hybrid dirigible/airplane. However, Happy Harry's gang is still around, and is up to no good. Why are they hanging around the bank? As usual, Tom combines his love of all things mechanical with his boyish energy and big heart to help his friends and bring the villains to justice. Good for a read
I just finished this book this morning.I think the wonderful thing about this book is getting a perspective on people's views of technology in another time.One of my favorite glimpses was when Mr Sharp told Tom that someday these blimp-like airships would be everywhere.I think we have yet to see a mass market on blimps.Also, when the sherrif gets to ride in the Red Cloud, he wonders at the fact that he hadn't even ridden in a car before, and now he was riding in an airship.Imagine a sherrif who spent his life never driving or even riding a car.The other fun thing about this sort of book is the dialogue.I can't remember some of the better lines, but I smiled several times pondering the meaning of some old cliches, or tough fighting one-liners that no longer sound tough.Read it. You'll see.

Very old but EXCELLENT boys' adventure book ! !
This book was originally released in about 1910. The Airship is a kind of dirigible.Remember, this is before the Wright Brothers' flight. Old as these books are, they are full of thrilling adventures and most engagingcharacters.Huge numbers of these books were sold, partly because they aregripping and well done. In this book, Tom's souped up zepplin helps him andhis friends to escape trumped up, false charges for a bank robbery--actually committed by others. Tom also meets a sweetie girl-friend whenhis dirigible temporarily goes out of control and crashes into the roof ofher school! The characters are a real treat!Fun, odd, colorful, andwonderfully drawn. Great gift for a young person.I believe this is ahandsome facsimile of the 1910 edition. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Adventure and adventurers    3. Airships    4. Children's Books/Ages 4-8 Fiction    5. Children: Grades 4-6    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Literature    8. Children's Books/Ages 4/8 Fiction    9. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure    10. Theometrics/Secular   

Reviews (2)

It took less than ten pages to hook me on the series
When I was in elementary school, you could easily identify the kids interested in science. They were the ones who read the books in the Tom Swift Jr. series. We traded books with each other and passed information about what books were in which library. This one is the first in the series that I read and it hooked me in the first few pages. After I finished it, I went out and scrounged for every Tom Swift Jr. book that I could find, begging my friends to allow me to read their copies. Best Tom Swift, Jr. book of the series!
Tom's car drives, flys AND goes underwater!What else do you need????And I believe there's a section where Sandy and Phyllis make yet ANOTHER picnic from which Tom and Bud have to dash! Holy dating dilemma! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    3. Education   

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure - General    2. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Fiction    3. Children: Grades 3-4    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories    6. Science & Technology    7. Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure   

Subjects:  1. Children's Books/All Ages    2. Children: Grades 3-4    3. Fiction - General    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    6. Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic    7. Science fiction   

Reviews (1)

A good start to an inspirational series
This is the first book in the Tom Swift Jr. series and it introduces the flying lab, an invention used throughout the series. It also introduces the message from space aliens, which arrives in the form of a meteorite that smashes into the Swift compound. The flying lab is used effectively in the later books and was an accurate prediction regarding the development of future aircraft. However, the message from the aliens was of limited value. In the first place, it makes no sense to deliver the message by crashing it into the Swift compound. It would have been simpler and less destructive for it to be delivered electronically. As the series progresses, Tom Jr. and his father make progress on deciphering the message, but at a very slow pace.
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Great for imaginative kids who spend their time dreaming
As a budding adolescent boy, I devoured the Tom Swift books and then used them as the foundation for hours of daydreaming. He was my idol as I plotted all of the amazing things that I would invent when I got older. As science fiction, the stories are simplistic, the main characters behave the same from story to story and the dialog is that of a weekly reader. Just right for kids who want to read for joy rather than study.
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Strong villain and focus on the main plot make a good story
In this adventure, Tom and his companions battle an organization called the Black Cobra, whose leader goes by the same name. The goal of the Black Cobra is to take control of the asteroid Nestria, which has been colonized by members of the Swift group. The evil organization is well funded and equipped, they create a field of anti-matter particles around the asteroid, effectively isolating it from being re-supplied. When the first supply rocket from the Swift group encounters the field, it explodes and the radiation surge poisons all the food on Nestoria.
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Reviews (1)

Too many things besides Tom saving the world
In this episode, Tom is pitted against agents from the nation of Brungaria and the main object is a comet. Not just any comet, but one whose composition is such that if it encounters Earth, the deadly radiation that it contains may wipe out all life on Earth. Therefore, it is up to Tom and his crew to somehow alter the course of the comet so that it misses Earth. They manage to accomplish their task, but they find it necessary to overcome attempted sabotage on the part of the Brungarians.
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Reviews (1)

Fun but a warning..,
This first of the Swift books is fun.Written in a more stayed fashion, and less jingoistic than the Red, White, and Blue 50s version, it was slightly more grounded.Parents need to be aware there is a African-American character who is portrayed in full stereotype and treated to racist comments that probablywould have been offensive to many in 1910.Obviously unacceptable today.Parents will need to consider how to handle this section if reading with kids.
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