Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson · 1883
This book is rated Ages 10+. It isn't available on your library card.
Young Jim Hawkins finds a pirate's treasure map and sails for a distant island -- with a crew that includes the smooth-tongued one-legged cook, Long John Silver.
Written in 1883: pirates fight and some characters die (never shown graphically).
Characters
Jim Hawkins
The innkeeper's brave, quick-witted boy who finds an old pirate's map and sails off to seek Captain Flint's buried treasure.
Long John Silver
The Hispaniola's one-legged sea-cook, charming and clever, with a parrot on his shoulder and a way of winning every heart.
Dr. Livesey
A calm, fearless country doctor and magistrate whose steady good sense keeps the treasure-hunters on course.
Captain Smollett
The Hispaniola's stern, plain-spoken captain, who dislikes the crew and the voyage but never flinches from his duty.
Squire Trelawney
A big, bluff, excitable gentleman who buys a ship for the treasure hunt and can never keep a secret.
Billy Bones
A scarred, rum-loving old sea captain who lodges at the Admiral Benbow, guarding a mysterious sea-chest and dreading visitors.
Ben Gunn
A strange, sun-blackened sailor marooned alone on Treasure Island for three years, who whispers that he is now rich.
Pew
A dreadful blind beggar whose tapping stick on the frosty road brings terror to the Admiral Benbow.
Captain Flint
Silver's ancient green parrot, said to be two hundred years old, forever screaming 'Pieces of eight!'
Israel Hands
A surly, tobacco-chewing old seaman and skilled gunner aboard the Hispaniola, who knows more than he lets on.
Black Dog
A pale, shifty, two-fingered seaman who comes looking for Billy Bones and turns up again where least expected.
Mrs. Hawkins
Jim's careworn but brave mother, who dares to face the pirates for what the old captain owes her.
About the story
Treasure Island follows young Jim Hawkins, whose mother and father keep the Admiral Benbow inn on a lonely stretch of the English coast. When a scarred old seaman arrives with a heavy sea-chest and a fear of certain visitors, Jim is drawn into a dangerous world of pirates, secret maps, and the buried gold of the notorious Captain Flint. Jim's discovery sends him to sea aboard the schooner Hispaniola, bound for a distant island, alongside the local doctor, an eager squire, a stern captain, and a crew recruited with the help of a cheerful one-legged cook named Long John Silver.
Set in the eighteenth century, the story moves from a windswept inn to the busy quays of Bristol, then across the ocean to a wild island of marshes, hills, and old stockades. Along the way it explores courage, loyalty, greed, and the difficult task of judging who can be trusted, all seen through the eyes of a boy growing up fast.
First published as a book in 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson's novel shaped much of what readers now picture when they think of pirates: treasure maps marked with an X, parrots on shoulders, and sea shanties about rum. Its vivid characters, especially the charming and unpredictable Silver, and its brisk, suspenseful storytelling have kept it a favourite with readers of all ages for well over a century.
This Knownstep Stories edition is a condensed picture-book retelling in 100 illustrated pages, with about 28 minutes of narration in a synthetic voice. The pictures are AI illustrations made for this edition. Stevenson's full original text is free in the public domain and well worth reading too.
Adapted from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883), public domain.
Questions
What is Treasure Island about?
It is the story of Jim Hawkins, a boy who finds an old pirate's map to Captain Flint's buried treasure and sets sail for a distant island to find it. The voyage becomes dangerous when it is unclear which members of the crew can be trusted.
Who is the main character in Treasure Island?
Jim Hawkins, the young son of an innkeeper, tells most of the story. Other key characters include Long John Silver, the one-legged ship's cook, along with Dr. Livesey, Squire Trelawney, and Captain Smollett.
Is Treasure Island suitable for children?
This edition is rated 10+. It is a classic adventure for young readers, but it includes pirates, fighting, drunkenness, and several deaths, so it may frighten younger children.
How long does this edition take to read or listen to?
This picture-book edition has 100 illustrated pages and about 28 minutes of narration, so it can be enjoyed in a single sitting.
Is this the full book of Treasure Island?
No. This is a condensed retelling that keeps the main events of the story. Stevenson's complete novel is in the public domain and free to read in full.
Read the text version: every page's caption, with its picture, on one page.
