Looking for the name and author of this book...

[Guest bigteks]

I read this book when I was a teenager and would like my teens to read it now but I can't remember the name or author and it's obscure enough I can't find it on any of the book lists I've researched. I'm hoping someone here might have run across it and be able to help me.

 

It is a novel about two teenage boys and their private tutor (sort of a home school for rich kids I guess) surviving in a rain forest after fleeing from a revolution in a rooftop sailplane, flying off and crashing in the jungle. It is set in Latin America probably in the 40's or 50's time frame and probably published around the same time.

 

It is a semi-modern Robinson Crusoe type scenario. They build their own little outpost of civilization in the jungle from scratch and their tutor teaches them how to do all kinds of amazing things. They discover a gold deposit which they mine and refine, and build indoor plumbing with gold pipes. They draw gold into thin wires and create screens for their windows out of gold wire. To them it's not exciting that it's gold, it's exciting that they have a great new building material that's easy to work with.

 

Then they have to fight the bad guys who discover them and want the gold.

 

If this description rings a bell with anyone let me know. Thanks.

[ereks mom]

I haven't heard of this book, and I did a little online searching, but didn't find anything. You can go to this site (Loganberry Books) and post a Book Stumper request and they'll try to help you find the book.

 

HTH!

[Miss Marple]

It sounds like it could be one of the Tom Swift series books.

[Guest bigteks]

I haven't heard of this book, and I did a little online searching, but didn't find anything. You can go to this site (Loganberry Books) and post a Book Stumper request and they'll try to help you find the book.

 

HTH!

 

Thanks - great suggestion which I just did. In the process I sort of re-wrote the book description. Here is the more detailed description I used for the book-stumper:

 

Central America Glider Escape Survival

 

The book opens with a private tutor rushing his two wealthy teenage students to the roof of the South American palace (or Central America - not sure exactly what country it is set in - somewhere in Latin America) that they live in. A revolution is underway.

 

The tutor mans the controls of a catapult-launched glider, the boys stretch out on the wings. They launch just as the building is overrun and fly off into the rain forest where they crash land and proceed on foot.

 

The boys are aristocratic and have a history prior to the revolution of upper-class macho activities such as hunting wild boars with spears. The tutor is an expert on a wide range of obscure technical facts and knows exactly what to do in a survival scenario.

 

They live off the land, learning how to skin animal hides and tan leather and build whatever they need from scratch. They eventually settle down to build their own little outpost of civilization in the jungle.

 

Their tutor teaches them how to do all kinds of amazing things. They eventually discover a gold deposit which they mine and refine, and build indoor plumbing with gold pipes. They draw gold into thin wires and create screens for their windows out of gold wire.

 

To them it's not exciting that it's gold, it's exciting that they have a great new building material that's easy to work with.

 

Then they have to fight the bad guys who discover them and want the gold.

[Miss Marple]

Jungle Haven by Albert Leeds Stillman

See the following review: http://www.unz.org/Pub/SaturdayRev-1943apr10-00037

 

" GENERATION brought up to be-

lieve in the prowess of Super-

man and the luck of Tim Tyler

may find "Jungle Haven" very tame

staff. But its three heroes, two Algunian

princes and their tutor, Bob

Mexican, have enough adventures to

satisfy all but the most exacting tastes.

After .they have escaped a revolution

in the Balkan kingdom of Algunia, via

glider from the palace roof, weathered

a storm at sea, and avoided bombs

dropped by gestapo agents, they flee

to the Brazilian jungle. There they

elude hostile Indians, carnivorous ants,

an anaconda, more Indians, Portuguese

slave traders, death from malaria,

and sundry other perils. In fact,

by the end of the book they have exhausted

nearly every practicable ruse

for foiling deadly enemies, and it takes

the fortunate landing of a meteor to

dispose of the Indians who were about

to sacrifice them to a set of particularly

bloodthirsty gods. Despite these interruptions,

the trio is far from idle.

Although they have not even a pocketknife

to begin with, they build a jungle

paradise complete with plumbing, gold

mesh screens, and a radio set. Apparently

with a profound knowledge

of physics and chemistry you can duplicate

all the approved emblems of

modern machine civilization in the

heart of the jungle. Readers of the

age for which this book is intended

will probably not question the merit

of this idea; it may even make them

take more interest in their laboratory

work. I still think that the "Swiss

Family Robinson," although representative

of a less advanced age, had

more charm."

 

Unfortunately I cannot find any copies available online :(

Edited June 20, 2012 by CynthiaOK

[Lori D.]

Jungle Haven by Albert Leeds Stillman ... Unfortunately I cannot find any copies available online :(

 

 

Here and here are used books for sale.

[Miss Marple]

Here and here are used books for sale.

 

LOL! I was all over Amazon looking for one and my computer didn't bring any up. Oh, well....

 

It does look like a cute book. I may have to make an investment :D

[Guest bigteks]

You guys are awesome!