The Secret Hide-Out
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The Secret Hide-Out is a children's novel written and illustrated by children's author John Peterson, who also created The Littles. It was originally published as a hardback title by Four Winds Press in 1965, then became a long-running paperback for Scholastic Press and its book clubs, through the 1970s.
Plot[edit]
The book is an adventure story about two brothers, Matt and Sam Burns, who discover the minutesof the Viking Club, a secret society of boys from a generation or so earlier, in their grandmother's cellar.[1]
While Sam wants to skip the log's details and go straight to look for their old meeting place (the Secret Hide-Out), Matt wants to see if they can first pass the club's membership tests, as they are explained, and be "worthy" of going as prospective members... if the Hide-Out still exists.
Another local boy called Beany joins them in their quest, after he passes the test.[1] Following the map, they find the secret hide-out, and are greeted by the president of the 1938 Secret Viking Club – their own father, dressed as a tiger.[1]
Appendix[edit]
While the book does not include the complete "original" Viking Club log, it does include enough details and illustrations to show how such a club would initiate new members, and a style for presentation and decorum.
A section in the back gives full instructions on making regalia for club members, including masks, shields and (dull-pointed) spears.[1] These could be easily made by the book's target audience, with mostly household materials;[1] a bushel-basket lid is the hardest item to obtain.
Sequel[edit]
The Viking Club was apparently based on Peterson's son Matt's own Viking Club, and the book doubtless inspired any number of "secret clubs" among its readers. A sequel to the book, Enemies of the Secret Hide-Out, appeared in 1966, and was also a longtime title for Scholastic. In this story, two boys try out for membership; when one is disqualified for cheating, he starts a rival club, and threatens to learn and expose the location of the hide-out.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e "New Book For Children". Evening Express. Portland, Maine. May 24, 1966. Retrieved 2024-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
External links[edit]
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