5 h 10 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 5 h 10 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
On open water, a boy begins to learn what his reckless habits cost him.
In Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway, Oliver Optic takes a young hero beyond the safe ground of home and school. Aboard the Flyaway, the boy faces more than an adventure on the water. His own habits matter, and the journey from recklessness toward courage begins with the choices he makes.
The story explores a plain but demanding idea: character grows through small actions, repeated. Optic brings his experience as a teacher to an adventure that joins entertainment with lessons about conduct. His prose is direct, his narrator points out what matters, and the line between good and bad behavior stays clear.
What you’ll discover
- Beyond safe ground Follow the Flyaway onto open water, away from the familiar shelter of home and school.
- Courage in small steps Explore how repeated choices can help a reckless boy become braver, more careful, and trustworthy.
- Habits with a cost Watch a young hero begin to understand that his own conduct carries consequences.
- Adventure with a purpose Find a boating story that places lessons about character within the action.
- An openly moral world Encounter direct storytelling where the narrator makes the lessons clear rather than leaving them hidden.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy boats, harbors and weather will love this book, as will those drawn to a hardworking young hero who earns his place through clear moral choices.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- One taunt sends Paul out against orders
- A dying father hands Paul a duty
- Little by little, Paul builds a fish business
- A dive into the bay earns the Fawn
- A stormy night teaches Paul to keep watch
- The cruise begins and a mutiny follows
- Obedience, pride and character are at stake
- Work, money and faith shape Paul's progress
- A narrator who talks to you and teaches sailing
Who’s who
- Paul DuncanA thirteen-year-old sailor and the oldest of six children, he wants to support his family and learn to do what is right.
- John DuncanPaul's lively ten-year-old brother, a gifted swimmer and sailor who loves fun and fishing more than school and often forgets caution.
- Mrs. DuncanPaul's gentle but firm mother, who wants to keep her family together and her sons safe while she mourns her husband.
- Captain LittletonA wealthy, kind yacht owner and family friend who guides Paul and wants to help him make his own way.
- Thomas NettleA rich, boastful boy who mocks obedience and wants to prove he is daring and independent.
- Frank ThompsonA strong, stubborn boat club participant who resents rules and wants to do as he pleases.
- Carrie LittletonThe captain's ten-year-old daughter, who loves watching the boats from the yacht Flyaway.
- Captain GordonThe firm, good-natured skipper of the Flyaway, who wants the boys to learn real seamanship and obey orders.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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Schritt für Schritt; oder: Die Fahrt der Flyaway
by Oliver Optic · 1860
A boy ignores his mother's order to sail in a gale, and one afternoon changes his whole family's future.
Medium level2–5 hours to readDeutsch
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanischFranzösischDeutschItalienischJapanischPortugiesischEnglischHow we measure levels
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In short
Would you sail into a gale for a dare? On the first day of May, a rich boy named Thomas Nettle offers Paul Duncan, a boy of thirteen with a battered boat, money to do just that.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
One taunt sends Paul out against orders
The story opens on a beach in Bayville, near Boston. Paul Duncan is bailing his father's old boat when Thomas Nettle, the son of a wealthy retired merchant, offers him money to sail down to Tenean Point. The bay is full of whitecaps. Paul says no, Thomas mocks his courage, and then Thomas raises the price.
When Mrs. Duncan calls from the shore, Paul turns the boat back. Then Thomas asks whether he fears the waves or his mother. At last Paul shouts for Thomas to get in, pushes off, and pretends not to see his mother waving from the bluff.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1860
- Language
- Deutsch
- Reading time
- 3 h 20 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Optic, Oliver. Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-by-little-or-the-cruise-of-the-flyaway.
Optic, O. (2026). Little by little; or, the cruise of the Flyaway. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-by-little-or-the-cruise-of-the-flyaway (Original work published 1860)
Optic, Oliver. Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-by-little-or-the-cruise-of-the-flyaway.
@book{optic2026little,
author = {Optic, Oliver},
title = {Little by Little; Or, the Cruise of the Flyaway},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/little-by-little-or-the-cruise-of-the-flyaway},
note = {First published 1860}
}
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What is Little by Little about?
It follows Paul Duncan, a boy from a poor seaside family, who takes on his family's support after his father's death. He becomes a fisherman, saves a girl from drowning, wins a boat, and faces a hard test on a yacht cruise.
What does little by little mean in the book?
It is Paul's motto. He believes that success and good character are built through small, steady steps each day rather than one big stroke of luck. He applies it to earning money and to growing in goodness.
Who are the Flyaway and the Fawn?
The Flyaway is a fifty-two-ton yacht owned by Major Nettle and Captain Littleton. The Fawn is a small schooner that Captain Littleton gives to Paul and John, who use her for fishing and hire.
The author
Oliver Optic
1822–1897 · American children's author
Oliver Optic was the pen name of William Taylor Adams (1822–1897), an American author and teacher. Born in Medway, Massachusetts, he lived and worked in Boston. He wrote books for young readers during the nineteenth century, including The Yacht Club and Little by Little. He also served in the Massachusetts legislature.
More by Oliver Optic
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