6 h 19 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 6 h 19 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
On Maine’s rocky coast, speed is a thrill—but fog and cold, quick water demand more than nerve.
In The Launch Boys’ Adventures in Northern Waters, Edward Sylvester Ellis brings young heroes onto the Maine coast, where a launch puts speed within their reach. Bays, inlets and islands make room for adventure, while fog can close in within minutes. On these waters, independence calls for courage and good sense.
The tale turns on speed, suspense and mystery, with races or chases carrying the action across the water. Its boys must think steadily under pressure, not simply act boldly. Loyalty among friends, honesty and courage give this brisk adventure its moral compass, alongside the pleasures of boats and a rugged coastal setting.
What you’ll discover
- A coast with character Explore a world of rocky shores, scattered islands and fog that can quickly close in.
- Speed across the water Feel the pull of a launch adventure built around races, chases and suspense.
- Young heroes taking charge Follow boys whose independence asks them to balance nerve with clear, practical judgment.
- Mystery amid the action Enjoy small mysteries that give the journey more to offer than speed alone.
- Courage with good sense Discover an adventure where honesty, loyal friendship and steady thinking matter alongside boldness.
Who will love it
This book is for readers who love old-fashioned adventure on the water, boat chases, small-town mysteries and loyal friendships, and who enjoy a fast-talking Irish sidekick.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A stranger wants the fastest launch
- Holding back protects a hidden advantage
- Chester notices the signals others miss
- Mike finds kindness beside the safe
- Mike reveals the feeling beneath jokes
- Small events interrupt a burglary
- The familiar boats become a trap
- A friendly narrator guides the adventure
- Friendship matters more than first impressions
Who’s who
- Alvin LandonThe young captain of the motorboat Deerfoot, a millionaire's son who is skilled at the wheel, careful and fair, and who joins a detective's hunt for the fun of it.
- Chester HaynesAlvin's second mate and best friend, watchful and thoughtful, who notices the small signs the others miss and shares Alvin's doubts about the detective.
- Mike MurphyThe red-haired Irish first mate, quick with a joke, fond of a fight and loyal to a fault, who hides a gift for music and wants to protect his friends.
- Stockham CalvertA quiet man in gray who says he is a Pinkerton detective and wants to use the Deerfoot's speed to catch a gang of post office robbers.
- Mrs. FriestoneThe kindly widow and postmaster of Beartown, who keeps other people's money in her safe and offers beds to strangers out of simple goodness.
- Nora FriestoneHer bright, mischievous daughter, who can match Mike's wit, loves to sing and wants her mother and her guests to be safe.
- Jim BuxtonA gawky village boy who carries the store goods each day and who treasures his new pocketknife more than anything else.
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
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
The Launch Boys' Adventures in Northern Waters in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
The Launch Boys' Adventures in Northern Waters
by Edward Sylvester Ellis · 1912
Two boys, a fast motorboat and a red-haired Irish sidekick help a detective hunt post office robbers.
Medium level2–5 hours to read2 languages
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then USD 0.14 a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
What would you do if a stranger in gray, who has trailed you for days, knocked at your door and said he was a detective who needed your boat? That is how this adventure opens for Alvin Landon and Chester Haynes, two friends spending August on the Maine coast.
The Launch Boys' Adventures in Northern Waters at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 35 min2 h 50 min fast, 4 h 15 min slow
- Length
- 50,800 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1912by Edward Sylvester Ellis
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A detective asks for the fastest boat
One evening a visitor waits at the bungalow of Alvin's father. He is the man in gray who has drifted through the boys' affairs for days. Now he is calm and smiling.
He says he is Stockham Calvert of the Pinkerton agency. For six months post offices across southern Maine have been robbed. The Deerfoot makes twenty-four miles an hour, and the robbers' launch, the Water Witch, looks much like it. He wants the Deerfoot as a scout. Alvin refuses payment and insists that Mike must come along.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
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
- 1912
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 4 h 5 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Ellis, Edward Sylvester. The Launch Boys' Adventures in Northern Waters. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-launch-boys-adventures-in-northern-waters.
Ellis, E. S. (2026). The launch boys' adventures in northern waters. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-launch-boys-adventures-in-northern-waters (Original work published 1912)
Ellis, Edward Sylvester. The Launch Boys' Adventures in Northern Waters. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-launch-boys-adventures-in-northern-waters.
@book{ellis2026launch,
author = {Ellis, Edward Sylvester},
title = {The Launch Boys' Adventures in Northern Waters},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-launch-boys-adventures-in-northern-waters},
note = {First published 1912}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about The Launch Boys' Adventures in Northern Waters
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Launch Boys' Adventures in Northern Waters about?
Two friends, Alvin Landon and Chester Haynes, with their Irish friend Mike Murphy, use the fast motorboat Deerfoot to help a detective find a gang robbing post offices along the Maine coast.
Who is Mike Murphy in the story?
Mike is the red-haired Irish first mate of the Deerfoot. He is funny, brave and loyal, always ready with a saying about some Irishman, and he has a lovely singing voice he rarely mentions.
Who is Stockham Calvert?
Calvert is the quiet man in gray who says he is a Pinkerton detective. He asks the boys to lend him their launch, and they spend much of the book wondering whether to trust him.
The author
Edward Sylvester Ellis
1840–1916 · American novelist and historical writer
Edward Sylvester Ellis (1840–1916) was an American novelist and nonfiction writer. He was born in Geneva, Ohio, and worked as a teacher in New Jersey. He wrote adventure stories for young readers, including the Deerfoot books, as well as histories and biographies. He died in Maine.
More by Edward Sylvester Ellis
See all their booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
