Johann David Wyss's The Swiss Family Robinson was first published in the year of 1812. This is a good story for anyone to read. It teaches many moral values and it is a good example of a family in distress that work together to keep alive. It just goes to show that anyone can survive anything when working together. When a family of four boys, a mother, and a father are shipwrecked on a desolate tropical island, they are forced to work together in a world of no civilization; they create an atmosphere of their own that soon becomes civilized.

This story is a very well composed book, because it includes everything that a good story should have. I especially enjoy how well the family works together. With so many problems, I would think that they would go mad. With four children, I especially admire the parents for the great encouragement they give their kids. An example of this is on the day of the island sports carnival. "'Shooting, running, riding, leaping, climbing, swimming; we will have an exhibition of your skill in all. Now for it!'" was said by the father to encourage his sons. He wanted to test their skills to see how their strength had increased since the arrival on their new home. I like how the father wants to encourage his children to become masters in many skills. This is telling me that everyone should try their hardest in every aspect of life.

Not only is there a great relationship in their family, but they also know how to spot adventure. They frequently find adventures on their trips between locations. One of the greatest adventures was at the end of the story. Fritz had been on an expedition when he had discovered a note tied to a bird's leg. The note stated: "'Save an unfortunate Englishwoman from the smoking rock!'" Fritz had decided to go on an expedition in search for the Englishwoman in distress. During his excursion, he found the girl. She intended on living with them. The family was delighted to increase the size of their family. With the assistance of another, the burden from the chores was greatly decreased. I like the way a person is added to the story towards the end of the story. It makes the story seem more spontaneous. It is hard to tell what will happen next towards the end of the story.

A very interesting piece of the story is its setting. It takes place on a tropical island. The family had built themselves a home for the summer and a home for the winter. The summer home was in a tree house. They did this for their comfort because their first winter home was on a very warm beach. It was too hot during the summer. During the winter, their summer home did not have enough shelter. They discovered a salt cave and it was soon up to their standards.

This story has made me realize the importance of life. I have never been able to get along with my family as well as them, but they show me how a family can truly love each other. This book has the ability to change lives. It has changed my life. I believe that any family can have what they have if they know how to communicate clearly.