The series begins with "Swallows and Amazons", published in 1930. It tells the story of the Walker children, who sail a dinghy (boat) named "Swallow", and the Blackett children, who sail a dinghy named "Amazon". The Walkers are staying at a farm near a lake during the school holidays; the Blacketts live in a house on the opposite shore. The children meet on an island on the lake, and have a series of adventures that weave imaginative tales of pirates and exploration into everyday life in inter-war, rural England.