The majority of the books have a nautical theme, centering around the crews of the boats Swallow, Amazon, and Scarab.
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The crew of the Swallow are siblings John, Susan, Titty, and Roger Walker. John, the oldest, is the captain of the Swallow and usually in charge. Susan is first mate, usually in charge of stores, cooking, and the general wellbeing of the crew. Titty, an able-seaman, is the imagination of the crew. She is usually the one who comes up with the stories of their adventures. Roger is the youngest; he was originally the ship's boy, but was promoted to able-seaman in later books.
The crew of the Amazon are the sisters Nancy and Peggy Blackett. Nancy, real name Ruth, is the captain, and a strong character who would probably be considered a tomboy in less enlightened eras. Peggy, real name Margaret, usually puts up a show of being as tough as Nancy, but often needs the encouragement of her sister to get through the more dangerous of their adventures.
The crew of the Scarab are brother and sister Dick and Dorothea Callum. Dick and Dorothea are the intellectuals of the group, Dick in matters of science, Dorothea in the arts. They first appear in the fourth book of the series, Winter Holiday. The Swallows and Amazons are originally dubious of the qualities of the two, but their intelligence, inventiveness, and fierce loyalty eventually win them the respect of the others.
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