Stevenson never wrote a sequel to The Black Arrow, though he did write two other stories about the Middle Ages: "A Lodging for the Night" and "The Sire de Maletroit's Door." He set several of his adventure stories in the past, though, including his two classics, Treasure Island and Kidnapped. The first work involves eighteenth-century piracy and buried treasure. Jim Hawkins, the narrator, is the first of Stevenson's adolescent heroes, while the one-legged pirate Long John Silver, alternately ingratiating and villainous, ranks among the author's most memorable characters.

Treasure Island features a polished style, a psychological insight, and a narrative drive that makes it rewarding for readers of all ages.

Kidnapped, also set in the eighteenthcentury, revolves around the Appin murder of 1746. Eighteen-year-old David Balfour is sold by his treacherous uncle as an indentured servant, but on his way to America he befriends an...