Dikes and Ditches

A newly illustrated edition with reader's notes for tricky words. Complete and unabridged.

A storm is bearing down on the Josephine—but Captain Paul Kendall is still trapped in a Greek lesson. When duty calls him to the deck, will he risk defying the professor who says he must stay?

Paul Kendall stands on the Josephine’s deck as a black squall bears down on the Dutch coast. The young captain and his fellow students are sailing through Holland and Belgium aboard the Academy Squadron, where lessons, shipboard rules, and adventure all travel together. But Professor Hamblin’s rigid commands collide with the responsibilities of a captain—and when the wind rises, a moment’s hesitation could put every sailor in danger. From a raging storm at sea to the dikes, waterways, and storied towns of the Low Countries, Paul’s voyage tests his courage and judgment. Can he steer his crew through trouble both on deck and in the classroom?

This complete and unabridged edition of Oliver Optic’s adventure includes reader’s notes to help young readers navigate tricky words.

At Wise Minds Press we believe the years between childhood and the teenage leap are a golden window: curiosity runs high, vocabulary explodes and a single page can spark a lifetime of possibility. We were those wide‑eyed readers once—hungry for challenge, eager to roam far‑flung worlds, and guided by parents and teachers who knew the right story could light the path ahead. Today we honor that legacy by bringing time‑tested classics to young readers complete and unabridged, with reader's notes for the tricky words, and original illustrations for Grades 4‑7 (Ages 9‑12).

Our mission is simple: to place in every young reader's hands a bridge to literature's greatest adventures, turning boundless imagination into confidence, empathy, and the readiness to write their own remarkable futures.