In the first book in the series, the four Guthrie children (Dit, Allen, David, and Winkie – short for Winifred) move from their apartment in the city to a house in the country, in a small town called Anchorage, Connecticut, that has some land attached to it. It’s great for the children because they always found it difficult to play in their city apartment without disturbing the neighbors. When they explore the land connected to their house, they find an island in a small lake and camp out.

The Guthrie children’s father, Roger, is an architect, and they seem to live an upper-middle class life. The family has a housekeeper named Hester. The Guthrie children’s first friends in their new town are neighbors and the children of the cousin of the man who helped their parents find a house to rent in the country, John Leigh. As the series continues, they meet other children, including some who are also new to town.

The Guthrie children and their friends are:

Dit Guthrie – Dit is the eldest Guthrie girl, age 12, and she is often motherly to the other children, especially her younger sister, Winkie.

Allen Guthrie – He is the eldest Guthrie boy, and he takes after his father, with his love of building things.

David Guthrie – The younger Guthrie boy.

Winkie Guthrie – The youngest of the Guthrie children. “Winkie” is a nickname, short for Winifred. She loves fantasy stories and likes to imagine fantasy creatures. Winkie is 6 years old.

Prudence Leigh – Twin of Peter. She is 12 years old.

Peter Leigh – Twin of Prudence. He is 12 years old.

Hugh Lennox – Brother of Barbie Lennox.

Barbie (Barbara) Lennox – Sister of Hugh Lennox. She is 7 years old.

This series is now rare, and copies of the books go for hundreds of dollars. Currently, the only copies I can access are audio readings through Internet Archive.

The series is by Dean Marshall, who also wrote other books for children. Dean Marshall is a pen name for Clara Deane Marshall (1901-1994), who was a children’s librarian in Connecticut. The theme of city children moving from apartments to real houses in the countryside also appears in some of her other books.

Books in the Series

The Invisible Island (1948)

When the Guthrie family moves to the countryside from New York City, the children in the family become fascinated by an island in the middle of a nearby lake. They like to pretend like they’re shipwrecked there, with their mother sending them “rations.” There, they find adventure and mystery and the magic of a happy summer.

Dig for a Treasure (1949)

The Guthrie children and their new friends go hunting for treasure on their island.

Wish On the Moon (1951)

At a Halloween party, the Guthrie children make special wishes that lead to more adventure on their island.