The Swiss Family Robinson

The Swiss Family Robinson is a novel by Swiss author Johann David Wyss, first published in 1812.

It is about a Swiss family shipwrecked in the East Indies en route to Port Jackson, Australia.

Upon reaching the desert island, the family set up a camp and later a tree house.

They have to learn how to survive on the island.

The adventures are presented as a series of lessons in natural history and the physical sciences.

The novel was intended to teach children about family values, good husbandry, the uses of the natural world, and self-reliance.