The Castaways of the Flying Dutchman offers much that appeal to young readers: a well spun tale, a hero their own age, a hunt with riddles along the way, a dog who can communicate with his master and even a swashbuckling pirate tale to start off. The tale differs from those in the popular Redwall books in that the characters are human (except for Ned, the dog), rather than weasels, badgers, mice and the like, but the formula is much the same.
This is a good story, and an enjoyable light read for a child, but not a great one. It has little in the way of characterization, depth of feeling, people or situations to relate to, skilled language usage or uniqueness to appeal to adults. A great children's book, in my opinion, appeals to all age groups. I don't care for the abundance of children's books with child heroes who seem independent of adults, often smarter or abler than adults, accountable to no adult, lacking adult guidance and little concerned with obedience to elders.
Would I allow my child to read this if it is of interest to them? Yes, and I have, although it would certainly depend on the child. Castaways of the Flying Dutchman is an improvement over much that fills library shelves these days, and overall it upholds good values, like courage, loyalty and teamwork. I would, however, consider this "dessert" reading and, as such, an occasional treat amongst meatier and better written books.