Horatio Alger Jr. January 13, 1832 - July 18, 1899) was a prolific 19th-century American author, best known for his many young-adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty. His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on America during the Gilded Age. All of Alger's juvenile novels share essentially the same theme, known as the "Horatio Alger myth": a teenage boy works hard to escape poverty. Often it is not hard...

Adrift in New York Or Tom and Florence Braving the World by Horatio Alger.... Horatio Alger Jr. (January 13, 1832 - July 18, 1899) was a prolific 19th-century American author, best known for his many young-adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty. His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on America during the Gilded Age. All of Alger's juvenile novels share essentially the same theme, known as the...

In presenting "Ben, the Luggage Boy," to the public, as the fifth of the Ragged Dick Series, Horatio Alger desires to say that it is in all essential points a true history; the particulars of the story having been communicated to him, by Ben himself, nearly two years since. In particular, the circumstances attending the boy's running away from home, and adopting the life of a street boy, are in strict accordance with Ben's own statement.

A Story of the Pacific Coast. "Ben's Nugget" by Horatio Alger is the concluding volume of the Pacific Series. Though it is complete in itself, and may be read independently, the chief characters introduced will be recognized as old friends by the readers of "The Young Explorer," the volume just preceding, not omitting Ki Sing, the faithful Chinaman, whose virtues may go far to diminish the prejudice which, justly or unjustly, is now felt toward his countrymen.

"The Young Outlaw" is the sixth volume of the Tattered Tom Series, and the twelfth of the stories which are wholly or mainly devoted to street-life in New York. The story carries its moral with it, and the writer has little fear that the Young Outlaw will be selected as a model by the boys who may read his adventures, and be amused by the scrapes into which he manages to fall. In previous volumes he has endeavored to show that even a street-boy, by enterprise, industry and integrity, may hope to become a useful and respected citizen. In the present narration he aims to exhibit the opposite...

Horatio Alger Jr. January 13, 1832 - July 18, 1899) was a prolific 19th-century American author, best known for his many young adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty. His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on America during the Gilded Age. All of Alger's juvenile novels share essentially the same theme, known as the "Horatio Alger myth": a teenage boy works hard to escape poverty. Often it is not hard...

Horatio Alger Jr. January 13, 1832 - July 18, 1899) was a prolific 19th-century American author, best known for his many young adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty. His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on America during the Gilded Age. All of Alger's juvenile novels share essentially the same theme, known as the "Horatio Alger myth": a teenage boy works hard to escape poverty. Often it is not hard...

-Nat, where have you been?- -Been fishing, - answered the boy addressed, a sturdy youth of sixteen, with clear blue eyes and sandy hair. -Fishin'? And who said you could go fishin'?- demanded Abner Balberry, in his high, nervous voice. -Nobody said I could go, - answered the boy, firmly. -But I thought you'd all like to have some fish for supper, so I went.- -Humph I suppose you thought as how them taters would hoe themselves, eh?- sneered Abner Balberry, who was not only Nat's uncle, but also his guardian. -I hoed the potatoes, - was the boy's answer. -Got through at half-past two...