Timeline
Title
Country/Nationality
Horatio Alger, Jr.
Books by Horatio Alger, Jr.
Ragged Dick
Horatio Alger, Jr. was well known for his best-selling series of books highlighting “the American Dream” of poor boys making good and becoming rich and successful through “luck and pluck”. Ragged Dick was the first in this niche, and follows the adve...
Fame and Fortune
Richard Hunter, formerly Ragged Dick, continues to advance in the world through luck and excellent morals. He, along with his friend Henry, moves into a better boarding house and then finds a promising job. He is framed for theft by a jealous co-work...
Adrift in New York
John Linden is a very wealthy man. The people who should inherit his property are his nephew, Curtis Waring, his niece Florence Linden, and his long lost son - if alive. John thinks it would be best if Florence and Curtis were married, and makes it a...
Cousin's Conspiracy
Ernest Ray is a young boy who sets out to reclaim the inheritance that was unjustly with held from his father and given to a cousin. (Introduction by Abigail Rasmussen)
Helping Himself, or Grant Thornton's Ambition
Helping Himself, or Grant Thornton's Ambition deals with the grit and determination of Grant, a 15 year old farmer's boy whose father is dead and in order to pay his minister father's debts, and to help his mother deal with their abject poverty young...
Timothy Crump's Ward
A poor family is surprised with an infant on their doorstep on New Year’s Eve with a note and monetary support requesting them to raise the child. Eight years later, the child is stolen and the family is put into more trouble trying to find her. This...
Grand'ther Baldwin's Thanksgiving, with Other Ballads and Poems
Horatio Alger, better known for his juvenile fiction, also penned some great poetry. His Ballads, including the 8 war poems and his odes, are collected in this volume. - Summary by Carolin
Mark the Match Boy or Richard Hunter's Ward
In this third installment from the “Ragged Dick” series by Horatio Algers, Jr., the reader is reacquainted with some old friends and meets young Mark Manton. Mark is a match boy plagued by bad luck and an even worse guardian. But, with new friends, h...
Rough and Ready OR Life Among the New York Newsboys
Join Rough and Ready for his adventure on the streets of New York City. Working as a newsboy, Rough and Ready tries to support himself and his sister on his meager earnings. Unfortunately, their stepfather is seeking to kidnap little Rose, getting an...
Ben, The Luggage Boy; Or, Among the Wharves
Ben, after running away from home, must find a way to survive on the streets. According to the preface, the book was based on a true story told to the author by a real boy named Ben. - Summary by Elsie Selwyn
Rufus and Rose, or The Fortunes of Rough and Ready
Here are the adventures of Rufus, an older brother caring for his sister after leaving their drunk stepfather - captured by counterfeiters - will his honesty, hard work, and luck win out? Nineteenth century New York City is the perfect backdrop for t...
In Search of Treasure
Guy Fenwick is a bright boy of 16 who lives with his clergyman father near New Bedford, Massachusetts. Guy receives permission from his father to examine the contents of an old chest in the attic where Guy discovers clues to the location of a pirate...
Dan, the Newsboy
Dan and his mother are poor, so he begins selling newspapers on the streets of New York City. His perseverance, hard work, and honesty are qualities that help him through various challenges. (Summary by Dale Barkley)