Books with author Horatio,

"A fourteen year old homeless boy, Dick, tries to make an honest living in the streets of 1860s New York as a bootblack. He is determined to stay honorable, though he is tempted many times to easy pickings and a life of crime. When a regular customer is impressed by Dick's integrity and invites him to his mansion, this marks a turning point in the life of the young street-smart teenager.Ragged Dick by Horatio Alger Jr was first published in 1868. It represents a typical coming of age story in which a child attains the maturity of adulthood through circumstances in which important choices are made. It was the first in a six-series set written by the prolific American writer, best known for his stories of young boys who overcome poverty and social disadvantages to become assimilated in the great American middle class. Many of Alger's stories follow a well-known theme and formula but were extremely well-received and popular among readers of a previous generation. Ragged Dick was an instant best-seller and achieved huge attention from old and young readers and critics alike. Alger went on to write more than a hundred novels, though his later works were more sensational and characterized by violence and murder, and not found very suitable for young readers.Horatio Alger was dismissed from service as a Unitarian minister under suspicious circumstances, though nothing was proven against him. He began working as a volunteer in New York's slum areas, helping to provide assistance to young homeless people. Around this time, he started writing articles in journals and finally moved into novel writing. Ragged Dick first appeared in the journal Student and Schoolmate, a magazine for young boys and girls, as a 12-part serial and copies of the magazine sold out almost instantly. It caught the American imagination and skilfully portrayed the hard, coarse, brutal and unforgiving life of the New York slum as no other book had before. Genteel, educated readers had perhaps never encountered the situations depicted in Ragged Dick. This novelty was probably what accounted for the book's success. It was later adapted to stage and as a musical opera called Shine!Besides novels, Alger wrote poetry, essays and articles for various magazines. His work in rehabilitation and assistance to the underprivileged kids of New York is well-known. He left several unfinished books which were completed according to his last will and testament by Edward Stratemeyer, the creator of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series.An interesting read for young and old alike!"

This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curated for quality. Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.

"John, saddle my horse, and bring him around to the door."The speaker was a boy of fifteen, handsomely dressed, and, to judge from his air and tone, a person of considerable consequence, in his own opinion, at least. The person addressed was employed in the stable of his father, Colonel Anthony Preston, and so inferior in social condition that Master Godfrey always addressed him in imperious tones.John looked up and answered, respectfully:"Master Godfrey, your horse is sick of the disease, and your father left orders that he wasn't to go out on no account.""It's my horse," said Godfrey; "I intend to take him out.""Maybe it's yours, but your father paid for him.""None of your impudence, John," answered Godfrey, angrily. "Am I master, or are you, I should like to know!""Neither, I'm thinking," said John, with a twinkle in his eye. "It's your father that's the master.""I'm master of the horse, anyway, so saddle him at once.""The colonel would blame me," objected John."If you don't, I'll report you and get you dismissed.""I'll take the risk, Master Godfrey," said the servant, good-humoredly. "The colonel won't be so unreasonable as to send me away for obeying his own orders."Horatio Alger, Jr. (January 13, 1832 – July 18, 1899) was a prolific 19th-century American author, best known for his many juvenile 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. Alger's name is often invoked incorrectly as though he himself rose from rags to riches, but that arc applied to his characters, not to the author. Essentially, all of Alger's novels share the same theme: a young boy struggles through hard work to escape poverty. Critics, however, are quick to point out that it is not the hard work itself that rescues the boy from his fate, but rather some extraordinary act of bravery or honesty, which brings him into contact with a wealthy elder gentleman, who takes the boy in as a ward. The boy might return a large sum of money that was lost or rescue someone from an overturned carriage, bringing the boy—and his plight—to the attention of some wealthy individual. It has been suggested that this reflects Alger's own patronizing attitude to the boys he tried to help.