Books with author Horatio Alger

"Mr. Standfast" is the third part of a trilogy which begins with "The Thirty-Nine Steps" and "Greenmantle". In this nail-biting adventure story, Hannay must outwit a foe far more intelligent than himself; muster the courage to propose to the lovely, clever Mary Lamington; and survive a brutal war. Although Mr. Standfast is a sequel to The Thirty-Nine Steps, it offers far more characterisation and philosophy than the earlier book. For its pace and suspense, its changes of scenery and thrilling descriptions of the last great battles against the Germans, Mr Standfast offers everything that has made its author so enduringly popular.

Horatio Alger wrote, "A manly spirit is better than the gifts of fortune, and early trial and struggle tend to strengthen and invigorate the character." Our hero in this story, John Oakley, embodies this message. John is a resolute and strong-willed boy of fifteen when his father died of a sudden stroke. When he learns that he has been completely disinherited in favor of his stepmother, who intends to establish her own son as the favorite, he needs every last bit of his resolution to overcome the obstacles in his path. Luck and Pluck is one of Horatio Alger’s classic tales, with a strong message of determination, honesty, and self-reliance.

During 1850's, common stories about "poor city youths, newsboys and bootblacks" who became rich and famous which were popular. "Ragged Dick" features such a young boy as its hero. Alger opened up Dick's identity, inspirations, dreams, plans and hopes. Dick was a sarcastic youngster, generous towards friends, a gambler and smoker. At the same time, he never steals, neither cheats nor hurt younger boys and this makes him a "noble" young gentleman. His "pants were torn in several places, and had apparently belonged in the first instance to a boy two sizes larger than himself. He wore a vest, all the buttons of which were gone except two, out of which peeped a shirt which looked as if it had been worn a month. To complete his costume he wore a coat too long for him, dating back, if one might judge from its general appearance, to a remote tranquility." Throughout the book Alger draws us to see the transfer of a boy who once was Ragged Dick into a respectable young gentleman Richard Hunter. "When Dick was dressed in his new attire, with his face and hands clean, and his hair brushed, it was difficult to image that he was the same boy" Dick changes from being uneducated, dirty and wearing ragged clothes that are too big for him into a "quite handsome...young gentleman, except that his hands were red and grimy". Alger could have made Dick a good looking, rich and educated young gentleman but he chose completely the opposite. This way of writing only made it more realistic since not everyone becomes rich; it takes hard work to get there. Throughout the book, Alger draws images of the New York City streets, transportation and structures, tells about the games, cheats, crooks and tricks happening on the streets, and draws attention to the juvenile boys' desires for simple things such as: "a steady job, a decent place to sleep, a suit of clothing, respect from others" as well as planning for future. There are a lot of details used to make our minds actually see the real pictures of the situations. Some of the details include about the greatest pleasure that Dick is experiencing with his saving's account that grows slowly every week and the first experience of washing his face. One of the reasons 'Ragged Dick' was a success was that the story was easy to read as well as inspiring. Alger leaves his readers with the feeling that, like Dick, they can become smart and rich too. In approximately one year, the hero of Alger's story turns from an uneducated, dirty, sarcastic, young boy into a noble young gentleman. Like us, Dick wasn't successful in everything he did. But his life is quiet realistic and his progress in the face of struggles can inspire us all.

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. Essentially, all of Alger's juvenile novels share the same theme: a teenage boy works hard to escape poverty. Often though, it is not the hard work itself that rescues the boy from his fate, but rather some extraordinary act of bravery or honesty. The boy might return a large sum of lost money or rescue someone from an overturned carriage. This brings the boy—and his plight—to the attention of a wealthy individual

*This Book is annotated (it contains a detailed biography of the author). *An active Table of Contents has been added by the publisher for a better customer experience. *This book has been checked and corrected for spelling errors. Jack Harding was a boy of twelve. One morning as jack left to buy milk for breakfast he found a basket on the doorstep. Having found a baby girl on their doorstep seven years previously, Jack and his parents are alarmed when a lady claiming to have been the infant's nurse arrives to reclaim the child.

In the late 1800's, Horatio Alger's books were eagerly devoured by thousands of boys who, like his heroes, aspired to make something of themselves in life. His values, and the values of his era, were simple ones of basic decency, hard work, and optimism. Our hero in this story, Walter Conrad, embodies these values. Walter is a resolute and strong-willed boy of fifteen with a loving and wealthy father. But when his father dies unexpectedly, having lost his entire fortune, Walter needs every bit of his resolution to overcome the obstacles in his path.