Other editions of book Aunt Jane's Nieces

"The same," says John Merrick. "Bad pennies always return, they say. I've come back to look up the family and find how many are left." He eyes the lad. "So my sister Jane has adopted you, my boy -- and she now owns this town!"A curious man, this Uncle John, returning to the village of Elmhurst where he was born. He has given up his work in the canning business, out West, and has arrived looking as poor as a beggar.Besides his sister, in Elmhurst, John Merrick also finds three nieces -- all different girls, with different qualities. Jane has been studying them carefully . . . for she has a fortune that someone must inherit.Now their Uncle John studies them carefully, as well -- for he, too, has a carefully guarded secret.

"The same," says John Merrick. "Bad pennies always return, they say. I've come back to look up the family and find how many are left." He eyes the lad. "So my sister Jane has adopted you, my boy -- and she now owns this town!"A curious man, this Uncle John, returning to the village of Elmhurst where he was born. He has given up his work in the canning business, out West, and has arrived looking as poor as a beggar.Besides his sister, in Elmhurst, John Merrick also finds three nieces -- all different girls, with different qualities. Jane has been studying them carefully . . . for she has a fortune that someone must inherit.Now their Uncle John studies them carefully, as well -- for he, too, has a carefully guarded secret.

Aunt Jane's Nieces is the title of a juvenile novel first published in 1906, written by L. Frank Baum under the pseudonym Edith Van Dyne. Since the book was the first in a series of novels designed for adolescent girls, its title was applied to the entire series of ten books, published between 1906 and 1918. The book and the series were designed to appeal to the same audience as Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and Little Men. This was expressly stipulated in Baum's contract with his publishers. The ten titles are: Aunt Jane's Nieces (1906), Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad (1907), Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville (1908), Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work (1909), Aunt Jane's Nieces in Society (1910), Aunt Jane's Nieces and Uncle John (1911), Aunt Jane's Nieces on Vacation (1912), Aunt Jane's Nieces on the Ranch (1913), Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West (1914) and Aunt Jane's Nieces in the Red Cross (1915).

Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author of children's books, best known for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He wrote thirteen novel sequels, nine other fantasy novels, and a host of other works (55 novels in total, plus four "lost" novels, 83 short stories, over 200 poems, an unknown number of scripts, and many miscellaneous writings), and made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen. His works predicted such century-later commonplaces as television, augmented reality, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high risk, action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work). -wikipedia

My Dear Niece: It will please me to have you spend the months of July and August as my guest at Elmhurst. I am in miserable health, and wish to become better acquainted with you before I die. A check for necessary expenses is enclosed and I shall expect you to arrive promptly on the first of July. Your Aunt, JANE MERRICK The imposing - in every sense of the word - Jane Merrick has summoned her three nieces, Patsy, Elizabeth, and Louise to her grand home, Elmhurst. But for exactly what purpose? This wonderfully satisfying tale of family dynamics, wealth, intrigue, deception, and character comes from the pen of an author better known for fairytales, magic lands and, of course, wizards. For the wizard behind Aunt Jane’s Nieces is none other than L. Frank Baum, author of the classic Oz series!

Mr. Judkins, the station agent at Chazy Junction, came out of his little house at daybreak, shivered a bit in the chill morning air and gave an involuntary start as he saw a private car on the sidetrack. There were two private cars, to be exact—a sleeper and a baggage car—and Mr. Judkins knew the three o'clock train must have left them as it passed through.