I Dont Read Very Many Classics...

Ragged Dick - Horatio Alger Jr.
Originally published in hardcover in 1868 - Loring

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All boys should read Alger in their formative years. I did. Ha. Seriously, though, Alger is one of those classic "old" authors with delightfully moralistic tales that resonated at least with me when I was a youngster. His books on the whole are formulaic, but I still remember being so eager to go out and find more Alger titles even before I was finished with what I was currently reading. Alger is like America's Dickens.


Amazon description - Horatio Alger Jr. was well known for his popular novels detailing the lives of young boys working as bootblacks, newsboys, buskers, and peddlers who attempted to rise up from humble and impoverish backgrounds. Ragged Dick, Or: Street Life in New York plays toward these themes through the telling of a poor boy, Ragged Dick, who works as a bootblack and attempts to better himself through hard work, determination, and moral behavior. Ragged Dick not only fends off street bullies and con-men through his cunning skills and tricks, but legitimately betters himself through deliberate action, school, and consideration. A great moral story for children and young adults.