Haratio Alger
Horatio Alger, Jr. (1834-1899) was a prolific writer of more than 100 dime novels for boys. Alger's stories were popular largely because of their portrayals of the "Great American Dream." His first bestselling novel, Ragged Dick, published in 1868, established Alger's formula for sales and success.
His stories almost always began with a young boy who was down on his luck and had no money and no where to go. But, as the story unfolded, through courage and hard, honest work, the boy grew into a successful man. Horatio Alger's books encouraged and inspired young readers to work and to strive for the best.
Rags to riches stories like Ragged Dick were enormously popular with the public between 1870 and 1890. Today, the books continue to enjoy a loyal following. The Clarke Library's collection includes more than 200 books and manuscripts written by or about the topic of Horatio Alger.