Dear Daddy – The Farm Letters

Lucy’s note: These are the books that they read out loud to each other — some more than once — often by the light of the kerosene lamp. Most were borrowed from the Minneapolis Public or Streetcar Station libraries, some were purchased second hand, and some new. It’s still a popular activity in our family…. We will continue to add to this list until all of the letters and narrative are posted.

At the Foot of the Rainbow — Gene Stratton-Porter (Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, NY, 1907)

Stratton-Porter’s 1907 novel uses fishing as a backdrop to tell the story of Jimmy Malone and Dannie Macnoun, who is in love with Jimmy’s wife, Mary. In addition, this includes a lengthy biographical introduction on the author’s life and work.

Find At the Foot of the Rainbow on Amazon.com.

Betty Zane — Zane Grey (Grosset & Dunlap, New York, NY, 1903)

Based on a true account, this tells of the bravery of Betty, the young sister of old Colonel Isaac Zane, a pioneer; life along the frontier around Fort Henry, West Virginia; an attack by the Indians; Betty’s heroic defense of the garrison at Wheeling; the burning of the Fort; and Betty’s final race for life – make up this memorable story.

Find Betty Zane on Amazon.com.

The Black Arrow: A Tale of Two Roses — Robert Louis Stevenson (Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, NY, 1917)

A tale of adventure, this book involves a young Englishman, Dick Shelton, who, in his quest to avenge the death of his father, becomes involved in the band of the Black Arrow and the events of the War of the Roses.

Find The Black Arrow on Amazon.com.

Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse — Anna Sewell (Dodge Publishing Company, New York, NY, 1907)

The story is told in the first person (or “first horse”) as an autobiographical memoir told by a highbred horse named Black Beauty, beginning with his carefree days as a colt on an English farm, to his difficult life pulling cabs in London, to his happy retirement in the country.

Find Black Beauty on Amazon.com.

Bob, Son of Battle — Alfred Ollivant (Doubleday, Page & Company, Garden City, NY, 1898)

Two sheep farmers and their sheepdogs engage in a years-long battle to prove their superiority in handling sheep — a battle which must end in death.

Find Bob, Son of Battle on Amazon.com.

The Bobbsey Twins: or Merry Days Inside and Out — Laura Lee (Edward Stratemeyer) Hope (The Mershon Company, Rahway, NJ, 1904)

Follows the adventures of the four Bobbsey children as they celebrate Christmas, rescue their cat, and attend a friend’s birthday party.

Find The Bobbsey Twins on Amazon.com.

Boy Scouts in the Canal Zone: or the Plot Against Uncle Sam — G. Harvey Ralphson (M.A. Donohue & Company, Chicago, IL, 1911)

“All was now excitement in the room, the story of the trip down to the Mississippi having stirred the lads love of out-of-door adventure to the sizzling point. They … counted the days that would elapse before they could be on their way.” (Excerpt)

Find Boy Scouts in the Canal Zone on Amazon.com.

The Call of the Wild — Jack London (The McMillan Company, New York, NY, 1912)

This gripping story follows the adventures of the loyal dog Buck, who is stolen from his comfortable family home and forced into the harsh life of an Alaskan sled dog. Passed from master to master, Buck embarks on an extraordinary journey that ends with his becoming the legendary leader of a wolf pack.

Find The Call of the Wild on Amazon.com.

A Child’s Garden of Verses — Robert L. Stevenson (Longman’s Green & Company, London, UK, 1885)

In this well-known collection of poems, master poet Robert Louis Stevenson captures all the joy and magic of childhood. Tasha Tudor’s signature watercolors pay tribute to a simpler time in the past, while celebrating both children and nature.

Find A Child’s Garden of Verses on Amazon.com.

The Daring Adventures of Kit Carson and Fremont: Among Buffaloes, Grizzlies and Indians, Being a Spirited Diary of the Most Difficult and Wonderful Explorations Ever Made, Opening Through Yawning Chasms and Over Perilous Peaks, The Great Pathway to the Pacific — John Charles Fremont (Hurst & Company, New York, NY, 1888)

A narrative of adventures and explorations in the country lying between the Missouri River and the Rocky Mountains; Carson met Fremont in 1842 and they made plans for a five month journey with 25 men. This successful expedition led to a wave of exploration in the west.

Find The Daring Adventures of Kit Carson and Fremont on Amazon.com.

The Jungle Book — Rudyard Kipling (Century Company, New York, NY, 1920)

A collection of stories written by Rudyard Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first 6 years of his childhood there. After about ten years in England, he went back to India and worked there for about six-and-half years. All of the stories were published in magazines in 1893-1894.

Find The Jungle Book on Amazon.com.

Kidnapped: Being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751 — Robert Louis Stevenson (Blue Ribbon Books, New York, NY, 1921)

After the death of his father, David Balfour sets out to meet his uncle and claim his inheritance. This adventure takes him through the highlands of Scotland where he embarks upon a long journey back from treachery and deceit.

Find Kidnapped on Amazon.com.

The Last of the Mohicans — James Fennimore Cooper (Hurd & Houghton, New York, NY, 1871)

During the fierce French and Indian wars, an adroit scout named Hawkeye and his companion Chingachgook weave through the spectacular and dangerous wilderness of upstate New York, fighting to save the beautiful Munro sisters from the Huron renegade Magua…. a story of survival and treachery, love and deliverance.

Find The Last of the Mohicans on Amazon.com.

The Last of the Plainsmen — Zane Grey (Grosset & Dunlap, New York, NY, 1911)

(Statement by the author) I want to show the color and beauty of those painted cliffs and the long, brown-matted bluebell-dotted aisles in the grand forests; I want to give a suggestion of the tang of the dry, cool air; and particularly I want to throw a little light upon the life and nature of that strange character and remarkable man, Buffalo Jones.

Find The Last of the Plainsmen on Amazon.com.

The Life of Kit Carson: The Great Western Hunter and Guide — Charles Burdett (A.L. Burt, New York, NY, 1902)

A revised and complete history of the most remarkable of American Frontiersmen.

Find The Life of Kit Carson on Amazon.com.

The Little Lame Prince: and the Adventures of a Brownie — Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, PA, 1918)

This book tells the story of a healthy baby prince who is dropped by a careless nurse enroute to his christening; when both his parents die. The young crippled prince must then reclaim his kingdom from his evil uncle, with the help of a magic cape from his godmother.

Find The Little Lame Prince on Amazon.com.

Little Men — Louisa May Alcott (Grosset & Dunlap, New York, NY, 1899)

It is safe to say, this book has done as much to make boys and girls good as any story that ever was written. It is simply impossible to live at Plumfield with Jo’s boys and not wish to be honest and kind and gentle. The sequel to Little Women.

Find Little Men on Amazon.com.

Little Pioneers — Maude R. Warren (Rand McNally, Chicago IL, 1917)

This book deals with the adventures of the Pilgrims during the first year in New England up to Thanksgiving Day.

Find Little Pioneers on Amazon.com.

Little Women — Louisa May Alcott (Roberts Brothers, Boston, MA, 1880)

The story concerns the lives and loves of four sisters growing up during the American Civil War. It was based on Alcott’s own experiences as a child in Boston and Concord, Massachusetts, with her three sisters, Anna, May, and Elizabeth.

Find Little Women on Amazon.com.

Mavericks — William McLeod Raine (Grosset & Dunlap, New York, NY, 1911)

Dedication: To My Mother: “In vain men tell us time can alter, Old loves, or make old memories falter.”

Find Mavericks on Amazon.com.

The Pioneers: or the Sources of the Susquehanna — James Fennimore Cooper (Houghton Osgood & Company, Boston, MA, 1880)

The Pioneers introduces the character of Natty Bumppo, the pioneer scout and natural man uncorrupted by civilization. Cooper wrote other novels featuring Natty Bumppo; they relate frontier adventures and present a colorful picture of Indian and pioneer life.

Find The Pioneers on Amazon.com.

Robinson Crusoe — Daniel Defoe (C.A. McMurry, Normal, IL, 1894)

On Robinson Crusoe’s first seafaring voyage, his ship sinks in a violent storm. On his second voyage he is enslaved by pirates. When Crusoe braves the ocean after several years in Brazil, Providence leaves him as the sole survivor of a shipwreck on a deserted island.

Find Robinson Crusoe on Amazon.com.

Rose in Bloom: A Sequel to Eight Cousins — Louisa May Alcott (Little Brown, Boston, MA, 1916)

Rose is just returning from a two year trip traveling the world. A wealthy woman, she finds herself the object of many suitors, but how can she tell who loves her for her and who loves her for her money? A delightful coming of age story.

Find Rose in Bloom on Amazon.com.

Silversheen: King of the Sled Dogs — Clarence Hawkes (The Platt & Munk Company, New York, NY, 1929)

Silversheene is the story of an Eskimo dog who, after killing several sheep, is taken from his home with a young girl and given to a man who promises to keep the dog safe. Later, after escaping his cruel new master, Silversheene heads for the forests and joins up with a local wolf pack.

Find Silversheen on Amazon.com.

Smoky the Cowhorse — James Will (Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, NY, 1930)

In 1926 his most famous book, Smoky the Cowhorse, was published, which won the Newbery Medal in 1927. “There have been many horse stories. But not one of them can compare with this book.” — New York Times Book Review

Find Smoky the Cowhorse on Amazon.com.

The Story of Dr. Dolittle: Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts — Hugh Lofting (Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York, NY, 1920)

“Any child who is not given the opportunity to make the acquaintance of this rotund, kindly, and enthusiastic doctor/naturalist and all of his animal friends will miss out on something important.” — Jane Goodall � Review

Find The Story of Dr. Dolittle on Amazon.com.

The Swiss Family Robinson — David Wyss (John C. Winston, Philadelphia, PA, 1812)

Swept off course by a raging storm, a Swiss pastor, his wife, and four young sons are shipwrecked on an uncharted tropical island. Thus begins the classic story of survival and adventure that has fired the imaginations of readers since it first appeared in 1812.

Find The Swiss Family Robinson on Amazon.com.

They Also Serve — Peter B. Kyne (Cosmopolitan Book Corp, New York, NY, 1927)

The book begins: “The never-ending talk about the Great War that goes on between the Skipper and the Top is what got me started on this story. Were I a man instead of a horse I would write it and call it my autobiography, because in my story I am going to include everything of any importance that has ever happened to me….”

Find They Also Serve on Amazon.com.

Thirty-one Years on the Plains and in the Mountains: or the Last Voice from the Plains — Captain William F. Drannon (Rhodes and McClure Publishing, Chicago, IL, 1910)

An Authentic Record of The Life Time Of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting And Indian Fighting In The Far West.

Find Thirty-one Years on the Plains and in the Mountains on Amazon.com.

Tracks End — Hayden Carruth (Harper and Brothers, New York, 1911)

“Track’s End Being the Narrative of Judson Pitcher’s Strange Winter Spent There As Told by Himself and Edited by Hayden Carruth. Including an accurate account of his numberous adventures, and the facts concerning his several surprising escapes from death now first printed in full.”

Find Tracks End on Amazon.com.

White Fang — Jack London (Macmillan Publishers, New York, NY, 1906)

The fast-paced action of “White Fang” never lets up; danger is always waiting beyond the next pile of snow or beneath the claws of a snarling predator. This novel was an immediate success when it was first published in 1905, and it has been so ever since.

Find White Fang on Amazon.com.

The Wolf Hunters — James Oliver Curwood (Grosset & Dunlap, New York, NY, 1908)

“Cold winter lay deep in the Canadian wilderness. Over it the moon was rising, like a red pulsating ball, lighting up the vast white silence of the night in a shimmering glow. Not a sound broke the stillness of the desolation. It was too late for the life of day, too early for the nocturnal roamings and voices of the creatures of the night.”

Find The Wolf Hunters on Amazon.com.