Harry Castlemon
Charles Austin Fosdick, better known by his nom de plume Harry Castlemon, was a prolific writer of juvenile stories and novels, intended mainly for boys. He was born in Randolph, New York, and received a high school diploma from Central High School in Buffalo, New York. He served in the Union Navy from 1862 to 1865, during the American Civil War, acting as the receiver and superintendent of coal for the Mississippi River Squadron. Fosdick had begun to write as a teenager, and drew on his experiences serving in the Navy in such early novels as Frank on a Gunboat (1864) and Frank on the Lower Mississippi (1867). He soon became the most-read author for boys in the post-Civil War era, the golden age of children's literature.
A Rebellion in Dixie
In a divided Civil War community, a courageous young man risks everything to fight for his beliefs and rally others to his cause.
By Harry Castlemon
Two Ways of Becoming a Hunter
Two young boys skip school to become woodsmen, but their dreams of hunting are challenged when they face competition and learn tough lessons about respecting nature.
By Harry Castlemon
Go-Ahead; Or, The Fisher-Boy's Motto
A young fisherman's dreams are threatened by adversity, pushing him to prove that determination and hard work can overcome any obstacle.
By Harry Castlemon
Julian Mortimer: A Brave Boy's Struggle for Home and Fortune
In the untamed American frontier, a courageous boy becomes entangled in a web of danger, fortune, and identity as he learns some want him dead, while others will pay anything just to keep him alive.
By Harry Castlemon
Tom Newcombe; Or, the Boy of Bad Habits
A spoiled boy's dreams of adventure turn to harsh reality when he discovers that life at sea is far from the glamorous escape he imagined.
By Harry Castlemon
The Mail Carrier
A determined young trapper's success becomes a battle to protect his earnings from his scheming family.
By Harry Castlemon
Guy Harris, the Runaway
A restless boy, dreaming of the wild prairies, plans his escape from a stifling home in search of adventure and independence.
By Harry Castlemon
Frank on the Prairie
** Two boys venture into the untamed prairie, where they chase thrilling hunts and face wild encounters, testing their bravery amidst the unexplored frontier.
By Harry Castlemon
The Buried Treasure; Or, Old Jordan's "Haunt"
A family, stripped of their wealth sets out to find hidden riches, with youthful ambition clashing against the bitter realities of post-war circumstances.
By Harry Castlemon
Frank on a Gun-Boat
A young man's eagerness plunges him into the tumultuous world of naval warfare during the Civil War, where he discovers courage and finds camaraderie amidst danger.
By Harry Castlemon
A Sailor in Spite of Himself
In a world of competing young men, a jealous rival's underhanded tactics threaten to sink a young man's boat crew.
By Harry Castlemon
The Boy Trapper
A determined young boy faces off against his own brother and a new rival as he seeks to trap enough quails to save his family from poverty.
By Harry Castlemon
Carl the Trailer
A determined soldier and his skilled guide brave the dangers of the Old West to hunt for survival, as tensions rise with Native Americans and the threat of conflict looms large.
By Harry Castlemon
Rodney, the Overseer
In a nation divided, one man must navigate loyalty, duty and conflict in the tumultuous landscape of the Civil War South.
By Harry Castlemon
The Young Wild-Fowlers
Young sportsmen venture into the wilderness for thrilling duck hunts, only to discover the dangerous world of poaching and the difficult choices that come with it.
By Harry Castlemon
A Struggle for a Fortune
In a post-war world of hidden motives, a family's desperate plight ignites a dangerous game of suspicion surrounding an old man and the secrets to his lost fortune.
By Harry Castlemon
Frank at Don Carlos' Rancho
Two young cousins trade boredom for bravery when they chase horse thieves and a monstrous bear across the wild landscapes of old California.
By Harry Castlemon
The First Capture; or, Hauling Down the Flag of England
In a time of revolution, a divided colony must choose between loyalty and liberty as they risk everything to strike a blow for freedom.
By Harry Castlemon
George at the Fort; Or, Life Among the Soldiers
Amidst rising desertions and internal strife, a young cavalry recruit must navigate duty, camaraderie, and his own moral compass in the wild landscape of a 19th-century fort.
By Harry Castlemon
Sailor Jack, the Trader
Forced into service during the Civil War, a young soldier must navigate the perils of combat while grappling with difficult choices about family and duty.
By Harry Castlemon