Stories jolly: stories new: stories strange & stories true : A series of new and original tales for boys and girls from six to fourteen years old

R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne

1825–1894

A master of Victorian adventure fiction, his stories drew on real travel and hard-earned experience in the Canadian wilderness. Best known for The Coral Island, he wrote fast-moving tales of courage, survival, and discovery for generations of young readers.

S. (Sabine) Baring-Gould

1834–1924

A Victorian clergyman with a restless curiosity, he wrote hymns, novels, folklore studies, travel books, and lives of the saints. He is still widely remembered for the hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers" and for helping preserve traditional songs from Devon and Cornwall.

Fanny Barry

From environmental engineering to memoir and eco-themed fiction, this writer brings a practical mind and a resilient spirit to the page. Her books often draw on reinvention, healing, and a deep connection to life in Tulum, Mexico.

A little-known Victorian writer of children's stories, remembered today through a small handful of late-19th-century books. Her surviving works suggest a taste for moral tales and imaginative storytelling aimed at young readers.

Alice Corkran

d. 1916

A lively Irish writer and editor, she helped shape late Victorian and Edwardian children's reading with fantasy, adventure, and magazine work aimed at young audiences. Her books include the much-loved Down the Snow Stairs, a dreamlike story that kept finding new readers long after her lifetime.

George Manville Fenn

1831–1909

A hugely productive Victorian writer, he turned schoolroom experience and a journalist’s eye into brisk adventure stories that drew generations of young readers. His books range across the sea, the countryside, and the wider world, with a strong gift for action and atmosphere.

Agnes Giberne

1845–1939

A remarkably prolific Victorian writer, she moved with ease between heartfelt children's fiction and lively science writing. Her books helped young readers see astronomy, geology, and everyday nature as full of wonder.

A little-known Victorian contributor to children’s fiction, remembered today mainly for appearing in a multi-author anthology of stories for young readers. The surviving record is thin, which gives her work a faintly mysterious charm.

G. A. (George Alfred) Henty

1832–1902

Best known for fast-moving historical adventures for young readers, this prolific Victorian writer drew on real experience as a soldier and war correspondent to give his stories energy and detail. His books carried generations of readers into battles, voyages, and turning points from across history.

Katharine S. (Katharine Sarah) Macquoid

1824–1917

A prolific Victorian novelist and travel writer, she published more than 65 books and brought European landscapes, old towns, and local customs vividly to life for English readers. Her work ranges from popular fiction to richly observed travel books created in close partnership with her artist husband.

Mrs. Molesworth

1839–1921

Remembered as one of the best-loved Victorian writers for children, this English author blended everyday family life with fantasy, fairy tales, and a gentle sense of wonder. Her stories helped shape children's fiction in the late 19th century and are still known for their warmth and charm.

Remembered today as a little-known contributor to Victorian children’s literature, this author appears in charming late-19th-century story collections made for young readers. Her surviving record is brief, but it points to a place in the lively world of family reading and anthology publishing.

Emma Wood

A New Zealand children's author with a soft spot for funny, warm-hearted stories, she writes picture books inspired by friendship, everyday moments, and a lifelong love of reading. Her debut drew international attention after it was famously gifted to Prince William's children.

Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary) Yonge

1823–1901

A hugely popular Victorian novelist, she wrote stories shaped by faith, family life, and a strong sense of duty. Her best-known books helped carry the ideas of the Oxford Movement to a wide readership.