author
1877–1936
Known today for the Dutch children's novel Rhandensche Jongens, this early-20th-century writer created a lively, warm picture of small-town boyhood. The book's energy, humor, and everyday detail have helped keep his work in circulation long after his lifetime.

by J. (Jan) Lens
J. (Jan) Lens (1877–1936) is a Dutch-language author best remembered for Rhandensche Jongens. Public catalog and ebook records consistently identify him as the book's author, and Project Gutenberg lists him under the fuller form "Lens, J. (Jan), 1877–1936."
Rhandensche Jongens is a children's novel set in the town of Rhanden, following a group of boys through friendship, rivalry, and growing up. The surviving editions also credit illustrator Tjeerd Bottema, and the story's brisk, observant style suggests a writer with a clear feel for youthful conversation and community life.
Reliable biographical detail about Lens appears to be scarce online, so it is safest to keep the portrait focused on his surviving work rather than make broader claims. What can be said with confidence is that he remains associated with a single enduring title in Dutch literature for younger readers.