James Cody Ferris

James Cody Ferris was a pseudonym used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the prolific series-book company behind many popular children's adventures of the early 20th century. Rather than pointing to one confirmed individual author, the name was used for the X Bar X Boys series.

That series followed ranch-based Western adventures and ran from 1926 to 1942, with volumes published by Grosset & Dunlap. Sources connected with the series note that more than one writer contributed under the Ferris name, which fits the Syndicate's well-known practice of publishing books under shared pen names.

For readers today, the James Cody Ferris name represents a style as much as a person: brisk action, frontier danger, and dependable old-school series storytelling written for young fans of cowboys and outdoor adventure.