author

Jr. Horatio Alger

1832–1899

Best known for stories of poor boys who rise through grit, luck, and good character, this 19th-century American writer helped shape the classic “rags-to-riches” tale. His hugely popular juvenile novels became a lasting part of American culture.

113 Audiobooks

Ragged Dick, Or, Street Life in New York with the Boot-Blacks

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Ragged Dick

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Fame and Fortune; or, The Progress of Richard Hunter

by Jr. Horatio Alger

From Farm to Fortune; or, Nat Nason's Strange Experience

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Tom Thatcher's Fortune

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Adrift in the City; or, Oliver Conrad's Plucky Fight

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Mark Manning's Mission: The Story of a Shoe Factory Boy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Dan, the Newsboy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Life of Edwin Forrest, the American Tragedian. Volume 1 (of 2)

by William Rounseville Alger, Jr. Horatio Alger

The Errand Boy; Or, How Phil Brent Won Success

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Young Salesman

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Mark the Match Boy; or, Richard Hunter's Ward

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Cash Boy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

A Boy's Fortune; Or, The Strange Adventures of Ben Baker

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Strive and Succeed; or, The Progress of Walter Conrad

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Backwoods Boy; or, The Boyhood and Manhood of Abraham Lincoln

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Paul Prescott's Charge

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Ben, the Luggage Boy; Or, Among the Wharves

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Tattered Tom; or, The Story of a Street Arab

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Facing the World

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Helping Himself; Or, Grant Thornton's Ambition

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Adrift in New York: Tom and Florence Braving the World

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Young Book Agent; or, Frank Hardy's Road to Success

by Jr. Horatio Alger

From Farm Boy to Senator

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Telegraph Boy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

From Canal Boy to President; Or, the Boyhood and Manhood of James A. Garfield

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Rough and Ready; Or, Life Among the New York Newsboys

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Do and Dare — a Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Strong and Steady; Or, Paddle Your Own Canoe

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Bound to Rise; Or, Up the Ladder

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Train Boy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Making His Mark

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Struggling Upward, or Luke Larkin's Luck

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Digging for Gold: A Story of California

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Bob Burton; or, The Young Ranchman of the Missouri

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Falling in with Fortune; Or, The Experiences of a Young Secretary

by Jr. Horatio Alger, Edward Stratemeyer

Jed, the Poorhouse Boy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Driven from Home; Or, Carl Crawford's Experience

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Chester Rand; or, The New Path to Fortune

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Grit; or, The Young Boatman of Pine Point

by Jr. Horatio Alger

A Debt of Honor: The Story of Gerald Lane's Success in the Far West

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Ralph Raymond's Heir

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Cast Upon the Breakers

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Mark Mason's Victory: The Trials and Triumphs of a Telegraph Boy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Rufus and Rose; Or, The Fortunes of Rough and Ready

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Paul the Peddler; Or, The Fortunes of a Young Street Merchant

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Life of Edwin Forrest, the American Tragedian. Volume 2 (of 2)

by William Rounseville Alger, Jr. Horatio Alger

Ben's Nugget; Or, A Boy's Search For Fortune

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Out for Business; or, Robert Frost's Strange Career

by Jr. Horatio Alger, Edward Stratemeyer

Index of the Project Gutenberg Works of Horatio Alger, Jr.

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Joe the Hotel Boy; Or, Winning out by Pluck

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Nelson the Newsboy; Or, Afloat in New York

by Jr. Horatio Alger, Edward Stratemeyer

Only an Irish Boy; Or, Andy Burke's Fortunes

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Luck and Pluck; or, John Oakley's Inheritance

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Helen Ford

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Young Acrobat of the Great North American Circus

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Phil, the Fiddler

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Rupert's Ambition

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Try and Trust; Or, Abner Holden's Bound Boy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

A Cousin's Conspiracy; Or, A Boy's Struggle for an Inheritance

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Sink or Swim; or, Harry Raymond's Resolve

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Disagreeable Woman: A Social Mystery

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Julius, the Street Boy; or, Out West

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Robert Coverdale's Struggle

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Tom, The Bootblack; or, The Road to Success

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Mark Mason's Victory

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Sam's Chance, and How He Improved It

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Young Outlaw; or, Adrift in the Streets

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Slow and Sure: The Story of Paul Hoffman the Young Street-Merchant

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Five Hundred Dollars; or, Jacob Marlowe's Secret

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Frank's Campaign; Or, The Farm and the Camp

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Brave and Bold; Or, The Fortunes of Robert Rushton

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Hector's Inheritance, Or, the Boys of Smith Institute

by Jr. Horatio Alger

In a new world : or, Among the gold-fields of Australia

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Young Miner; Or, Tom Nelson in California

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Store Boy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Tom Temple's Career

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Young Explorer; Or, Claiming His Fortune

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Timothy Crump's Ward: A Story of American Life

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Bernard Brooks' Adventures: The Experience of a Plucky Boy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Herbert Carter's Legacy; Or, the Inventor's Son

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Erie Train Boy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Young Musician; Or, Fighting His Way

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Frank and Fearless; or, The Fortunes of Jasper Kent

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Joe's Luck; Or, Always Wide Awake

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The nugget finders : A tale of the gold fields of Australia

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Ben Bruce: Scenes in the Life of a Bowery Newsboy

by Jr. Horatio Alger

The Young Adventurer; or, Tom's Trip Across the Plains

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Luke Walton

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Tony the Tramp; Or, Right is Might

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Wait and Hope; Or, A Plucky Boy's Luck

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Walter Sherwood's Probation

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Shifting For Himself; or, Gilbert Greyson's Fortunes

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Andy Gordon; Or, The Fortunes of A Young Janitor

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Randy of the River; Or, The Adventures of a Young Deckhand

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Charlie Codman's Cruise: A Story for Boys

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Grand'ther Baldwin's Thanksgiving, with Other Ballads and Poems

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Andy Grant's Pluck

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Risen from the Ranks; Or, Harry Walton's Success

by Jr. Horatio Alger

Tony, the Hero; Or, A Brave Boy's Adventures with a Tramp

by Jr. Horatio Alger

About the author

Born in Revere, Massachusetts, in 1832, he was educated at Harvard and began his career as a teacher and minister before turning fully to writing. He became one of the most widely read American authors of the late 19th century.

His fame came from fast-moving books for young readers, especially stories about struggling boys who improve their lives through hard work, honesty, courage, and opportunity. That pattern was so influential that his name became shorthand for the American dream of rising from poverty to success.

Although critics often called his plots repetitive, his books reached a huge audience and left a deep mark on popular fiction for young people. He died in 1899, but his stories remain closely tied to the hopeful, ambitious spirit of their era.