author
Oliver Optic
1822–1897
Best known for fast-moving adventure stories for young readers, this prolific 19th-century American writer spent years as a teacher before turning full-time to fiction. Writing as Oliver Optic, he became one of the most widely read authors of boys' books in his day.
82 Audiobooks
Breaking Away; or, The Fortunes of a Student
by Oliver Optic
An Undivided Union
by Oliver Optic, Edward Stratemeyer
A Spelling-Book for Advanced Classes
by Oliver Optic
Work and Win; Or, Noddy Newman on a Cruise
by Oliver Optic
The gold thimble : A story for little folks
by Oliver Optic
Vine and Olive; Or, Young America in Spain and Portugal A Story of Travel and Adventure
by Oliver Optic
A Lieutenant at Eighteen
by Oliver Optic
On The Blockade
by Oliver Optic
Up the River; or, Yachting on the Mississippi
by Oliver Optic
All Adrift; Or, The Goldwing Club
by Oliver Optic
Proud and Lazy: A Story for Little Folks
by Oliver Optic
The Coming Wave; Or, The Hidden Treasure of High Rock
by Oliver Optic
Field and Forest; Or, The Fortunes of a Farmer
by Oliver Optic
In the Saddle
by Oliver Optic
Desk and Debit; or, The Catastrophes of a Clerk
by Oliver Optic
Taken by the Enemy
by Oliver Optic
Ready About; or, Sailing the Boat
by Oliver Optic
The Birthday Party: A Story for Little Folks
by Oliver Optic
Careless Kate: A Story for Little Folks
by Oliver Optic
The picnic party : A story for little folks
by Oliver Optic
Little By Little; or, The Cruise of the Flyaway
by Oliver Optic
Seek and Find; or, The Adventures of a Smart Boy
by Oliver Optic
Down South; or, Yacht Adventure in Florida
by Oliver Optic
Within The Enemy's Lines
by Oliver Optic
Cringle and cross-tree : Or, the sea swashes of a sailor
by Oliver Optic
Asiatic Breezes; Or, Students on The Wing
by Oliver Optic
Up The Baltic; Or, Young America in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark
by Oliver Optic
Now or Never; Or, The Adventures of Bobby Bright
by Oliver Optic
Across India; Or, Live Boys in the Far East
by Oliver Optic
Freaks of Fortune; or, Half Round the World
by Oliver Optic
In School and Out; or, The Conquest of Richard Grant.
by Oliver Optic
Uncle Ben : A story for little folks
by Oliver Optic
The little merchant : A story for little folks
by Oliver Optic
Down the Rhine; Or, Young America in Germany
by Oliver Optic
Plane and Plank; or, The Mishaps of a Mechanic
by Oliver Optic
Living Too Fast; Or, The Confessions of a Bank Officer
by Oliver Optic
Stem to Stern; or, building the boat
by Oliver Optic
Dolly and I: A Story for Little Folks
by Oliver Optic
Snug Harbor; or, The Champlain Mechanics
by Oliver Optic
Make or Break; or, The Rich Man's Daughter
by Oliver Optic
Four Young Explorers; Or, Sight-Seeing in the Tropics
by Oliver Optic
The Young Lieutenant; or, The Adventures of an Army Officer
by Oliver Optic
Stand By The Union
by Oliver Optic
A Victorious Union
by Oliver Optic
The Boat Club; or, The Bunkers of Rippleton
by Oliver Optic
Square and Compasses; Or, Building the House
by Oliver Optic
All Aboard; or, Life on the Lake A Sequel to "The Boat Club"
by Oliver Optic
The Christmas gift : A story for little folks
by Oliver Optic
Dikes and Ditches; Or, Young America in Holland and Belgium
by Oliver Optic
Down the River; Or, Buck Bradford and His Tyrants
by Oliver Optic
Hatchie, the Guardian Slave; or, The Heiress of Bellevue A Tale of the Mississippi and the South-west
by Oliver Optic
The Yacht Club; or, The Young Boat-Builder
by Oliver Optic
All Taut; or, Rigging the boat
by Oliver Optic
Little Bobtail; or, The Wreck of the Penobscot.
by Oliver Optic
Our Standard-Bearer; Or, The Life of General Uysses S. Grant
by Oliver Optic
Fighting for the Right
by Oliver Optic
On Time; or, Bound to Get There
by Oliver Optic
Robinson Crusoe, Jr. : A story for little folks
by Oliver Optic
Brother Against Brother; Or, The War on the Border
by Oliver Optic
Watch and Wait; or, The Young Fugitives
by Oliver Optic
Northern Lands; Or, Young America in Russia and Prussia
by Oliver Optic
Just his luck
by Oliver Optic
In doors and out : or, Views from the chimney corner
by Oliver Optic
Rich and humble : A story for young people
by Oliver Optic
Isles of the sea; or, Young America homeward bound : A story of travel and adventure
by Oliver Optic
A millionaire at sixteen : or, The cruise of the Guardian-Mother
by Oliver Optic
Brake up : or, the young peacemakers
by Oliver Optic
The sailor boy : or, Jack Somers in the navy
by Oliver Optic
Lightning Express : or, The rival academies
by Oliver Optic
Three millions! : or, The way of the world
by Oliver Optic
Bear and forbear : or, The young skipper of lake Ucayga
by Oliver Optic
American boys afloat : or, Cruising in the Orient
by Oliver Optic
About the author
Born William Taylor Adams in Medway, Massachusetts, on July 30, 1822, he built an early career in education and taught for many years in Boston public schools. He later became a school principal and also served in public life, including a term in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
Under the pen name Oliver Optic, he wrote a large body of popular fiction for young readers, especially adventure and travel stories for boys. Britannica notes that he left his principalship in 1865 to devote himself to writing, and he also founded Oliver Optic’s Magazine for Boys and Girls, which ran from 1867 to 1875.
His books were enormously popular in the 19th century, and his name became closely associated with energetic, moral, plot-driven juvenile fiction. He died on March 27, 1897, but Oliver Optic remains an important figure in the history of American children's literature.