William James Sly

William James Sly was an American author and educator best known for World Stories Retold for Modern Boys and Girls, published in 1914. On that book's title page, he is identified as holding a Ph.D. and serving as Director of Sunday-School and Young People's Work, as well as a teacher of Sunday-school pedagogy at Colorado Woman's College.

His writing shows a practical, teacherly aim. In the preface to World Stories Retold, he explains that he assembled stories he had used over many years in homes, Sunday schools, schools, libraries, churches, and public gatherings, with the goal of giving adults a simple, affordable collection of tales to share with children.

Because readily confirmed biographical details about his life are limited in the sources I found, this picture is necessarily partial. Still, the surviving record suggests a writer deeply interested in children's storytelling, religious education, and making classic literature accessible to young audiences.