No stories for boys ever published have attained the tremendous popularity of this famous series. Since the publication of the first volume "The Rover Boys At School", some years ago, over three million copies of these books have been sold. They are well written stories dealing with the Rover boys in a great many different kinds of activities and adventures. Each volume holds something of interest to every adventure loving boy. - Grosset & Dunlap advertisement.
Mershon
Wanamaker
G&D green 1st series
G&D brown 2nd series
Chatterton-Peck
G&D DJ style 1
G&D DJ style 2
The Rover Boys Series
01: The Rover Boys At School or, The Cadets Of Putnam Hall - 1899 - For Sale 02: The Rover Boys On The Ocean or, A Chase For Fortune - 1899 - For Sale 03: The Rover Boys In the Jungle or, Stirring Adventures In Africa- 1899 - For Sale 04: The Rover Boys Out West or, The Search For The Lost Mine - 1900 - For Sale 05: The Rover Boys On the Great Lakes or, The Secret Of The Island Cave - 1901 - For Sale 06: The Rover Boys In the Mountains or, A Hunt For Fun And Fortune - 1902 - For Sale 07: The Rover Boys On Land and Sea or, The Crusoes Of Seven Islands - 1903 - For Sale 08: The Rover Boys In Camp or,The Rivals Of Pine Island - 1904 - For Sale 09: The Rover Boys On the River or, The Search For The Missing Houseboat - 1905 - For Sale 10: The Rover Boys On the Plains or, The Mystery Of Red Rock - 1906 - For Sale 11: The Rover Boys In Southern Waters or, The Deserted Steam Yacht - 1907 - For Sale 12: The Rover Boys On the Farm or, Last Days At Putnam Hall - 1908 - For Sale 13: The Rover Boys On Treasure Isle or, The Strange Cruise Of the Steam Yacht - 1909 - For Sale 14: The Rover Boys At College or, The Right Road And The Wrong - 1910 - For Sale 15: The Rover Boys Down East or, The Struggle For The Stanhope Fortune - 1911 For Sale 16: The Rover Boys In the Air or, From College Campus To Clouds - 1912 - For Sale 17: The Rover Boys In New York or, Saving Their Father's Honor - 1913 - For Sale 18: The Rover Boys In Alaska or, Lost In The Fields Of Ice - 1914 - For Sale 19: The Rover Boys In Business or, The Search For The Missing Bonds - 1915 - For Sale 20: The Rover Boys On a Tour or, Last Days At Brill College - 1916 For Sale
The Rover Boys Second Series
21: The Rover Boys At Colby Hall or, The Struggles Of The Young Cadets - 1917 For Sale 22: The Rover Boys On Snowshoe Island or, The Old Lumberman's Treasure Box - 1918 For Sale 23: The Rover Boys Under Canvas or, The Mystery Of The Wrecked Submarine - 1919 - For Sale 24: The Rover Boys On a Hunt or, The Mysterious House In The Woods - 1920 - For Sale 25: The Rover Boys In the Land of Luck or, Stirring Adventures In The Oilfields - 1921 - For Sale 26: The Rover Boys At Big Horn Ranch or, The Cowboys' Double Round-Up - 1922 For Sale 27: The Rover Boys At Big Bear Lake or, The Camp Of The Rivals Cadets - 1923 For Sale 28: The Rover Boys Shipwrecked or, A Thrilling Hunt For Pirates Gold - 1924 For Sale 29: The Rover Boys On Sunset Trail or, The Old Miner's Mysterious Message - 1925 - For Sale 30: The Rover Boys Winning a Fortune or, Strenuous Days Afloat And Ashore - 1926 For Sale The first highly successful series by the Stratemeyer Syndicate (technically, the series started before the formation of the Syndicate), each volume had a preface from Edward Stratemeyer himself, thanking his readers and touting the other books. It's generally accepted that Stratemeyer wrote most, if not all, of the books. He is on record as stating it is his favorite series. Volumes 1 - 11 of this series were published by Mershon (starting 1899), then Stitt (starting 1905), then Chatterton-Peck (starting 1907). All these books are very difficult to locate. In 1902-1904 John Wanamaker reprinted at least volumes 1-5 using the Mershon plates (with a modified title page) and internal illustrations as part of the Wanamaker Young People's Library. There appear to be two binding styles and various binding colors have been seen (green, olive, maroon). The Wanamaker reprints are of a very high quality (better than the Mershon editions) and are the rarest of all Rover Boys editions. In 1908, Grosset & Dunlap reprinted all the earlier volumes and continued to produce all succeeding Rover books. The G&D books came in 3 binding styles (green, brown, orange) and 2 types of dustjackets (2 color and full color - all of which were the same for every title). The green and brown bindings are illustrated (imitating the design of the earlier publishers) and had plain white endpapers, while the orange binding is not illustrated and had green striped endpapers. Sometime in the late 1930's or early 1940's Whitman Publishing reprinted volumes 1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14. All new full color dustjackets were created for these books. They contain no internal illustrations. Starting with volume 21, the stories recounted the adventures of the four sons of the original three Rover Boys (Tom, Dick and Sam), who by that time had married and settled into adjoining brownstones on Riverside Drive in New York City. Arthur Prager's book Rascals At Large has a chapter devoted to the antics of the brothers Rover and I recommend it heartily to all fans.
A Rover Boys Primer
In the original series, the Rover Boys consist of brothers Dick (the eldest), Tom and Sam (the youngest). They are the sons of wealthy businessman Anderson Rover and live on a Hudson River valley farm with their uncle and aunt, Randolph and Martha Rover. The Rovers have the distinction of being the most high-handed and obnoxious series book "heroes" ever. Brother Tom, the "practical joker", is a borderline psychotic who indulges in "jokes" so cruel, mean and dangerous that they would no doubt land anyone else in jail or, at least, in civil court. Wherever they go, the Rovers are snobbish, haughty, condescending and downright mean to all they meet. What is even more amazing is that these people accept the Rovers' obnoxious behavior with an obsequiousness normally reserved for Oriental potentates and extremely rich, superannuated relatives. In the first 12 volumes, the Rovers were students at Putnam Hall, a military academy run by family friend, Captain Putnam. Their adventures while attending this institution took them far and wide on land, sea and in the air. After leaving Putnam Hall, the boys went on to college and eventually into business and, finally, marriage - an event which triggered the Rover Boys Second Series. The Rovers were a lusty lot and wasted no time making the acquaintance of Dora Stanhope and her cousins Grace and Nellie Laning. Their "friends" included would-be poet John "Songbird" Powell, the dudish William Philander Potts (who was subjected to the brunt of Tom's practical "jokes") and the fat German Hans Mueller (subject of much low ethnic humor) among others. Handyman Alexander Pop, one of the typical shuffling, eye-rolling Negroes so prevalent in early Stratemeyer works, also bore the brunt of much low humor. Their main foes were Josiah Crabtree, a professor at Putnam Hall who had a hypnotic hold over Mrs. Stanhope and lusted for her fortune; Dan Baxter and Tad Sobber (among others) were fellow students who constantly battled the Rovers. The Second Series presented the reader with Dick and Dora's offspring Martha and Jack, Tom and Nellie's twins Andy and Randy and Sam and Grace's progeny Fred and Mary. The girls were quickly packed off to boarding school and were seldom heard from again. Meanwhile, the four cousins, while attending the Colby Hall academy run by old family friend Larry Colby, had a series of adventures that closely paralled those of their fathers.
The Putnam Hall Series
This series recounts the adventures of the boys of Putnam Hall before the Rover Boys arrived. Many characters in this series also appear in the Rover Boys series although the Rover Boys themselves do not make an appearance here. The first 2 volumes were published by Mershon, then Stitt, then Chatterton-Peck. Grosset & Dunlap then took over, reprinting the first two volumes and publishing the next four. In 1921 Grosset & Dunlap re-issued the series and slightly modified the titles (i.e The Cadets Of Putnam Hall, etc.) and changed the sequence.
Here is the Introduction from "The Putnam Hall Cadets:
My Dear Boys: In bringing out this story, "The Putnam Hall Cadets", the initial
volume in the "Putnam Hall Series," I feel it necessary to make an explanation
why it is that this tale is brought out when I have already written so much
concerning the doings of the students at Putnam Hall. Ever since I presented to
the boys the first volume in the "Rover Boys Series," I have been urged by the
boys -- and girls, too, for the matter of that -- to write something concerning
the doings of the students at the Hall previous to the coming of the Rover boys
on the scene. When the Rovers arrived they found a wide-awake, jolly crowd of
cadets already there, some of whom had been at the academy several years. My
young friends wished to know more about these, and it is for their benefit that
I have instituted this new series, which will tell of many things that happened
at the famous seat of learning from the time it was first opened to the present
day. Putnam Hall is an ideal boarding school for boys, located on the shore of
a beautiful lake in upper New York State. The students there are bright, manly
fellows, full of vigor and fun, and bound to get the best there is out of school
life. There are some keen rivalries, and in the story are related the
particulars of a mystery which had an unlooked-for ending. In offering this
first book of the new series I wish to thank the thousands everywhere who have
written to me regarding the "Rover Boys Series." It does my heart good to know
that the tales have been so well liked. I trust sincerely that the present
story meets with equal approbation. Affectionately and sincerely yours, Arthur
M. Winfield. July 25, 1905.
1: The Putnam Hall Cadets - For Sale or, Good Times In School And Out - 1901
AKA The Cadets Of Putnam Hall (5) (1921)
2: The Putnam Hall Rivals - For Sale or, Fun And Sport Afloat And Ashore - 1906
AKA The Rivals Of Putnam Hall (6) (1921) - For Sale
3: The Putnam Hall Champions - For Sale or, Bound To Win Out - 1908
AKA The Champions Of Putnam Hall (4) (1921) - For Sale
4: The Putnam Hall Rebellion - For Sale or, The Rival Runaways - 1909
AKA The Rebellion At Putnam Hall (3) (1921) - For Sale
5: The Putnam Hall Encampment - For Sale or, The Secret Of The Old Mill - 1910
AKA Camping Out Days At Putnam Hall (2) (1921) - For Sale
6: The Putnam Hall Mystery - For Sale or The School Chums' Strange Discovery - 1911
AKA The Mystery At Putnam Hall (1) (1921) - For Sale
The Dover Boys
In 1942 Warner Brothers created an animated parody of the Rover Boys.
The Dover Boys At Pimento University; or, The Rivals Of Roquefort Hall A Merrie Melodies Cartoon - ID#: WB4231 Director: Charles M. (Chuck) Jones Writer: Ted Pierce Animation: Robert Cannon Music: Carl W. Stalling Synopsis: Pimento University (P.U.) students, Tom, Dick and Larry (AKA The Dover Boys), must rescue their girl, Dora, from the clutches of the evil but hapless Dan Backslide.
NOTES: Considered by Chuck Jones to be "The very first Chuck Jones cartoon" -- The first to show his unique style. Yet it is still very different from other Jones cartoons (or other Warner's cartoons for that matter), using a soft-focus look, more realistic (almost painting-like) animation and a mature theme. This cartoon can still be seen from time to time on the cable TV Cartoon Network. It's clear that Ted Pierce, the author of this cartoon, had more than a passing acquaintance with the Rover Boys series. In the 90's, the "Dover Boys" characters made cameo appearances in the Warners/Steven Spielberg cartoon series, "The Animaniacs".
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