The first volume of the Ted Scott series was an obvious retelling of the first solo Transatlantic flight by Charles A. Lindbergh in May 1927. From time to time a reference is made to how quickly the story was rushed into print. An examination of the dates is interesting. Charles Lindbergh departed from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, […]
Banned Book Week
The last week in September is considered to be Banned Book Week. In 2019 this is Sept. 22-28. While you will see lists of many books that have been “challenged” or “censored” over the years, most of the time our juvenile series books are not listed. Yet, the librarians who wanted to impress fellow librarians, […]
Artifact — Dance Card
When Edward Stratemeyer was a young adult, he participated on at least one committee to organize a dance in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Elizabeth, NJ: Red Ribbon Club and Stratemeyer’s Cigar Store On the card above, the location of the Red Ribbon Club Parlors was the corner of Broad and East Grand Streets. In the 1888 […]
The Gift
Regifting or exchanging a gift is a common activity after the holiday season but it is not especially new. Here is a rare instance when Edward Stratemeyer felt obliged to return a book he received from a publisher.
Association Copy George Waldo Browne
An association copy is a book whose interest is enhanced by annotations by a creator of the work or one that has been passed from one person to another where the people have a strong connection with the work or the creator’s career overall. ABC for Book Collectors by John Carter includes this definition and examples: Today Edward […]
Are you Prepared for Children’s Book Week? — Novembe
“Safety First Juvenile Book Week” started in 1915 along the lines of “Safe and Sane Fourth of July.” Where one was concerned with injuries from fireworks, the other was obsessed with reading by boys. By 1919 this had evolved into Children’s Book Week. The November dates were designed to coincide with holiday purchases of books for young […]
1894 Ghost Story by Edward Stratemeyer
Among the least-known form of Edward Stratemeyer’s writings are his short stories for newspapers, especially the Newark Sunday Call. This weekly from his home town ran a group of stories by Stratemeyer that were timed and themed to the holidays of the year. With only a local audience in mind, locations known to Newark-area readers were included. When […]
Edward Stratemeyer’s New York City
If you want to read more about this topic, see my article “The Metropolitan Streets of the Hardy Boys Mastermind” in Fine Books and Collections Magazine, Spring 2010 Edward Stratemeyer lived for most of his professional life in Newark, New Jersey. Most of his publishers had offices in nearby New York City. As Horatio Alger […]
1891 Christmas Story by Stratemeyer
Among the least-known form of Edward Stratemeyer’s writings are his short stories for newspapers, especially the Newark Sunday Call. This weekly from his home town ran a group of stories by Stratemeyer that were timed and themed to the holidays of the year. With only a local audience in mind, locations known to Newark-area readers were included. When […]