The Story of a Bad Boy facts for kids
Title page for The Story of a Bad Boy, 1870
|
|
| Author | Thomas Bailey Aldrich |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Published | 1870 |
The Story of a Bad Boy is a classic adventure novel written by Thomas Bailey Aldrich. It was first published in 1870. The book tells a fictional story based on Aldrich's own childhood. He grew up in a town called Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This book is often seen as the first of its kind. It started a trend of stories about "bad boys" in literature. However, the author quickly tells us that his character was "not such a very bad, but a pretty bad boy." This means the main character, Tom, was mostly just mischievous and adventurous.
Contents
The Adventures of Tom Bailey
Tom's Childhood Journey
The story follows a boy named Tom Bailey. He was born in a made-up town called Rivermouth, New Hampshire. When Tom was very young, about 18 months old, his family moved to New Orleans. As he grew older, Tom's father wanted him to get his education in the northern part of the country. So, Tom was sent back to Rivermouth. He went to live with his kind grandfather, Captain Nutter. Captain Nutter lived with his sister and a helpful Irish servant.
Life in Rivermouth
The Centipedes Club
In Rivermouth, Tom quickly made new friends. He joined a secret group of boys called the Centipedes. This club was always looking for fun and adventure. The boys often got into playful mischief. One time, they found an old carriage. For the Fourth of July celebration, they pushed it into a big bonfire. This was a memorable prank for the town.
During the cold winter months, the boys loved to play outside. Several friends built a strong snow fort on a place called Slatter's Hill. This led to an exciting snowball fight against other groups of boys. It was a friendly but fierce battle in the snow.
Exciting Escapades
Tom and three of his friends saved up their money. They bought a small boat they named Dolphin. One day, they secretly sailed away to explore a nearby island. It was a thrilling adventure for them. Tom also became good friends with a man known as Sailor Ben. Tom had first met Ben on the ship that brought him from New Orleans.
Sailor Ben turned out to be a special person. He was the long-lost husband of Captain Nutter's Irish servant. Ben decided to stay in Rivermouth. He lived in a unique cabin that looked like a boat. Sailor Ben even helped the boys with a grand prank. They fired several old cannons from the pier. This caused a lot of surprise and confusion among the people in town. Later, Tom's father faced financial difficulties. An uncle then invited Tom to work in a business office in New York City.
The Story of a Bad Boy first appeared in a magazine. It was published in 1869 by Ticknor and Fields. The magazine was called Our Young Folks and was for young readers. A year later, in 1870, the story was released as a full book. This book was published by Fields, Osgood, & Co. in Boston. Later, in 1895, a new edition of the book came out. It featured wonderful drawings by an artist named A. B. Frost.
