Young, Clarence

Clarence Young was one of the representative American writers of juvenile adventure fiction in the early twentieth century, though reliable public information about his true identity and life remains limited. He is best known for the "Motor Boys" series, in which young protagonists travel by motorcycle, aircraft, or boat and encounter mysteries and conflicts on the border, along the coast, and in the air, with tight plotting and a brisk pace. The collection here contains twenty-two of his works, including The Motor Boys in the Clouds, The Motor Boys Over the Rockies, and The Motor Boys on the Atlantic, as well as school and ranch stories such as Jack Ranger's Western Trip. Centered on courage, friendship, and the spirit of exploration and classified as inspirational coming-of-age fiction, these books reflect the publishing fashion of American juvenile literature of the time, which emphasized adventure and character formation.