A Little Dusky Hero

Harriet Theresa ComstockProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.5
Word count
91K words
Chapters
10

Tags

English Originals Children's Literature Portrait GalleryAdventure JourneyHeroismComing of AgeGrowing UpTruth Goodness BeautyHeartwarming NarrativeInnocenceAmerican LiteratureParent-Child Reading

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Little Dusky Hero by Harriet T. ComstockAuthor: Comstock, Harriet T. (Harriet Theresa), 1860-,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Feb 23, 2010

Editor's review

This is a boys' story by an early twentieth-century American children's author, reissued as a public-domain electronic edition. Centered on a "little hero," it bears the clear marks of the inspirational juvenile fiction of its era: the plot turns on courage, duty, and growing up; the language is relatively plain and direct; and the length is short, making it a useful entry point for understanding early English-language children's literature. Its value lies not in intricate plotting but in the values and narrative tastes presented to young readers over a century ago, offering some reference for readers studying the history of children's literature or collecting materials for English reading instruction. It is best read as a period text, with attention to its social assumptions and linguistic habits, rather than judged by the standards of contemporary children's fiction. Suitable for light English reading in spare moments, and for English learners seeking to broaden their familiarity with older forms of expression.

Who it's for

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Reading tips

  1. Read through once to grasp the main storyline, then revisit the key passages on courage and duty.
  2. Mark old-fashioned expressions or unfamiliar words, and look them up after finishing each chapter.
  3. Read alongside other public-domain boys' stories to observe differences in period narrative style.
  4. Use it as extensive reading material, covering one or two chapters at a time and briefly retelling the content.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10

FAQ

What age of child is this book suitable for? The original is in English and carries early twentieth-century expressions, so it suits middle-school readers and above with some foundation in English reading. Younger children can encounter it with an adult reading alongside and explaining, but it is not the best first choice for independent reading.
Does the electronic edition differ from the original version? This edition comes from Project Gutenberg's public-domain electronic preparation, with the text based on public-domain material. It may differ from early print editions in layout, punctuation, or paragraphing, but the story itself involves no modern adaptation, additions, or deletions.
Do I need to know the historical background before reading? Systematic preparation is not necessary, but knowing the work comes from early twentieth-century America helps in understanding how courage, obedience, and duty are handled. Readers can treat the differences in period attitudes as points of observation rather than fully endorsing the book's value judgments.

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About the author

Harriet Theresa Comstock Author · American · 1860–1943

Harriet Theresa Comstock (1860–1943) was an American novelist. She was born in Nichols, New York, and her maiden name was Smith. She began writing after her marriage in 1885 and was known mainly for children's and young adult fiction. Her representative works include The Place Beyond the Winds, Joyce of the North Woods, and The Shield of Silence. Her writing often incorporates moral and religious themes, using plot to guide young readers toward reflection on character and belief. The library holds nine of her works, including The Man Thou Gavest, Then Marched the Brave, At the Crossroads, Janet of the Dunes, and A Son of the Hills, which largely explore growth, responsibility, and country life. Public information on her education and career details is limited. She died in 1943.