Robinson Crusoe,
and it is likely that most votes for second place would go to
The Swiss Family Robinson.
After these we come to modern authors whose books have been written especially for boys, first among whom is the late Mr. R. M. Ballantyne, the author of, among numerous other books,
The Coral Island.
The Gorilla Hunters.
The Dog Crusoe.
The Pirate City.
Ungava.
The Wild Man of the West.
The Iron Horse.
Fighting the Flames.
Erling the Bold.
Martin Rattler.
The Fur Traders.
The Red Man's Revenge.
Many of Ballantyne's readers make a point of going through the whole series of his books. The other titles can be collected from the advertisement pages at the end of these volumes. With R. M. Ballantyne is usually associated the name of the late W. H. G. Kingston ("Kingston and Ballantyne the brave," Stevenson called them in the verses at the beginning of Treasure Island, another book which comes high in this section). Kingston's stories were also very numerous, but it will serve our purpose here to mention only the following six:—
Peter the Whaler.
The Three Midshipmen.
The Three Lieutenants.
The Three Commanders.
The Three Admirals.
From Powder-Monkey to Admiral.
Several authors have carried on Ballantyne and Kingston's work. Chief among these are Mr. G. A. Henty and Mr. G. Manville Fenn. Here are six of Mr. G. A. Henty's stories:—
Out on the Pampas.
The Young Colonists.
The Young Franc-Tireurs.
In the Heart of the Rockies.
Maori and Settler.
Redskin and Cowboy.