Lucky, the Boy Scout

Ted Marsh is a newsboy on the mean streets of Chicago, where survival means knowing when to fight and when to help. When he stands up to bullies protecting smaller kids, he catches the attention of John Dean, a rancher visiting from out west. Their unlikely friendship - between a city kid with nothing and a man who's seen the open range - becomes the heart of the story. Ted's life is barely holding together: his mother struggles, his sister Helen counts on him, and every day is a battle. But when fire consumes his home, Ted doesn't hesitate. He runs back in to save his dog, and that act of reckless courage earns him a nickname he'll carry forever: Lucky. The real luck, this book argues, is finding friendship and purpose through acts of selflessness. Written in 1916, this is early 20th century adventure fiction at its most earnest - a story about poverty, bravery, and the code of honor that can emerge from the toughest circumstances.