The Rich Little Poor Boy

The Rich Little Poor Boy is a juvenile fiction novel by Eleanor Gates, first published in 1922. It follows ten-year-old Johnnie Smith, an orphan living in a New York tenement under the oppressive care of his foster father, Big Tom Barber. As Johnnie endures child abuse and harsh realities, he escapes into a vivid imagination filled with dreams of adventure and a better life. The story highlights themes of resilience, the power of imagination, and the importance of kindness amidst adversity.