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Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
School is nearly over, but the Rover boys still have pranks to play, rivals to face and trouble ahead.
In The Rover Boys on the Farm, Edward Stratemeyer brings lively brothers and their friends into a world of school days and country adventure. Their final days at school leave room for mischief, loyal friendships and outdoor action. Rivals make trouble, and each scrape puts courage and fair play to the test.
Stratemeyer, writing as Arthur M. Winfield, keeps the story moving with short chapters, lively dialogue and clear action. Boarding school gives the boys freedom from home and a crowd of classmates, teachers and rivals. The country setting adds another side to their adventures, while the story reveals the values that shape this old-fashioned world.
What you’ll discover
- School days with mischief Step into a boarding-school world where pranks and rivalries keep ordinary days from staying quiet.
- Friends through every scrape Follow lively brothers and loyal friends as trouble tests their courage and sense of fair play.
- Adventure beyond the classroom Explore the meeting of school life and country life, with plenty of action outdoors.
- A brisk storytelling style Enjoy short chapters and lively exchanges that push toward the next small crisis.
- A window into youth fiction Discover how an earlier adventure story brings lessons in honesty and courage into its scrapes.
Who will love it
You will enjoy this book if you like old-fashioned boys' adventure, school pranks, friendly rivalries, brisk mysteries and humor full of silly rhymes.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Adventure follows the brothers back home
- A fall reveals a hidden threat
- Trust needs more than smooth words
- Small clues keep the chase moving
- A cruel prank spreads real danger
- Loyalty makes room for growing up
- Honesty answers deceit with plain facts
- Small objects point toward larger dangers
- Courage stays close to everyday kindness
Who’s who
- Dick RoverThe eldest brother, steady and thoughtful, he leads the chase after the swindlers and hopes to settle one day with Dora Stanhope.
- Tom RoverThe middle brother is a cheerful joker who loves pranks and teasing, yet fights bravely when his family or friends are threatened.
- Sam RoverThe youngest brother is quick and resourceful, and he supplies the lariat and the stuffed snake that help the family win.
- Randolph RoverTheir uncle is a quiet scientific farmer who trusts everyone and wants only to get back the traction bonds he lost.
- Sid MerrickA smooth swindler who plans the freight thefts and the bond trick, he pretends to be an honest gentleman.
- Tad SobberA new cadet and school bully who wants to rule Putnam Hall and cannot stand being beaten by the Rovers.
- Captain PutnamThe kind but firm head of Putnam Hall, a former West Point man who wants every cadet to act like a gentleman.
- Songbird PowellA schoolmate who turns every moment into doggerel, and who is loyal to the Rovers through every adventure.
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The Rover Boys on the Farm in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
The Rover Boys on the Farm
by Edward Stratemeyer · 1908
Three brothers fall into a mountain cave full of stolen freight and overhear a plot against their uncle.
Easy read2–5 hours to read20 languages
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In short
What would you do if the ground opened under your feet on a quiet mountain and dropped you into a cave piled with stolen goods? That is how a day out begins for Dick, Tom and Sam Rover.
The Rover Boys on the Farm at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 10 min2 h 30 min fast, 3 h 45 min slow
- Length
- 44,800 words
- Library level
- Easy short sentences, plain words
- First published
- 1908by Edward Stratemeyer
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Three brothers fall into a thieves' cave
Sam and Tom Rover shout for their brother Dick on a mountainside, but no answer comes, and rain begins to fall. They are three miles from their uncle's Valley Brook farm.
Dick spotted a small red tin box hanging from a tree on a wire and stepped off the trail to look. The ground gave way, and he dropped into a hole. Soon Sam and Tom slide into the same hollow hillside, and all three land together in the dark.
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Details
- First published
- 1908
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 3 h 35 min
- Level
- Easy read
Cite this edition
Stratemeyer, Edward. The Rover Boys on the Farm. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-rover-boys-on-the-farm.
Stratemeyer, E. (2026). The Rover boys on the farm. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-rover-boys-on-the-farm (Original work published 1908)
Stratemeyer, Edward. The Rover Boys on the Farm. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-rover-boys-on-the-farm.
@book{stratemeyer2026rover,
author = {Stratemeyer, Edward},
title = {The Rover Boys on the Farm},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-rover-boys-on-the-farm},
note = {First published 1908}
}
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What is The Rover Boys on the Farm about?
Three brothers fall into a mountain cave used by freight thieves and learn of a plot to cheat their uncle. They then return to Putnam Hall for a final term filled with a bully, pranks, a snake and winter sports.
Who are the Rover boys?
They are Dick, Tom and Sam Rover, brothers who live at Valley Brook farm in New York State and study at Putnam Hall. Dick is the eldest and steady, Tom is the joker, and Sam is the youngest and quick.
Do I need to read the earlier Rover Boys books first?
No. The narrator briefly recalls earlier adventures and introduces the main people early, so a new reader can follow this book alone, while fans of the series will enjoy meeting old friends and rivals again.
The author
Edward Stratemeyer
1862–1930 · American children's writer and publisher
Edward Stratemeyer was an American writer and publisher, born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1862. He wrote books for young readers, including the Rover Boys series, which began in 1899. He founded the Stratemeyer Syndicate in 1905 to produce children’s book series. He died in Newark, New Jersey, in 1930.
More by Edward Stratemeyer
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