5 h 29 minAudiobook3 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In the circus world, a young hero must earn his place through nerve, practice, and courage.
Joe Strong, the Boy Fish by Vance Barnum brings a bold young hero into a circus adventure shaped by swimming, diving, and daring feats. Joe meets danger and tests his skill. What matters is not wealth, but the honest effort that helps him earn the trust of those around him.
This brisk boys' adventure puts the making of a young hero at its heart. Joe Strong earns his place through practice and a willingness to act when others hesitate. The prose stays plain, the pace stays quick, and the circus setting gives readers a world of wonder in which courage counts.
What you’ll discover
- A hero earning trust Follow Joe as skill and honest effort help him win the confidence of others.
- The lure of water Swimming and diving give this circus adventure its distinctive setting for daring feats.
- Courage built through practice Discover a young hero whose nerve grows alongside his willingness to work.
- A brisk adventure Enjoy plain prose and a quick pace that keep the focus on action.
- A glimpse of series fiction Explore an old-fashioned adventure built around a cheerful hero and a simple moral outlook.
Is it for you?
This summary suits readers who enjoy old-fashioned adventure for young people, circus settings and the history of boys' series fiction. It may be less suited to readers who want deep psychological detail or a slow, complex plot.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A boys' series book of its day
- The circus as a place of wonder
- Courage and skill make the hero
- What to listen for today
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 5 h 29 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 3 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works · 60-day guarantee
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, for the whole household.
- We remind you first. We email you 7 days before your first payment. Then your first year is 50% off: USD 0.14 a day, then USD 0.27 a day, never raised. Or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
60-day money-back guarantee. If the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Joe Strong, the Boy Fish in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Read it side by side
Joe Strong, the Boy Fish
by Vance Barnum· 1917
A young circus performer faces danger through swimming and diving.
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- The whole household
Starts right away, on any device
Read free60-day money-back guaranteeRenews every yearCancel anytimeHow it works
Language: English
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1 of 4
A boys' series book of its day
Vance Barnum wrote in the years when publishers sold adventure stories for young readers in numbered series. These books were short, brisk and built around one cheerful hero. Each volume offered a new setting and a fresh set of dangers.
Readers of such books expected clear sides. The hero was brave and decent, and the people who wished him harm were easy to spot. The pleasure lay in watching how the hero would win through.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
The author
Vance Barnum
Adventure fiction pseudonym
Vance Barnum was an American author of juvenile fiction in the early twentieth century. He wrote adventure stories for young readers, many of them in popular series. He is also known for other boys' books of the same kind.
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, for the whole household. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - The whole householdUp to 5 readers
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
More like this
Free
Free
Free
FreeOur mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Questions about Joe Strong, the Boy Fish
Can I read it free?
Yes. The beginning, from the first page to the end of chapter 1, and the first 5 minutes of the audiobook are free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 90 days, with the eBook to keep. After that, your first year is 50% off. You also get 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
Can my family read too?
Yes. The whole household reads and listens: up to 5 readers, each with their own shelf and their own place in every book.
What if it is not for me?
Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. If you have paid and the library is not for you, ask within 60 days of your first payment and we refund it in full.
What is Joe Strong, the Boy Fish about?
It is an adventure story for young readers about Joe Strong, a boy whose skill in the water brings him into circus life and its dangers. It follows the pattern of early boys' series fiction.
Who wrote Joe Strong, the Boy Fish?
Vance Barnum wrote it. He was an American author of adventure books for young readers, working in the early twentieth century when numbered boys' series were popular.
Is Joe Strong, the Boy Fish a true story?
No. It is a work of fiction written for entertainment. Like many series books of its time, it borrows the real world of circuses and swimming acts as a setting for an invented hero.
Popular in children's classics
See all
Free
Free
Free
Free
Free
