5 h 46 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 5 h 46 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In Gridley, a schoolboy's hardest test is not in the classroom—it is standing by his friends and doing right.
Dick Prescott has a gift for getting his friends moving. Fair-minded and full of spirit, he leads a close circle that includes bold Dave Darrin, mischievous Dan Dalzell and loyal Harry Hazelton. In the small American town of Gridley, their last years of grammar school bring games, pranks and plenty of chances to get into trouble.
The classroom, playground and nearby streets become the setting for rivalries that demand more than quick thinking. H. Irving Hancock's The Grammar School Boys of Gridley puts friendship under pressure and asks what courage looks like in everyday life. The pace stays lively, while honesty, teamwork and respect for teachers and elders shape the boys' choices.
What you’ll discover
- A leader worth following Meet Dick Prescott, whose lively spirit and sense of fairness set the group's tone.
- Friends with different strengths Get to know Dave, Dan and Harry through their shared games, plans and trouble.
- Mischief close to home Step into a schoolboy world where classrooms, playgrounds and familiar streets keep the action close.
- Rivals who test character Follow boys who need more than cleverness when rivalry puts their values under pressure.
- Values woven into adventure Find honesty, courage and teamwork in a story that favors action over long lectures.
Who will love it
You will love this book if you enjoy boys' adventure stories, school pranks, loyal friendships, small-town mysteries, and heroes who win with quick thinking and good manners.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A clear head beats a grudge
- Courage stays tied to the truth
- Friends help Dick resist a bully
- Small clues guide a loyal search
- Friendship proves itself through action
- Loyalty does not mean joining wrongdoing
- Honor gives winning its value
- Clear rules meet real danger
Who’s who
- Dick PrescottThe quick-witted leader of the six friends, a bookseller's son who wants to do right and refuses to be bullied or bribed.
- Dave DarrinDick's dark-eyed, loyal friend, quick to anger and quick to help, who stands beside Dick in every fight.
- Greg HolmesA boy in the group with a dry wit who enjoys jokes and scraps and becomes the target of a kidnapping.
- Abner DexterA lazy, scheming husband who wants his wife's inheritance and will frighten women and boys to get it.
- Mrs. DexterA kind, timid young woman who has come into money and wants peace for herself and her little daughter Myra.
- Old DutPrincipal E. Dutton Jones, a dry, sharp teacher who punishes mischief with wit and respects courage.
- August DriggsA rough Templeton policeman who helps Dexter with his plots against the boys and is later dismissed.
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- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
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- Large print hardcover
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The Grammar School Boys of Gridley; or, Dick & Co. Start Things Moving
by H. Irving Hancock · 1911
A thirteen-year-old schoolboy takes on a crooked husband, a corrupt policeman and a house fire in Gridley.
Easy read2–5 hours to readEnglish
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In short
What happens when a clever thirteen-year-old gets spanked in front of his whole class and decides to get even? In this book, the answer is a thrown book, a bloody nose, and a quiet lesson about revenge.
The Grammar School Boys of Gridley; or, Dick & Co. Start Things Moving at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 5 min2 h 25 min fast, 3 h 40 min slow
- Length
- 44,100 words
- Library level
- Easy short sentences, plain words
- First published
- 1911by H. Irving Hancock
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
A principal and a pupil match wits
The story begins in the eighth-grade room at Central Grammar School. Dick Prescott is caught whispering a funny story to his friend Harry Hazelton. Old Dut orders Dick to stand and tell it to the whole class. Dick refuses, because the story might hurt someone's feelings.
So Old Dut tells a story of his own, about a father and a woodshed. He acts it out by laying Dick across his knee and slapping him for every whack in the tale. The class roars. Dick goes red, then pale with outraged dignity. His friends plan to wreck the flower beds, but Dick stops them and says he can settle his own grudges.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1911
- Language
- English
- Level
- Easy read
Cite this edition
Hancock, H. Irving. The Grammar School Boys of Gridley; or, Dick & Co. Start Things Moving. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-grammar-school-boys-of-gridley-or-dick-co-start-things-moving.
Hancock, H. I. (2026). The grammar school boys of Gridley; or, Dick & Co. start things moving. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-grammar-school-boys-of-gridley-or-dick-co-start-things-moving (Original work published 1911)
Hancock, H. Irving. The Grammar School Boys of Gridley; or, Dick & Co. Start Things Moving. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-grammar-school-boys-of-gridley-or-dick-co-start-things-moving.
@book{hancock2026grammar,
author = {Hancock, H. Irving},
title = {The Grammar School Boys of Gridley; or, Dick \& Co. Start Things Moving},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-grammar-school-boys-of-gridley-or-dick-co-start-things-moving},
note = {First published 1911}
}
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What is The Grammar School Boys of Gridley about?
It follows Dick Prescott and his five friends through one autumn in Gridley. They start a football team, play Halloween jokes, and protect Mrs. Dexter and her daughter from her scheming husband.
Who is Old Dut in the book?
Old Dut is the nickname of Mr. E. Dutton Jones, the principal of Central Grammar School. He is strict and dry, and he respects Dick's quick mind even while he scolds him.
Who is Abner Dexter?
Abner Dexter is Mrs. Dexter's lazy husband. He wants her inheritance and keeps scheming against her and the boys who help her, often with a partner named August Driggs.
The author
H. Irving Hancock
1868–1922 · American journalist and children's writer
H. Irving Hancock (1868–1922) was an American journalist and author who lived in the United States. He wrote books for young readers in the early twentieth century, including the Uncle Sam’s Boys series and the Grammar School Boys series. He also wrote instructional books about jiu-jitsu.
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