14 minSummaryRead it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
Far from home, the Rover Boys find open country, ranch life, and the hazards of the American West.
In The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch, Edward Stratemeyer brings his young adventurers to a Western ranch. The setting promises wide plains, horses, and danger beyond familiar ground. Part of a series about brothers and cousins who share school, travel, and trouble, this story invites you into their next adventure together.
Friendship sits at the heart of the Rover Boys series. Its young heroes meet adventure as a group, in stories built around loyal friends, rivals, and quick chapters. Here, the ranch setting gives that old-fashioned spirit room to roam. For readers curious about popular reading, the book also offers a glimpse of American adventure fiction in the early twentieth century.
What you’ll discover
- A world beyond home Enter a Western ranch setting where open country brings the promise of adventure.
- Friendship at the center Meet young heroes whose shared adventures give the Rover Boys series its lasting thread.
- The pull of danger Explore a story world shaped by hazards, rivals, and the need for quick thinking.
- A brisk adventure tradition Enjoy the quick chapters and lively spirit of old-fashioned fiction for young readers.
- A window into reading Discover how an earlier American series turns travel and trouble into popular entertainment.
Who will love it
You will enjoy this if you like boarding school pranks, cowboys, friendly rivalries, small mysteries, and a cheerful band of cousins and chums who stick together.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A prank becomes a shared punishment
- Kindness begins with withholding judgment
- Jack refuses to bargain for votes
- A celebration leaves everyone under suspicion
- Suspicion travels west with the boys
- New troubles change familiar judgments
- Courage means thinking through danger
- Fairness and loyalty belong together
- Wait for the whole story
Who’s who
- Jack RoverThe oldest Rover cousin and a fair-minded cadet, he wants to lead the school battalion well and keep his friends out of trouble.
- Fred RoverJack's youngest cousin, a loyal captain and good shot who wants to prove he can stand beside his cousins.
- Andy RoverA fun-loving twin who cannot resist a joke and whose accidental slip sends a snowball down the stairs.
- Randy RoverAndy's twin, always ready with a plan for mischief and just as quick to help a friend.
- Spouter PowellA talkative, studious cadet who guards a big secret about the summer and invites everyone to his father's ranch.
- Gif GarrisonA steady friend who runs the school's athletics and wants every boy to get a fair chance.
- Brassy BangsA flashy new cadet from the West, loud and proud, who seems to be hiding something from everyone.
- Snopper DukeA sharp-tempered teacher who clashes with the cadets while he struggles with a private trouble.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- 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.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook opens when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch 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 at Big Horn Ranch
by Edward Stratemeyer · 1929
A snowball rolls down the stairs of Colby Hall and a cadet prank grows into a western mystery.
Easy read2–5 hours to read20 languages
Learn a language with easy classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeRenews every year · Cancel anytimeHow it works
- Read, large type too
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
What happens when a giant snowball rolls down a staircase and knocks over the most disliked teacher in school? In The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch, that accident leads from a military academy in the East to a cattle ranch in Montana.
The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch at a glance
- Reading time
- About 3 h 55 min3 h 10 min fast, 4 h 40 min slow
- Length
- 56,500 words
- Library level
- Easy short sentences, plain words
- First published
- 1929by 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
A snowball prank goes down the stairs
The story opens on a January afternoon at Colby Hall, a military school near Haven Point. The four Rover cousins lead a snowball game with Gif, Phil Franklin and Spouter close by. Then the twins, Andy and Randy, dream up a bigger joke.
They haul giant snowballs up a fire escape to leave in the rooms of people they dislike. One target is Professor Snopper Duke, a sharp-tongued new teacher. Andy slips on the wet floor and sends the biggest ball down the stairs. It strikes Duke in the stomach and slides into Colonel Colby's private office.
Renews every year · Cancel anytime
You looked at
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
- 1929
- Language
- English
- Level
- Easy read
Cite this edition
Stratemeyer, Edward. The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-rover-boys-at-big-horn-ranch.
Stratemeyer, E. (2026). The Rover boys at Big Horn Ranch. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-rover-boys-at-big-horn-ranch (Original work published 1929)
Stratemeyer, Edward. The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-rover-boys-at-big-horn-ranch.
@book{stratemeyer2026rover,
author = {Stratemeyer, Edward},
title = {The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-rover-boys-at-big-horn-ranch},
note = {First published 1929}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every eBookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 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.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Rover Boys at Big Horn Ranch about?
It follows the Rover cousins from a snowball prank at Colby Hall military school to a summer at a Montana ranch. Along the way they meet a flashy rival, a robbery, stolen horses and a mountain lion.
Who are the Rover boys in this book?
They are Jack, Fred, and the twins Andy and Randy, sons of the original Rover brothers from earlier books. Their friends Gif Garrison and Spouter Powell join them at school and at the ranch.
Do I need to read the earlier Rover Boys books first?
No. The author explains the earlier stories in a chapter and calls this a complete story on its own, so a new reader can follow the people, places and past adventures without trouble.
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
See all their booksMore like this
Our 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 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
