BOYS WRITE BACK: SELF-EDUCATION AND PERIODICAL AUTHORSHIP IN LATE-NINETEENTH-CENTURY STORY PAPERS.

An essay is presented on boys' consumption of and contributions to U.S. children's periodicals in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Particular focus is given to the magazines "Boys of New York" and "Happy Days". According to the author, boys' fiction periodicals, called story papers, provided opportunities for youths to shape their consumer culture, improve their writing abilities, and explore adult roles. Topics discussed include professional literacy and letters to the editor.