Behind the Ranges : Tales of Explorers, Pioneers and Travellers

First published in 1940, this book by E. E. Reynolds was specifically designed for young readers. It offers ten short narratives, drawn from history, which follow different explorers in their adventures around the world. Subjects such as shipwrecks, fires at sea, encounters with indigenous people, scaling the Andes mountain range, and exploring the Arctic, are all treated in a lively manner, though Reynolds' writing also reflects some of the cultural and ethnocentric biases of his time. Containing hand-drawn maps and full-page illustrations, this book serves as an example of popular texts for young readers from the first half of the twentieth century.