The Story of a Bad Boy

About the book

"The Story of a Bad Boy" by Thomas Bailey Aldrich is a semi-autobiographical novel published in 1870. It follows young Tom Bailey, sent from New Orleans to live with his grandfather in New Hampshire, where he joins a boys' club called the Centipedes. Through pranks, adventures, and schemes—from stealing carriages for bonfires to epic snowball battles and secret boat expeditions—Tom's mischievous escapades unfold. Considered the first "bad boy" genre novel, it celebrates a troublemaking protagonist rather than condemning him, influencing later works like Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."