James Otis Kaler
James Otis Kaler was an American author born in 1848 in Frankfort, Maine. He began his career as a reporter in Boston at a young age, eventually covering the Civil War. Kaler developed his writing style while working for Frank Leslie's Boys' and Girls' Weekly, where he contributed to serialized stories that often reflected themes of perseverance and moral ideals. His most notable work, *Toby Tyler: Or, Ten Weeks with a Circus*, was published in 1881 and has remained in print, even inspiring a film adaptation in 1960. Over his lifetime, Kaler authored more than 150 children's books, often using the pseudonym James Otis, and wrote some under the name Amy Prentice. His stories, typical of Victorian literature, emphasized patriotism and morality, featuring protagonists who sought a simple, honest life rather than wealth and fame. In 1898, Kaler returned to Maine to become the first superintendent of schools in South Portland, where he continued to write until his death in 1912. Today, a collection of his works and papers is preserved at the South Portland Public Library.
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James Otis Kaler
Writer
- Born: March 19, 1848
- Birthplace: Frankfort (now Winterport), Maine
- Died: December 11, 1912
- Place of death: Portland, Maine
Biography
James Otis Kaler was born in Frankfort (now Winterport), Maine, in 1848, the son of James Otis Kaler and Maria Thompson Kaler. His father owned a summer hotel in Scarboro, Maine. Kaler was little more than thirteen years old when he left home for Boston, where he became a reporter. When he was sixteen, his newspaper sent him to cover the Civil War. He developed his writing and editing skills in the newspaper profession.
At some point, Kaler took a position with a magazine titled Frank Leslie’s Boys’ and Girls’ Weekly. The magazine contained serialized stories, many dealing with the Horatio Alger themes of young men acquiring fame and fortune after rising from adverse circumstances. Undoubtedly Kaler’s own style of writing—formulaic, idealistic, moralistic—was influenced by, and perhaps developed, when he worked for Frank Leslie.
In 1881, Kaler’s published Toby Tyler: Or, Ten Weeks with a Circus, his most successful novel. The book is one of the few of his works that remain in print today and was adapted as a motion picture in 1960. Kaler went on to write more than 150 books for children. Many of these were series books and some were intended for classroom use. Many of the books were published under his pseudonym, James Otis, while some of the books he wrote for younger readers were published under the name Amy Prentice.
In 1898, Kaler returned to Maine where he took a position as the first superintendent of schools for the city of South Portland. In that year, he also married his secretary, Amy Louella Scammon, and the couple later had two sons, Stephen and Otis. Kaler continued to write, producing between four and twelve books a year, and his books continued to be published until 1915, three years after his death.
Kaler’s work represents the typical series publications of the Victorian Era. They were patriotic, highly moral, and very idealistic. Unlike the Horatio Alger stories, Kaler’s heroes typically did not wind up wealthy and famous; by contrast, his heroes generally attained a good, but simple life, honestly acquired. Kaler was also interested in history and wrote many historical novels and a biography of John Paul Jones. Mary of Plymouth, while fictional, also offered a fairly detailed account of the Pilgrims’ first year in America.
Kaler died in 1912. In 1970, Kaler’s sons and grandchildren presented the city of South Portland with a collection of his works and papers. This collection is housed at the South Portland Public Library.