Peck's Uncle Ike and The Red Headed Boy

"Peck's Uncle Ike and The Red-Headed Boy" is a book about the adventures of a typical honest American boy, a collective image of people the author met in his life. As he describes in the introduction, the book is dedicated to a «boy who is not so awfully good, along at first, but just good enough; the boy who does not cry when he gets hurt and goes into all the dangerous games there are going.» When this boy grows up, he will be «ready for anything, from praying for his country's prosperity to fighting for its honor.» He can «take up a collection in church, or take up an artery on a man injured in a railroad accident.»