The Champion

By Alice Barber Stephens and Charles Egbert Craddock

The champion follows a young printer s devil whose ambition to become a master compositor is tested by the enticements and hazards of city life. Set in the energetic world of a newspaper office, the story opens with the bustle of the pressroom, where two boys banter amid the clatter of type and deadlines. Though loyal to his trade, the protagonist dreams beyond ink-stained fingers and typesetting routines. His restlessness leads him to a fateful decision: to abandon his duties and sneak into a nearby theatre, lured by the promise of spectacle and the thrill of rebellion. This small act of disobedience becomes a pivot point, revealing a vulnerability to peer influence and a na ve longing for excitement. As the boys trespass into adult spaces and adult risks, the narrative begins to peel away youthful illusions. Beneath the surface mischief lies a deeper moral current one that questions how character is formed in moments of temptation and consequence. The novel becomes a portrait of youthful aspiration tempered by reality, charting the slow, sometimes painful evolution of integrity.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9371468505
• ISBN13: 9789371468503
• Release Date: June 2025
• Publisher: Double 9 Books
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"