Jaroslav Foglar

Jaroslav Foglar (6 July, 1907 - 23 January, 1999) was a famous Czech author who wrote many novels about young boy scouts and their stories in nature and dark city streets.

While they may be considered ideological, his stories are not mere fables, but are based upon his long-term work with children on summer camps and in club-rooms. He edited several journals for young people:

• Mlady hlasatel (1938-1941)
• Junak (1945-1949) /Scout/
• Vpred (1946-1948) /Ahead/

and he wrote articles for even more journals including Skaut, Junak, Slunicko, ABC, Tramp.

Charles Sys wrote about him on the back-cover of his book Chata v jezerni kotline: "I think, that both meaning and effect of his work lies in moral purity based upon author's experience. Foglar raises reliance of children and young people. On pages of his novels there are happening miracles of friendship, nature is painted in its virgin purity, city streets are surrounded by secrets -- and it's possible to believe it all because it was imagined by a pure heart."

He wrote a long list of books:

• Hosi od Bobri reky /Boys from the beavers' river/
• Pristav vola /The port is calling/
• Kdyz duben prichazi /When april comes/
• Pod junackou vlajkou /Under the scouts' flag/
• Devadesatka pokracuje
• Zahada hlavolamu /The mystery of a teaser/
• Stinadla se bouri
• Tajemstvi velkeho Vonta /The mystery of big Vont/
• Strach nad Bobri rekou /Fear on the beavers' river/
• Chata v jezerni kotline
• Tabor smuly
• Tajemna rasnovka
• Boj o prvni misto /A fight over the first place/
• Historie svorne sedmy
• Poklad cerneho delfina /A treasure of a black dolphin/
• Kronika ztracene stopy
• Nas oddil
• Dobrodruzstvi v zemi nikoho /An adventure in the land of nobody/
• Modra rokle
• Jestrabe, vypravuj
• Zivot v poklusu
• Modra rokle

(this list is probably incomplete)

Foglar is also the author of a serial called Rychle sipy, very successful among young readers.