The daughter of an elderly Civil War soldier who publishes a weekly newspaper in a small eastern town is Dorothy Dale. Her upbeat demeanor, sense of humor, and tales of struggles and victories make for clean, intriguing reading. Margaret Penrose, writing under a pen name, is the author of the girls' book series Dorothy Dale. Between 1908 and 1924, the Stratemeyer Syndicate published thirteen volumes in the series. Cupples & Leon was the publisher of the books. Readers learn that Dorothy Dale is fourteen years old and resides in the little New York town of Dalton in the first book, Dorothy Dale: A Girl of Today. Dorothy appears older and "actually extremely sensible for her years" because her mother had passed away. Major Frank Dale, a well-known Civil War veteran, is her father. He runs The Bugle, the only newspaper in Dalton, and is involved in the G.A.R. Dorothy helps him out in the newspaper office, and he refers to his daughter as his Little Captain. The Dale family also includes elderly Mrs. Martin, the housekeeper, and children Joe, 10, and Roger, 7. The kind woman is referred to as Aunt Libby by the kids. Octavia Travers, sometimes known as Tavia, is Dorothy's closest friend.
