In 1880 he wrote his first, and still most famous (largely by way of a filmed version byWalt Disney),children’s book,Toby Tyler; or, Ten Weeks with a Circus, a story about an orphan who runs away to join the circus. Following the book's success he went on to author numerous other children’s books, mostly historical and adventure novels. Like most writers of his era, he was astonishingly prolific, and a total of nearly 200 books by him have been identified. Most were signed with the Otis name, but he also used thepen names Walter Morris, Lt. James K. Orton, Harry Prentice, and Amy Prentice. (Some scholars believe that the latter books, which were aimed at a younger audience than most of his works, were in fact penned by his wife.)[citation needed]
After spending several years in the southeastern states, he returned toMaine in 1898 to become the first superintendent of schools in South Portland.[2] A school named in his honor still stands in that city. He married Amy L. Scamman on March 19 of that year, and they had two sons, Stephen and Otis. Kaler died ofuremia on December 11, 1912, inPortland, Maine.[1]
With Lafayette at Yorktown: A Story of How Two Boys Joined the Continental Army (1895, repr 1912 asThe Boy Spies with Lafayette: The Story of How Two Boys Joined the Continental Army)
With Warren At Bunker Hill: A Story of the Siege of Boston (1898, repr 1912 asThe Boy Spies at the Battle of Bunker Hill: A Story of the Siege of Boston)
Morgan, the Jersey Spy: A Story of the Siege of Yorktown in 1781 (1898, repr 1912 asThe Boy Spies at Yorktown: The Story of How the Young Spies Helped General Lafayette)
With the Swamp Fox: A Story of General Marion’s Young Spies (1899, repr 1912 asThe Boy Spies with the Swamp Fox: The Story of General Marion and His Young Spies)
A Tory Plot: A Story of the Attempt to Kill General Washington in 1776 (1899, repr 1912 asThe Boy Spies of Old New York: The Story of How the Young Spies Prevented the Capture of General Washington)
The Defense of Fort Henry: A Story of Wheeling Creek in 1777 (1900, repr 1912 asThe Boy Spies at the Defense of Fort Henry: A Boy’s Story of Wheeling Creek in 1777)
With the Regulators: A Story of North Carolina in 1768 (1901, repr 1912 asThe Boy Spies with the Regulators: The Story of How the Boys Assisted the Carolina Patriots to Drive the British From That State)
At the Siege of Detroit: A Story of Two Ohio Boys in the War of 1812 (1904, repr 1912 asThe Boy Spies at the Siege of Detroit: A Story of the Ohio Boys in the War of 1812)
Commodore Barney's Young Spies: A Boy’s Story of the Burning of the City of Washington (1907, repr 1912 asThe Boy Spies on Chesapeake Bay: The Story of Two Young Spies Under Commodore Barney)
The Capture of the Laughing Mary: A Story of Three New York Boys in 1776 (1898, repr1912 asThe Navy Boys in New York Bay)
Amos Dunkle, Oarsman (1899, repr 1909 asA Struggle for Freedom: The Story of Young Amos Dunkle, Oarsman in the Whale Boat Navy, in 1776, and again in 1912 asThe Navy Boys on Long Island Sound: A Story of the Whale Boat Navy of 1776)
At theSiege of Havana: The Experience of Three Boys Serving Under Israel Putnam in 1762 (1899, repr 1912 asThe Navy Boys at the Siege of Havana)
A Cruise with John Paul Jones: A Story of Naval Warfare in 1778 (1899, repr 1912 asThe Navy Boys Cruise with John Paul Jones)
Afloat in Freedom's Cause: The Story of Two Boys in the War of 1812, as Told by Ezra Brownrigg (1908, repr 1912 asThe Navy Boys on Lake Ontario)
The Cruise of the Pickering: A Boy’s Story of Privateering in 1780 (1909, repr 1912 asThe Navy Boys Cruise on the Pickering)
With Grant at Vicksburg: A Boy’s Story of the Siege of Vicksburg (1910, repr 1912 asThe Navy Boys with Grant at Vicksburg)
Ezra Jordan's Escape from the Massacre at Fort Loyall (1895)
Neal the Miller, a Son of Liberty (1895)
An Island Refuge: Casco Bay in 1676 (1895)
The Boys of 1745 at the Capture of Louisbourg (1895)
Under the Liberty Tree: A Story of the Boston Massacre (1896)
At the Siege of Quebec (1897)
The Boys of Fort Schuyler (1897)
The Signal Boys of ‘75: A Tale of Boston During the Siege (1897)
Sarah Dillard's Ride: A Story of the Carolinas in 1780 (1898)
The Boys of '98 (1898)
The Charming Sally, Privateer Schooner of New York: A Tale of 1765 (1898)
The Cruise of the Comet: A Story of a Privateer of 1812 Sailing From Baltimore (1898)
When Israel Putnam Served the King (1898)
A Traitor's Escape: A Story of the Attempt to Seize Benedict Arnold After He Had Fled to New York (1898)
Captain Tom, the Privateersman of the Armed Brig Chasseur (1899)
Corporal ‘Lige's Recruit: A Story of Crown Point and Ticonderoga (1899)
With Perry On Lake Erie: A Tale of 1812 (1899)
When Dewey Went to Manila, or, Among the Filipinos (1899)
Off Santiago With Sampson (1899)
Boston Boys of 1775, or When We Besieged Boston (1900)
The Armed Ship America, or When We Sailed from Salem (1900)
On the Kentucky Frontier: A Story of the Fighting Pioneers of the West (1900)
With Preble at Tripoli: A Story of "Old Ironsides" and the Tripolitan War (1900)
When We Destroyed the Gaspee: A Story of Narragansett Bay in 1772 (1901)
With Porter in the Essex: A Story of His Famous Cruise in Southern Waters During the War of 1812 (1901)
Our Uncle the Major: A Story of New York in 1765 (1901)
How the Twins Captured a Hessian: A Story of Long Island in 1776 (1902)
The Cruise of the Enterprise: Being a Story of the Struggle and Defeat of the French Privateering Expeditions Against the United States in 1779 (1902)
With Rodgers on the President: The Story of the Cruise Wherein the Flagship Fired the First Hostile Shot in the War with Great Britain for the Rights of American Seamen (1903)
Across the Delaware: A Boy's Story of the Battle of Trenton in 1777 (1903)
Defending the Island: A Story of Bar Harbor in 1758 (1904)
Dorothy’s Spy: A Story of the First Fourth of July Celebration (1904)
When Washington Served the King: A Boy’s Story of Border Warfare in 1754 (1905)
With Porter in the Essex (1910)
With Sherman to the Sea: A Boy’s Story of General Sherman’s Famous March and Capture of Savannah (1911)
(Some of the above were reprinted in omnibus editions, as shown:
True Indian Tales from American History in the Stirring Days of the Early Colonists (1923; includesDefending the Island,Ezra Jordan’s Escape,An Island Refuge, andWhen Israel Putnam Served the King)
True Adventure Tales from American History in the Stirring Days of the Revolution (1924; includesThe Boston Boys of 1775,Neal, the Miller,The Signal Boys of ’75, andUnder the Liberty Tree)
True Sea Tales from American History (1925; includesWhen we Destroyed the Gaspee,When Dewey Came to Manila,Off Santiago with Sampson, andThe Boys of 1745 at the Capture of Louisburg))
