The daring twins

'The Daring Twins' is a mystery novel by L. Frank Baum, first published in 1911. The story follows the adventures of twins Phil and Phoebe Daring, the eldest of five children in a once wealthy family. Following the failure of their father's business and his subsequent death, the children are now penniless and find themselves living with their elderly grandfather. To help make ends meet Phil finds work in a bank – where he is wrongfully accused of stealing, and it is up to the plucky Phoebe to prove his innocence. Lyman Frank Baum (1856 – 1919) was a prolific and well-known American writer. He is best known for his famous series of modern fairy tales set in the imaginary land of Oz. The first of the books, 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' is widely considered to be the first true American fairy tale and was the basis for the hugely popular 1939 classic musical 'The Wizard of Oz' starring Judy Garland. Born and raised in New York, Baum held a range of jobs including as a poultry farmer, clerk, and storekeeper before pursuing his talent for writing at the age of 41. He wrote 14 novels in the Oz series, as well as over 40 other novels and over 80 short stories. He died in California in 1919.