William the Fourth is one of the many classic volumes in the beloved Just William series. The book continues the hilarious escapades of William Brown, the scruffy, perpetually 11-year-old leader of the Outlaws gang, whose good intentions inevitably lead to chaotic misunderstandings and domestic disasters. In this volume, William is up to his usual mischief, which involves schemes to raise money, outwit his sister Ethel, torment his arch-enemy Violet Elizabeth Bott, and generally defy the adult world. The book is marked by Crompton's witty writing and keen observation of childhood, showing William's anarchic view of the world and his ingenious attempts to bypass polite society, making him one of the most enduring figures in children's literature.
