The book contains the following short stories: The 2022 "100th anniversary edition" removes "William the Intruder", largely due to William's "Red Indian" (an offensive portrayal of a Native American hunter) persona he adopts over the course of the story.

Only his mother has any sympathy for him, though his father sometimes shows a side of himself that seems to admit he was once like William himself.

Other recurring characters include Violet Elizabeth Bott, lisping spoiled daughter of the local nouveau riche millionaire (whose companionship William reluctantly endures, to prevent her carrying out her threat "I'll thcream and thcream 'till I'm thick"), and Joan Clive, the dark-haired girl for whom William has a soft spot.

At one point she went away to boarding school, but continued to appear in William's adventures during her holidays.

William writes stories (The Tale of The Bloody Hand), although most of these are written in terrible grammar, to much comic effect.

He likes to perform drama, and is fond of white rats, bull's eyes, football, and cricket.