 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Adventures of Mark Twain by Huckleberry Finn
- By Robert Burleigh
- Genre: Biography
Common Sense Media says
Clever, fun bio's wordplay is best fit for school-aged kids.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this biography of one of America's most famous authors, Mark Twain, is told in the voice of one of his most famous characters, Huck Finn. Folksy language, imperfect grammar, and creative spellings are all part of that voice. This unusual style makes the book fun to read aloud but may prove confusing to younger readers who tackle this book on their own. This may be a better fit for mid-grade readers who may have heard of the author and his character. This book presents basic information about Mark Twain, his most famous
books and characters -- and a few remarkable facts, such as the fact
that
Halley's Comet passed overhead the year Twain was born and 75 years
later, in the year he died. An editor's note in the back presents a timeline of further biographical details of Twain's life.
What's the story?
After introducing himself, Huck Finn tells readers about the life of author Mark Twain, starting with his birth. As Huck says, this book is not intended to be "some windy bioografy" -- and it isn't -- though readers will learn the basic facts of this famous author, including Twain's real name and the books he wrote. Readers will also learn about his childhood, adventures, and the financial challenges he faced. A few pages in the front explain the book's format, and a timeline at the end provides dates for biographical details. The story is illustrated with New Yorker-style caricatures with backdrops painted in pastel brown, blue, and green watercolors.
Is it any good?
By hearing Twain's story told through the voice of his most famous character,
kids can learn about the lauded author -- and Huckleberry Finn -- in a way that's
both fun and dramatic. The clever wordplay may confuse younger readers, making this a better read-aloud book for them. Though it's a picture book, it's a better fit for mid-grade readers who may have heard of both of these characters and can make sense of the misspellings and folksy expressions. They're sure to find the clever format and humorous illustrations engaging and appreciate the timeline that puts biographical details in context.
Though it only provides basic biographical information, this book makes the worlds of Huck Finn and Mark Twain seem very inviting. Kids will likely want to read more about both of them.
Watercolors in pastel browns, blues, and greens create the backdrop for cartoon-like pen and ink sketches that look a bit like caricatures from the New Yorker magazine. While the illustrations may lack boldness of color found in most children's books, they are cleverly detailed and expressive. Also, print size is varied to show parts of paragraphs that should be read with greater emphasis.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how the author used folksy language, creative spelling, and a mix of print styles to tell this story. What does that say about Huck Finn? How does that give you a sense of where this story took place, and what kind of person Mark Twain was?
What did you think about the way the author decided to have Huck Finn tell about Mark Twain's life? How do you think that added to the story? Or did it? Can you think of any other biographies that have been told this way?
The illustrations in this book look like caricatures. How are caricatures different from other drawings? Besides showing what a character may have looked like, what else do they tell you? Do they add more to the story than real photographs might?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
Huck's Voice, Twain's Life
The use of colloquial English is charming, and lends itself to being read aloud for the entertainment of young children, and older readers could be encouraged to choose voices and develop their own sense of the characters through reading aloud to younger siblings.
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Kid, 10 years old
September 12, 2011
AGE
zsxdcfvgbhjk
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AGE
N WORD!!!
IT HAS THE N WORD PEOPLE "My kid can read this book 'cause i'm racist YAY" it's still good
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AGE
hucks lesson to me
I believe it was a great book. It taught me that it don't matter what color you are people are willing to work together to help each other. I also learned kids will be kids so I can tell my mom that. I also learned by reading this book that education is VERY important. At first I had trouble until I understood they were spelling things the way it sounded not correctly.
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| Author: | Robert Burleigh |
| Illustrator: | Barry Blitt |
| Book type: | Non-Fiction |
| Genre: | Biography |
| Publisher: | Atheneum |
| Publication date: | March 8, 2011 |
| Number of pages: | 48 |
| Hardcover price: | $17.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 7 - 10 |
| Read aloud: | 7 |
| Read alone: | 9 |
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