Overview
Covers the life of the famed nineteenth-century author from his childhood in Hannibal, Missouri, through his careers as journalist, riverboat pilot, soldier, prospector, and humorist.Covers the life of the famed nineteenth-century author from his childhood in Hannibal, Missouri, through his careers as journalist, riverboat pilot, soldier, prospector, and humorist.
Synopsis
Covers the life of the famed nineteenth-century author from his childhood in Hannibal, Missouri, through his careers as journalist, riverboat pilot, soldier, prospector, and humorist.
School Library Journal
Gr 3-6-Similar in content to Robert Quackenbush's Mark Twain? What Kind of Name Is That? (S.&S., 1984), this biography features short chapters and an attractive format. Collins's tone is admiring and familiar, consistently referring to Twain as ``Sam.'' The man's bad habits, financial losses, and personal bitterness in later life are mentioned, but the emphasis is on his successes and trademark sense of humor. The book's anecdotal style will appeal to readers, but the absence of documentation is an unfortunate weakness. Occasional direct quotations and the existence of a bibliography do not suffice, particularly since the author ascribes feelings and motives to Twain's actions. Nevertheless, the text provides an engaging, well-organized account of the writer's life, with stories about his childhood that allude to the autobiographical elements in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Carey's static pencil drawings are more formal in style than Quackenbush's cartoon illustrations. Although generally well written, Collins's title offers nothing substantially new on a subject easily researched elsewhere.-Sandy Kirkpatrick, Benicia Public Library, CA