Mark T-W-A-I-N!: A Story about Samuel Clemens (Creative Minds Biographies) - Softcover

Collins, David R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 087614640X ISBN 13: 9780876146408

Publisher: LernerClassroom, 1993

Samuel Clemens grew up in a child's paradise--Hannibal, Missouri. There, mischief added humor to everyday events as Sam encountered the folks who would one day reappear as Huck Finn, Aunt Polly, and Becky Thatcher in his books, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. At eighteen, Sam left Hannibal to seek his fortune. He became a newspaperman and story writer. Then, always a restless spirit, he tried his hand as a steamboat pilot (where he took a liking to the riverboat call "mark twain"), a soldier, and a gold prospector. All the while, Sam collected tales to tell on stage and recount in his many books. David Collins invites readers into the fabulously exciting, endlessly entertaining world of "America's Greatest Humorist"--the beloved Mark Twain.

About the Author:

David R. Collins is a published author and a narrator of children's books and young adult books. Some of the published credits of David R. Collins include George Washington Carver: Man's Slave Becomes God's Scientist, Cesar Chavez (Just the Facts Biographies), J. R. R. Tolkien (Just the Facts Biographies), and The Time Travelling Cat & the Tudor Treasure.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 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
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

• Publisher: LernerClassroom
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 087614640X
• ISBN 13: 9780876146408
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Carey Vicky