From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up—This book combines biography, criticism, and an exploration of the role of censorship in literature and education. Readers may be familiar with the challenges against The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn for its racist language and demeaning portrayal of the runaway slave Jim, but they may be surprised to learn that Huckleberry Finn, along with its predecessor, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, was originally challenged during Twain's lifetime by those who were concerned that children would want to emulate the improper behavior of the main characters. Houle offers a brief history of censorship in literature in order to place Twain's case in context, and a history of the challenges and defenses of the author's work from his contemporaries and modern critics. Illustrations include color photographs of related modern scenes (such as one that shows book burning), reproductions of artwork from early editions of Twain's works, and period cartoons and photographs. A list of discussion questions is appended. More appropriate for literary criticism collections than for use as strict biography, this work will be useful for students looking to include more secondary source material in their critical essays.—Rebecca Donnelly, Loma Colorado Public Library, Rio Rancho, NM
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
