River Boy: The Story of Mark Twain [Hardcover]

William Anderson (Author), Dan Andreasen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Ste-e-e-eamboat's a-comin'!"

Along the banks of the great Mississippi River, a young boy named Samuel Clemens raced to the docks whenever he heard that familiar cry. He dreamed of exploring the world beyond his river town. Little did he know that one day he would become the famous writer Mark Twain, and write about his boyhood adventures along the bustling river waterfront in the classic stories The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Sam's exploits take him from the printing presses of the Hannibal Courier to the decks of the steamboats that travel the mighty Mississippi, and even to the Wild West.

Now noted historian William Anderson tells the colorful story of Sam's life as he grows from a mischievous boy into the enterprising author. Dan Andreasen's fresh, vibrant paintings capture the spirit of the storyteller who will live on forever as one of America's literary icons.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-This engaging, anecdotal biography will acquaint readers with some of Clemens's own boyish exploits, which eventually became memorable moments in the lives of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Clemens is portrayed as an adventuresome, fun-loving person who, from an early age, became an expert at exploring new venues, and who became a great writer and humorist despite the fact that his formal education ended at age 12. The people in Andreasen's illustrations have the same round-cheeked, homespun look as those found in Norman Rockwell's paintings. The pictures have a softness that suggests an earlier time, and many of them have an appealing luminescent quality. A chronology on the endpapers lists key events in Clemens's life. For a younger audience than Kathryn Lasky's equally well-written A Brilliant Streak: The Making of Mark Twain (Harcourt, 1998), River Boy has only one flaw: the lack of source notes or bibliography to substantiate the anecdotal information. Otherwise, it is a perfect introductory biography that will appeal to both children and teachers.
Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-4. Anderson has done a fine job of shaping Sam Clemens/Mark Twain's long and extraordinary life into a coherent narrative for young children. The Mississippi River in Hannibal, Missouri, defined much of the boy's early life--a place to explore, play, and dream. He left school at 12, when his father died, learned about printing, then steamboat piloting, then lit out for gold in Nevada Territory, along the way honing his talent for storytelling. Anderson slips in a few vignettes, such as the time young Sam had to whitewash the fence, which alert readers will note found their way into Twain's other books. Andreasen's burnished paintings capture the gold of imagination and memory, broad vistas of sky and land, architectural details that create a setting (the wheel of a riverboat, the edge of a family porch), and bright-eyed, apple-cheeked figures. A chronology on the end paper hints at the sadness of Twain's later years. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (February 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060284005
• ISBN-13: 978-0060284008
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #666,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully-illustrated picture book on the life of author Mark Twain, May 5, 2010

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: River Boy: The Story of Mark Twain (Hardcover)

This is a nicely-illustrated book about the life of Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain, suitable for elementary school readers. Samuel Clemens had an interesting beginning in life as he was born on the same night Halley's Comet shot through the sky on November 30, 1835. Sam was a mischievous young boy and indulged in many adventurous activities during his childhood such as exploring the creepy passages of McDowell's Cave. His childhood experiences served as inspiration for his writing in later years, such as whitewashing the tall board fence near his house as punishment for not heeding his parents' warning about swimming in the Mississippi, discovering the body of a runaway slave, etc. Children who read this book will find themselves relating to the inquisitive nature inherent in Sam, and his insatiable appetite for adventure!