Tom Sawyer (Lake Illustrated Classics, Collection 1) (Paperback)

by Mark Twain (Author) "Tom!" No answer. "Tom!" No answer. "What's gone with that boy, I wonder? You, TOM!..." (more)
Key Phrases: spunk water, kite line, Injun Joe, Tom Sawyer, Muff Potter (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up-British actor Mike McShane provides a superb portrayal of Mark Twain's classic characters, nailing the Mississippi drawl and cadence. For those who know and love the story or are following along with an unabridged edition, however, this production is marred somewhat by what the publisher has chosen to leave out. The more descriptive chapters are shortened or expurgated entirely, which is understandable in the interest of editing for time. Some of the more distasteful racial epithets are gone as well, although Injun Joe retains his moniker. Sid and Mary are also cut entirely, as well as references to smoking, slavery, most of Tom's ludicrously funny romantic notions about the violence inflicted by pirates and robbers, and even the naked figure in the schoolmaster's anatomy book. The result is a watered down Tom and, especially, Huck. The ending also lacks the satisfaction of the original version. The party scene where the fortune is revealed has been cut as has Twain's concluding paragraphs which "endeth this chronicle." It lacks even the closure of the customary, "You have been listening to-." The sturdy plastic case will survive many circulations. If your facility serves an elementary-age population for which the language of the original would not be appropriate, or there is a teacher looking for a sanitized version, McShane's excellent performance makes this edition worth recommending.
Diana Dickerson, White Pigeon Community Schools, MI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

From Library Journal
Huckleberry Finn may be the greater book, but Tom Sawyer has always been more widely read. Moreover, it is a book that can be enjoyed equally by both children and adults. Twain, who called it a "hymn" to boyhood, would be thrilled that in narrator Patrick Fraley his hymn has found its most passionate voice. Many good unabridged readings of Tom Sawyer have already been recorded, but most are simply that: readings. Fraley's performance is something more; in attempting to bring each character to life, his enthusiasm for the material is so palpable that the mere sound of his voice commands attention. A can't-miss addition to all libraries, including those that have other Tom Sawyer programs. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: American Guidance Service (June 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156103441X
• ISBN-13: 978-1561034413
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (146 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,833,844 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really fun, even for a girl., November 18, 2000

By	Callie "chroi" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Books of Wonder) (Hardcover)

I read this book when I was almost fourteen, just an ordinary modern teenage girl. But any one can read Tom Sawyer and really love it. It has many MANY a funny part. Tom has many fun times with his friends and their imaginations have no limit. The reader gets to learn about boys and girls(mostly boys) that lived more than a hundred years ago. What really appealed to me was the fact that the lives and minds of children then are not too different from children today. Kids today are obsessed with television. Kids back then were obsessed with books and too commonly took make believe for reality. They played tricks on one another and commonly bugged adults or the opposite gender. Often times, they were very superstitous and strongly believed in ghosts and magic. The reader is also swept away by the many adventures of Tom and his friends. Many of their adventures are a part of imagination, pretending to be pirates or Robin Hood. But Tom and Huck do get to have a few real adventures, specifically with the murderer, caves, and river island. The story doesn't have much of a plot or significance, but that is the way it was meant to be, for the story is funny and tickles the reader. It satires and plays with life. I highly recommend it to everyone, for it is important to know the relationship between our time and the past, boys and girls, youth and adults, the mature and immature, and every opposite. Enjoy!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tom Sawyer: A Piece of the Past That Should Not Be Forgotten, April 25, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is one of the best books I have ever read. The language,the thinking,the adventures-all of it was just incredible and enjoyable. The only thing this book needs is more pages! Mark Twain's skill in writing has created a book that all ages should read (or have it read to).Mark Twain reactivates the life and actions of a boy in the mid-1800's,and showed me that kids should be who they are- not what they will be. This is a classic for every generation to read and enjoy.

Mark Twain's,The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, tells about a boy loving and living his life to the fullest. Tom Sawyer is the kid that the world has seemed to forgotten. He is the kid who always get in trouble but continues to have fun with life. In this book, Tom does everything from being engaged, to watching his own funeral, to witnessing a [death] and finding treasure. Twain's creative character finds fun everywhere in his little town in Missouri, as do his friends. The storyline is basic, but it is a piece of the past that everyone should hold on to.

In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I learned mainly two things. The first thing I learned was that you can make life fun with just about anything if you use your imagination. Life is too short and precious to be wasted. I also learned that where you least expect it [help or protection], you might just get it. This book was just amazing-filled with unique characters, exciting events, and how a town can pull together to help those in need.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paul Newman at his best, September 23, 2000

By	"daddyonious" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Research Report) (Audio Cassette)

This spectacular performance of Mark Twain's classic adventure tale brings the action to life in a way I never dreamed possible. I felt Huck and Tom's fear gripping me in the graveyard scene. I never realized that Twain's story could give such a good scare. Newman's whispering dialogue in the cave between the trapped Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher brought this part of the story to life in a way I never dreamed possible. Sure, kids will love this but adults will appreciate it even more because of the deep nuances Paul Newman brings to the characters and situations. I loved it.