Adventures of Tom Sawyer (Children's Classics) (ISBN 0517205769)

audio books:
These audio books help children that are having trouble with the written word. I also use them in the car, so each trip we hear more of the story. The kids love them and I think it makes them interested in reading.

Yes, it's a classic for a reason.:
I somehow tragically managed to make my way to adulthood with never reading anything but the kiddie version of this book. When I found this book for super-cheap in the teachers' lounge book sale and I figured "hey, why not?" And thus I picked it up and immediately fell in love with the sheer Old-South charm that only Twain can deliver. Really, people, it is no wonder that this book is such a classic! It may not have the soulful human reflections of "Huckleberry Finn", but in the solemn concern for the pleasures of boyhood it certainly makes its own mark. Mark Twain tells the story purely from a storyteller's view. No deep analysis of character that takes you right inside of Tom Sawyer's psyche, nothing blatantly philosophical. It is as if Mr. Twain lives to simply tells us into what trouble Tom is getting. He does not go out of his way to give lengthy, dull descriptions or even fully flesh out the details of just what Tom and his friends are doing. It gives it a charming, folksy style that allows for plenty of plot and action. Even, so the writing is unparalleled. And it truly is a great story. It's fun! I don't know how many poor students have been tricked into believing it is not. It has all the great elements of a good boy story, what with the murders and buried treasure and faked deaths and hoodoo--not to mention the delight taken away by discovery of bacteria. I'm also a huge fan of this Whole Story edition. It's beautiful, easy to carry around, and I guess I'm a sucker for the documentary feature. Fantastic, fun story. Everyone should read it.

The only Tom Sawyer I'm into is the song...:
I, like most others, was forced to read this in school, and do every report/test/quiz/reflection/story "dissection" that came with it. I couldn't get into the story at all. The blatant racism my have played a part. If I could have a quarter for every time the N word is thrown around, I'd be rich. Avoid this and all other Twain if you can help it.

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER by Mark Twain:
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a novel by Mark Twain, originally published in 1876. In this review, I will not attempt to analyze it from any pretentious literary perspective, but rather as just another novel. In this novel, Tom Sawyer, a boy who lives with his aunt on the Mississippi River in Missouri, has all kinds of adventures, most of which involve misbehaving in some way. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer does not seem to be a coming-of-age story, as it initially may appear to be. Certainly Tom has many experiences that theoretically lend themselves to the maturation process, but at the end, he lapses back into his more childlike behavior. He is a "bad boy" when the book starts, and he is a "bad boy" when it ends (albeit a wealthy and popular one). Twain's wit is what carries this book. He can write a clever sentence like nobody's business, and his dialogue, characters and story developments are all highly entertaining. Even though there's not a lot going on here plot-wise, the story grips the reader. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is an enormously entertaining book, and if taken purely for entertainment value, will not disappoint any discerning reader.

Superbly illustrated, it captures the essence of Tom Sawyer the book:
To understand America in the nineteenth century, you must understand Tom Sawyer. His life, so full of adventure set amidst the bustle of a changing nation, is in many ways the dream of nearly all male children. To spend your time swimming in the creek, gathering "treasures" and eating goodies is truly the good life. Tom's romance with Becky is also the way it is with most boys. Girls are universally considered to have some kind of contagious disease, when I was young, they had cooties, until you see that one perfect girl that you will share everything with. The wonder and mischief of Tom and Huck are captured in this book, superbly illustrated by Michael Ploog. Tom is wide-eyed, freckled and has bulbous cheeks. Huck has a pointed nose, bright eyes and a suitably scruffy demeanor. With the exception of Sundays, the boy's clothes consist of a series of patches sewn over rags. This book is an excellent introduction to what is the tale of American youth of the nineteenth century, very appropriate for classes in English. Of course, after covering this book, the students should be required to read the original.