The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West

Gr 5–9—Sid Fleischmann has captured Mark Twain's colorful life in this lively biography (Greenwillow, 2008) that spans his childhood, his early years as a steamboat pilot, his time out West, and his numerous occupations, including steamboat pilot, gold prospector, and journalist. He also covers Twain's later years as well as the ups and downs in his life. Written as though it was penned by Twain, Joe Barrett's down-home, folksy delivery sounds just like a boy from Hannibal, MO. In fact, he resembles Hal Holbrook who regularly portrays Twain onstage. The conversational tone sets the stage for the dramatic moments in Twain's life. Twain's travels to the West are particularly interesting, especially the information about the origins of "The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," the short story that made him somewhat famous and set him on the road to taking writing seriously. Twain's exploits will engage listeners, and this biography would make a nice addition to middle and high school libraries.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA