River Boy: The Story of Mark Twain – A Colorful Biography About the Mischievous Boy's Mississippi Life for Kids

by William Anderson, Dan Andreasen (Illustrator)

The story of the life of Mark Twain, by the same author/illustrator team that brought us the remarkable picture book biography  Pioneer Girl.  This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 6 to 8. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children. 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. 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.
  

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2003

About the author

William Anderson is an American author, historian and lecturer. He is a specialist in the subject of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her times.

His interest in American frontier began after reading Little House on the Prairie. He is a director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, and he lives and works as a teacher in Michigan.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Solorio Academy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book! A bit lengthy, but held the kids’ interest.

[Kiersten Koch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the life story of Mark Twain, otherwise known as Sam Clemens. It details his early childhood years, his first job at the Hannibal Courier newspaper which introduced him to writing, and how he became a steamboat pilot which introduced him to his pen name Mark Twain. This book would be useful for early high school students, as many of them read stories written by Mark Twain.

[Shelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read about young Mark Twain, America's most famous author. However, even though the illustrations are fantastic the information is not as well presented as other similar picture book biographies.

[Emily Knickerbocker]

This was the story of Mark Twain. It followed the young boy Samual Clemens's life. It told us how he got to where he was as an author and the people in the stories were based on his life. I would have my student summarize who he is and what he did in his life.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tone of the writing and the period work with the lower elementary age range and are matched with artwork.

[┊ ♡ Cordelia ♡┊ · Rating 5 out of 5]

»»————- ✳ ————-««
i really must read twain

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable read that chronicles the life of one of America's most beloved authors. Readers familiar with Twain's work will better understand the autobiographical influences in his writing as they read about experiences in his early life(his youth in Hannibal, adventures on the western frontier, his travels through Europe)that are ultimately resurrected in his literature. One of the most interesting parts explains how he assumed the pseudonym of Mark Twain (Sam learned that this is a reference to the depth of the river when he was learning to be a steamboat pilot.) The realistic and vibrant illustrations enhance the reader's peak into the life of Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain.

This would be an interesting addition to the biography bookshelf in a 3-5th grade classroom. Even though students of that age would not be reading Twains's work, it is always important to inform students about the lives of famous writers so they can understand how personal experiences inspire their stories, or more globally, how events in one's early life may influence one's actions and choices as an adult. I have had particularly capable readers in fifth who chose to read Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, therefore this biography would provide the necessary background information to enhance the experience.

[Megan McKenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Reaction: I really enjoyed this book! It was a beautiful story of the life of Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). It is told in a storybook fashion but is very informational. I liked how there are a lot of facts included in the story and it is written in a way that children and adults alike will enjoy.

Purpose(s): This would be a great read-aloud for a class of 2nd or 3rd graders. You could incorporate it in the beginning of an author study on Mark Twain to give background information. This book would also spark interest and inspire further questions about Mark Twain. You could also use this book after reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and/or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, as it draws connections to life experiences of Sam (Mark). The back of the book includes a nice timeline of the life of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) as depicted in the story.

Other: The author of this book is reliable as he is not only a former teacher who taught lessons on Mark Twain, he also visited the home and places associated with Mark Twain's life in research.

[Sarah Hannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Reaction - I loved this biography! I thought it was very informational and a wonderful story of how Mark Twain (Sam Clemens) grew up and how his life transitioned to writing and then to his most popular Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I learned a lot of information I did not realize was a part of Mark Twain's life.

Purpose in the classroom
-Read aloud to make a curricular connection
---This would be good to read aloud for students who will begin learning about the history and lifestyles of those around the 1870s.
---Mark Twain's characters represented intelligent students of the time.
-Independent reading grades 3-5 for students interested in the life of writer Samuel Clemons.
---Develops a main theme or moral and social maturation.
-For nonfiction: the book seems factual, authentic, has included significant facts about Mark Twain's boyhood, and uses facts to support his story.

[Betsie Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

BIOGRAPHY
I really enjoyed this book! It was told like a story, but it was still very informational. This would be a great picture book to read aloud after students have read Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" or "Tom Sawyer". There are references to the adventures of the two characters during Clemens' childhood which could be of interest to young readers. Also, there are some interesting and relevant facts about Clemens' sprinkled throughout the book that even I didn't know! The illustrations are watercolor but are done very well, especially the pictures of his childhood. Because there are a lot of words to a page, this would be good choice for older elementary children. The very last spread shows the chronology of Clemens' life, which is helpful when teaching and referring to Samuel Clemens' life.

[Rjgolden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a biography about Mark Twain growing up. A gives students a glimpse as to where Mark Twain got his ideas for writing from, and an understanding of why Mark Twain is who he is. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend this for Elementary Students. Would be a great opening before reading Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn to the class.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most people probably have a pretty good idea who Mark Twain is, but this did a pretty good job of keeping his story simple and interesting. I really would love to visit that 19 room house in Connecticut. It sounds very interesting.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story of one of the most beloved American Authors. Hilarious and rebellious Samuel Clemens tells his story of his life. I really liked this story and children can really relate to his history.

[Sharla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read with Angel.