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The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West – An Illustrated Biography for Kids (Ages 8-12) About the Rebel Who Created Tom Sawyer
"Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth." So begins Sid Fleischman's ramble-scramble biography of the great American author and wit, who started life in a Missouri village as a barefoot boy named Samuel Clemens.
Abandoning a career as a young steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River, Sam took a bumpy stagecoach to the Far West. In the gold and silver fields, he expected to get rich quick. Instead, he got poor fast, digging in the wrong places. His stint as a sagebrush newspaperman led to a duel with pistols. Had he not survived, the world would never have heard of Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn—or red-headed Mark Twain.
Samuel Clemens adopted his pen name in a hotel room in San Francisco and promptly made a jumping frog (and himself) famous. His celebrated novels followed at a leisurely pace; his quips at jet speed. "Don't let schooling interfere with your education," he wrote.
Here, in high style, is the story of a wisecracking adventurer who came of age in the untamed West; an ink-stained rebel who surprised himself by becoming the most famous American of his time. Bountifully illustrated.
Abandoning a career as a young steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River, Sam took a bumpy stagecoach to the Far West. In the gold and silver fields, he expected to get rich quick. Instead, he got poor fast, digging in the wrong places. His stint as a sagebrush newspaperman led to a duel with pistols. Had he not survived, the world would never have heard of Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn—or red-headed Mark Twain.
Samuel Clemens adopted his pen name in a hotel room in San Francisco and promptly made a jumping frog (and himself) famous. His celebrated novels followed at a leisurely pace; his quips at jet speed. "Don't let schooling interfere with your education," he wrote.
Here, in high style, is the story of a wisecracking adventurer who came of age in the untamed West; an ink-stained rebel who surprised himself by becoming the most famous American of his time. Bountifully illustrated.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2008
6 people are currently reading
636 people want to read
About the author
Sid Fleischman
101 books149 followersAs a children's book author Sid Fleischman felt a special obligation to his readers. "The books we enjoy as children stay with us forever -- they have a special impact. Paragraph after paragraph and page after page, the author must deliver his or her best work." With almost 60 books to his credit, some of which have been made into motion pictures, Sid Fleischman can be assured that his work will make a special impact.
Sid Fleischman wrote his books at a huge table cluttered with projects: story ideas, library books, research, letters, notes, pens, pencils, and a computer. He lived in an old-fashioned, two-story house full of creaks and character, and enjoys hearing the sound of the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Fleischman passed away after a battle with cancer on March 17, 2010, the day after his ninetieth birthday.
He was the father of Newbery Medal winning writer and poet Paul Fleischman, author of Joyful Noise; they are the only father and son to receive Newbery awards.
Sid Fleischman wrote his books at a huge table cluttered with projects: story ideas, library books, research, letters, notes, pens, pencils, and a computer. He lived in an old-fashioned, two-story house full of creaks and character, and enjoys hearing the sound of the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Fleischman passed away after a battle with cancer on March 17, 2010, the day after his ninetieth birthday.
He was the father of Newbery Medal winning writer and poet Paul Fleischman, author of Joyful Noise; they are the only father and son to receive Newbery awards.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
November 24, 2008
Fleischman, Sid. 2008. The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain In the Wild, Wild West.
I loved Trouble Begins at 8. Loved it. Which is to say that I more than appreciated what it had to offer. More than saw it as a good nonfiction title. I mean really and truly loved, loved, loved it. Something I usually only reserve for fiction. Sid Fleischman is awesome. His writing is just amazing. His gift with words, his literary style, was just brilliant on this one. Listen to the first sentence of chapter one: "Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth." Open it up to almost any chapter, and you'll find that Fleischman has a way with words, with communicating simple facts in a unique and thoroughly charming way:
"Sam landed a dream job. He was fourteen years old, as Mark Twain was later to calculate. Scholars question his arithmetic. They add a couple of years. Apprenticed to a printer who published one of the two Hannibal newspapers, the Courier, he had the privilege of sweeping up, of running and fetching, and even of learning to set newspaper type--all without being burdened with a salary. Not a cent." (25)
In addition to the great biographical narrative, the book is liberal in its use of graphics--photographs, illustrations, etc. It also has all the bells and whistles it needs: Mark Twain's short story of the celebrated frog, a time line, references (end notes), bibliography, index, etc.
Read Sarah Miller's review. She's the one that alerted me to this one.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
I loved Trouble Begins at 8. Loved it. Which is to say that I more than appreciated what it had to offer. More than saw it as a good nonfiction title. I mean really and truly loved, loved, loved it. Something I usually only reserve for fiction. Sid Fleischman is awesome. His writing is just amazing. His gift with words, his literary style, was just brilliant on this one. Listen to the first sentence of chapter one: "Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth." Open it up to almost any chapter, and you'll find that Fleischman has a way with words, with communicating simple facts in a unique and thoroughly charming way:
"Sam landed a dream job. He was fourteen years old, as Mark Twain was later to calculate. Scholars question his arithmetic. They add a couple of years. Apprenticed to a printer who published one of the two Hannibal newspapers, the Courier, he had the privilege of sweeping up, of running and fetching, and even of learning to set newspaper type--all without being burdened with a salary. Not a cent." (25)
In addition to the great biographical narrative, the book is liberal in its use of graphics--photographs, illustrations, etc. It also has all the bells and whistles it needs: Mark Twain's short story of the celebrated frog, a time line, references (end notes), bibliography, index, etc.
Read Sarah Miller's review. She's the one that alerted me to this one.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
March 15, 2008
I'm a big Mark Twain fan and thought Fleischman did a splendid job giving young readers a sense of the young writer through energetic and humorous writing. Goes down easily, well researched (Fleischman is clear that it is hard to separate fact from fiction with Twain), and designed too (at least the ARC was).
November 9, 2008
(Very detailed review, because I'm prepping for a Mock Newbery discussion.)
Mixed feelings on this one.
I like what Fleischman did here--his biography of Mark Twain is colorful and funny, which makes total sense. The photographs and illustrations add a lot. And I liked that he included a long excerpt of Twain's writing, though I think I would have preferred an excerpt from anything more kid-friendly--Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Connecticut Yankee--to part of "The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" (which, I confess, I've never been able to get all the way through, even though it's short and I've spent a LOT of time in Calaveras County and ought to be interested). The whitewash chapter from Tom Sawyer would have been just right.
But: there are really too many colorful metaphors, in my opinion, and some of them are distracting. In fact, sometimes the book as a whole comes off as more whimsical than earthy.
The events aren't placed in time very well; I kept getting confused as to what happened when and in what order--he'd say at the end of a chapter something about Mark Twain being thirty-one years old, or whatever, and it would come as a surprise.
Sometimes the question of who the intended audience is comes up. Others have said that they don't think kids would be interested in this because few of them have read Mark Twain; I disagree. Kids will GET interested in Mark Twain from reading a good biography of him--it's been happening for decades; all those COFAs and orange and signature biographies, kids didn't gobble those up because they were already interested in the person--they were just enjoyable stories. I know I enjoyed reading one of those and then being able to find out so much more about the person. So it isn't that that I have a problem with. But I do think too often Fleischman assumes too much knowledge about the books--their plots and their impact. There are cultural references, too, that probably need more context--as when he says that Twain played the "ugly American" before the role had been invented; no real explanation beyond that. Do kids get what an "ugly American" is? I'm all for introducing new words and concepts, of course, but context would be good.
The book also feels off-balance--the main narrative stops in a place that seems odd to me, and then there's a very long afterword about the rest of his life that's full of interesting tidbits that I wanted to hear about in more detail.
In my opinion: not a Newbery, but an enjoyable book. Most literary kids would probably like it, and would be interested in reading some of Mark Twain's work.
Mixed feelings on this one.
I like what Fleischman did here--his biography of Mark Twain is colorful and funny, which makes total sense. The photographs and illustrations add a lot. And I liked that he included a long excerpt of Twain's writing, though I think I would have preferred an excerpt from anything more kid-friendly--Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Connecticut Yankee--to part of "The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" (which, I confess, I've never been able to get all the way through, even though it's short and I've spent a LOT of time in Calaveras County and ought to be interested). The whitewash chapter from Tom Sawyer would have been just right.
But: there are really too many colorful metaphors, in my opinion, and some of them are distracting. In fact, sometimes the book as a whole comes off as more whimsical than earthy.
The events aren't placed in time very well; I kept getting confused as to what happened when and in what order--he'd say at the end of a chapter something about Mark Twain being thirty-one years old, or whatever, and it would come as a surprise.
Sometimes the question of who the intended audience is comes up. Others have said that they don't think kids would be interested in this because few of them have read Mark Twain; I disagree. Kids will GET interested in Mark Twain from reading a good biography of him--it's been happening for decades; all those COFAs and orange and signature biographies, kids didn't gobble those up because they were already interested in the person--they were just enjoyable stories. I know I enjoyed reading one of those and then being able to find out so much more about the person. So it isn't that that I have a problem with. But I do think too often Fleischman assumes too much knowledge about the books--their plots and their impact. There are cultural references, too, that probably need more context--as when he says that Twain played the "ugly American" before the role had been invented; no real explanation beyond that. Do kids get what an "ugly American" is? I'm all for introducing new words and concepts, of course, but context would be good.
The book also feels off-balance--the main narrative stops in a place that seems odd to me, and then there's a very long afterword about the rest of his life that's full of interesting tidbits that I wanted to hear about in more detail.
In my opinion: not a Newbery, but an enjoyable book. Most literary kids would probably like it, and would be interested in reading some of Mark Twain's work.
February 3, 2019
Who better to tell the story of that wonderful storyteller, Mark Twain, than that wonderful storyteller, Sid Fleischman? Fleischman starts at the beginning and relates all the tales about the man, Mark Twain, true and apocryphal. It was the aphorisms that was so wonderful: “Man---a creature made at the end of a week’s work when God was tired” and “Man is the only animal who blushes---or needs to” and “Everybody complains about the weather but nobody does anything about it” and “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” and, my favorite, “When I was a boy of fourteen my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.”
If only motion pictures had been invented to capture this man! He was such a presence, full of wit and fun. I wish I’d been alive to see him in person.
If only motion pictures had been invented to capture this man! He was such a presence, full of wit and fun. I wish I’d been alive to see him in person.
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November 13, 2018Even if you know that "mark twain" is a riverboat term, there is still a lot to learn about the man born Samuel Clemens: his fascination with mining and get-rich-quick schemes; his travel to the South Pacific, and his evolution as a journalist.
This illustrated biography looks into the adult life of Mark Twain and the life behind the famous stories..
This illustrated biography looks into the adult life of Mark Twain and the life behind the famous stories..
March 30, 2008
Mark Twain was certainly an unusual man that kids will love learning about in the book The Trouble Begins at 8. The real trouble will be getting kids to pick up this book. It’s wonderfully well written, highly amusing, and accurate, but I doubt if kids will want to read about Mark Twain, since few have read his books. The book is aimed for 9-14 year olds, and I am highly curious to know the nine year old who has read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer or The Gilded Age. Even though I have already read some of his writing, in my school system, Mark Twain is not read until junior year. Despite this, I think young readers will delight in the escapades of Mark Twain and the undeniable humor that Sid Fleischman has as well.
Mark Twain was born in the fall of 1865 in a San Francisco hotel room. The only person present was the rough riverman, newspaperman, and gold hunter Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He had writen his first story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” had hoped that the next would come easily. How was Mark Twain born? Who was Samuel Clemens? Sid Fleishman attempts to separate truth from deeply woven lies that Twain told in his autobiography.
Learn about Sam’s days in Missouri and his many get-rich-quick themes, few of which worked. Admire the handsome steamboat pilot who adventures into the west with his brother Orion.
I had so much fun reading this book! I knew Twain had a difficult life, but not to this extent. I loved the quotes peppered throughout such as “Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Also, the book portrays Twain as a real man with his own plentiful flaws, and through difficulties he was able to become a great writer.
The has pictures of Twain and places he visited randomly in the book. I had a great time reading this with them, so that I could picture his handwriting or what he looked like. I wish they had included a painting of Twain with red hair- I can’t seem to find one anywhere.
I love the picture on the cover! It really represents so much of the book. Twain loved to entertain, and he was supposedly very good at it.
I only have one problem with the book. After reading the last chapter, I felt very sad. Twain had a very hard life. His wife and three of his children died at the end, and I felt that the end just needed a little twisting. Something about his legacy, or never really knowing exactly what his life was like.
I’ve never read any books by Fleischman before. He is known for being funny, and this book certainly is.
Comes out July 2008.
Mark Twain was born in the fall of 1865 in a San Francisco hotel room. The only person present was the rough riverman, newspaperman, and gold hunter Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He had writen his first story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” had hoped that the next would come easily. How was Mark Twain born? Who was Samuel Clemens? Sid Fleishman attempts to separate truth from deeply woven lies that Twain told in his autobiography.
Learn about Sam’s days in Missouri and his many get-rich-quick themes, few of which worked. Admire the handsome steamboat pilot who adventures into the west with his brother Orion.
I had so much fun reading this book! I knew Twain had a difficult life, but not to this extent. I loved the quotes peppered throughout such as “Everybody complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Also, the book portrays Twain as a real man with his own plentiful flaws, and through difficulties he was able to become a great writer.
The has pictures of Twain and places he visited randomly in the book. I had a great time reading this with them, so that I could picture his handwriting or what he looked like. I wish they had included a painting of Twain with red hair- I can’t seem to find one anywhere.
I love the picture on the cover! It really represents so much of the book. Twain loved to entertain, and he was supposedly very good at it.
I only have one problem with the book. After reading the last chapter, I felt very sad. Twain had a very hard life. His wife and three of his children died at the end, and I felt that the end just needed a little twisting. Something about his legacy, or never really knowing exactly what his life was like.
I’ve never read any books by Fleischman before. He is known for being funny, and this book certainly is.
Comes out July 2008.
July 11, 2008
Charming, funny and informative, Sid Fleischman's terrific book looks at Twain's early days when he began his literary journey with his travels to the American west. Filled with memorable quotes and in a style that honors Twain's, this is a book that will tickle the funny bone of a whole class in a read-aloud or an individual reader meeting Twain for the first time. The book appears young at first glance but I think the inclusion of so much of Twain's writing pushes the level up.
November 29, 2008
Sid Fleischman's biography of this clever, funny man will appeal to a wide range of readers. Middle and junior high school readers will be able to appreciate the humor and wit in Clemens' musings, many of which are reproduced. A solid book that I would not be surprised to see garner awards at the end of the year.
May 3, 2019
Fleischman delivers a pitch-perfect biography of Mark Twain, full of wonderful illustrations, anecdotes and wit. A terrific intro to this icon of American literature.
June 4, 2025
I’ve been a Sid Fleischman fan for years, ever since one of his books showed up as part of a reading list for one of my first years in school. I fell in love with his style, and so far, I can’t say I’ve come across a book of his that I didn’t enjoy.
After growing up on the likes of By the Great Horn Spoon and McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm, I was surprised to discover, a few months ago, that Fleischman didn’t just write fiction—he wrote some biographies, too! This is the second biography I’ve read from his pen, and although I’m unsure just how many other books he wrote that I haven’t read yet, I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for other titles!
Everyone has heard of Mark Twain’s famous stories—or at least references to Tom Sawyer and/or Huckleberry Finn. But what surprised me in this book was how little I knew of the author of these stories. I’ve heard vague things over the years, but on the whole, most of the information in this book was new to me—and that was both surprising and made the biography all that much more interesting!
This biography wasn’t as much of a favorite of mine as Fleischman’s one of Houdini (I mean, come on…who can beat cool magic tricks?), but I still found it insightful, entertaining, and intriguing. I enjoyed this peek into what made Samuel Clemens into the world-renowned author, and all the many things he faced and conquered (or didn’t!) throughout his life.
If you’re looking for a short, gripping, easy-to-read biography about Mark Twain, I’d highly recommend you check this book out. It’s a fascinating peek into another century, and is a genuinely well-written story all on its own!
After growing up on the likes of By the Great Horn Spoon and McBroom’s Wonderful One-Acre Farm, I was surprised to discover, a few months ago, that Fleischman didn’t just write fiction—he wrote some biographies, too! This is the second biography I’ve read from his pen, and although I’m unsure just how many other books he wrote that I haven’t read yet, I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for other titles!
Everyone has heard of Mark Twain’s famous stories—or at least references to Tom Sawyer and/or Huckleberry Finn. But what surprised me in this book was how little I knew of the author of these stories. I’ve heard vague things over the years, but on the whole, most of the information in this book was new to me—and that was both surprising and made the biography all that much more interesting!
This biography wasn’t as much of a favorite of mine as Fleischman’s one of Houdini (I mean, come on…who can beat cool magic tricks?), but I still found it insightful, entertaining, and intriguing. I enjoyed this peek into what made Samuel Clemens into the world-renowned author, and all the many things he faced and conquered (or didn’t!) throughout his life.
If you’re looking for a short, gripping, easy-to-read biography about Mark Twain, I’d highly recommend you check this book out. It’s a fascinating peek into another century, and is a genuinely well-written story all on its own!
May 26, 2025
Sid Fleischman can sure tell a tale. This is a wonderful biography. It reads like the greatest piece of fiction. Not surprising, since Mark Twain's life was very much like fiction. As I read this, I was struck repeatedly that this would be a terrific book to use in the classroom to get students interested in reading biographies. Aside from the wonderful content, the book is heavy, substantial with thick pages, nice, big print, and great photographs. This is a fantastic introduction to the biography genre.
June 29, 2020
Interesting info about one of America's greatest writers.
August 30, 2012
I love Sid Fleischman's biographies. The Trouble Begins at 8 is no exception. The title refers to Twain's own poster for his lectures which announced that the doors would open at 7 o'clock with "The Trouble to Begin at 8 o'clock."
The advantages to Fleischman's biographies (I highly recommend his other two on Harry Houdini and Charlie Chaplin.) are: (1) he approaches his subject with the sensibilities of a Newberry-Award-winning novelist, which is to say, as a story; (2) his language is easily accessible to the reader; (3) his enthusiasm and fascination with his subject is evident in every printed word is contagious to the reader.
Fleishman does use dates to define specific events such as birth, death and publication of most notable works but the text is never bogged down by chronological notation. He concentrates on Twain's personality and a variety of anecdotes from his life. Twain's sense of humor shines clearly through Fleischman's examples, allowing the reader to fully appreciate and enjoy the charming, mischevious nature of a young Sam Clemens and the brash frankness of the adult Mark Twain.
Indeed, humor is the focus of Fleischman's biography: how Twain discovered and refined his sense of humor as well as his ability to successfully translate his candid observations of the people, places and things around him into print using that humor. Fleischman points out that Twain often wrote extensively about topics that were not in line with the popular, or accepted, viewpoint of the time but was able to do so without serious consequences because he used humor to deliver his message.
For the most part this is an easy read, appropriate for 3rd Grade and up. This book is a good resource for discovering how Mark Twain's personality and use of humor served him and helped shape him as one of the greatest American writers of all time. If a student is doing research on Twain he or she is probably going to want to add another print (or other) resource which includes more details on dates and specific traditional life events.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it a great complement to my knowledge and understanding of Mark Twain as a man and as an artist.
The advantages to Fleischman's biographies (I highly recommend his other two on Harry Houdini and Charlie Chaplin.) are: (1) he approaches his subject with the sensibilities of a Newberry-Award-winning novelist, which is to say, as a story; (2) his language is easily accessible to the reader; (3) his enthusiasm and fascination with his subject is evident in every printed word is contagious to the reader.
Fleishman does use dates to define specific events such as birth, death and publication of most notable works but the text is never bogged down by chronological notation. He concentrates on Twain's personality and a variety of anecdotes from his life. Twain's sense of humor shines clearly through Fleischman's examples, allowing the reader to fully appreciate and enjoy the charming, mischevious nature of a young Sam Clemens and the brash frankness of the adult Mark Twain.
Indeed, humor is the focus of Fleischman's biography: how Twain discovered and refined his sense of humor as well as his ability to successfully translate his candid observations of the people, places and things around him into print using that humor. Fleischman points out that Twain often wrote extensively about topics that were not in line with the popular, or accepted, viewpoint of the time but was able to do so without serious consequences because he used humor to deliver his message.
For the most part this is an easy read, appropriate for 3rd Grade and up. This book is a good resource for discovering how Mark Twain's personality and use of humor served him and helped shape him as one of the greatest American writers of all time. If a student is doing research on Twain he or she is probably going to want to add another print (or other) resource which includes more details on dates and specific traditional life events.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it a great complement to my knowledge and understanding of Mark Twain as a man and as an artist.
May 5, 2014
Mark Twain is by far my favorite canonical author of American literature. Or just literature in general. He is so incredibly quotable and subverts the status quo so his larger than life persona is certainly a biographer's dream. I enjoyed this book for the most part. I did, however, think it was hard to distinguish whether this was a book for kids or adults. Yes, I found it in the juvenile section of the library, but there were many occasions where I thought to myself that this book would fare better marketed to adults than kids. There are, however, snatches of text that I would use with students either as close readings or mentor texts. So there's that.
Some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth." (That's a way to start a story!)
"He changed literature forever. He scraped earth under its fingernails and taught it to spit. He slipped in a subversive American sense of humor. He made laughing out loud as respectable as afternoon tea." (6)
"His name went up in lights even before Edison invented the lightbulb." (161)
He was so quotable that a critic styled him 'the American Shakespeare, only funnier.'" (174)
"When Mark Twain published [The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County] in book form, he dedicated it to John Smith. He didn't know any of the multitude of John Smiths at large. His playful theory was that anyone to whom a book is dedicated would go out and buy a copy." (181)
Some of my favorite quotes from the book:
"Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth." (That's a way to start a story!)
"He changed literature forever. He scraped earth under its fingernails and taught it to spit. He slipped in a subversive American sense of humor. He made laughing out loud as respectable as afternoon tea." (6)
"His name went up in lights even before Edison invented the lightbulb." (161)
He was so quotable that a critic styled him 'the American Shakespeare, only funnier.'" (174)
"When Mark Twain published [The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County] in book form, he dedicated it to John Smith. He didn't know any of the multitude of John Smiths at large. His playful theory was that anyone to whom a book is dedicated would go out and buy a copy." (181)
August 14, 2009
Gr 5-9-This biography covers enough of Samuel Clemens's youth for readers to appreciate how autobiographical Twain's later novels were, but the seven years that the writer spent meandering the Wild West are at the heart of the book. Fleischman chronicles Clemens's various bouts of gold fever and get-rich-quick schemes in the Nevada Territory and the San Francisco area, but shows that it was always his newspaper writing that provided stability. At age 30, Clemens was reborn as Mark Twain when his short story "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was accepted by a magazine and drew popular acclaim. An "Afterstory" provides brief information on Twain's subsequent marriage and the publication of the novels for which he is most famous. Although similar in scope to Kathryn Lasky's A Brilliant Streak: The Making of Mark Twain (Harcourt, 1998), Fleischman's account is more engaging as he slips easily into Twain's drawling cadences. The illustrations and photographs are rich and varied, and the back matter is a work of art in itself: the time line, annotated bibliography, and references will prove useful to report writers, and the inclusion of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog..." is an extra treat.-Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
October 5, 2009
Pros:
1. A fast read. Surprising for any biographical book regardless of its intended audience.
2. This book largely succeeded in reflecting the adventurous and humorous life of Mark Twain with its writing style.
Cons:
1. I realize if I wanted to learn more about Mark Twain perhaps I should have began with his own autobiography. (Or at the very least Wikipedia.)
2. I'm not sure (even with a more adventurous writing style) this book would interest its intended young audience. As for we adults, I would have liked a little more content and detail.
From Mark Twain himself:
1. When asked if he swears Twain answered, "Not for amusement; only under pressure."
2. On a trip to Nevada, Twain and his brother were allowed only 25 pounds of luggage. His brother insisted on bringing a 6-pound, bulky, unabridged dictionary. After crossing the miserable Salt Lake desert Twain finally became grateful for the dictionary, "because we never could have found language to tell how glad we were, in any sort of dictionary but an unabridged one."
3. "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years."
1. A fast read. Surprising for any biographical book regardless of its intended audience.
2. This book largely succeeded in reflecting the adventurous and humorous life of Mark Twain with its writing style.
Cons:
1. I realize if I wanted to learn more about Mark Twain perhaps I should have began with his own autobiography. (Or at the very least Wikipedia.)
2. I'm not sure (even with a more adventurous writing style) this book would interest its intended young audience. As for we adults, I would have liked a little more content and detail.
From Mark Twain himself:
1. When asked if he swears Twain answered, "Not for amusement; only under pressure."
2. On a trip to Nevada, Twain and his brother were allowed only 25 pounds of luggage. His brother insisted on bringing a 6-pound, bulky, unabridged dictionary. After crossing the miserable Salt Lake desert Twain finally became grateful for the dictionary, "because we never could have found language to tell how glad we were, in any sort of dictionary but an unabridged one."
3. "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years."
March 2, 2017
Fleischman's own love of the absurd, the fanciful, and the ridiculous-yet-believable makes him the ideal biographer for Mark Twain. Both Twain and Fleischman are able satirists, great at telling a funny story that you laugh and laugh over, only later to realize that they were teaching you something at the same time as they were tickling your funny bone. The Trouble Begins at 8 focuses on Samuel Clemens' metamorphosis from human tumbleweed who acquired and abandoned jobs freely to a celebrated humorist, lecturer, and novelist. Yes, this is written at a middle-grade level, and yes, adults will get a big kick out of it too.
January 21, 2024
Samuel Clemens started life in Hannibal, Missouri and ultimately became a great American author known for his wit. Along the way, he spent time as a type setter and a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River. He took a bumpy stagecoach to the Far West where he panned for gold and silver hoping to get rich quick. Instead, he got poor fast, digging in the wrong places. He next tried his hand at writing, working as a newspaperman in Nevada and later California with mixed results.
He adopted his pen name–Mark Twain–in San Francisco and soon began his writing career writing about a jumping frog, his traveling adventures, and ultimately the novels about two lovable rascals–Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. What made his writing so unique is that in addition to showing his tremendous wit, Mark wrote in the vernacular and used his platform to call out the hypocrites and bigots of his day. It is ironic that his use of common language got his books censored for being “course” and “inelegant” back in the late 1800s, and banned again in the early 2000s for being racist.
I enjoyed reading of Mark’s adventures (both his successes and spectacular failures) and learning that Tom Sawyer is essentially autobiographical. I knew he was from MO and where his pen name came from but had never heard about his personal life or that he was notoriously lazy when it came to physical labor. The fact that he loved to read was no shock, but I was surprised to learn that he was terribly impulsive, and that his resume was so varied. I’ve heard many of his quips through the years, but the one I was most taken with here, that was mentioned more than once, is the notion that the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. So true. 3.5
He adopted his pen name–Mark Twain–in San Francisco and soon began his writing career writing about a jumping frog, his traveling adventures, and ultimately the novels about two lovable rascals–Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. What made his writing so unique is that in addition to showing his tremendous wit, Mark wrote in the vernacular and used his platform to call out the hypocrites and bigots of his day. It is ironic that his use of common language got his books censored for being “course” and “inelegant” back in the late 1800s, and banned again in the early 2000s for being racist.
I enjoyed reading of Mark’s adventures (both his successes and spectacular failures) and learning that Tom Sawyer is essentially autobiographical. I knew he was from MO and where his pen name came from but had never heard about his personal life or that he was notoriously lazy when it came to physical labor. The fact that he loved to read was no shock, but I was surprised to learn that he was terribly impulsive, and that his resume was so varied. I’ve heard many of his quips through the years, but the one I was most taken with here, that was mentioned more than once, is the notion that the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. So true. 3.5
June 11, 2019
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The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West
by Sid Fleischman
3.76 ·
Rating details · 516 ratings · 140 reviews
"Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth." So begins Sid Fleischman's ramble-scramble biography of the great American author and wit, who started life in a Missouri village as a barefoot boy named Samuel Clemens.
Abandoning a career as a young steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River, Sam took a bumpy stagecoach to the Far West. In the gold and silver fields, he expected to get rich quick. Instead, he got poor fast, digging in the wrong places. His stint as a sagebrush newspaperman led to a duel with pistols. Had he not survived, the world would never have heard of Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn—or red-headed Mark Twain.
Samuel Clemens adopted his pen name in a hotel room in San Francisco and promptly made a jumping frog (and himself) famous. His celebrated novels followed at a leisurely pace; his quips at jet speed. "Don't let schooling interfere with your education," he wrote.
Here, in high style, is the story of a wisecracking adventurer who came of age in the untamed West; an ink-stained rebel who surprised himself by becoming the most famous American of his time.
1 of 5 stars
2 of 5 stars
3 of 5 stars
[ 4 of 5 stars ]
5 of 5 stars
The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West
by Sid Fleischman
3.76 ·
Rating details · 516 ratings · 140 reviews
"Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth." So begins Sid Fleischman's ramble-scramble biography of the great American author and wit, who started life in a Missouri village as a barefoot boy named Samuel Clemens.
Abandoning a career as a young steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River, Sam took a bumpy stagecoach to the Far West. In the gold and silver fields, he expected to get rich quick. Instead, he got poor fast, digging in the wrong places. His stint as a sagebrush newspaperman led to a duel with pistols. Had he not survived, the world would never have heard of Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn—or red-headed Mark Twain.
Samuel Clemens adopted his pen name in a hotel room in San Francisco and promptly made a jumping frog (and himself) famous. His celebrated novels followed at a leisurely pace; his quips at jet speed. "Don't let schooling interfere with your education," he wrote.
Here, in high style, is the story of a wisecracking adventurer who came of age in the untamed West; an ink-stained rebel who surprised himself by becoming the most famous American of his time.
July 18, 2021
You might say that I inherited my love of Mark Twain. He is my father's favorite author. You also might just as easily say that Mark Twain is America's greatest ever author, which I believe he is. There is just something about his humor and honesty that captures what it means to be American in its great many senses of that word.
I picked this book up, then, in large part because of my love for Twain, but also because this book is in my classroom library, but I hadn't had a chance to read it yet. Now, I know it would be a great book to recommend to a student--either one interested in the American West in the late 1800s or one interested in the life of Mark Twain.
I read The Whipping Boy, of course, when I was in elementary school, and was blown away by it. This is another excellent piece of work by Fleischman. He manages to capture the wit and wisdom of Twain with a similar dose of each himself, and that takes some doing.
Overall, what comes across in this book is Fleischman's love of and deep devotion to Twain as well as his passion for passing this along to future generations of young American readers. And for that, he should be greatly commended.
I picked this book up, then, in large part because of my love for Twain, but also because this book is in my classroom library, but I hadn't had a chance to read it yet. Now, I know it would be a great book to recommend to a student--either one interested in the American West in the late 1800s or one interested in the life of Mark Twain.
I read The Whipping Boy, of course, when I was in elementary school, and was blown away by it. This is another excellent piece of work by Fleischman. He manages to capture the wit and wisdom of Twain with a similar dose of each himself, and that takes some doing.
Overall, what comes across in this book is Fleischman's love of and deep devotion to Twain as well as his passion for passing this along to future generations of young American readers. And for that, he should be greatly commended.
May 3, 2022
This is a fun biography of Mark Twain that is both entertaining and informative. The print is large and the illustrations and photos are numerous, but this is not a book for early elementary students. The humor is advanced and the writing style similar to how Twain might have done himself, with jokes and jabs that requires the knowledge of an older reader. The title refers to Twain's publicity used to promote his lectures, indicating the time the curtain should rise. The book covers the life of Samuel Clemens from his frail beginnings through his get-rich-quick schemes and legitimate jobs, to his tranformation into "Mark Twain", the author. Readers will recognize many famous quotes such as, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer day in San Francisco." A time line is included as well as a bibliography and index. Recommended for adults as well as students looking for a well-written biography that will keep their attention.
March 27, 2025
I’m a little ashamed to admit it, hence I’m writing this 5 days into May, but I only read 2 books this month. That’s it. Compared to some other months this is a bit of a personal let down but then again, it’s still more than the national average. Why on Earth did I slow down you ask? Well, I found two paint-by-number kits at a thrift store and I really, really like doing paint-by-numbers. Yup. That’s it. I could blame it on my Battle of the Bifocals but it’s really because of the paint-by-numbers taking up my evenings for a couple weeks.
I still managed to fit in a children's biography from my library, The Trouble Begins at 8: The Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West. I’ve read a couple biographies of the great Sam Clemens, but thus far, have not tired of the different perspectives. Plus, I love any mention of the towns You Bet and Red Dog, which Twain actually visited.
I still managed to fit in a children's biography from my library, The Trouble Begins at 8: The Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West. I’ve read a couple biographies of the great Sam Clemens, but thus far, have not tired of the different perspectives. Plus, I love any mention of the towns You Bet and Red Dog, which Twain actually visited.
April 15, 2018
Throughout the chapters, Fleischman, brings Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain’s given name) to life through an exemplary amount of quotations, humor and factual evidence. The book also discusses his writing career and the excitement he brought to Calaveras County with his story of the jumping frog. The final chapter of the book brings the novel full circle discussing Mark Twain’s death. This novel is quite hefty for a middle school student to read therefore, the biography should be used for students in high school. The biography is a wonderful depiction of Mark Twain and provides information that is not as common, but the language is quite sophisticated and not enticing. A teaching technique that could be used for this book would be using it as an example of teaching biographies and finding resources for a research project.
September 3, 2018
This was an entertaining YA book about the life of Mark Twain. It was fascinating to learn of his experiences that played such a huge part in the stories and books he wrote. I laughed as I was entertained by some of his exploits, but also fascinated by other experiences he had. Twain experienced many tragic losses and learned many lessons through hard knocks of life, but he was successful in entertaining millions, even still today. I would highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in Mark Twain.
July 4, 2020
I listened to this book instead of reading it because I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy it. I don't know if I would have liked it if I had read it, but I felt like I was learning things I should know (by now...I'm a grownup). I never read the entire stories of Tom and Huck when I was supposed to read them as a student, but I knew enough that I was definitely able to enjoy hearing this story. Since I checked out the audio version, this book also helped me make a BINGO in a summer reading challenge I am participating in alongside the kids.
June 11, 2021
A very enjoyable and quick read. This book touches on Clemens' early life and really centers on his experiences in California and Utah. Much that I read I already knew, but one major point which was a new revelation to me was that Twain (Clemens) became famous as a speaker before he attempted the major writing projects for which we remember him. Flieschman is I think too quick to dismiss faith in Clemmens' mind and heart. There is no doubt he could not tolerate cant and hypocrisy but he admired and was drawn to honest faith. His beloved wife Livy was a staunch Christian and he honored her beliefs. But the absurdity of some Christians annoyed him profoundly. The two sides his religious perspective are perfectly presented in the opening portion of Huck Finn. The book gives a lot including the inclusion of "The Jumping Frog"
July 31, 2017
At first, I was thrown off by Fleischman's over-exaggerations of his life (not really knowing very much about Twain's known over-exaggerations in his own life), but when I read the Author's afterword I understood why he made the book into an over-the-top event. Twain who was a self-made man liked to joke, pump up his chest, and would be known to fib on occasion if that helped his story move along. This biography was gripping and made me appreciate Twain's work even more.
December 20, 2017
This was an odd but entertaining biography on Samuel Clements, aka Mark Twain. While I enjoyed reading, it's not something most older children/teens would benefit from in regard to learning enough about the famous author to write a biography report on. The information was there but it was delivered in a more story or tall-tale format, much like Twain himself would have written it. Points for creativity but negative marks for obfuscation.
August 3, 2017
Witty, hilarious and a rollicking fun read. Great way to get into the psyche of Mark Twain, his misadventures and how his life shaped his stories. Really entertaining but insightful read. Short enough that you can finish it off in a sitting.
October 27, 2021
The title is misleading. It's an biography about his whole life, not just when he spent time in the west. Overall it's a good biography and it includes lots of quotes and the essay about the Jumping Frog.
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