The Mark Twain You Never Knew

by Greg Copeland (Illustrator), James Lincoln Collier

Presents the life of Mark Twain, a steamboat pilot who became the great American humorist and writer of the 19th century, combining present day and period illustrations.

80 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an informative and interesting mini-biography on Samuel Clements, more commonly known as Mark Twain. This would have been a nearly perfect early biography for elementary and middle age students if it hadn't ended rather abruptly; falling flat on detailing the author's later years.

[Tami · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy indendent biography read for 3rd/4th Grade. Of all the Twain biographies I read (4, total)in juvenile biography this one had the best information regarding his approach to writing and includes a fantastic, age-appropriate 3-4 paragraph description of Twain's masterpiece Huckleberry Finn and why it is important in literature.

This book also does the best job of identifying why Twain is so uniquely American and so significant in American literature.

The print is larger and it is the size of a smaller picture book which will help independent readers choose this biography as opposed to another they may think appears too daunting. I recommend it as an elementary/beginning resource for children and adults.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collier’s use of narratives finds particular life in this biography of a narrative master. We see Twain as an author, permanent shaper of popular culture, quote machine, and as the man behind the legend. This book is a companion not only to a Twain novel, but to history courses that explore the identity of America itself.