The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Gr 7 Up-In mid-1840s Missouri, rebellious Tom Sawyer plays pranks in an attempt to thwart the constraints of his aunt and society at large. Seemingly unable to stay out of trouble, Tom and Huckleberry Finn witness the murder of a young doctor at the hands of Injun Joe, the town bandit, and are exposed to the darker side of their quaint Midwest town. Confronted with the reality that life is not a game absent of consequences, Tom and Huck are challenged to abandon childish mischief and embrace maturity in order to save their lives. The book relies on Twain's text, and readers might struggle to comprehend the dialect of many of the characters. However, the artwork provides a sufficient guide. Mixing the simple, imaginative kodomomuke manga style with the action-adventure style of shojo manga, the visuals mirror Tom's transition from boy to man.