Mississippi River Blues

This affectionate if somewhat irreverent homage would probably win a chuckle from Twain himself as pals tumble into Tom Sawyer (School Library Journal). Sixth graders Devin and Frankieshort for Francineare the greatest goof-offs in the history of their school. When their teacher tells them to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, they skip it. When theres a surprise test on the novel, they hide. But when they accidentally drop the schools prized Mark Twain autograph through the librarys magic metal detector, they find themselves transported to the world of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Soon these modern middle schoolers learn that being a troublemaker is timeless, as they whitewash a fence, run away from home, solve a murder mystery, become pirates, and search for hidden treasure along with Tom and Huck, the original slackers. Reminiscent of Mary Pope Osbornes Magic Tree House series, but for an older audience, the second book in Tony Abbotts Cracked Classics series is a perfect introduction to Mark Twain for reluctant readers (School Library Journal).