THE CHARACTER Tom Sawyer is a creation of the master storyteller and humorist Mark Twain, who also gave us "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, as well as many other books. Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835, and grew up in Hannibal, Missouri a frontier town on the Mississippi River.

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One of American literature"s best-loved classics, this entertaining tale about a good "bad boy" has thrilled generations of readers since it was first published in 1876. Tom Sawyer chronicles the escapades of a mischievous but well-meaning young lad who--in Twain"s words--"was not the Model Boy of the village. He knew the model boy very well though--and hated him."

As Tom bounds along from one adventure to another, usually just one step ahead of calamity, readers are introdueed to a colorful cast of characters, among them Tom"s frazzled Aunt Polly, his girlfriend, Becky Thatcher; Huek Finn, Tom"s cohort in boyish intrigues; Injun Joe, a cold-blooded murderer; and other mem orable figures.

All come vividly to life in a delightfully picturesque, well-told tale that recreatesthe rnagic of boyhood in a small Missouri town over a hundred years ago. Here is Tom and his clever scheme to get Polly"s fence whitewashed; making a bloodcurdling discovery in the town graveyard; starring in an exciting courtroom scene in which he "returns from the dead," and involved in many other exciting incidents and adventures. Rich in humor and exciting action, this carefully abridged version will not only captivate young readers with its childhood fantasies but will also rekindle nostalgic memories for countless adults.

1. Tom Whitewashes a Fence.

2. Tom Meets Becky Thatcher.

3. Adventure in the Graveyard

4. Life as a Pirate

5. Muff Potter"s Trial

6. Hunting for Treasure

7. The Cave

8. Finding Treasure