Tom Sawyer Abroad – Hot Air Balloon Book by Mark Twain

This rollicking adventure novel brings back Twain’s best-loved characters–Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and the freed slave Jim–for a balloon trip around the world. Escaping civilization and Aunt Polly once again, this lively tale of far-off exploits is, as Twain wrote, “a story that will not only interest boys but any man who has ever been a boy, which immensely enlarges the audience.” The book’s comic tall tales and bold escapades are punctuated by a series of animated conversations among the three friends on topics that include the Crusades, religious toleration, racial discrimination, the limitations of maps, and the fine art of cursing. Tom and Jim rescue a child from brigands. Jim finds himself alone atop the Sphinx with an American flag. Adventure, burlesque, and serious commentary on society and its failings make Tom Sawyer Abroad an engaging and memorable book. Age appropriate:  9-11;  304 pages; Hardback