Tom Sawyer seems to be the precursor of and the template for misfit kids such as Dennis the Menace, Malcolm in the Middle, and Calvin and Hobbs. What makes this story great is that Tom Sawyer represents everything that is great about childhood. The book is filled with Tom's adventures playing pirates and war with his friend Joe Harper. Tom has a trusted friend, Huck Finn, who few of the adults approve of. The book is filled with ideas of how the world works, such as how pirates and robbers work, that are so innocent, they could only come from a child. It is a story filled with action, adventure, ingenious ideas, love, and schoolyard politics. The whole story is seemingly a complication of what people did or wish they did during their childhood.
The book is a little difficult to read at first. Personally, it takes me a little while to get used to the 19th century dialect in the book. Other than referring to persons of African decent in derogatory terms (which I'm sure uses terms even young children already know), the book would be an enjoyable read for people of all ages. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to feel young again, if just for a few hundred pages.
Form this book I know the story is about a twelve-year-old boy called Tom Sawyer, who lives with his Aunt Polly, his brother, Sid, also known as Sidney, and cousin Mary, in the Mississippi River town of St Petersburg, Missouri. Tom doesn't like to go to school and often tries to find some reasons to skip school. When Aunt Polly asks him to paint as a punishment, he is so disappointed at first, but Tom soon cleverly persuades his friends to trade him a large marble for the privilege of doing his work happily.
Tom fall in love with Rebecca Becky Thatcher, a new girl in town, and persuades her to get “engaged” to him at lunchtime of her first day in school. Their love is ruined when she learns that Tom has been engaged to another girl before.
Tom’s friend Huck Finn, the town drunk’s son, asks Tom to meet him at the graveyard at midnight, to try out a “cure” for warts with his dead cat. And when they are there, they come across the murder Dr. Robinson by Injun Joe during a grave robbing attempt. Muff Potter, also took part of the robbing, became a scapegoat for Injun Joe. Tom and Huck run away quickly, they were scared and swear a blood oath not to tell anyone what they have seen.
Tom, Huck, and another friend, Joe Harper, decide to run away from St. Petersburg to Jackson’s Island, in the middle of the Mississippi. There they live the life of pirates, playing day and night. They enjoy their new-found freedom, but after a few days the boys begin to miss their family and want to go back.
Finally the boys finish their life of pirates and return to the town on their own funeral, this surprises all the people especially Aunt Polly, and after this she treats him much more kind, and Tom’s life back to before, maybe a little better. They become the envy and admiration of all their friends.
Back in school, Tom gets himself back in Becky’s favor after he accepts the blame for a book that she has torn.
Soon the murder trial comes on in the court, Tom feels uneasy and guilty. On one side, he is afraid of Injun Joe, so he doesn’t tell the truth to anyone, but on another side, he feels sorry to Muff Potter, because he knows he is innocent, so he always wants to do something for him. On the last day of the trial, Tom is called as a surprise witness, and he fingers Injun Joe with the crime. The fact is clear but Joe jumps out of the window and run away. This makes Tom feel very frightened.
When Tom and Huck are digging for hidden treasure, they find Injun