The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)

Image courtesy of Scholastic Press

Bibliography

Kerley, Barbara, and Ed Fotheringham. The Extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy). New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print. ISBN 978-0545125086

Plot Summary

Susy Clemens, the oldest daughter of Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain), writes this insider’s view of Samuel Clemens’ life. Through the lens of his daughter, we are shown a truthful look at Twain’s personality. She contrasts his public and private selves. A youth-accessible biography, The Extraordinary Mark Twain, renders the most important influences of Twain’s life. Among learning of his wife’s role in editing out inappropriate passages of Twain’s text and the children’s story times from Twain’s daily writings, readers learn many intriguing details that cast Mark Twain as a dynamic person.

Critical Analysis

Kerley writes of Mark Twain in a simple, yet elegant manner that people of all ages can appreciate. Excerpts of Susy’s journal are pieced into the center of each page layout, displaying a historically, charming rendition of the life and language of the time in the Twain home. Each layout details an entry of Susy’s journal. Children will be fortunate to have this book to journey into this lovingly, yet honestly written portrayal of Mark Twain. The book’s detailed, cartoon-like, color illustrations are brilliantly done with care to illustrate every tale of his lifestyle. Written with humor, surprise, emotion, and seriousness, the book is in perfect balance to maintain readers’ curiosity throughout. The bold coloring gives it an attractive flair, while the fonts, word choice, images, journal pages and scrolling pen work throughout beautifully allude to an earlier time in history.

Kerley’s use of the original manuscripts of Susy Clemens along with other primary source letters and biographies authenticates the accuracy of the quotations and narrative included. With a bit of intrigue built in the story, readers can also take in the author’s touching note about Twain and his daughter at the end. And if you happen to be a Mark Twain fan, it is imperative that you take in the end note. Just make sure you have tissue on hand! Kerley also provides how to instructions for kids wanting to write biographies of their own as well as source notes and a time line with a photograph of the family. You can tell through all the quality details of this book that Kerley and Fotheringham put their hearts into this artful biography.

Review Excerpts and Awards

2010 CYBILS Nonfiction Picture Book Award

Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Books Gold Award, California Reading Association

Winner of the Oregon Spirit Book Award for Nonfiction -- OCTE

Orbis Pictus Recommended Book

Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People

Notable Children’s Book in the English Language Arts

From School Library Journal: “Kerley and Fotheringham again craft a masterfully perceptive and largely visual biography, this time about the iconic 19th-century American writer.”

From Kirkus Reviews: “Edwin Fotheringham’s digital, old-fashioned–looking illustrations whimsically depict life in Twain’s household, from a cross-section of the family’s sprawling house to their menagerie of cats.”

From Publishers Weekly: “Kerley contextualizes the teenager’s admiring musings with vivid familial backdrops.”

Connections

Read all or portions of this book, emphasizing the way Twain read bits of his stories to his children in the evenings. Also, read aloud The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (ISBN 978-0486403496). Additionally read Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led her People to Freedom (ISBN 978-0786851751) and Henry’s Freedom Box: a True Story from the Underground Railroad (ISBN 978-0439777339).

Use as a resource for an author study.

Use the author’s guide to writing a bibliography. There is a printable version available at www. Barbarakerley.com/teachers.html.

Encourage children to journal as Susy did her family life.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was controversial at the time it was published and banned in many places. Have children study the political events of the time period to learn why. Students may create a newspaper featuring period news and a review of the book.