The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West

Fleischman, Sid. The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West. New York : Greenwillow Books, 2008.

Plot: Fleischman focuses on the life of Mark Twain before the literary mastermind became well known. The son of a perpetually luckless man, Twain spend many of his formative years getting in and out of trouble. Eventually, he moved west with his brother, although neither ever received the legendary gold or silver supposedly lining the countryside. To avoid poverty, the former riverboat pilot took a variety of odd jobs, including a newspaper reporter. Eventually, his stories, written in the drawl of his native county, brought the country laughter. His fame only grew when he started public lectures. Eventually, he graduated to the novels making him world-renowned, although his fame outlasted his actual success.

Genre: History, Biography

Reading Level: Grades 4-9. Caution: some diction may be overly complex for less experienced readers.

Similar Titles: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, Tom Sawyer

Personal Thoughts: Much of the text seemed to follow Twain's own style of writing. Instead of making the book endearing, however, the diction made the novel difficult to read. Additionally, some important aspects of Twain's life, particularly the publications and responses to Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, remain omitted. The text could gain important sympathy and significance if Fleischman noted the controversy surrounding the novels at their publication, particularly in light of the controversies surrounding them in modern times. Twain's later life also fails to find mention. As a result, the first half of Mark Twain's seventy-four year life finds ample description, while Fleischman attempts to shove the remainder in the last chapter.

The book includes a copy of The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Country and a timeline of Samuel Clemen's life.