“This affectionate if somewhat irreverent homage would probably win a chuckle from Twain himself” as pals tumble into Tom Sawyer (School Library Journal).
Sixth graders Devin and Frankie—short for Francine—are the greatest goof-offs in the history of their school. When their teacher tells them to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, they skip it. When there’s a surprise test on the novel, they hide. But when they accidentally drop the school’s prized Mark Twain autograph through the library’s magic metal detector, they find themselves transported to the world of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.
Soon these modern middle schoolers learn that being a troublemaker is timeless, as they whitewash a fence, run away from home, solve a murder mystery, become pirates, and search for hidden treasure along with Tom and Huck, the original slackers.
“Reminiscent of Mary Pope Osborne’s ‘Magic Tree House’ series, but for an older audience,” the second book in Tony Abbott’s Cracked Classics series is a perfect introduction to Mark Twain for reluctant readers (School Library Journal).
Over the last two decades, Tony Abbott has written dozens of mysteries, comics, and adventure books for young readers aged six to fourteen, with series including Danger Guys, the Time Surfers, the Weird Zone, Underworlds, Goofballs, and the long-running fantasy series the Secrets of Droon. He is also the author of the fantasy epic Kringle and the realistic novels Firegirl (winner of the 2006 Golden Kite Award for Fiction), The Postcard (winner of the 2008 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery), and Lunch-Box Dream. Among his latest novels is The Forbidden Stone, the first installment of the twelve-book saga the Copernicus Legacy. Tony has taught on the faculty of Lesley University’s MFA program in creative writing, is a frequent conference speaker and visitor to schools, and presents workshops to creative writers of all ages. His websites include www.tonyabbottbooks.com, www.thecopernicuslegacy.com, and the literary blog www.fridaybookreport.com.