School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 9 Up-All the highwater tales of Huck's journey are in this abridged versionÄhis faked death, the Jackson Island sojourn, the Grangerford-Shepherdson feud, the Duke and the King, and his reunion with Tom Sawyer. Along the way, we are treated to a sensual feast of the sights, smells, and rhythms of the Mississippi River and the humanistic education of Huck that culminates in his assisting in Jim's escape. The familiar adventures of Huck and runaway slave Jim's odyssey on a raft floating down the Mississippi have been well documented previously in audio format with noted versions read by Ed Begley, Will Wheaton (both from Dove), and the 1985 Grammy nominated Durkin Hayes production read by Dick Cavett. This version, beautifully read by actor Mike McShane, is a wonderful contribution to the recorded Twain canon. McShane handles multiple characterizations well, but excels in Huck's folksy narrative voice and Jim's understated power and dignity. School and public libraries should not miss this excellent rendition.-Barry X. Miller, Austin Public Library, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 5 Up-The St. Charles Players superbly present the essence of Mark Twain's 1884 classic in this Radio Theatre rendition. With an 18-person cast, they retell the story in a variety of voices, using many of the author's original words as well as adding their own narrative and conversation. This audio version allows youngsters to learn of Huckleberry's trip down the Mississippi on a raft in the company of the (allegedly) runaway slave Jim without bogging them down with hard to understand dialect or offensive words. The style is reminiscent of the Golden Years of Radio drama, with original music and sound effects accompanying the dramatic telling. The aural quality is good, with clear enunciation. Although the action follows the book commendably and includes all the events of major importance, this cannot be used as a read-along version. This is not a drawback, but rather a means of enticing younger students to become acquainted with Twain's work. It would appeal to teachers or librarians who are looking for a lively way to introduce the classics. For older students, also consider Trafalgar Square's three-hour The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Sept. 2000, p. 84).-Joanne K. Hammond, Chambersburg Area Middle School, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This paperback release of the restored edition of Finn includes four previously unknown episodes discovered in 1990 when the first half of the original handwritten manuscript was unearthed (Classic Returns, LJ 4/15/96). It also includes the original illustrations and reproductions of 29 original pages. Considering the book's importance to American letters, this complete edition is essential for all libraries. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

With at least six unabridged recordings of Huckleberry Finn already available, what can another recording possibly offer that is new? The answer is plenty. For starters, this is apparently the only set of tapes to include a long passage known as the "raft chapter," which Twain reluctantly removed from the book's first edition. Restoration of that passage not only repairs the novel's disrupted continuity, it adds a specimen of 19th-century Southwestern humor and some of the most outrageous boasting ever preserved in print. It's a delight made all the more so by Patrick Fraley's reading, performed in a way never attempted before: in the voice of a teenage Huck, the story's narrator. Along the way, he gives individual voices to more than 100 characters. This type of reading can be a gamble; if it fails, the results may be unlistenable. However, Fraley succeeds brilliantly, adding dimensions not possible in standard readings. This masterpiece will make an ideal addition to any audio collection and is essential for libraries patronized by young readers.--R. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The editors of this handsome volume have produced the first completely accurate edition of Huckleberry Finn by restoring the book's dialects as ``pains-takingly'' as Twain wrote them. This is an impressive scholarly achievement, but documenting the massive effort made to correct the text consumes nearly 200 pages. The editors' decision to restore the ``raft episode'' (removed by Twain and placed in Life on the Mississippi ) is questionable, for the interpolated tale lacks the power of the familiar episodes and serves to dilute the dramatic tension. Blair's introduction provides an enlightening examination of seven years of influences on the novel, and Fischer's textual history will interest scholars and informed laypersons.-- Frank Pisano, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Fiction: O Seventeen full-color plates illustrate the classic exploits of Huck Finn and Jim, the runaway slave, as they raft down the Mississippi River. Kellogg's familiar illustrative style seems young for the intended audience. Horn Rating: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration. Reviewed by: aed (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Twain's classic novel describes the exploits of young Huckleberry Finn as he escapes his hometown and travels down the Mississippi River on a raft with escaped slave Jim. They encounter folks of all walks of life and repeatedly save one another from danger as they travel the American South. Eric G. Dove provides solid narration in this audio edition. Although his raspy, deep voice doesn't quite capture the youthful Huck and his naivete, Dove delivers a lively performance that boasts unique character voices and believable accents. And his pacing is perfect throughout: it's appropriate to the material and more than able to hold listener attention. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Fiction: Y Horn Rating: Unacceptable in style, content, and/or illustration. Reviewed by: as (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Though numerous editions of Twain's 1885 novel abound, this is the first to incorporate four previously unknown episodes discovered in 1990 when the first half of the original handwritten manuscript was unearthed. This edition also includes the original illustrations as well as photos of 29 original pages and notes by Twain scholar Victor Doyno. All this at a reasonable price makes Random's comprehensive edition of Huckleberry Finn essential for all libraries. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Choice
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

No other American writer has been served so competently or so successfully in the publication of sound texts as has Samuel L. Clemens by the Mark Twain Project of the Bancroft Library of the University of California in Berkeley. Eleven volumes in the Mark Twain Papers are in print, and this is the eighth in the "Works of Mark Twain" series. Like the others, it is a model of modern textual scholarship, but it represents as well a special peak of accomplishment. Not only are we given the first soundly edited text of Twain's American masterpiece Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, produced by a team of editors headed by the dean of Twain scholars, Walter Blair, but a cornucopia of material to enlighten everyone about the origins and composition of the text, including illustrations, maps, explanatory notes, a glossary, textual notes, and five appendixes of such documentary material as the author's working notes, his revisions for public readings, and contemporary advertisements for the book's publication. Everything that scholars, students, and readers will ever want to know seems to be here. This and the other volumes are essential purchases for libraries of all levels. -M. T. Inge, Randolph-Macon College

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 7 Up-Two American classics transport listeners to Twain's Missouri with the mischievous antics of Tom Sawyer and the less savory, but equally appealing, jaunts of Huckleberry Finn. With characters drawn from his hometown, Twain's tales reveal the 19th-century culture, yet remain current. The boys' conquests range from Tom saving himself and his delicate sweetheart from a deep cave to Huck rafting down the Mississippi with a runaway slave and two con men. While far from perfect, the titular teens are never mean-spirited, and their misbehavior is often humorous. Narrator Eric G. Dove takes on roles from sweet, young Becky Thatcher to mean Injun Joe with clear dialect and country accents. This high-quality sound recording is a natural way to introduce Twain to students with one caution: the N-word, common in that era, is found in both novels. These recordings are useful additions to middle and high school libraries and solid components in any public library collection.-Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 7 Up-Mark Twain's classic and much assigned novel of boyhood and interracial issues in the Antebellum South is skillfully read Dick Hill. While both Twain and Hill work to keep accents differentiating race, class, and locality clear and consistent, Hill doesn't always manage to adhere to the pitches he creates for individual characters who share gender and age. However, his pacing nicely suits the story and demonstrates its richness for young readers who are often put off by the spelling and locutions Twain employed to provide an accurate record of the time and place. The visual aspect of this package, however, may have difficulty finding a broad audience. Each page of text, illustrated with the Edward Kemble drawings that appeared in the book's original published form, appear onscreen as they are voiced. This leads to a static quality unlikely to engage today's visually sophisticated youth, while reducing the details of Kemble's work by placing it beyond the field of intimacy an individual holding the book can enjoy. Also, because this novel continues to receive criticism for its use of the "N" word, seeing and hearing it simultaneously may cause a some problems. Collection planning for the inclusion of this type of "visual" audiobook is suggested.-Francisca Goldsmith, Halifax Public Libraries, Nova Scotia, Canada (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Horn Book
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

These abridged editions retain some of the flavor of the original books while removing archaic or now offensive words and losing many of the details and vibrancy that make these works classics. With the glorified plot summaries as their introductions to literature, young readers may not want to read the originals. The black-and-white illustrations are also bland. [Review covers these Calico Chapter Books: Calico Illustrated Classics titles: Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Daniel Defoe's The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, Howard Pyle's King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.] Copyright 2010 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Gr. 7-10. Generations have enjoyed this robust, insightful story, which has been the basis for several movies, the Broadway musical Big River, and featured recently on public television.

School Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr 7 Up-Actor Thomas Becker has narrated many of Twain's stories previously for Commuters Library. His reading here is smooth, and his voice is clear and energetic. Southern accents are easy to understand, and the dialect complete with poor grammar flows naturally. Although he does not give a distinct voice to each character, there are many changes of speech to reflect the different age, sex, and race of the speakers. For the women's voices, he tends to use a falsetto. Becker is a master at knowing when to emphasize words and how to show emotion with his voice. He also understands when to cut back so that Twain's subtle humor can come through on its own. This required standard of American literature is brought to life for students. A wonderful selection for school libraries.-Claudia Moore. W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.