Lawson, Jessica The Actual and Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher, 215 p. Simon, 2014.
Tom Sawyer is a whiny teacher’s pet and Becky Thatcher is Mark Twain’s real inspiration for the character of Tom in his famous novel, in this origin story by Jessica Lawson. Every person who inspired a Twain character is quite different in this “historical” look at the town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, where Twain stopped after the steamboat he was captaining caught on fire. Becky is a spunky, rebellious girl who works against the stereotypes of her day. She will do whatever she has to in order to keep up with the boys in town. When she gets caught up in a grave-robbing mystery, her only thought is to find the criminals, not worrying about whether her life might be in danger.
If you can get a modern student to read a historically set book, this is a romp. Becky is admirable heroine. Adults who have read a variety of Twain’s work will appreciate this more as Lawson weaves in origins to various stories. It might work best as a bedtime read aloud for an older child, or as a gift for a mature 4th or 5th grade reader.
EL, MS - OPTIONAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
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