Book Review – THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN (ACCORDING TO SUSY)

1.       BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kerley, Barbara. 2010. THE EXTRAORDINARY MARK TWAIN (ACCORDING TO SUSY).  Ill by Edwin Fotheringham. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.  ISBN 978-0545125086

2.       PLOT SUMMARY

Starting from a real diary written by Mark Twain’s thirteen-year-old daughter Susy, author Barbara Kerley creates a clever picture book biography that captures the famous author’s life and personality from a unique viewpoint.  Details of Twain’s private life are especially revealing, given that teenage girls are known for their candor.  The book includes author’s notes on Samuel and Susy Clemens, notes on “writing an extraordinary biography” by the author, a Mark Twain timeline, and a list of sources.

3.       CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The book is a blend of actual passages from Susy’s diary (reproduced here as mini-journals tucked between most pages), quotes of Twain’s as recorded in the diary, and the author’s own additions.  The portrait is made even more poignant by the author’s note mentioning that the real Susy died when she was 24 from spinal meningitis, and describing the devastating effects on Twain.  Also noteworthy is Twain’s reaction to finding the biography, which he examined with “deep pleasure” and his admiration of how she didn’t “cover up one’s deficiencies but gave them an equal showing with one’s handsomer qualities”, a quality shared with all good biographies.  The book is a unique title, effectively blending several voices to bring a new insight into the famous author’s character.

The illustrations by Edwin Fotheringham were done in digital media, and use a color palate appropriate for the era.  They capture several private moments well, and enhance the text by giving warmth to the characters and their relationships.  There are several instances where the pictures give visual hints of handwriting and cursive flourishes.  The final image of young Susy pulling on Twain’s famous mustache while he smiles captures the love and mutual admiration.

4.       REVIEW EXCERPTS

Reviewed in PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY: “(An) accessible and inventive vision of an American legend.”

Reviewed in SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Kerley and Fotheringham again craft a masterfully perceptive and largely visual biography, this time about the iconic 19th-century American writer.” 

5.       CONNECTIONS

The official site can be found HERE.

http://www.barbarakerley.com/Susy.html

Another book by this award winning team:

Kerley, Barbara. WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE?: HOW ALICE ROOSEVELT BROKE THE RULES, CHARMED THE WORLD, AND DROVE HER FATHER TEDDY CRAZY! 978-0439922319

This book will make an excellent addition to studies of THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, or any other Mark Twain book.  It would also make a fine introduction into how create an effective biography.