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Gr 3-6 Kerley and Fotheringham again craft a masterfully perceptive and largely visual biography, this time about the iconic 19th-century American writer. In pursuit of truth, Susy Clemens, age 13, vows to set the record straight about her beloved (and misunderstood) father and becomes his secret biographer. Kerley uses Susy's manuscript and snippets of wisdom and mirth from Twain's copious oeuvre as fodder for her story. The child's journal entries, reproduced in flowing handwritten, smaller folio inserts, add a dynamic and lovely pacing to the narrative, which includes little-k...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

At age thirteen, Susy Clemens wrote a biography of her father, Mark Twain, an undertaking that informs this unusual account covering both Susy as biographer and Twain as biographee. Kerley details Susy's process of writing about and observing her father ("She noted his habits. She described his fine qualities. She even described his not-so-fine qualities"), mentioning that Susy would often include primary sources (such as a silly po...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Thirteen-year-old Susy Clemens's biography of her father informs this account covering both biographer and biographee. Kerley details Susy...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Susy’s observations offer the reader insight into her father’s private life. Mark Twain’s charismatic personality shines through as Susy shares amusing anecdotes, such as the time her mother found him “roaring with laughter” over a book, only to discove...Log In or Sign Up to Read More