One of the most popular and influential American novels, charting the escapades of a 13-year-old boy growing up on the banks of the Mississippi Testing the patience of his Aunt Polly, the bold and sharp-witted Tom Sawyer frequently skips school in search of excitement, and the scrapes he gets into with his friend Huckleberry Finn range from innocent japes to more serious events such as the witnessing of a murder. Mark Twain"s masterpiece is at the same time a highly entertaining romp which celebrates youth and freedom and a more profound investigation of his times, touching on themes such as race, revenge, and slavery.