46-1 (10)
release dates: November 13-19
Mini Spy . . .
TM
Mini Spy and Basset Brown are rafting on the Mississippi
River. See if you can find: • exclamation mark • frog
• chicken
• alligator • number 8 • fish hook
• bat
• number 6 • bandage
• question
• word MINI • whale
• pencil
mark
• squirrel • letter B • paintbrush • heart
© 2010 Universal Uclick
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Happy 175th Birthday!
Meet Mark Twain
Have you ever heard of a couple
of boys named Tom Sawyer and
Huckleberry Finn? These two
characters were brought to life in the
late 1800s by author Mark Twain.
In his famous books “The Adventures
of Tom Sawyer” and “Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn,” Twain gave readers
of all ages a look at what life was like
for kids living near the Mississippi
River in the 19th century.
Mark Twain was born on Nov. 30,
1835. His 175th birthday is coming up
this month. The Mini Page celebrates
by learning more about Mark Twain
and some of his best-loved writings.
After his father died in 1847,
12-year-old Sam went to work
as a printer for the Missouri
Courier newspaper in Hannibal.
Sam would hold a small stick,
called a compositor’s stick, in
one hand and drop in metal
letters to spell out words. The
words were set backward,
so that they would be printed
forward on the page.
Once the lines of a story were
complete, the compositor would
lock the sticks into a frame the
size of a newspaper page. Then
ink was put onto the type, and
paper was pressed onto the wet
ink.
In this photo, 15-year-old Sam
is holding his compositor’s stick
with his name spelled on it.
A sign in the sky?
TM
photo courtesy Mark Twain Project, The Bancroft Library,
University of California, Berkeley
Sam’s family and childhood along the river
Sam was the sixth of seven children
born to John and Jane Clemens.
However, only Sam, his older brother,
Orion, and his older sister, Pamela,
lived into adulthood.
The family moved to Hannibal, Mo.,
on the banks of the Mississippi River,
when Sam was 4.
For a little boy, the river was
nothing but fun: Unusual people,
chugging boats and tempting cargo
to explore kept Sam and his friends
busy. Many of the experiences he had
as a child became stories in his books,
including some of his real friends and
family members.
Film Frame Otto Thorwarth © Disney
Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved
Otto Thorwarth plays jockey Ron Turcotte
in the Disney movie “Secretariat.” He is a
jockey in a real life, too.
Otto began a part-time job walking horses
at a racetrack when he was 16. He hadn’t
planned on becoming a jockey, but he got
along so well with the horses that he began
riding them.
After graduating from high school, he went
to a ranch in Texas, where he learned to work with horses and
how to ride them properly. He later began working as a jockey.
Since then, he has had more than 1,300 wins in horse races.
He has also trained as an EMT, or emergency medical
technician.
Otto, 40, was born in Hot Springs, Ark.
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Sam’s Life
A new direction
Exploring the west
Sam worked as a printer in
different cities for almost 10 years.
But working on the Mississippi River,
where he had had so much fun as a
child, was an exciting idea for him.
Before railroads and airplane flight,
rivers were important to business
and travel. Young men looked up to
glamorous steamboat pilots.
Sam and his brother, Orion,
headed west for Carson City, Nev.
Sam worked as a silver miner for a
time. In 1862 he moved to Virginia
City, Nev., to write for The Territorial
Enterprise.
At this newspaper, Sam Clemens
first used the name Mark Twain.
Sam Clemens and his family on the
He got the name from his riverboat
porch of their home in Hartford, Conn.,
in 1885. Left to right: Clara, Olivia, Jean,
days, when a marked rope helped
pilots judge how deep the water was. Sam and Susy. Their dog was named
Hash.
“Twain” meant “two,” so “mark twain”
Marriage
and family
meant two fathoms, or 12 feet.
While
on
his
long journey, Sam
California and beyond
met and became friends with Charley
Sam later wrote for The San
Langdon, a young man from New
Francisco Call and The Sacramento
York. Langdon showed Sam a picture
Union in California. He was sent to
of his sister, Olivia. After Sam and
Hawaii by the Union and returned to Charley returned home, Sam met
give lectures about his trip.
her. In 1870, when Sam was 34, they
Next he sailed to Europe and the
were married.
Middle East with more than 100
Sam and Olivia (Livy) had four
other passengers. His stories of this
children: Langdon (who died as a
trip were later gathered in his book
baby), Susy, Clara and Jean. Only
“The Innocents Abroad.”
Clara lived to old age.
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Supersport: Ryan Succop
Height: 6-2 Weight: 218 Hometown: Hickory, N.C.
Ryan Succop’s hopes of getting drafted by a National Football League
team had almost flickered out. Then, with the final overall pick, Kansas City
chose the former University of South Carolina placekicker.
As the 256th player chosen in 2009, he automatically was called “Mr.
Irrelevant” — the “not-important” name forever attached to the last man
selected in each year’s draft.
It turns out that Succop is neither the last nor the least member on the Chiefs’ team, but
rather a key player. In fact, Succop is one of the most successful specialists in the NFL.
As a rookie in 2009, he converted 25 of his 29 field goal attempts, an 86.2 percent
accuracy rate. His longest field goal sailed 53 yards and he was a perfect 17-for-17 inside 40
yards. He also booted all 29 of his extra points, led NFL rookies in scoring (104 points), and
landed on the All-Rookie Team. Mr. Irrelevant? No way.
Succop starred at South Carolina as a placekicker and punter while earning a degree in
finance and real estate. One day he might work in those fields, but if he keeps kicking the
way he did as a rookie, Ryan could be in the NFL for a long time.
You’ll need:
Dressing:
• 1 cup bulgur
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
3
• /4 cup boiling water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup boiling chicken broth • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped pistachios
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
What to do:
1. Combine the bulgur with the boiling water and broth. Let bulgur stand for
40 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
2. Next, stir in the raisins.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and spices. Add to
the bulgur mixture and chill for 1 hour.
4. Remove from refrigerator, stir in pistachios, and wait to serve at room
temperature. Makes 4 to 6 side servings.
You will need an adult’s help with this recipe.
*Bulgur is a whole grain with a high nutritional value, making it a good substitute
for rice or couscous. It can be found in the natural food aisle of your grocery store.
When he was 22, Sam became an
apprentice, or beginner, river pilot.
Two years later he was a licensed pilot.
Sam guided boats up and down the
Mississippi River until 1861, when
the Civil War began. Both North and
South wanted control of the river, so
there was much fighting along the
way. Riverboat traffic almost stopped.
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Twain’s Tales
The famous author
Even though Sam Clemens grew
up in a slave-holding state, he grew
to be strongly against racism. His
book “Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn,” published in 1885, is about a
young white boy who helps a black
slave, Jim, escape by floating away
on the Mississippi River on a raft.
Sam also argued for better
copyright laws. His writings were
often printed again and again in
different magazines and newspapers,
and he didn’t receive any money
from those reprints. He spoke before
Congress and the House of Lords in
England about strengthening the
laws that protect works of art.
Later life
Sam visited
Hannibal and
his boyhood
home for the
last time in
1902.
There are many stories by and about Mark Twain. We have room
to share just a few of them here. Read more at your library or online!
Helping others
At Yale University, Sam met a
young black student named Warner
T. McGuinn. When he found out that
McGuinn was working three jobs
and living with the Yale carpenter, he
secretly paid McGuinn’s school fees.
Twain said: “We have ground
the manhood out of them [African
Americans], and the shame is ours,
not theirs …”
Later McGuinn became a lawyer
and a mentor, or teacher, to
Thurgood Marshall, the first African
American to serve on the U.S.
Supreme Court.
Actual adventures
Tom Sawyer and his friends got
into some trouble that must have
sounded familiar to people who knew
Sam. For example, Tom’s brother
Sid (based on Sam’s brother Henry)
broke Aunt Polly’s sugar bowl (just
as Henry broke his mother’s), with
Tom (Sam) taking the blame.
Tom’s exploration of the river,
Jackson’s Island and Cardiff Hill are
based on Sam’s childhood, too.
Nicknames
Olivia Clemens often called her
husband “Youth” because of his
In 1904, his wife, Livy, died in
adventurous spirit. In turn, Sam
Florence, Italy. Sam lived in New York called her “Gravity” because she kept
City and then in Connecticut, where
him grounded.
he died in 1910 — the year Halley’s
Next
week, The Mini Page celebrates
comet appeared again in the sky!
photo courtesy Mark Twain
Boyhood Home & Museum
Thanksgiving with a story about spices.
What a character!
“The Adventures
of Tom Sawyer”
is filled with
memorable
characters — most
based on Sam
and his family
and friends. For
instance:
• Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer as was mostly Sam,
shown in the first with three other
edition of the book friends thrown in.
• Becky Thatcher was based on
Laura Hawkins, who lived across the
street from Sam. They were lifelong
friends.
• Injun Joe was based on Joe
Douglass, a half-Osage Indian, halfAfrican American man in Hannibal.
A place to write
Mark
Twain did
a lot of his
writing
in this
octagonal
(eight-sided)
study at
Quarry Farm in Elmira, N.Y. The
farm was the home of Olivia’s sister
and her family.
The Mini Page thanks Cindy Lovell,
executive director of the Mark Twain
Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, Mo.,
for help with this issue.
The Mini Page Staff
Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist
!
EW
N
The Mini Page®
Book of States
The Mini Page’s popular series of issues about each state is collected
here in a 156-page softcover book. Conveniently spiral-bound for ease
of use, this invaluable resource contains A-to-Z facts about each state,
along with the District of Columbia. Illustrated with colorful photographs
and art, and complete with updated information, The Mini Page Book of
States will be a favorite in classrooms and homes for years to come.
photo courtesy Cindy Lovell, Mark Twain
Boyhood Home & Museum
Strong opinions
TM
photo courtesy Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
A Mark Twain scholar calls him
“our first celebrity.” Twain’s lectures
and books were very popular. His
writing influenced, or affected,
people all over the world.
He was known as a humorist,
but most of his writing had serious
themes, too.
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Bravo for Bulgur*
Meet Otto Thorwarth
TM
Rookie Cookie’s Recipe
photo courtesy The Mark Twain House & Museum
Mark Twain’s real name was
Samuel Langhorne Clemens. He was
born in the town of Florida, Mo., two
months early, and he was sick for
much of his early
childhood.
In the fall of
1835, Halley’s comet
appeared in the sky
over North America.
This comet comes
Halley’s comet
close to Earth only
about every 76 years. Sam’s mother
hoped the comet signaled that he was
charmed, or lucky.
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
All the following jokes have something in common.
Can you guess the common theme or category?
Peggy: Who is the smartest pig in the world?
Pete: Ein-swine!
Patrick: How are the letter K and a pig’s tail
alike?
Paula: They both come at the end of pork!
Percy: What do you call a pig that is mean
and nasty?
Patton: Despigable!
Brown
Bassetews
N
e
h
T
’s
Hound
TM
from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Mark Twain
try ’n
find
Words that remind us of Mark Twain are hidden in the block below. Some
words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice.
See if you can find: ADVENTURE, BOOK, CLEMENS, CONNECTICUT,
COPYRIGHT, FAMILY, FUN, HALLEY, HUCK, HUMOR, MARK, MINER,
MISSISSIPPI, MISSOURI, PRINTER, RIVERBOAT, SAMUEL, SLAVERY,
TOM, TRAVEL, TWAIN.B J W A C O N N E C T I C U T
Tom tells
tall tales!
M
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from The Mini Page © 2010 Universal Uclick
Ready Resources
The Mini Page provides ideas for websites,
books or other resources that will help you learn
more about this week’s topics.
On the Web:
• www.marktwainmuseum.org
• www.marktwainhouse.org/students/homework_help.php
• www.pbs.org/marktwain/scrapbook/index.html
At the library:
• “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Prince and
the Pauper” by Mark Twain
• “River Boy: The Story of Mark Twain” by William
Anderson
To order, send $15.99 ($19.99 Canada) plus $5 postage and handling for each copy. Make
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