Mark Twain understood America's hopes and joys--and its fears too. From the big cities of the east to the wilds of the west, his words made it all come alive. We know Mark Twain as the creator of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, but it was so nearly not to be. As a boy, Twain lived by the banks of the Mississippi and dreamed of becoming a riverboat pilot, steering ships safely the length of America. When the Civil War brought his career to an end he picked up a pen instead. Children ages 6 to 11 will be delighted by the beautifully-illustrated story of how Mark Twain captured the spirit of America in its pioneering years, when the West was still wide open to exploration and anything was possible. Find out why he was a true hero of liberty: - Learn how Mark Twain got his pen name while piloting boats on the Mississippi River. - A work of art waiting on every page, crafted by a first-class international artist. - Explore key moments in his life that made Twain the author we know and love today.