The Prince and the Pauper

by Jane E. Gerver

Overview

Tom Canty has always wanted to be rich, until he meets the Prince of Wales - and they switch places! Tom quickly finds out that being rich and powerful isn't nearly as fun as he'd hoped. Now he wants his old life back, but the real prince has disappeared! This timeless classic by Mark Twain makes another excellent addition to the Step into Classics line.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307800206
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	11/30/2011
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Jane E. Gerver is the author and illustrator of numerous books for young readers. She’s also adapted several classics, such as Jane Eyre and The Prince and the Pauper, to help introduce children to literature.

Read an Excerpt

Set in sixteenth-century England, Mark Twain’s classic “tale for young people of all ages” features two identical-looking boys—a prince and a pauper—who trade clothes and step into each other’s lives. While the urchin, Tom Canty, discovers luxury and power, Prince Edward, dressed in rags, roams his kingdom and experiences the cruelties inflicted on the poor by the Tudor monarchy. As Christopher Paul Curtis observes in his Introduction, The Prince and the Pauper is “funny, adventurous, and exciting, yet also chock-full of . . . exquisitely reasoned harangues against society’s ills.”
This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the Mark Twain Project edition, which is the approved text of the Center for Scholarly Editions of the Modern Language Association.

Author Biography: Christopher Paul Curtis, winner of the Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award, is the author of The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 and Bud, Not Buddy. He is currently at work on a novel entitled Bucking the Sarge.

Table of Contents

I.	The Birth of The Prince and the Pauper	23
II.	Toms Early Life	27
III.	Tom's Meeting with the Prince	37
IV.	The Prince's Troubles begin	49
V.	Tom as a Patrician	57
VI.	Tom receives Instructions	73
VII.	Tom's First Royal Dinner	89
VIII.	The Question of the Seal	97
IX.	The River Pageant	103
X.	The Prince in the Toils	109
XI.	At Guildhall	123
XII.	The Prince and His Deliverer	133
XIII.	The Disappearence of the Prince	151
XIV.	"Le R oi est mort--Vive le R oi"	161
XV.	Tom as King	179
XVI.	The State Dinner	195
XVII.	Foo-Foo the First	203
XVIII.	The Prince with the Tramps	223
XIX.	The Prince with the Peasants	237
XX.	The Prince and the Hermit	247
XXI.	Hendon to the Rescue	259
XXII.	A Victim of Treachery	269
XXIII.	The Prince a Prisoner	281
XXIV.	The Escape	289
XXV.	Hendon Hall	295
XXVI.	Disowned	309
XXVII.	In Prison	317
XXVIII.	The Sacrifice	333
XXIX.	To London	341
XXX.	Tom's Progress	347
XXXI.	The Recognition Procession	353
XXXII.	Coronation Day	365
XXXIII.	Edward as King	385
	Conclusion: Justice and Retribution	399
	Notes	405

Reading Group Guide

Set in sixteenth-century England, Mark Twain’s classic “tale for young people of all ages” features two identical-looking boys—a prince and a pauper—who trade clothes and step into each other’s lives. While the urchin, Tom Canty, discovers luxury and power, Prince Edward, dressed in rags, roams his kingdom and experiences the cruelties inflicted on the poor by the Tudor monarchy. As Christopher Paul Curtis observes in his Introduction, The Prince and the Pauper is “funny, adventurous, and exciting, yet also chock-full of . . . exquisitely reasoned harangues against society’s ills.”

This Modern Library Paperback Classic is set from the Mark Twain Project edition, which is the approved text of the Center for Scholarly Editions of the Modern Language Association.

1. The Prince and the Pauper is set in sixteenth-century Tudor England during the reign of Henry VIII. This time was marked by a great social and economic disparity between the rich and the poor. How does Twain tackle this issue in the novel? What did you learn from this time period about democracy and monarchy?

2. Some might say Miles Hendon acts as the "hero" in this novel. What heroic qualities does he possess? Is he lacking any that prevent him from being a true hero?

3. What are some of the similarities between Tom's and Edward's lives? What makes the other's life more appealing to Tom and Edward, respectively? How do they grow through their experiences?

4. In the novel, children believe that Edward is the king while the adults do not. Are there other examples where children have greater knowledge than adults? ConsiderTwain's implications here.

5. The Prince and the Pauper has been compared in style to works of Dickens. What aspect of the novel stands out to you most?

Editorial Reviews

With his legendary humor and delightful wit, Reiner gives new life to this classic Twain tale. The multiple Emmy Award winner and recent Television Hall of Fame inductee beautifully shifts between several accents, dialects and moods, letting listeners commiserate with the author's young protagonist, Tom Canty. Raised in a raucous family of beggars and thieves, Tom dreams and reads of princely life to escape his miserable 16th-century London existence. After wandering to Westminster and meeting benevolent Prince Edward Tudor (who bears an uncanny resemblance to the ragamuffin Tom), the pair exchange clothes and unwittingly identities. Reiner's vocal performance of this heartwarming story is sure to keep the entire family entranced. Listeners will be pleased that this volume is only one of several in a Mark Twain series read by Reiner. (June) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Gr 4-6Carl Reiner narrates this abridged version of The Prince and the Pauper. It captures the main plot points of the book and retains the rollicking humor of Twain's writing. The story concerns Tom Canty, a poor boy, who bears a striking resemblance to Prince Edward, heir to the throne of England. Through a series of mishaps, the boys change places, and those around them do not believe them when they each claim to be the other boy. Eventually, all ends well, with Edward restored to the throne and Tom retaining a place in his court. Reiner's narration is, at first, a big jarring, since an American accent telling a very British story is unexpected. However, once the story develops, listeners will quickly become engrossed. Various sound effects, such as trumpet fanfares, give the story some color. Overall, this is an entertaining choice for most public libraries.-Melissa Hudak, Roscoe Branch Library, Loves Park, IL

School Library Journal