The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (1835-1910) is set in the 1840s in the small town of St. Petersburg, Missouri (based on Hannibal in Missouri where Mark Twain lived as a child).

Tom Sawyer is an orphan who lives with his Aunt Polly and brother Sid. Tom is an entrepreneurial character, often persuading other boys to pay him for doing his work, eg, painting the front fence.

Tom’s many adventures include running away from home with his friends Joe Harper & Huckleberry Finn and returning in time to attend his own funeral.

There was controversy in 2011 when a new edition of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn) removed offensive racist words.