Expertly retold to appeal to second to fourth graders, as well as older reluctant readers, each of the beautiful, high-quality books in the Classic Starts series is a literary treasure. Presents an abridged version of the adventures of Tom and his friends growing up in a small Missouri town on the banks of the Mississippi River in the nineteenth century. An abridged version of the adventures of Tom and his friends growing up in a small Missouri town on the banks of the Mississippi River in the nineteenth century.