A tale of switched identities. The miserably poor Tom Canty is lucky enough to trade his rags for the gilded robes of England's prince, Edward Tudor. As each boy is mistaken for the other, Tom enters a realm of privilege and pleasure beyond his most delirious dreams, while Edward plunges into a cruel, dangerous world of beggars and thieves, cutthroats and killers. Befriended by the heroic Miles Hendon, Edward struggles to survive on the squalid streets of London, in the process learning about the underside of life in "Merry England."

AR: 9.5

AR: 9.5

As Relevant to the 21st Century as to the 16th

A case of mistaken identity leads to London street beggar Tom Canty trading places with his body double, Edward Tudor, Prince of Wales, hours before the latter ascends to become King Edward VI in January 1587. It has been adapted, retreaded and parodied many times throughout the last century, but most newer versions merely scratch the surface as a satire about class, while Mark Twain's focus is much deeper. In a key misadventure, Edward encounters a hermit who is as convinced he is an archangel as Edward is that he is king, but the hermit is supposedly really insane, whereas Edward is merely believed to be, which raises the question for modern audiences of young people obsessed with identity and how we identify: To what extent do we truly define our identity, and how much of it is built on the definitions of others? Twain himself toys with this notion of identity: A series of footnotes, many from David Hume's The History of England (1762), indicate not only the level of historical accuracy, but even how plausible the completely made-up story is. With a nod toward Jonathan Swift's wry sense of humor and Charles Dickens' fascination with the criminal element, this novel showcases Twain's range and eye for detail. ( )

Interesting read with little adventures at every turn ( )