Mark Twain

humor · American writer · adventure stories · clever

Real name Samuel Clemens. His famous pen name, Mark Twain, comes from riverboat talk, probably meaning water was deep enough to be safe for ships to sail through.

Master of humor and adventure. He wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, stories about young boys getting into all sorts of mischief and trouble that readers still love today.

Worked on river steamboats. Before becoming a writer, Twain trained as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River, and these real experiences gave him amazing details for his stories.

Wrote about real America. His novels captured what life was actually like for ordinary people in America, including the struggles and injustices he saw, making his stories feel true and powerful.

Changed American writing forever. Many famous writers and critics said Mark Twain was the greatest American humorist ever, and his books helped shape what American literature became.