The Prince and the Pauper

Mark Twain was one of the greatest American authors in history and is often regarded as "the father of American literature." Twain's writing was distinguished due to his use of colloquial speech as well as his humor. Few students can graduate high school without reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The Prince and the Pauper, published in 1881, is Twain's first historical novel. The book tells the story of two young boys who are identical in appearance with one being a pauper, and the other being Prince Edward, the son of King Henry VIII.