There are two potential issues with Tom Sawyer that you may want to address before student's begin reading the novel. The first is Twain's use of dialect, regional language, and colloquial language. Student's may find this confusing or frustrating. Explain to the class Twain's stylistic and literary reasons for employing these devices, and to not let them prevent students from finishing a reading assignment. Your textbook, or the vocabulary sections of this lesson plan will define may of these colloquial terms.
The bigger issue is Twain's use of the term "half-breed" and the N-word. While both words are very rare in the narrative, they are used a few times. One approach to prepare...
