"The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them..." The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, inspired by Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain lived. Mark Twain created two of the most enduring and beloved fictional characters when he introduced the energetic young whippersnapper Tom Sawyer and his best friend Huckleberry Finn. First published in 1876, the novel tells the story of Tom Sawyer, a young boy who lived in the fictional town of St. Petersburg along the Mississippi River which is based on the real town where Mark Twain grew up; Hannibal, Missouri. It is a classic tale of adventure seen through the eyes of the young protagonist. This is one of the literary greats that everyone should experience to enjoy the adventures and misadventures of Twain's young protagonist.