The Ballad of Huck & Miguel

In this modern retelling of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Huck Finn is the same incorrigible young adventurer with a heart of gold, still allergic to formal schoolin', and plagued by his mean Pap, who kidnaps him and holds him captive in his camper bound for California and a better life. Huck bides his time until he can flee. He meets Tom Sawyer in Compton, CA, where the two foil a drug deal and Pap escapes with his life. Huck is given a reward and goes to live with an older "thespian" couple. He befriends the "Mexigrant" cowboy Miguel. However, Huck's new life is disrupted when Pap returns to seek his vengeance and steal back his son. Though characters speak in a modern dialect, Huck retains much of Mark Twain's characterization, making him a bit of an anachronism. Readers who can suspend disbelief will find a sweet and charming adventure. There are many curricular uses for this novel, and it could be taught alongside the original version.