Chapter 1 Summary

Characters

Tom – mischievous, 12 –13 years old

Aunt Polly – Tom’s dead mom’s sister

Sid- half-brother, tattletale

Fancy kid

Setting

St. Petersburg, Missouri

Action

Tom played hooky and went swimming.

Tom fights the fancy kid and wins.

Sid tattles, Tom gets caught and runs away.

Aunt Polly decides Tom will work on Saturday.

Chapter 2 Summary

Characters

Tom

Jim, the “colored boy” who did chores

Ben

Boys from St. Petersburg

Setting – the fence in the front

Action

Tom tricks kids into doing his work. He makes them think it is a great thing to do and it requires talent - reverse psychology

He gains free time and “riches” – dead rat on a string; one-eyed kitten; dog collar without a dog, etc.

Chapter 3 Summary

Characters

Tom

Becky Thatcher, friend’s sister that Tom is very attracted to

Jeff Thatcher, mentioned, friend

Joe Harper, friend

Mary, Tom’s cousin

Amy Lawrence, mentioned, Tom’s girlfriend

Setting – village of St. Petersburg

Action

Tom and his friends played “army” in the village.

Tom “worships” the new angel, shows off. She throws him a pansy.

Sid broke the sugar bowl; Tom got blamed for it. He feels sorry for himself.

Tom goes to her bedroom window and gets water dumped on him.

Chapter 4 Summary Characters

Tom, Mary (cousin), Billy, Judge Thatcher, Mr. Walters, Superintendent, Jeff, Amy Lawrence, “the new girl”

Setting – church in St. Petersburg

Action

Family worship time and Tom gets cleaned up for church.

Mary helps Tom recite his Bible verse and gives Tom a Barlow knife for his efforts.

At church, Tom shows off for the new girl.

Tom trades his “riches” for tickets.

Tom gets a Bible, which is usually given to someone who has recited LOTS of Bible verse.

Tom reveals that he does not know any Bible info by not answering a simple question correctly.

Chapter 5 Summary Characters

Tom, Mary, Aunt Polly, the minister, the poodle, the pinchbug, Sid, Willie Mufferson, Mrs. Ward, Rev. Sprague, Widow Douglas, Justice of the Peace, Lawyer Riverson

Setting – church in St. Petersburg

Action

Minister shared hymns.

Tom is bored, plays with a pinchbug. Pinchbug bites him and gets away. Poodle comes in; pinchbug bites the poodle.

The poodle yelps, and because of the commotion, the service ends.

Chapter 6 Summary Characters: Tom, Sid, Mary, Polly, Huck, Bob, Becky, school mates and the school master

Setting: St. Petersburg, Missouri, home, school, street

Action:

Tom pretends he’s dying from his loose tooth to get out of going to school.

Tom meets Huck on his way to school and discusses ways to get rid of warts: dead cat technique, bean technique, spunk water technique. They agree to go to the graveyard with the cat to get rid of the warts.

Tom is late for school, gets in trouble and has to sit with the girls.

Tom impresses Becky with his drawing and says he will teach her.

Tom writes “I love you” on his slate. Becky sees it, hits him, but is pleased.

Chapter 7 SummaryCharacters: Tom, Joe, Becky

Setting: School

Action:

Tom and Joe are bored in school and play with a tick on their slate.

Teacher punished Tom by hitting him.

Tom and Becky become engaged, but Becky becomes angry when she learns he was once engaged to Amy Lawrence.

Becky refuses Tom’s gift of the brass knob.

Tom leaves school and does not return. Becky feels melancholy.

Chapter 8 Summary

Characters:

Tom, Joe, Huck

Setting:

forest in St. Petersburg

Action:

Tom feels melancholy because of Becky’s rejection; wants to die temporarily.

Tom decides to play pirate and Robin Hood, his favorite game, with Joe and Huck.

Chapter 9 Summary Characters:Tom, Huck, Muff Potter, Dr.

Robinson, Injun Joe

Setting: cemetery in St. Petersburg

Action:

Huck “meows” for Tom and the two go to the graveyard with the dead cat to get rid of Huck’s warts.

They witness Dr. Robinson, Muff Potter and Injun Joe rob a grave. Injun Joe kills the doctor over a past grudge and frames Muff Potter.

Huck and Tom flee the scene.

Chapter 10 Summary

Characters: Tom, Huck, Sid, Aunt Polly, Muff Potter

Setting: the tannery, Tom’s home

Action:

Tom and Huck swear an oath in blood never to reveal what they know happened in the cemetery. They hear Muff Potter snoring in the building with them.

Sid tells Aunt Polly that Tom snuck out at night; she is upset.

Becky returns the brass knob. Tom is heartbroken.

Chapter 11 summary

Characters: Tom, Sid, Muff Potter, Polly, Injun Joe

Setting: St. Petersburg

Action:

The town learns of the murder. School is cancelled because of the excitement.

Muff shows up; Injun Joe says Muff murdered Dr. Robinson; Muff hauled off to jail.

Tom’s conscience bothers him. He can’t sleep thinking about Muff’s innocence.

The town is afraid of Injun Joe and won’t press any charges against him.

Chapter 12 summary

Characters: Tom, Aunt Polly, Peter the cat

Setting: St. Petersburg

Action:

Humor breaks the tension of the murder.

Tom is sick and falls victim to Aunt Polly’s “cures.”

Aunt Polly realizes she is not helping Tom when she sees how Peter the cat suffers when Tom gives his some of Aunt Polly’s medicine.

Chapter 13 summary

Characters: Tom, Joe, Huck

Setting: Jackson Island

Action:

The boys run away to be pirates. Tom feels unappreciated and Joe has been unjustly punished. Huck is always ready for adventure.

Conscience bothers the boys. As pirates, they agree they will no longer steal food.

Chapter 14 summary

Characters: Tom, Joe, Huck

Setting: Jackson Island – 3 miles long and ¼ mile wide

Action:

The boys have fun playing and fishing on the island.

They begin to feel homesick.

Cannon shots from St. Petersburg signal the search for drowning victims.

Tom leaves treasures and a note for the boys and heads for the sandbar. Where is he going?

Chapter 15 summary

Characters: Tom, Aunt Polly, Mrs. Harper, Mary, Sid

Setting: St. Petersburg

Action:

Tom sneaks home to tell Aunt Polly that they are just off being pirates.

After finding the raft and no sign of Tom or Joe, Aunt Polly and Mrs. Harper are planning the boys’ funerals.

Tom hides under the bed and listens to a very sad Aunt Polly. He plans on leaving her a note, but changes his mind. When she is sound asleep, he kisses her and leaves.

Chapter 16 summary Characters: Tom, Joe and Huck

Setting: Jackson Island

Action:

The boys hunt for and cook turtle eggs. They play circus and marbles.

Homesickness begins to creep in. Joe admits it first. Tom shares a secret that makes them want to stay.

Tom and Joe smoke with Huck. They pretend to be cool with it, but both get sick. Not wanting to admit that they are feeling sick, Tom and Joe claim to be looking for a knife, but just want to get away from the smoking.

A big storm blows in.

The boys play Indian and smoke a peace pipe.

Chapter 17 summary Characters: Tom, Huck, Joe, Aunt Polly, Mary, Sid, the Harpers, townspeople, the minister, Becky

Setting: a church in St. Petersburg

Action:

Becky is sad. She misses Tom and wishes she had kept the knob. All the kids remember the last time they saw Tom.

The townspeople gather for the boys’ funeral. Tom, Joe and Huck come down the aisle and surprise the mourners. All are happy to see the boys. Even Huck gets hugs from Aunt Polly.

Chapter 18 summary Characters: Tom, Aunt Polly, Mary, Sid, Becky, Alfred Temple

Setting: Tom’s house, schoolyard

Action:

Tom says he had a “dream” about what was going on while he was on the island. He tells Aunt Polly everything she said and did (he actually was there). She believes his dream and goes to tell Sereny Harper.

Tom sees Becky at school, but talks only to Amy. Becky flirts with Alfred Temple, who spills ink on purpose onTom’s book. Becky sees, this ,but doesn’t tell.

Chapter 19 summary

Characters: Tom, Aunt Polly

Setting: Tom’s house

Action:

Tom tells Aunt Polly that he intended to tell her about being pirates by leaving a note, but decided not to and tucked the note in his pocket.

Aunt Polly finds the note and feels sorry she doubted him

Chapter 20 summary

Characters: Tom, Becky, Mr. Dobbins, classmates

Setting: schoolhouse

Action:

Becky looks at Mr. Dobbin’s anatomy book. When Tom sees what she is doing, she accidentally tears a page before putting it back in the desk drawer.

Tom takes Becky’s punishment, saying he tore the page. Becky is impressed and calls Tom “noble.”

Chapter 21 summary Characters: Tom and his schoolmates, Mr. Dobbins

Setting: School house

Action:

It is examination day at school. All of the townspeople will be there to listen to the kids as they recite what they have learned.

The students decide to play a prank on the nervous Mr. Dobbins.

While he is writing on the board, a cat drops down from the ceiling and snatches Mr. Dobbins’ wig, revealing that the kids have painted his bald head gold.

Chapter 22 summary

Characters: Tom, Joe, Huck, townspeople

Setting: St. Petersburg

Action:

It is summer and Tom joins the Cadets of Temperance because he loves their uniforms. He has to vow not to drink, smoke or swear, which he wants to do now more than ever. He can’t take this so he quits.

A revival comes to town and Joe and Huck find religion.

Tom gets the measles a few times, and Joe and Huck return to their old ways.

Chapter 23 summary

Characters: Tom, Muff, Injun Joe, lawyers, judge, courtroom audience.

Setting: Courtroom

Action: It is Muff Potter’s trial. Injun Joe has just told his side of the story. The lawyer calls Tom to the stand who tells about seeing Injun Joe kill the doctor.

Injun Joe escapes by jumping through a window.

Tom fears what will happen next.

Chapter 24 summary

Characters: Tom, Huck

Setting: St. Petersburg

Action:

Tom is considered a hero by the town, but his nights are full of worry. Will Injun Joe come back to seek his revenge?