Show TOWBOAT PILOT PLOT by elston J melton caltoft Priti fers 4 by br lyn connelly Conn liero here at last Is an intelligently written book for adolescent boys one of the best of its kind since the immortal MarkT mark twain waln penned that perennial favorite tom sawyer tom briggs to Is essentially a good boyi boy but because he takes precious time away from ihla his dally daily cho chores recto to swim with his chum johnny sanders and because he dreams constantly of the day when he ha might bo a towboat pilot on the mighty gasconade river he la Is considered lazy and witless by his cruel stepfather and many of the town citizens share toms frustration when after he works hard to buy hunsell a small boat so that lie he ca can fish to support his fils ta family rally his stepfather sells the boat and pockets the money Y aull share chare his horror when ills hunting rifle goes oft off accidentally in the post office and he la is accused by mr pugh the postmaster of having deliberately attempted to klu III him despise his many handicaps tom proves through sheer perseverance and courage that he Is capable of being ft towboat captain trie no story carries him from the adeol age of 12 when he la Is in the dream tage stage through tho tha age of 21 when he be makes his first cruise as a pilot but budlong long before the realization of his ambition he earns the respect of his neighbors when he clears mr pugh of a possible po isible murder mader charge of which only tom knows he be to Is innocent thus proving that he holds no malice in ills his heart for the postmaster who would have sent tom to a juvenile home when he too was wrongly accused of a crime the book is a joy for those loving tile the great outdoors mr melton a prominent missouri newspaper man knows his subject well and handles it beautifully with the result that there emerges a book full of tears and joy tenderness end and adventure |