Terrell has told us,

    "So, my thinking is, if you don't know how to tell your children
what kind of language is appropriate to use at home, school, playground,
church, mosque or synagogue -- and especially what kind will get the
bejeezies beat out of you -- then you don't have any business raising
kids anyway."

I've known for six plus years, now, that I don't have much business
raising kids, but I've got two and must do my best.  And to tell the
truth, I'd hate to be the one to teach my first-grader the word
"nigger."  It's not that I couldn't explain the context; it's just that
I'm not sure she'd be up for listening to nuances.  Nor do I trust her
judgment even if she did understand.  My wife has read her _Harriet the
Spy_, and even though my daughter did understand that Harriet's behavior
is objectionable, she copies it regularly.

So I'll read _Huck_ to her when she's quite a bit older.  But friends of
mine have successfully read the book to children who were quite young.
Apparently they knew their children could handle it.  And more
importantly, they knew THEY could read to their children without THEIR
embarrassment getting in the way.  So I guess I second Terrell's last
point: if you're going to read the book, go in, as Huck would have it,
the whole hog, but I wouldn't do it if I were just learning the book for
myself, nor if I weren't comfortable with the issues the book raises.

Gregg Camfield