I doubt if most college English teachers are interested in finding books that are less combative. High school may be different. I am sure opinions vary about teaching HUCK FINN in high schools; I believe it can be done effectively and sensibly. By the way, Aquinas and Augustine both apparently welcomed the inevitable presence heretics within the confines of the church for one major reason--their arguments, or their criticisms, sharpened the arguments of the believers. As Proverbs puts it, "iron sharpens iron." Thus, "Combat" is good for intellectual progress. That said, the approach of Gerald Graff--"teaching the conflicts"--is a terrific way to teach the novel. Besides Leonard's book, I like very much Shelley Fisher Fishkin's defense of teaching Huck throughout her book, LIGHTING OUT FOR THE TERRITORY--especially the long section at the end, which has luminous praise for the book from the top African American writers of the 20th century, such as Ellison and Morrison. Harold K. Bush