I can't recall ever reading Twain in grade school at all.  In fact I
recall very few American authors in any of my english classes. Charles
Dickens comes to mind most but then he wasn't American, but that was so
long ago.  I seem to recall my first reading of Twain was from a
paperback I found, probably at Pickwick, The Complete Short Stories of
Mark Twain.  In college I became rather attached to Roughing It, then of
course Huck.  About this new version, I find it to be very unfortunate
but nothing new.  I actually enjoy Mickey Rooney's version.