As much as I support the right to teach controversial works, I'm going to have to weigh in against teaching _Huckleberry Finn_ in 8th grade. I will preface by saying that, even though I'm now a college English professor, I have taught in the public schools: 7th grade, 10th, 11th, and 12th. I think Huck is too advanced for most 8th-graders. The language poses a problem (the vernacular, I mean), and the dialect really does (especially Jim's). Then there's the repeated use of "nigger," which some but not most 8th-graders would be mature enough to handle. Most of all, the issues and pervasive irony are, I think, best perceived by older, maturer readers. A devoted, experienced teacher (as I am sure Jane is!) could probably pull this difficult task off. But I would still say Huck is best left for a few years later. I don't mean that someone in the 8th grade shouldn't be able to read the novel by herself or himself--I think I first read it (with small understanding) in the 5th grade. But for a class, other works would be better. I think teachers try to rush students sometimes. I get so many college students who are turned off to a novel like _The Scarlet Letter_ or _Huckleberry Finn_ because they were forced to read them at too early an age. On the other hand, I think _Tom Sawyer_ is not too elementary or dated for 8th-graders. When I taught 7th grade, I read the novel aloud over the course of the year (a little Friday treat every week, something a teacher of mine had done that left a big impression on me). Students at that age really enjoy reading about Tom's rebellion, his adventures, and his love life. Just my two cents!