Black Beauty vs The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: 19th Century, Children's, Children, Graphic Novels, Adventure, History
Black Beauty
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(Ages 9-12, Gr. 4-7) An animal rights classic that's also an engaging read, BLACK BEAUTY follows the life of an ebony horse from birth to old age, and from pasture to the cobblestone streets of 19th century England This…
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
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Mark Twain created the memorable characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn drawing from the experiences of boys he grew up with in Missouri. Set by the Mississippi River in the 1840's, it follows these boys as they get…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has the widest readership — 1042999 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Black Beauty | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (303194) | 3.9 (1042999) |
| Hardcover | 3.8 (271) | 3.7 (1097) |
| Google Books | — | 4.0 (6) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (789) | 4.5 (232) |
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Reception
| Black Beauty | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 303194 | 1042999 |
| Editions | 107 | 879 |
| Citations | 36 | — |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 107067 | 438227 |
| Reading it now | — | 28017 |
| Written reviews | 8288 | 17857 |
| Wikipedia attention | 9579 | 28883 |
| Pages | 208 | 214 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Black Beauty or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?
Black Beauty has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Black Beauty 4.0/5, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Black Beauty or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?
Black Beauty is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Black Beauty (208 pages, ≈ 3 h 51 m); The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (214 pages, ≈ 3 h 58 m).
Which is harder to read: Black Beauty or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Black Beauty: Light; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
Black Beauty: 5 film adaptations; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: 5 film adaptations.