'Tom Playfair; or Making a Start ' Summary

Originally published in 1891, Tom Playfair is sort of a Catholic "Tom Sawyer meets Tom Brown's School Day's." The author, Fr. Francis J. Finn, S.J., wrote 27 Catholic novels for young people which were apparently quite popular in their day. Although modern kids might find the language rather quaint*, once they get used to it I think they will enjoy Tom's exploits. Thanks to his clever mind and good heart, Tom always seems to come out on top whether he's lost in the big city, struck by lightning, plotting a way for the younger boys to best the older ones at baseball, or outwitting a desperate murderer. But my favorite chapter is the one in which Tom decides that the best way to deal with the school bully is to exorcise him while he's asleep.