Couldn't agree more- - I had dinner with Bob several times and he related
the story to me... It always makes me smile when people call the novel
anti-Catholic. Bob and his family were staunch Romans. I love the novel -
and always used it with The Lottery - it was fun to find all the religious
reference in the book and point them out to the complainers.
Allan
Dr. Allan O'Grady Cuseo (Brother Donogh Allan, MGC)
Bishop Kearney High School Library
125 Kings Highway South
Rochester, New York 14617
585-342 - 4000 x231
585-342 - 4694 (FAX)
acuseo@bkhs.org
Education in the tradition of the Christian Brothers and the School Sisters
of Notre Dame
FAC OMNIA BENE (Do all things well)
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Brisco, Shonda" <briscos@TRINITYVALLEYSCHOOL.ORG>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Friday, April 01, 2005 12:06 PM
Subject: Re: [LM_NET] TARGET: Specifics against banning Chocolate War
I met Robert Cormier in 1995 and he told me that the book "The Chocolate
War" was inspired by his son's school-wide project of selling chocolates
every year to raise money. While his son didn't disagree with the practice
and wanted to participate (and Robert and his wife had no problems with the
program), the "seed of the idea" came when Robert thought, "what would be
the ramifications to the student who did NOT want to participate in the
school-wide activity?" From that he started telling about how he developed
the characters based upon their need to create a power-situation over the
students and how one student's defiance against the "system" and those who
were corrupt ended up causing his own destruction.
Although rather pessimistic (as all his novels), the thoughts and actions of
the characters became clear to me as the reader once I realized where he had
gotten the idea; his comparison of simple situations that we are all
involved in each day, to more complex situations that spiral out of control
when power becomes the ultimate game played by those who are in control of
weaker individuals, still rings true. Thus the reason why "The Chocolate
War" has become a contemporary classic.
Shonda Brisco, MLIS
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Trinity Valley School
Fort Worth, TX 76132
817-321-0100 ext. 410
briscos@trinityvalleyschool.org
"Those who have the highest expectations for the web in terms of student
research, are those who work
with it, and students, the least." -- LM_NET librarian
________________________________
From: School Library Media & Network Communications on behalf of Kathy Mee
Sent: Fri 4/1/2005 7:48 AM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: [LM_NET] TARGET: Specifics against banning Chocolate War
Hi,
As this is my 1st year running a high school library, and my 1st
experience defending a challenged book, I thought I would ask for a little
help! A parent is challenging the book "The Chocolate War" by Robert
Cormier which is part of our 9th grade curriculum. The English department
would like to go in armed to the teeth with specific arguments that have
been used in the past to win this little battle. We know many of the broad
arguments, Freedom of Speech, etc, but would like some specific arguments
that relate to this particular book. Do any of you know of websites that
get into detailed points? I've searched the archives, and haven't found
anything, and also done some internet searching. I will continue my quest,
but thought that some of you might have already experienced this, since the
book has been controversial for so many years!
Many thanks,
Kathy Mee
Milan High School Media Center
Milan, MI
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