Yep. More or less.
On September 14th we'll be meeting to discuss our first book for the 2012-2013 session: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier.
Mmm . . . chocolate.
It sounds yummy, but don't be fooled by this book's sweet sounding title. Okay, I guess it's not that sweet, since along with CHOCOLATE it also includes WAR, but still, it's important to realize that we're starting right out with a controversial one.
The Chocolate War has been featured regularly on the American Library Association's annual list of the Top Ten Most Frequently Challenged Books for reasons including: offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit material, unsuitability for age group, and violence.
So . . . why are we reading it?
Well, as Cormier himself said in this AP article (after 26 years of defending the book), "I feel like I must have done something right. . . . There wouldn't be all these concerns about an ineffective book."
So that's the question I'm asking you. Is this an effective book? And what does that even mean? How can a book be effective or ineffective? To help you think it through, consider the following questions:
- Are all books supposed to accomplish something? If so, what? If not, why read them?
- What do you think Cormier was trying to accomplish (if anything) with The Chocolate War? Does he accomplish it? Why or why not?
- Is the ending of this book satisfactory? Could it end differently? Should it end differently? If so, how? If not, why not?
- Is all of the material that people have objected to (language, sexual content, violence, religion) necessary to the plot and message of the book? Do you think Cormier could have left some of it out and still achieved the same effect?
These questions will be a big part of our discussion, so be sure to give them some thought. And after you've given them all some thought, choose one of the questions above (#1-4) and write a response (one paragraph to one page or so) to bring with you to our discussion.
Happy reading! See you on the 14th,
Belinda
