Chocolate, bullying and teenage boys

“They don’t want you to do your thing, not unless it happens to be their thing, too. It’s a laugh, Goober, a fake. Don’t disturb the universe, Goober, no matter what the posters say.”
– The Chocolate War Pg. 248

I had heard a lot about The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier before I decided to read it for my reading goal. We had talked about it in my Teaching Young Adult Literature class as a book that is often placed on banned book lists. I wasn't exactly certain why it was such a controversial book but I also didn't have an urge to pick it up on my own. After resreaching for books that boys like, however, I discoverd that The Chocolate War was on several of the lists that I found.

Reading The Chocolate War was actually a very difficult process for me. The book focuses on the bullying that student endures at his highschool for refusing to take part in the annual chocolate sale. The bullying he experiences is overwhelming because it comes from both teachers as well as his peers. The book does not have a positive ending, leaving you feeling very hopeless once you put it down.

I would have a hard time recommending The Chocolate War for younger students but I think that older students could actually really get something out of it. I think it would work well as a literature circle book within a unit on bullying. It could bring up very good discussions about bullying and I definitely think that there are some male students who would really relate to the main character's struggles. I would be careful, however, to only recommend the book to students who I felt could handle the book's tough ending.

Books for Boys

So this marks my first post reporting on Young Adult literature. I had to create a reading goal for one of my classes this semester and so I decided to begin reading more books that boys in my class would relate to. I did some research, selected some titles, and am now currently on my journey to discover boy friendly books. After each read I'll be posting on here to share what I thought about the book and how I might use it in the classroom in the future. I am hoping that in doing this I will develop a recipe book of sorts to which I can refer back to for my instruction.

“‘Without me, you would never have seen a beautiful sunset or smelled the rain approaching on the wind, You would never have tasted cool water on a hot summer day. Or heard music or known the wonderful pleasure of creating it. I gave you these things, Mi Vida. You…owe…me.’”- The House of the Scorpion Pg. 235

The first book I read was Nancy Farmer's The House of the Scorpion. The book centers on the life of a boy who is actually the clone of a powerful drug lord. The boy, Matt, struggles throughout the book with what it means for him to be a clone. He is treated like an animal but has the same emotions as humans, causing him to be uncertain about his place in the world. After Matt's creator, El Patron, dies Matt is forced to leave his childhood home and begins an adventure to prove his own significance.

The book is very engaging and brings up interesting ideas about cloning and the value of a human life. Because it is futuristic and has a male protagonist I think that it is a great option for boys as well as girls. I would love to teach as a full class book because of the discussions and ideas that it would bring up in a classroom.