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The Work of Robert Cormier
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From: Megan Schliesman <Schliesman>
Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2001 09:44:35 -0500
It's time to begin our August discussion, looking at the books of Robert Cormier, author of young adult classics such as "The Chocolate War"
(Knopf, 1974), "I Am the Cheese" (Pantheon, 1977) and "After the First Death" (Pantheon, 1979).
Robert Cormier died on November 2, 2000. In a tribute to Cormier in the March/April 2001 issue of The Horn Book Magazine, Patty Campbell wrote that Cormier was "the first to show the literary world that YA novels could be not only realistic about teen concerns but unflinchingly honest about big questions like the abuse of power, courage, forgiveness and redemption, and the struggle to stay human in a world that is, as C.S. Lewis has called it, 'enemy-occupied territory.' "
From the publication of his very first novel, The Chocolate War, Cormier created a stir with that willingness to tell such honest tales. And those tales have caused ripples--and sometimes storms--throughout the literary, library and educational communities. Most important, however, they have touched the lives of the young adults who were read them and found comfort, validation and relief, not to mention fine, compelling, emotionally gripping storytelling. And one can argue there is hope, too, to be found in truth-telling, no matter how dark the story.
Today and in the coming days, we invite you to share your thoughts about Cormier's work. What book or books that he wrote had the greatest impact on you as a reader? How have you seen young adults who read Cormier affected by his novels?
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Fri 03 Aug 2001 09:44:35 AM CDT
Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2001 09:44:35 -0500
It's time to begin our August discussion, looking at the books of Robert Cormier, author of young adult classics such as "The Chocolate War"
(Knopf, 1974), "I Am the Cheese" (Pantheon, 1977) and "After the First Death" (Pantheon, 1979).
Robert Cormier died on November 2, 2000. In a tribute to Cormier in the March/April 2001 issue of The Horn Book Magazine, Patty Campbell wrote that Cormier was "the first to show the literary world that YA novels could be not only realistic about teen concerns but unflinchingly honest about big questions like the abuse of power, courage, forgiveness and redemption, and the struggle to stay human in a world that is, as C.S. Lewis has called it, 'enemy-occupied territory.' "
From the publication of his very first novel, The Chocolate War, Cormier created a stir with that willingness to tell such honest tales. And those tales have caused ripples--and sometimes storms--throughout the literary, library and educational communities. Most important, however, they have touched the lives of the young adults who were read them and found comfort, validation and relief, not to mention fine, compelling, emotionally gripping storytelling. And one can argue there is hope, too, to be found in truth-telling, no matter how dark the story.
Today and in the coming days, we invite you to share your thoughts about Cormier's work. What book or books that he wrote had the greatest impact on you as a reader? How have you seen young adults who read Cormier affected by his novels?
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education UW-Madison 608&2?03 schliesman at education.wisc.edu
Received on Fri 03 Aug 2001 09:44:35 AM CDT
