From: Clare Ferguson <clare.ferguson>
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 20:44:47 -0400

I've read most of Robert Cormier's books now, at the urging of my friends on various lists. I love about half of them and the others are
"not for me". The books that I like take place in Monument and seem to focus on family and roots and conflict and pride, etc. These include Frenchtown Summer, Fade (although this one was a little dark for me), A Little Raw on Monday Mornings, Other Bells For Us to Ring (my favourite) and Eight Plus One which I think is a fabulous collection of stories. I cared about every character in every story and I loved the author's comments at the beginning of each. The French Canadian roots and the Catholicism are big parts of these books and I like how obviously he cares about this heritage.

I have tried to read The Chocolate War a few times and can't get past the first few pages. If my husband was a reader I think he'd like it because he hated his Catholic boy's high school and likes movies with that theme. Could it be a gender thing? I don't like stories that seem to be obviously "boys' stories".

Clare
Received on Fri 24 Aug 2001 07:44:47 PM CDT