From: Steven Engelfried <sengelfried>
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 08:35:23 -0700

Amy wrote: "Your teen years used to be a time when you were idealistic, immortal, and out to save the world." My teen years weren't that way (I was 14 when "Chocolate War" was published). I never felt idealistic or immortal. I was in a high school environment where the Archies of the world succeeded and the Jerry's didn't matter. I never would have had the courage to defy the status quo the way Jerry did. But if I had read "The Chocolate War" back then, I think it might have inspired, not exactly hope, but at least a sense of anger against injustice that I lacked. You can't read that book without thinking how wrong things are in that world. Cormier doesn't tell us how to fix it, but sometimes the recognition that things are wrong has to come before anything else can. As a teen, the book might have inspired me, not to rebel, but to feel a little stronger about who I was and not simply accept the notion that the Archies (and the Brother Leons) deserve to succeed just because that's how it's always been.

-Steven Engelfried, Children's Librarian Beaverton City Library 12375 SW 5th Street Beaverton, OR 97005 ph: 503R6%99 fax: 503R6&36 e-mail: sengelfried at ci.beaverton.or.us
Received on Thu 23 Aug 2001 10:35:23 AM CDT