The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier  

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. Ember, New York City, 2012(Copyright renewed by Constance S. Cormier) ISBN: 978-0-440-94459

Summary

The Vigils rule at Trinity high school. A secret society composed of upperclassmen, the Vigils create embarrassing assignments and tasks for underclassmen at their private school to complete.  They've never worked alongside a teacher before the annual chocolate sale is introduced. Power hungry Brother Leon who aspires to be the school’s next headmaster, needs each boy at Trinity to sell at least fifty boxes of chocolates in order to make the sale a success.  In order to do that, he needs the support of Archie, the cold, analytical ring leader of the Vigils.

Archie agrees to help out Brother Leon, but also wants to have a little fun of his own: so he gives Jerry, a new kid, the assignment to refuse to sell any chocolates for  the first part of the sale. Once ten days is over with, Jerry will sell the chocolates, Brother Leon will get a little shock, and the Vigils will reign supreme.

But Jerry isn’t the weak freshman everyone thinks he is. For reasons unknown to even him, he refuses to sell the chocolates: even after his assignment is finished with. Now Jerry is dealing with peer pressure from Brother Leon and the Vigils, all while trying to stay true to his values.

Critical Evaluation

While it was published forty years ago, The Chocolate War is still considered a YA classic.  The themes of bullying and peer pressure are even more relevant for today’s young audience, as well as Jerry’s struggle to be an individual. All of the characters in the book are riveting and interesting and even the antagonists Brother Leon and Archie are well-developed and emotional characters. The plot is riveting and the narratives from Jerry, Archie, the Vigils, Goober, and other supporting characters is well-rounded and allows the audience to fully understand the complexities of the other characters.

The overall tone is dark and moody, but fits well with the theme of the story. It is not a book that promises a happy ending but  instead delivers a more realistic narrative throughout.  The book is still challenged for its language, violence, and sexual situations, but is pretty tame compared to more recent YA books. Young readers may be hesitant to pick up a classic, but the Chocolate War is still a must read for older teens and adults.

Reader’s Annotation

Jerry must deal with bullying, peer pressure, and the influence of a secret student society, after he refuses to participate in his school’s chocolate fundraiser.  

About the Author

“Robert Edmund Cormier (January 17, 1925–November 2, 2000) was an American author, columnist and reporter, known for his deeply pessimistic, downbeat literature. His most popular works include I Am the Cheese, After the First Death, We All Fall Down and The Chocolate War, all of which have won awards. The Chocolate War was challenged in multiple libraries. His books often are concerned with themes such as abuse, mental illness, violence, revenge, betrayal and conspiracy. In most of his novels, the protagonists do not win.”

(Robert Cormier. Retrieved October 1^st, 2014 from https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10442.Robert_Cormier)

Genres

Classics

Coming of Age

Curriculum Ties

English—YA Classics

Booktalking Ideas

1: Discuss bullying and peer pressure in the book, compared to today’s examples.

2: The idea of the individual compared to following the crowd.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Ages 14+

Grades 8+

Challenge Issues

Language

Sexual Situations

Violence

Defense File

1—Ensure that policies such as “Freedom to Read,” “Collection Development,” and “Challenged Materials” are available for patrons and staff to read and research. Have list of awards and reviews for titles, as well as a “Reconsideration Form” on hand at all branches.

2—Listen to challenges and complaints openly and without judgment. Allow the patron to express their thoughts without inputting your own.

3—Have patron fill out reconsideration form. Provide information and background on challenge material’s author and title.  Forward reconsideration form to appropriate supervisors.

PPLD’s Challenge Materials Policy: http://ppld.org/challenged-materials-policy

PPLD’s Collection Development Policy: http://ppld.org/collection-development-policy

Why included?

I included The Chocolate War for its relevant themes of bullying and peer pressure and because it’s a YA classic.