Book Review #6 Chocolate War

Catherine Schaaf
cschaaf@st.philip-neri.org


Literary Fiction: The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War: Fiction-Literary Fiction by Robert Cormier, c1974, cr2002, 253pp.
$21.95 Teenage issues, role models ISBN:0-394-82805-4

In 1974, After rejections from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made it’s
Break. “An uncompromising portrait of conformity and corruption, it quickly became
a best selling and proactive-classic for young adults”. Teens@Random

Jerry Renault an athlete, decides not to sell chocolate bars at the private Trinity Catholic High School. The candy bar sale lasts ten days, which is how long his ordeal lasts. He
is not able to explain to his friend Goober why he will not sell the chocolate bars, he just
won’t.

Brother Leon is the Assistant Headmaster, substituting for the Headmaster. He announces “the quota is doubled this year because we have more at stake than ever before”. He felt it was his duty to impress the Headmaster was he was out ill. Now, each boy must sell fifty boxes of candy bars.

Coincidently, we are just finishing up the “World’s Finest Chocolate” candy bar sales at the school I am teaching with. Students are recommended to sell one box each- so fifty
boxes sounds unreachable as a goal.

Brother Leon becomes angry when he hears Jerry is the cause of poor sales. He enlists Archie and his Vigils to take the challenge of selling fifty boxes. Archie never does his own work and decides to have five guys sell ten boxes each. Archie sits back at the rally and is “gratified by the heights his sense of fairness and compassion could reach”. Archie has taken the Christian attitude to a whole new level. It is despicable to Jerry and
Goober.

Jerry will not sell chocolate bars and becomes a target. He gets anonymous phone calls,
his locker broken into, his art assignment stolen and beaten up by Emile Janza and friends. He plans to get back by doing a boxing match on the athletic field. He is badly beaten and wants to tell his friend Goober to go along with the rules. “Try not to disturb
the Universe”, but, he is beat up so bad, he can not speak.

This book forces the reader to “face reality” especially if it is evil. The story shows how to confront it in a graphic way and may be disturbing for some young adults. While one
review mentioned age thirteen, I think the powerful message would not be understood
until the age of fifteen and up to age 18. Due to some of the fowl language and violence, the young adult reader may need some advisement on what is the right choice to make.

Robert Cormier received the 1999 Margaret A. Edwards Award. This award honored his lifetime contribution to writing for Teens. The book is now considered a classic in Language Arts classes and can be associated with the classic “The Outsiders” by S.E.
Hinton in which outsiders deal with gangs and teenage issues.

Catherine Schaaf
cschaaf@st.philip-neri.org


Literary Fiction: The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War: Fiction-Literary Fiction by Robert Cormier, c1974, cr2002, 253pp.
$21.95 Teenage issues, role models ISBN:0-394-82805-4

In 1974, After rejections from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made it’s
Break. “An uncompromising portrait of conformity and corruption, it quickly became
a best selling and proactive-classic for young adults”. Teens@Random

Jerry Renault an athlete, decides not to sell chocolate bars at the private Trinity Catholic High School. The candy bar sale lasts ten days, which is how long his ordeal lasts. He
is not able to explain to his friend Goober why he will not sell the chocolate bars, he just
won’t.

Brother Leon is the Assistant Headmaster, substituting for the Headmaster. He announces “the quota is doubled this year because we have more at stake than ever before”. He felt it was his duty to impress the Headmaster was he was out ill. Now, each boy must sell fifty boxes of candy bars.

Coincidently, we are just finishing up the “World’s Finest Chocolate” candy bar sales at the school I am teaching with. Students are recommended to sell one box each- so fifty
boxes sounds unreachable as a goal.

Brother Leon becomes angry when he hears Jerry is the cause of poor sales. He enlists Archie and his Vigils to take the challenge of selling fifty boxes. Archie never does his own work and decides to have five guys sell ten boxes each. Archie sits back at the rally and is “gratified by the heights his sense of fairness and compassion could reach”. Archie has taken the Christian attitude to a whole new level. It is despicable to Jerry and
Goober.

Jerry will not sell chocolate bars and becomes a target. He gets anonymous phone calls,
his locker broken into, his art assignment stolen and beaten up by Emile Janza and friends. He plans to get back by doing a boxing match on the athletic field. He is badly beaten and wants to tell his friend Goober to go along with the rules. “Try not to disturb
the Universe”, but, he is beat up so bad, he can not speak.

This book forces the reader to “face reality” especially if it is evil. The story shows how to confront it in a graphic way and may be disturbing for some young adults. While one
review mentioned age thirteen, I think the powerful message would not be understood
until the age of fifteen and up to age 18. Due to some of the fowl language and violence, the young adult reader may need some advisement on what is the right choice to make.

Robert Cormier received the 1999 Margaret A. Edwards Award. This award honored his lifetime contribution to writing for Teens. The book is now considered a classic in Language Arts classes and can be associated with the classic “The Outsiders” by S.E.
Hinton in which outsiders deal with gangs and teenage issues.

Catherine Schaaf
cschaaf@st.philip-neri.org


Literary Fiction: The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War: Fiction-Literary Fiction by Robert Cormier, c1974, cr2002, 253pp.
$21.95 Teenage issues, role models ISBN:0-394-82805-4

In 1974, After rejections from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made it’s
Break. “An uncompromising portrait of conformity and corruption, it quickly became
a best selling and proactive-classic for young adults”. Teens@Random

Jerry Renault an athlete, decides not to sell chocolate bars at the private Trinity Catholic High School. The candy bar sale lasts ten days, which is how long his ordeal lasts. He
is not able to explain to his friend Goober why he will not sell the chocolate bars, he just
won’t.

Brother Leon is the Assistant Headmaster, substituting for the Headmaster. He announces “the quota is doubled this year because we have more at stake than ever before”. He felt it was his duty to impress the Headmaster was he was out ill. Now, each boy must sell fifty boxes of candy bars.

Coincidently, we are just finishing up the “World’s Finest Chocolate” candy bar sales at the school I am teaching with. Students are recommended to sell one box each- so fifty
boxes sounds unreachable as a goal.

Brother Leon becomes angry when he hears Jerry is the cause of poor sales. He enlists Archie and his Vigils to take the challenge of selling fifty boxes. Archie never does his own work and decides to have five guys sell ten boxes each. Archie sits back at the rally and is “gratified by the heights his sense of fairness and compassion could reach”. Archie has taken the Christian attitude to a whole new level. It is despicable to Jerry and
Goober.

Jerry will not sell chocolate bars and becomes a target. He gets anonymous phone calls,
his locker broken into, his art assignment stolen and beaten up by Emile Janza and friends. He plans to get back by doing a boxing match on the athletic field. He is badly beaten and wants to tell his friend Goober to go along with the rules. “Try not to disturb
the Universe”, but, he is beat up so bad, he can not speak.

This book forces the reader to “face reality” especially if it is evil. The story shows how to confront it in a graphic way and may be disturbing for some young adults. While one
review mentioned age thirteen, I think the powerful message would not be understood
until the age of fifteen and up to age 18. Due to some of the fowl language and violence, the young adult reader may need some advisement on what is the right choice to make.

Robert Cormier received the 1999 Margaret A. Edwards Award. This award honored his lifetime contribution to writing for Teens. The book is now considered a classic in Language Arts classes and can be associated with the classic “The Outsiders” by S.E.
Hinton in which outsiders deal with gangs and teenage issues.


Catherine Schaaf
cschaaf@st.philip-neri.org


Literary Fiction: The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War: Fiction-Literary Fiction by Robert Cormier, c1974, cr2002, 253pp.
$21.95 Teenage issues, role models ISBN:0-394-82805-4

In 1974, After rejections from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made it’s
Break. “An uncompromising portrait of conformity and corruption, it quickly became
a best selling and proactive-classic for young adults”. Teens@Random

Jerry Renault an athlete, decides not to sell chocolate bars at the private Trinity Catholic High School. The candy bar sale lasts ten days, which is how long his ordeal lasts. He
is not able to explain to his friend Goober why he will not sell the chocolate bars, he just
won’t.

Brother Leon is the Assistant Headmaster, substituting for the Headmaster. He announces “the quota is doubled this year because we have more at stake than ever before”. He felt it was his duty to impress the Headmaster was he was out ill. Now, each boy must sell fifty boxes of candy bars.

Coincidently, we are just finishing up the “World’s Finest Chocolate” candy bar sales at the school I am teaching with. Students are recommended to sell one box each- so fifty
boxes sounds unreachable as a goal.

Brother Leon becomes angry when he hears Jerry is the cause of poor sales. He enlists Archie and his Vigils to take the challenge of selling fifty boxes. Archie never does his own work and decides to have five guys sell ten boxes each. Archie sits back at the rally and is “gratified by the heights his sense of fairness and compassion could reach”. Archie has taken the Christian attitude to a whole new level. It is despicable to Jerry and
Goober.

Jerry will not sell chocolate bars and becomes a target. He gets anonymous phone calls,
his locker broken into, his art assignment stolen and beaten up by Emile Janza and friends. He plans to get back by doing a boxing match on the athletic field. He is badly beaten and wants to tell his friend Goober to go along with the rules. “Try not to disturb
the Universe”, but, he is beat up so bad, he can not speak.

This book forces the reader to “face reality” especially if it is evil. The story shows how to confront it in a graphic way and may be disturbing for some young adults. While one
review mentioned age thirteen, I think the powerful message would not be understood
until the age of fifteen and up to age 18. Due to some of the fowl language and violence, the young adult reader may need some advisement on what is the right choice to make.

Robert Cormier received the 1999 Margaret A. Edwards Award. This award honored his lifetime contribution to writing for Teens. The book is now considered a classic in Language Arts classes and can be associated with the classic “The Outsiders” by S.E.
Hinton in which outsiders deal with gangs and teenage issues.


Catherine Schaaf
cschaaf@st.philip-neri.org


Literary Fiction: The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War: Fiction-Literary Fiction by Robert Cormier, c1974, cr2002, 253pp.
$21.95 Teenage issues, role models ISBN:0-394-82805-4

In 1974, After rejections from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made it’s
Break. “An uncompromising portrait of conformity and corruption, it quickly became
a best selling and proactive-classic for young adults”. Teens@Random

Jerry Renault an athlete, decides not to sell chocolate bars at the private Trinity Catholic High School. The candy bar sale lasts ten days, which is how long his ordeal lasts. He
is not able to explain to his friend Goober why he will not sell the chocolate bars, he just
won’t.

Brother Leon is the Assistant Headmaster, substituting for the Headmaster. He announces “the quota is doubled this year because we have more at stake than ever before”. He felt it was his duty to impress the Headmaster was he was out ill. Now, each boy must sell fifty boxes of candy bars.

Coincidently, we are just finishing up the “World’s Finest Chocolate” candy bar sales at the school I am teaching with. Students are recommended to sell one box each- so fifty
boxes sounds unreachable as a goal.

Brother Leon becomes angry when he hears Jerry is the cause of poor sales. He enlists Archie and his Vigils to take the challenge of selling fifty boxes. Archie never does his own work and decides to have five guys sell ten boxes each. Archie sits back at the rally and is “gratified by the heights his sense of fairness and compassion could reach”. Archie has taken the Christian attitude to a whole new level. It is despicable to Jerry and
Goober.

Jerry will not sell chocolate bars and becomes a target. He gets anonymous phone calls,
his locker broken into, his art assignment stolen and beaten up by Emile Janza and friends. He plans to get back by doing a boxing match on the athletic field. He is badly beaten and wants to tell his friend Goober to go along with the rules. “Try not to disturb
the Universe”, but, he is beat up so bad, he can not speak.

This book forces the reader to “face reality” especially if it is evil. The story shows how to confront it in a graphic way and may be disturbing for some young adults. While one
review mentioned age thirteen, I think the powerful message would not be understood
until the age of fifteen and up to age 18. Due to some of the fowl language and violence, the young adult reader may need some advisement on what is the right choice to make.

Robert Cormier received the 1999 Margaret A. Edwards Award. This award honored his lifetime contribution to writing for Teens. The book is now considered a classic in Language Arts classes and can be associated with the classic “The Outsiders” by S.E.
Hinton in which outsiders deal with gangs and teenage issues.


Catherine Schaaf
cschaaf@st.philip-neri.org


Literary Fiction: The Chocolate War

The Chocolate War: Fiction-Literary Fiction by Robert Cormier, c1974, cr2002, 253pp.
$21.95 Teenage issues, role models ISBN:0-394-82805-4

In 1974, After rejections from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made it’s
Break. “An uncompromising portrait of conformity and corruption, it quickly became
a best selling and proactive-classic for young adults”. Teens@Random

Jerry Renault an athlete, decides not to sell chocolate bars at the private Trinity Catholic High School. The candy bar sale lasts ten days, which is how long his ordeal lasts. He
is not able to explain to his friend Goober why he will not sell the chocolate bars, he just
won’t.

Brother Leon is the Assistant Headmaster, substituting for the Headmaster. He announces “the quota is doubled this year because we have more at stake than ever before”. He felt it was his duty to impress the Headmaster was he was out ill. Now, each boy must sell fifty boxes of candy bars.

Coincidently, we are just finishing up the “World’s Finest Chocolate” candy bar sales at the school I am teaching with. Students are recommended to sell one box each- so fifty
boxes sounds unreachable as a goal.

Brother Leon becomes angry when he hears Jerry is the cause of poor sales. He enlists Archie and his Vigils to take the challenge of selling fifty boxes. Archie never does his own work and decides to have five guys sell ten boxes each. Archie sits back at the rally and is “gratified by the heights his sense of fairness and compassion could reach”. Archie has taken the Christian attitude to a whole new level. It is despicable to Jerry and
Goober.

Jerry will not sell chocolate bars and becomes a target. He gets anonymous phone calls,
his locker broken into, his art assignment stolen and beaten up by Emile Janza and friends. He plans to get back by doing a boxing match on the athletic field. He is badly beaten and wants to tell his friend Goober to go along with the rules. “Try not to disturb
the Universe”, but, he is beat up so bad, he can not speak.

This book forces the reader to “face reality” especially if it is evil. The story shows how to confront it in a graphic way and may be disturbing for some young adults. While one
review mentioned age thirteen, I think the powerful message would not be understood
until the age of fifteen and up to age 18. Due to some of the fowl language and violence, the young adult reader may need some advisement on what is the right choice to make.

Robert Cormier received the 1999 Margaret A. Edwards Award. This award honored his lifetime contribution to writing for Teens. The book is now considered a classic in Language Arts classes and can be associated with the classic “The Outsiders” by S.E.
Hinton in which outsiders deal with gangs and teenage issues.