Angela Cunningham
11/23/04
Annotated Bibliography
I have chosen to annotate works by and about Robert Cormier because he is well known as on of the best writers of young adult literature in the history of this genre. I have read two of his books, and will now forever be a fan of his work. Honesty, though often criticized in today�s world, is a very valuable trait, and one that young adults deserve in their literature. As he says in the interview with Judith Bugniazet, �There�s a theme that runs through my books, this feeling that each person, no matter his or her age, should have their own dignity.�
I started by annotating every novel that he has written. Then I moved on to an article that he wrote about writing the sequel to The Chocolate War, appropriately titled Beyond the Chocolate War. I then put in an interesting article about his views on censorship, titled �A Book Is Not a House.� This article is an excellent response to censorship, and one he certainly has the privilege to write since he is a huge target for book banning.
One of the wonderful things about Robert Cormier is his open and friendly attitude towards the world. Although he is often viewed as a pessimist, he is incredibly open to his fans and any other inquiring minds. This is on of the reasons why I found the exploration of his thoughts and motivations to be a worthy project. I will very likely use this bibliography when I am teaching because I plan to teach one of his books. Not only can I use it for my own reference, but if any of my students become fans of his I can pass it on to them.
Works By and About
Robert Cormier
Cormier, Robert. After the First Death. New York: Random House, Inc., 1979.
This shocking novel explores the tensions faced on a school bus when it is hijacked by terrorists. Readers are able to explore the different sides as they are experienced by each character, as Cormier uses a third person narrative that shifts to feature different characters at different times. Readers are able to see inside the mind of Miro, who is a terrorist involved in the high-jacking. He is a teenager, around sixteen years old, who is alternately fascinated and disgusted by American life. The novel explores his past, what made him become a terrorist and thus his drive in the despicable act. He feels a sexual attraction to Kate, a sixteen year-old girl who is driving the bus. Readers are able to see her thoughts as well, and this provides a sense of the opposition to Miro. The politics of the situation are enhanced by the involvement of Ben, the son of a general who heads a secret operations team which the terrorists oppose. The story briefly enters the mind of other characters as well, which enhances the realistic feel that the narrative achieves. True to Cormier�s style, there is no happy ending.
Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War. New York: Random House, 1974.
Jerry Renault is a high school freshman in New England who decides not to sell chocolates in the annual drive of his parochial school, Trinity. In doing so he must go up against the school�s most powerful social clique, The Vigils, not to mention his intimidating teacher, Brother Leon. In addition to dealing with the �war� at school, Jerry is also trying to heal emotionally from the recent death of his mother. In classic, Cormier style the reader is treated to the perspectives of not only Jerry but also Archie, The Vigils� intelligent leader who deals with his own insecurities and loneliness from being so powerful, Obie, Archie�s right hand man who has jealousy issues, The Goober, Jerry�s best friend who both sympathizes with and fears for Jerry and several other students at the high school. Also typical of Cormier�s writing is the essence of suspense that pulls readers through: who will come out on top in The Chocolate War?
Cormier, Robert. Beyond the Chocolate War. New York: Random House, Inc., 1986.
The school year is almost at an end, and the chocolate sale is past
history. But no one at Trinity School can forget The Chocolate War. Devious
Archie Costello, commander of the secret school organization called the Vigils,
still has some torturous assignments to hand out before he graduates. In spite
of this pleasure, Archie is troubled by his right-hand man, Obie, who has started
to move away from the Vigils.
Luckily Archie knows his stooges will fix that. But won't Archie be shocked when he
discovers the surprise Obie has waiting for him?
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. The Rag and Bone Shop. New York: Random House, Inc., 2003.
Twelve-year old Jason is accused of the brutal murder of a young girl. Is he innocent or guilty? The shocked town calls on an interrogator with a stellar reputation: he always gets a confession. The confrontation between Jason and his interrogator forms the chilling climax of this terrifying look at what can happen when the pursuit of justice becomes a personal crusade for victory at any cost.
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. Frenchtown Summer. New York: Random House, Inc., 2001.
Eugene is remembering the summer of 1938 in Frenchtown, a time when he began to wonder �what I was doing here on the planet Earth.� Here in vibrant, exquisite detail are his lovely mother, his aunts and uncles, cousins and friends, and especially his beloved, enigmatic father. Here, too, is the world of a mill town: the boys swimming in a brook that is red or purple or green, depending on the dyes dumped that day by the comb shop; the visit of the ice man; and the boys� trips to the cemetery or the forbidden railroad tracks. And here also is a darker world�the mystery of a girl murdered years before. Robert Cormier�s touching, funny, melancholy chronicle of a vanished world celebrates a son�s connection to his father and human relationships that are timeless.
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. Other Bells for Us to Ring. New York: Random House, Inc., 2000.
Eleven-year-old Darcy hasn't lived in any one place long enough to have a best friend--until her family settles in Frenchtown and she meets Kathleen Mary O'Hara. Darcy is spellbound by Kathleen Mary's vivid tales of Catholicism. She shows Darcy a world beyond Frenchtown: a world of daring games and secrets, of sins and miracles. With Darcy's father off fighting the war somewhere in Europe, Kathleen Mary couldn't have come into her life at a better time.
Then, just as suddenly as they appeared, Kathleen Mary and her family disappear. While Darcy waits to hear from her, she learns that her father is missing in action. Christmas is coming, and Darcy is unsure about the power of God's love. Will the miracle she hopes for really happen?
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. Heroes. New York: Random House, Inc., 2000.
Francis Joseph Cassavant is eighteen. He has just returned home from the Second World War, and he has no face. He does have a gun and a mission: to murder his childhood hero. Francis lost most of his face when he fell on a grenade in France. He received the Silver Star for bravery, but was it really an act of heroism? Now, having survived, he is looking for a man he once admired and respected, a man adored by many people, a man who also received a Silver Star for bravery. A man who destroyed Francis's life.
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. In the Middle of the Night. New York: Random House, Inc., 1997.
Eight years before Denny Colbert was born, his father was involved in a tragic accident that killed 22 children. Now Denny is 16, and all he wants is to be like other kids his age. But he isn't allowed to answer the telephone or have a driver's license, and his family is constantly moving from town to town--all because people can't forget what happened long ago. When Denny defies his parents one afternoon and answers the telephone, he finds himself drawn into a plot for revenge which may prove deadly.
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. Tunes for Bears to Dance To. New York: Random House, Inc., 1994
A masterful portrayal of hatred, prejudice and manipulation that challenges readers to examine how they would behave in the face of evil. Henry meets and befriends Mr. Levine, an elderly Holocaust survivor, who is carving a replica of the village where he lived and which was destroyed in the war. Henry's friendship with Mr. Levine is put to the test when his prejudiced boss, Mr. Hairston, asks Henry to destroy Mr. Levine's village.
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. We All Fall Down. New York: Random House, Inc., 1993.
They entered the house at 9:02 P.M. and trashed their way through the Cape Cod cottage. At 9:46 P.M. Karen Jerome made the mistake of arriving home early. Thrown down the basement stairs, Karen slips into a coma. The trashers slip away. But The Avenger has seen it all.
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. The Bumblebee Flies Anyway. New York: Random House, Inc., 1991.
Sixteen-year-old Barney can't remember life before the Complex, an experimental clinic. He knows he's different--he's the control subject. Then he uncovers a terrible secret about himself, a secret that drives him to fulfill his and his fellow subjects' ultimate dream. The Bumblebee must fly!
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. 8 + 1. New York: Random House, Inc., 1991.
Meet seventeen-year-old Mike, who visits his grandmother's bedside and learns a family secret. A divorced father who discovers only love, not bribes, can keep his daughter 'his' on Thursdays. And Jerry, a young boy desperately looking for the missing Grover Cleveland card to complete his set of president cards. Here are nine stories by Robert Cormier, one of the most gifted writers of young adult fiction today; stories that are warm, touching, and intensely personal--to be savored by readers of all ages.
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. I Am the Cheese. New York: Random House, Inc., 1977.
The central character, Adam Farmer,
is on a journey to Rutterburg with a parcel for his father. However, as he
travels, he starts to remember the events leading up to this point. These same
memories are also being pried out in psychiatric interviews. The novel explores
a unique method of telling the story: the chapters alternate between
first-person present tense, during Adam's journey; and third-person past tense,
during the psychiatric interviews. I Am the Cheese began in 1975 as Cormier's experimentation with
first-person present tense. When Cormier sent the manuscript off to the
publisher of his previous novel, The Chocolate War, he was confused and depressed, convinced that he
was alienating his new young adult audience due to the complex and ambiguous
story. However, I Am the Cheese proved
to be a success, and a worthy successor to The Chocolate War.
Summary taken from:
Wikipedia. 6 October 2004. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_the_Chesse.
Cormier, Robert. Fade. New York: Random House, Inc., 2004.
It is the summer of 1938 when young Paul Moreaux discovers he can �fade.� First bewildered, then thrilled with the power of invisibility, Paul experiments. But his �gift� soon shows him shocking secrets and drives him toward a chilling act.
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. Tenderness. New York: Random House, Inc., 2004.
Eighteen-year-old Eric has just been released from juvenile detention for murdering his mother and stepfather. Now he�s looking for some tenderness�tenderness he finds in caressing and killing beautiful girls. Fifteen-year-old Lori has run away from home again. Emotionally naive but sexually precocious, she is also looking for tenderness�tenderness she finds in Eric. Will Lori and Eric be each other�s salvation or destruction?
Summary taken from:
Kids @ Random. 2004. Random House, Inc.. 23 November 2004
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/author/results_spotlight.pper/?authorid=5740.
Cormier, Robert. Now and At the Hour. New York: Coward McCann, 1960.
Alph LeBlanc is dying of lung cancer. He knows and his family knows, but they are in denial; trying to hide it from each other. Alph is in his late fifties and has a wife and some grown children. The book covered a lot of stuff: his love for his kids, the tragic death of his three-year-old daughter, his feelings towards his family in general, memories of his life.
Summary taken from:
Good, Megan. �A Realistic Story of One Man�s Journey Towards
Death.� Rev. of Now
And At the Hour, by Robert Cormier. Amazon.Com. 26 December 1999. 23 November 2004. http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/lg/detail/-/0440208823/qid=/sr=/ref=cm_lm_asin/103-8598579-6515046?v=glance.
Cormier, Robert. Take Me Where the Good Times Are. New York: The Macmillan
Company, 1965.
Tommy Bartin, the protagonist from Take Me Where the Good Times Are, is a 70-year-old resident at the local Dorchester County, MA poor house who was brought in because he could no longer live or work on his own. For the past three years, Tommy has been bragging to the other residents about how he'll return to town, get his job and apartment back, and in short start life anew. When another resident leaves Tommy some cash, he sees his opportunity to go back to the life he left behind. Like the typical Cormier hero, Tommy lives in a world of self-delusion and when confronted with the truth, he tries to hide from it. Tommy finds that his town has changed, his beloved factory closed down, and his friends fearful of this embarrassing ghost from the past. Tommy drifts from bar to bar, hoping to find a way to be useful again, and to regain his self-respect. Although Tommy is in denial, he's not stupid or insensitive. Most of his plans end in heartbreak and tragedy as he learns to accept he's not the man he used to be and, more importantly, that maybe the man he used to be wasn't that wonderful to begin with. However, eventually, he will learn to balance his hopes with the harsh reality of the world, like we all have to. Perhaps he will succeed; after all how can anyone live in such an ugly world without at least a little denial?
Summary taken from:
Reeves, Joseph T.. �Painful Story, But Tenderly Told.� Rev.
of Take Me Were the Good
Times Are, by Robert Cormier. Amazon.Com. 24 April 2000. 23 November 2004.
Cormier, Robert. A Little Raw on Monday Mornings. New York: Sheed, 1963.
Already a widow with three kids, Gracie Adams is pregnant again. Things are bound to be tough, but Gracie never gives up hope of finding a love that will once again pull everyone together as a real family.
Summary taken from:
Alibris. 2004. Alibris. 23 November 2004. http://www.alibris.com/search/search.cfm.
Cormier, Robert. �The Pleasures and Pains of Writing a Sequel.� The ALAN Review.
12.2 (1985): 1-3
Cormier wrote this article about what drove him to write a sequel for The Chocolate War, which he named Beyond the Chocolate War. He says that it was his fans who kept asking questions about the characters that drove him to continue thinking about them, and therefore continue writing about them. He used the character of Obie as his catalyst to start writing, primarily engaging the question, �What if Obie had been in love?� He then decided to use a newcomer to the town as his vehicle to make the story readable to those who had not read the original; as this boy found out what had happened, so would readers. He goes on to explain how the plot develops without ruining the ending. This article is great for understanding both Cormier�s inspiration, and also his open and conversational attitude towards his work.
Cormier, Robert. �A Book Is Not a House: The Human Side of
Censorship.� Author�s
Insights. Ed, Donald R. Gallo. Porstmouth: Boyton/Cook, 1992.
Since so many of Cormier�s books have been banned, it makes sense that he would have an opinion about censorship. It also makes sense because his novels never shy away from the truth, so it is understandable that he would expect the same from his readers. In this article, Cormier begins with the story of a young girl who was ostracized by being forced to sit out of class as they read The Chocolate War. He wonders if being forced to sit out of class was more harmful than reading the novel would have been. He goes on to tell tales that he received through letters from his fans, letters that speak of teachers who were threatened by Christians who believed that his books should be banned. His primary message is that he seeks to write books that will help people understand life, their human experience, and censorship only moves away from a true understanding, and towards a falsehood that is considered �safe.� He feels that the censorship that he imposes on himself, often inspired by his own children or editors, is enough, and that outside censorship implies that he does not censor himself. Through this point Cormier opens up in his classically honest and conversational style, and talks about the challenges he faces while he writes. He encourages writers to keep writing in order to fight censorship. This is an inspiring article that is useful for future English teachers, as they will surely face some opposition when they want to teach �against the grain.�
Ellis, W. Geiger. �Cormier and the Pessimistic View.� The Alan Review. 12.2 (1985):
10-12, 52.
Ellis talks about how many young adult novels are concerned with issues like drug abuse, pregnancy and single parent homes, but Cormier focuses on the individuals. Ellis states that Cormier frequently writes about an institution that sets boundaries which the individuals must overcome, both psychologically and physically, and he thus encourages the audience to see that boundaries do not necessarily have to be obeyed. In fact, Cormier seems to insist that they must be challenged. Ellis asserts that the dehumanizing institutions that we face in real life are part of the reason why Cormier�s books are marginalized in the educational community; why would a teacher want to go against the grain when the institution makes it so hard? Although Cormier is often seen as a pessimist, Ellis mentions a quote by Bernard DeVoto, ��Pessimism is only the name that men of weak nerves give to wisdom.�� Ellis believes that Cormier is not a pessimist, but an idealist, who believes that individuals can face overwhelming odds, �Cormier is a writer of hop who may heighten the awareness of those who are subject to the forces he depicts and inspire his readers with ennobling portrayals of human beings as individuals.�
Cormier, Robert. Interview. By Judith Bugniazet. The ALAN Review 1985, 14-18.
This is one of many interviews that Cormier conducted during his career. Bugniazet is a school teacher who conducted the interview over the phone. Cormier talks about the reactions that he has received and how those reactions have inspired him. In one particularly interesting part, Cormier explains one of the concepts in After the First Death. He says that innocence can be evil, and he is referring to the character of Miro who he calls, �the epitome of the innocent monster.� He feels that leaving a bomb in a place like a post office could only be done out of innocence, because they just don�t understand how important other people�s lives are since they are so wrapped up in their cause. These thoughts intrigued and inspired him. The theme of death is so frequent in his novels because he has been writing since such an early age, that he is very introspective; he feels that introspection naturally leads to these thoughts. He thinks that life is precious, and that people should be thankful for every day, �I can�t understand people who say that they�re bored because life is so precious that, to me, that�s almost a sin.�