One more down...

Well... I finished my 5th of 40 books for the year. My latest conquest was The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. My first impression was that it was a "boy's book" and that I would be bored by the content (plus it smelled bad, but I guess that's a risk you take with library books). It's actually an interesting look into the hierarchy of an all boys Catholic school, complete with a secret society. The writing was fabulous, and although I've never been a teenage boy, I can imagine it's written from a very realistic perspective. The best thing about this book is also the worst, and that's the ending. It was not what I expected and not what I wanted to see, but the more I think about it, the more I understand what Cormier was trying to convey, and the more appreciative I am of the book. It would be interesting to teach to a group of students... the lesson plans are already forming in my mind!