Books with title The Chocolate Bar Burglar

One of the most controversial YA novels of all time, The Chocolate War is a modern masterpiece that speaks to fans of S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and John Knowles’s A Separate Peace. After suffering rejection from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made its debut in 1974, and quickly became a bestselling—and provocative—classic for young adults. This chilling portrait of an all-boys prep school casts an unflinching eye on the pitfalls of conformity and corruption in our most elite cultural institutions. “Masterfully structured and rich in theme; the action is well crafted, well timed, suspenseful.”—The New York Times Book Review “The characterizations of all the boys are superb.”—School Library Journal, starred review “Compellingly immediate. . . . Readers will respect the uncompromising ending.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review An ALA Best Book for Young Adults A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year

One of the most controversial YA novels of all time, The Chocolate War is a modern masterpiece that speaks to fans of S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and John Knowles’s A Separate Peace. After suffering rejection from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made its debut in 1974, and quickly became a bestselling—and provocative—classic for young adults. This chilling portrait of an all-boys prep school casts an unflinching eye on the pitfalls of conformity and corruption in our most elite cultural institutions. “Masterfully structured and rich in theme; the action is well crafted, well timed, suspenseful.”—The New York Times Book Review “The characterizations of all the boys are superb.”—School Library Journal, starred review “Compellingly immediate. . . . Readers will respect the uncompromising ending.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review An ALA Best Book for Young Adults A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year

With no point of reference for a life of "normalcy," seeking acceptance and security in a country not accommodating to immigrants, the author relied only on survival instincts, leading to her years of co-dependency, self-doubt, and utter despondency. She finds herself seeking refuge in controlling religious factions and abusive relationships. This life struggle reminds her constantly of her experiences in WWII where she spent her first six years on the front lines in Russia and as a refugee in Hitler's Germany. Her lullabies were the sounds of gunfire and exploding bombs. Her arrival at Ellis Island was promised to be the beginning of freedom; instead, it was only the continuation of abuse and control—intimate and personal relationships of psychological warfare.

Stunned by his mother's recent death and appalled by the way his father sleepwalks through life, Jerry Renault, a New England high school student, ponders the poster in his locker-Do I dare disturb the universe?Part of his universe is Archie Costello, leader of a secret school societ-the Virgils-and master of intimidation. Archie himself is intimidated by a cool, ambitious teacher into having the Virgils spearhead the annual fund-raising event-a chocolate sale. When Jerry refuses to be bullied into selling chocolates, he becomes a hero, but his defiance is a threat to Archie, the Virgils, and the school. In the inevitable showdown, Archie's skill at intimidation turns Jerry from hero to outcast, to victim, leaving him alone and terribly vulnerable.

With no point of reference for a life of "normalcy," seeking acceptance and security in a country not accommodating to immigrants, the author relied only on survival instincts, leading to her years of co-dependency, self-doubt, and utter despondency. She finds herself seeking refuge in controlling religious factions and abusive relationships. This life struggle reminds her constantly of her experiences in WWII where she spent her first six years on the front lines in Russia and as a refugee in Hitler's Germany. Her lullabies were the sounds of gunfire and exploding bombs. Her arrival at Ellis Island was promised to be the beginning of freedom; instead, it was only the continuation of abuse and control—intimate and personal relationships of psychological warfare. This is a compelling account of life as it was back "then" and how this child of war endured as she did, blossoming into a young woman, in a new land called America. A life's journey, as told by the author with such honesty, innocence, joy, humor, lessons and revealing horrors and sins; is it any wonder how this broken soul did in fact, survive.

According to the New York Times, this novel is masterfully structured and rich in theme, a compelling combination of Lord of the Flies and a Separate Peace. Stunned by his mother's recent death and appalled by the way his father sleepwalks through life, Jerry Renault, a New England high school student, ponders the poster in his locker-Do I dare disturb the universe? Part of his universe is Archie Costello, leader of a secret school societ-the Virgils-and master of intimidation. Archie himself is intimidated by a cool, ambitious teacher into having the Virgils spearhead the annual fund-raising event-a chocolate sale. When Jerry refuses to be bullied into selling chocolates, he becomes a hero, but his defiance is a threat to Archie, the Virgils, and the school. In the inevitable showdown, Archie's skill at intimidation turns Jerry from hero to outcast, to victim, leaving him alone and terribly vulnerable.

One of the most controversial YA novels of all time, The Chocolate War is a modern masterpiece that speaks to fans of S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and John Knowles’s A Separate Peace. After suffering rejection from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made its debut in 1974, and quickly became a bestselling—and provocative—classic for young adults. This chilling portrait of an all-boys prep school casts an unflinching eye on the pitfalls of conformity and corruption in our most elite cultural institutions. “Masterfully structured and rich in theme; the action is well crafted, well timed, suspenseful.”—The New York Times Book Review “[Frank] Muller's mesmerizing narration underlines Jerry's frustrations with sports, school, family, and life. He captures the tone and cadences of the male cast, from Jerry's growing disillusionment and Archie's sly intimidation to the chilling menace in Brother Leon's voice…ln his foreword, Cormier admits he wrote this for adults, not knowing that writing for young adults was even a possibility. Yet it has become a controversial and often banned YA classic, rich in themes—bullying, fitting in versus being true to oneself, dealing with peer pressure—that resonate as profoundly today as they did when this was published, in 1974.”—Booklist, starred review “The characterizations of all the boys are superb.”—School Library Journal, starred review “Compellingly immediate. . . . Readers will respect the uncompromising ending.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewAn ALA Best Book for Young AdultsA School Library Journal Best Book of the YearA Kirkus Reviews Editor’s ChoiceA New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year