The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier 🔖🔖🔖

First published January 1, 1974 

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Literary awards: Lewis Carroll Shelf Award 1979, Margaret A. Edwards Award 1991

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Jerry Renault ponders the question on the poster in his locker: Do I dare disturb the universe? Refusing to sell chocolates in the annual Trinity school fund-raiser may not seem like a radical thing to do. But when Jerry challenges a secret school society called The Vigils, his defiant act turns into an all-out war. Now the only question is: Who will survive? (Source: Goodreads)

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This was a fairly interesting read, but I'd likely relate to it more if I were a boy still in school. I love the writing style, loved reading the thought processes of the characters, enjoyed their processing and realizing adults don't have it all together, may not be honest, good, or content. I'm not recommending the book, however, as it didn't catch me or move me enough. It also won't go on my favorites shelf, but I don't feel I wasted my time.

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Why this book was banned: 

This is "one of the top ten most-challenged books of the 21^st century for sexual content, offensive language, and violence."

From the article sourced below: 

In January, 2000, parents in Lancaster, Massachusetts, wanted the book removed from classrooms because of its profanity. ...

The Chocolate War resonated with the students because it involved characters their age that were realistic and relatable. While the sexual content wasn'’t discussed, students did talk about the language. Most discussions centered on being willing to break from what\’s popular, and the consequences thereof.

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In 2001, it was challenged in York County, Virginia, for sexually explicit language. ... It was also challenged at a Lisbon, Ohio, board of education meeting as ”pornography” and removed from high school English classes.

2002 brought more challenges for profanity, masturbation, and sexual fantasy, along with “segments denigrating to girls.”

... Parents Against Bad Books in Schools, challenged it in 2003 in Fairfax, Virginia, school libraries for “profanity, descriptions of drug abuse, sexually explicit conduct, and torture.”

2004-2005 challenges echoed issues with its sexual content, offensive language, being unsuited to intended age group, violence, and for its perceived religious viewpoint.

In 2006, the book was challenged at King Philip Middle School in West Hartford, Connecticut, when the parents of an eighth grader thought the book was unsuitable for students. That same year it was challenged in Wake County, North Carolina, schools by parents who received support of the ban from Called2Action, a Christian group that says its mission is to “promote and defend our shared family and social values.” …

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In 2008 it was initially removed from a Harford County, Maryland, high school curriculum due to “vulgar language,” thus overshadowing its anti-bullying message. Ironically, it was challenged as optional reading in a bullying unit at a Lake Oswego, Oregon, junior high school because the novel is “peppered with profanities, ranging from derogatory slang terms to sexual encounters, and violence.” In the Coeur d\’Alene, Idaho School District ... parents say the book ... should require parental permission for students to read them.

It was also challenged as required reading for seventh grade students at the John H. Kinzie Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois, and at the Northridge School District in Johnstown, Ohio, because “if these books were a movie, they would be rated R.”  (Source: Banned Books Awareness: “The Chocolate War” - World leading higher education information and services)

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My thoughts: 

I think the book was realistic and though there were indeed curse words, sexual thoughts and fantasies, I don't remember it being gratuitous or for the author's intent to be "cool", which is what I feel about John Green.  This just felt different from his attempts. 

Bottom line: notice if your kid is reading this and have discussions.