| Robert Cormier, celebrated writer of mordant books for "young adults" (_I Am the Cheese_, _The Chocolate War_) published this one late in his career. Not long after the Second World War, eleven-year-old Henry works at Mr. Hairston's grocery store and makes friends with a Holocaust survivor named Mr. Levine, who spends all his time building and whittling a replica of his childhood village. In exercising his considerable power over the boy and demanding an impossible task, Mr. Hairston confronts Henry with the nature of human evil. This compact story can be read in less than an hour, but packs a quiet wallop. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - depressed Time/era of story - 1930's-1950's Kids growing up/acting up? Yes Internal struggle/realization? Yes Struggle over Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Coping with loss of loved one(s) Yes Loss of... Age group of kid(s) in story: - grade school Something wrong upstairs/downstairs? - searching for identity/meaning Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - a kid Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 40's-50's Profession/status: How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting United States Yes The US: - Northeast Small town? Yes Writing Style Amount of dialog - little dialog |
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