Grade 8 Up—Cormier is generally cited as one of the finest and most challenged writers for teens. This combination of biography and literary criticism explains his appeal to readers as well as the most common objections to his works from parents and school districts. A history of other censorship, including several recent court cases involving the First Amendment, and a biographical sketch of Cormier precede the discussion of The Chocolate War (1974), I Am the Cheese (1977), and After the First Death (1979, all Knopf). Beckman notes Cormier's use of various literary devices and provides contrasting viewpoints on the themes that have caused his writing to be the target of so many challenges. A section on Cormier's manuscript archive and stock photographs of incidental figures is less relevant to the subject.
