Robert Cormier

February 1, 2007
Gr 9 Up-Campbell places her subject in his rightful role as the father of young adult literature. Readers are provided with a rich sense of what renders a novel "Cormieresque," expressed poetically in the lines, "the music of some minds is naturally in a minor key. Cormier shows us the light by focusing on the shadow that is its consequence." The writer's cinematic style, attributed to both his reverence for film and a career in journalism, is aptly echoed in the book's approach; Campbell zooms out and in and back again to tie together his body of work. Early chapters devoted to biography and analysis of overarching themes and influences are continually referenced to make sense of each title discussed in subsequent chapters. This title is undeniably a successful, exhaustively researched examination of Cormier's work that will be well received by anyone invested in criticism of young adult literature. It may prove a harder sell to teens themselves, but Cormier's devotees will welcome this deeper look into his life, his work, and his writing process."Jill Heritage Maza, Greenwich High School, CT"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2006
Campbell, who has written before about Cormier, offers a deeply felt and richly analyzed literary analysis of all of his books for young people. She also includes some biography, as she tries and succeeds in showing how this gentle man and gentleman brought forth intensely written titles that examined the nature of evil and the vigilance of the dark side. " The Chocolate War" (1974)," I Am the Cheese " (1977)" ," and several other well-known titles get their own chapters, and there's discussion of various aspects of Cormier's oeuvre. Novels such as " Tunes for Bears to Dance To" (1992)" ," for slightly younger readers, are also covered. There are copious references and notes. For teachers, librarians, and avid readers seeking to delve more deeply into the structure, language and style of Cormier's writing, this is an indispensable resource, worthy of its subject. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)