Robert Edmund Cormier
(January 17, 1925 ? November 2, 2000) was an
American
author
,
columnist
, and
reporter
. His literature includes negative feelings and ideas. His most popular books include
I Am the Cheese
,
After the First Death
,
We All Fall Down
and
The Chocolate War
. All of those
novels
won awards.
[1]
Many people tried to keep his first book,
The Chocolate War
out of
libraries
because they thought it was bad for children.
[2]
His books often show
abuse
,
mental illness
,
violence
,
revenge
,
betrayal
and
conspiracy
. In most of his novels, the good characters fail.
[3]
Robert Cormier was born in
Leominster
,
Massachusetts
,
United States
,
[1]
in the
French-Canadian
part of the town called French Hill. His parents were Geoffrey Leonard and Irma Cormier. Robert was the second of eight children. His family moved often to so they could pay their rent. However, they never left Leominster. Even when Robert was older, he stayed nearby. He owned a
summer home
19
miles
away from his hometown.
[4]
Cormier studied at St. Cecilia's Parochial School. It was a
private
Catholic
school. He began writing when he was in the first grade. He was praised at school for his poetry. He first decided to become a writer in 7th grade. He was encouraged by a
nun
to write a poem. He went
Leominster High School
and graduated as the president of his class. As a freshman at
Fitchburg State College
, he had his first
short story
published. A college professor, Florence Conlon, sent one of his stories to a national Catholic magazine called
The Sign
. She did not ask Cormier before she sent the story to the magazine. He was paid $75.
[5]
Cormier early work was writing advertisements for radio. Later, he became an award-winning
journalist
. Even though he became widely known, he never stopped writing for his local newspaper, the
Fitchburg Sentinel
.
[6]
Cormier became a full-time writer after his first novel for teenagers,
The Chocolate War
, became successful. Then he wrote other books such as
I Am the Cheese
and
After the First Death
. He thought young people in modern society experienced many problems. He put his thoughts and worries into his novels.
[7]
[8]
Soon he became known as a very good writer. Cormier would not change his way of thinking to please other people. He won the
Margaret A. Edwards Award
from the Young Adult Services Division of the
American Library Association
. This award is for writers who give young adults a new way to see the world understand their place in society.
[5]
ICormier used real places in some of his books. His hometown, Leominster, became the town of Monument in the story. The real place French Hill became Frenchtown.
[7]
Actions against
The Chocolate War
[
change
|
change source
]
People have tried to
ban
The Chocolate War
and keep it out of schools and libraries. They did not want children to read the book because it described sexual activity and used adult language. The book also described
secret societies
and students breaking rules.
[8]
The book was challenged many times between 1990 and 2000. According to the
American Library Association
only three other books were challenged more often during that time.
[9]
Listed by publication date
Novels
Collections
Nonfiction