Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... Bless the Beasts and Children (1970)by Glendon Swarthout
Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.
When I first encountered this story, it was in a movie, which I thought was great. That inspired me to look for the original book, which I did and discovered to be an interesting, if not excellent, read. ( ) This is one of those classic young adult novels about "dings", young adults that have serious problems that come from toxic yet wealthy families. The drama is well played out. The plot is straight forward, yet has surprises. I can understand why it is often used in the classroom with young adults to discuss their perspective on where they are in their lives. Even though this novel is over forty years old, it still is a compelling read. The story takes place at a very traditional, competitive and “macho” all boys’ summer camp. All of the outcasts of the camp – the physically weak, immature, and, criminal minded and emotionally disturbed boys are thrown into one cabin and nicknamed “The Bed Wetters” Cotton, one of the most criminally minded of the bunch and the unofficial leader of the Bed Wetters, decides that the group should take matters into their own hands and go on a road trip to a buffalo reserve. Red Flags: This book has a sucker-punch ending and can be disturbing. most of the kids in the books could have benefited from intense therapy, antidepressants or antipsychotic medication. There is some gory violence and painful portrayals of bullying. a very thin story of a group of misfit adolescent boys who have been sent to summer camp by their parents to do some fast growing up. there are many flashbacks to explain the past of each of the boys, but not much in the way of plot development. the actual story itself is told in a rushed way and i can't imagine using this to teach high school or middle school students as it's not interesting at all. no reviews | add a review
Has the adaptationIs abridged inHas as a student's study guide
Enriched with detailed notes and commentary, Glendon Swarthout's classic tale of adolescent "misfits" at a boy's camp on a mission to save themselves. No library descriptions found. |
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.52Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1900-1944LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |