Robert Cormier – författare

Revenge for a tragedy, a fire twenty-five years ago which killed twenty-two children. Must Denny live forever with his father’s fatal mistake?On Hallowe’en years ago, 16-year-old Denny’s father was involved in a tragic accident that killed 22 children. And it seems one of those children can’t forget.Denny wants to be like other kids his age, but he’s not allowed to drive or answer the phone and his family moves so often he’s always the new kid in school. Then there are the phone calls: every year, they wake Denny up in the middle of the night. And every year, Denny’s father calmly answers. But this year it’s different. It’s been 25 years since the accident.When Denny defies his parents one afternoon and answers the phone, he finds himself drawn into a highly-charged relationship with the mystery caller, someone who haunts his days and nights and threatens a deadly revenge.In this chilling novel, which examines the consequences of a young man’s rebellion against his father’s past, Robert Cormier once again shows himself to be a master of suspense.

Adam's father is in hospital and Adam has set off to visit him. It's a long, cold journey; as he travels along Adam gets tired and. To take his mind off his exhaustion, he traces the events that led up to his father being taken to hospital. He had testified against government level corruption and the family became the subject of a government-orchestrated protection plan. The journey is a kind of odyssey, a search - through the mysteries of the mind. Adam must unlock the past and really rememberit if he is to survive.

'What if I told him I am not the hero he thinks I am . . .?' Maimed and disfigured whilst fighting in the World War Two, young Francis Cassavant is returning to his hometown as a hero. But one who must hide both his face and his identity.For his past holds a bitter secret, one which he has vowed to revenge and which he can resolve only through his final, desperate plan: to destroy the man who betrayed him as a boy. Left without a face or a future, but sustained by his deep sense of shame, Francis watches. He thinks of the gun in his duffel bag and waits, alone, for the return of another supposed hero. Praise for Robert Cormier:The Chocolate War'This is a tour de force and tour de force of realism' - TimesThe Bumblebee Flies Away'A novel you are unlikely to forget' - Times

The bestselling controversial novel about corruption and misuse of power in an American boys' school.The headmaster of Trinity College asks Archie Costello, the leader of the Vigils, a secret society that rules the school, to help with the selling of 20,000 boxes of chocolates in the annual fund-raising effort. Archie sees the chance of adding to his power - he is the Assigner, handing out to the boys tasks to be performed if they are to survive in the school. Freshman, Jerry Renault, a newcomer to the corrupt regime, refuses to sell chocolates. Enormous mental and physical pressure is put on him but he will not give in - the result is an inevitable, explosive tragedy.

AFTER THE FIRST DEATH is a brilliantly tense hostage drama, by Robert Cormier, the acclaimed author of THE CHOCOLATE WAR. It is one of The Originals from Penguin - iconic, outspoken, first. On the outskirts of a small American town, a bus-load of young children is being held hostage. The hijackers are a cold and ruthless group, opposed to the secret government agency Inner Delta. At the centre of the battle are three teenagers. Miro is the terrorist with no past and no emotions. Kate is the bus driver, caught up in the nightmare, and Ben is the General's son who must act as a go-between.The Originals are the pioneers of fiction for young adults. From political awakening, war and unrequited love to addiction, teenage pregnancy and nuclear holocaust, The Originals confront big issues and articulate difficult truths. The collection includes: The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton, I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith, Postcards from No Man's Land - Aidan Chambers, After the First Death - Robert Cormier, Dear Nobody - Berlie Doherty, The Endless Steppe - Esther Hautzig, Buddy - Nigel Hinton, Across the Barricades - Joan Lingard, The Twelfth Day of July - Joan Lingard, No Turning Back - Beverley Naidoo, Z for Zachariah - Richard C. O'Brien, The Wave - Morton Rhue, The Red Pony - John Steinbeck, The Pearl - John Steinbeck, Stone Cold - Robert Swindells.

When Francis Cassavant returns to his home town, his face horribly disfigured during World War II, he is tormented by memories of the conflict. People believe him to be a teenage war hero, not realising that his act of ‘heroism’ was in fact a suicide attempt. Back home, Francis has a mission – to get revenge on the youth leader he idolised, but betrayed him. And he’s prepared to do whatever it takes.

 

What are the themes?

Heroism, conflict, struggle against evil, guilt, forgiveness, loneliness, loyalty.

 

Teaching points

This short novel, with its gripping plot and engaging themes, is accessible to a wide range of abilities. Provides excellent opportunities for exploring structure and narrative viewpoint.