Bibliographic
Information
Give a Boy a Gun by
Todd Strasser. Simon Pulse. (2002).
Price: $6.99 for mass market paperback
Pages: 208 pages for mass market paperback
Note: This book was originally published in 2000.
Plot Summary
Told through the perspective of over twenty different
people Give a Boy a Gun tells the
story of Brendan and Gary who are tired of being constantly picked on and
decide to have their revenge by holding other students hostage at a school
dance. Together friends of the two teens as well as teachers, classmates, and
neighbors explore why the hostage situation happened and what could have been
done to prevent it. Interspersed with the first-person accounts are facts about
other school shootings that author Todd Strasser collected during his time
writing the book making his story all the more relevant.
Critical
Evaluation
Give a Boy a Gun is
an absolutely fascinating read. Fast-paced and full of thoughtful opinions readers
will rip through this book wanting to simultaneously learn more about Gary and
Brendan as well as the wide range of beliefs over why school shootings occur.
Strasser effectively raises several issues within a mere 208 pages including
the influence of violent video games, the question of gun control, bullying in
schools, and the shortage of school counselors. However, it is clear that
Strasser has an agenda. He even goes so far as to clearly state this on page
204 where he writes that semiautomatic assault-type weapons and handguns should
not be sold to private citizens. He also calls politicians “lobby-fattened” (p.
205). This isn’t necessarily a problem however teachers wishing to use this
book within the classroom should consider pairing it with another book that
takes less of a stance on gun control.
Reader’s
Annotation
The aftermath of a school shooting is explored by the
shooters’ friends, classmates, teachers, acquaintances, and parents.
About the
Author
Interestingly, while Todd Strasser is an author of
seventy-one books his favorite subject in elementary school was science as he
struggled with grammar and spelling. He attended college at New York University
but would later drop out and live on a commune and later as a street musician
in Europe. Upon his return to the United States he attended Beloit College
where he graduated with an undergraduate degree. Strasser held a number of
fascinating jobs including being a reporter and an owner of a fortune cookie company.
Today he splits his time between writing and speaking engagements. Strasser is
a truly inspirational role model for us all proving that not only does one not need
to finish college in four years but that taking risks in life can translate
into exciting, vibrant books.
Genre
Interview novel, Realistic fiction, School shooting
story, School story
Readalikes
Shooter by
Walter Dean Myers
·
Also about the aftermath of a shooting told
using interview transcripts. Focuses on the friends of the shooter as well as
the professionals who interview them.
The Wave by
Todd Strasser
·
Also by Todd Strasser, this book is a school
story that focuses on an experiment conducted in a school setting to make
students understand why Nazism caught on. Unfortunately, the experiment quickly
gets out of hand.
Hate List by
Jennifer Brown
·
Also about the aftermath of a shooting focusing
on the shooter’s girlfriend who is suspected as his accomplice.
Tags
Biased author, bullying, cliques, gun control,
interviews, multiple perspectives, school shooting, school story, suicide
Awards
Won/Lists On
2001—Rhode Island Teen Book Winner
2001—Ten Selections for Middle School/Junior High by
Kansas State Reading Circle
2001—VOYA’s Top Shelf Fiction for Middle Schoolers
2002—Charlotte Award Winner (New York)
2002—Maud Hart Lovelace Award (Minnesota)
2002—Washington Irving Children’s Choice Book Award (New
York City, NY)
2002—Young Reader’s Choice Award (Pennsylvania)
2006—ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
Professional
Reviews
School Library Journal\
VOYA
Booktalk Ideas
This book is chock full of powerful, thought-provoking
quotes, especially those by school counselor Beth Bender. Here are a few
examples of some that could be used in a booktalk to show that there are many
differing beliefs about what causes school shootings:
“Of course, I had fifty boys and girls like that, all of
them feeling more or less the same thing. And I was responsible for another
350, so what could I do?” –Beth Bender, school counselor (38)
“Maybe we stereotype them [outcasts], but they stereotype
us too. To them we’re all big dumb jocks”
–Paul Burns,
football player
“The average twelve-year-old has seen more than 7,000
murders on television”
“…can you imagine how it feels when you hear that they’ve
[the school] hired a private plane for $25,000 to take the team to a game. Do
you have any idea how many classroom sets of Guterson, Shakespeare, and Lowry
that would buy? But you also have to understand that a lot of these boys would
be lost without athletics. They are simply never going to be scholars. This is
the playing field where they’ve chosen to compete, and unfortunately it’s a lot
more expensive than an English classroom…A great [football] season here may be
the highlight of their life. But even if it isn’t, the lessons they learn about
work and discipline on the team will serve them well in whatever they do” –Dick
Flanagan, English teacher (98-99).
“…a handgun I keep in my home for personal protection. Is
it locked? No, but it is hidden. If I ever have to defend my home against
someone trying to break in, the time it takes me to unlock a gun might just be
the difference between the life and death of my children” –Dick Flanagan,
English teacher (111)
“I can tell you, however, that privately many of us [gun
owners] are opposed to semiautomatics. The problem is that once the gun control
people get semiautomatics banned, they will go after handguns. And once those
are banned, do you know what will happen? Some nut will get ahold of a hunting
rifle and kill a bunch of people. The gun control people will use that incident
as an excuse to go after hunting rifles” –Allen Curry, high school principal
(146)
*SPOILER ALERT*
Possibly not useful in a booktalk but a quote that could
be great for classroom discussion:
“The fact is the only person Gary killed was himself. And
Brendan didn’t kill anyone…But this much I do know: The only people I saw really
try to kill anyone that night were those boys. They tried to kill Brendan with
their bare hands. And I am absolutely convinced that if it hadn’t been for Ms.
Bender, they would have”. –Allison Findley, Gary’s sort-of girlfriend
As well as Ms. Bender’s perspective on the matter on
pages 173-174
Bibliotherapeutic
Usefulness
This is a wonderful book to use with students and
teachers who have suffered through a school shooting. It is also a great book
to use in the classroom to foster discussions about what causes school
shootings.
Reading
Level/Interest Level
Reading Level: 5th grade
Interest Level: 9th-12th grade
These levels are according to AR Bookfinder
Note: AR Bookfinder’s interest level differs from many
review sources as these sources label Give
a Boy a Gun as a middle school novel.
Challenge
Issues
This book includes the following potentially
controversial elements:
·
Advocates for gun control
·
Breaking and entering
·
Bullying
·
Cliques
·
Drunken driving
·
Graphic description of brain injury
·
Homosexual slurs
·
Illegal gun purchases
·
School shooting
·
Shooting people in the knees
·
Single mother household
·
Slight profanity
·
Suicide
·
Suicide notes
·
Underage drinking
·
Underage smoking
Librarians can point out that while this novel is indeed
disturbing Todd Strasser, with the exception of his position on gun control,
presents the topic of school shootings in a sensitive manner. He illustrates
all the theories as to why school shootings occur and some ideas on what can be
done to help prevent them in the future. Librarians can also describe how this
book is still (sadly) relevant today. One has only to look at 2012 theater
shooting in Aurora, CO and the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in
Newtown, Connecticut to see the relevance of this novel.
Why Was This
Included?
While this was a required novel for class I also was
curious to learn more about school shootings. Additionally, I enjoy novels that
use creative methods like screenplays, letters, and chat room transcripts to
tell a story.
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