The Chocolate War

Cormier, R. (1974). The chocolate war. NY: Delacorte.

Jerry Renault has been challenged by a gang that runs the school not to sell chocolates in the annual chocolate drive. Jerry decides to rebel against the gang and decides  to sell the chocolate.   In the end Jerry must decide to sell the chocolate because in the words of T. S. Elliot, “disturb the universe”.  This decision will cost him dearly. Jerry becomes in a hero because he stands up against the gang.  I really enjoyed this book, because it took something so juvenile, like selling chocolates and turned into a cause to stand up to something.  Kohlberg’s preconventional is modeled in this book because of the conflict of doing right and wrong.