Plainsman1963

Anybody read one or more of his books?

My oldest son (13) mentioned him the other day...

We were driving back from picking him up for a week long visit (he lives with his mother now), and during the hour long drive, we started discussing current events (as well as drugs and sex, but that's for another thread), etc...

He said I would like his reading teacher and he thought I would like the author Chris Crutcher.
I asked first why he thought I would like his reading teacher and he said she had been fired from a teaching job in a neighboring state.

Of course, my question was "for what?". Seems she was having her students read (can't remember which one right off, either 'The Turning of the Screw' or 'The Taming of the Shrew' ) a book when the Principal told her it was not on the "approved reading list".
So, she had all her students buy the book (or she "found" them a copy) and told them to make sure everyone around school saw them reading it.
She was canned.

I liked her already.

So, Chris Crutcher. My son's reading teacher had them read one of his books about another of his books getting censored.

I now wanted to read one of his books and off we went to the local library. Managed to find his first book, 'Running Loose'. First my son read it and then I did.
We are both pleased with the books this teacher is recommending.

Check out his site and some of the responses he gives to those that want to censor him from media centers/libraries.

troublemaker_42

Whats the subject matter of his books?

__________________
Ted Nugent: "To my mind it is wholly irresponsible to go into the world incapable of preventing violence, injury, crime, and death. How feeble is the mindset to accept defenselessness. How unnatural. How cheap. How cowardly. How pathetic."


If total government control equals safety, why are prisons so dangerous?

buzzmobile

Gotta love the Google
Here's one review. Author profile

Plainsman1963

Abortion, homosexuality, dealing with death...All the subjects that cause folks to tear out their hair and say "we must protect the children from these subjects!".

iamskfan

I can't wait to get my hands on some of his books It isn't Stephen King, but I will give it a shot.

__________________

Assistant

I've read all of Chris Crutcher's books. The one your son is talking about is called THE SLEDDING HILL. Great book. Look also for WHALE TALK and STAYING FAT FOR SARAH BYRNES. He's a fantastic writer.

Plainsman1963

I have finished "Chinese Handcuffs" (well written book about incest and suicide) and Whale Talk (Thanks, Assistant. You just signed up to tell us that?), a book about race, adoption and not fitting in.

Next is "The Sledding Hill".

I am discerning a theme with his books. His characters are all pretty strong willed and don't fit in to "team sports", but are athletic.

I have only read 3 so far, but I am very very impressed with the way this author tries to connect to teenagers. He doesn't talk down to them.

I have told all my kids to read him and tell all their friends. Any concerned parents of the kids can come talk to me about it.

imported_CloudNine

Wow....Plains is being a rebel rouser (sp?) I never saw this coming. In fact, it is kinda of Ironic that Plains is talking about sticking it to the man, considering he IS the man.

It reminds me of that cell phone commercial where the big CEO is talking about sticking it to the man, and his assistant reminds him that he is the man. Then he asks him if it would kinda be like sticking it to himself. He replies....Maybe....lol

As far as Crutcher, we did many of his books in a very interesting honors class that I had my freshman year of college. The title of the course was, DO NOT READ THESE BOOKS! Definetly a cool course when I got to smoke with one of my professors. Actually he was a TA but same thing.

C9

Plainsman1963

Well, of a cannabis site.

Doesn't that make me the anti-man?
Bizarro man?
I am woman, hear me roar?
Very cool.

Plainsman1963

Finished "The Sledding Hill".

Man, the more I read this guy, the better I like him. How he incorporated himself into the story as a character and how he displays both sides of the argument (this time death and loss, censorship and religion) and makes the point that neither side is evil...

Even as a character, he doesn't have the ego to write his character fighting the fight for the kids. He's there for them, but the kids do their own fighting.

Any teenager that has felt out of place, invisible, looked over, discriminated against, dismissed out of hand...Anyone who feels like "they just don't get me"...

These are the books to read.