cmaw63's Full Review: Chris Crutcher and Bryce Lee - Athletic Shorts: 6 ...
In an effort to keep us safe from reading offensive material, individuals and groups recommend books they feel should be banned. What is offensive to one person may not be to the next three. Why should some books be banned? They shouldn't.
I do believe that parents need to be aware of what their children are reading...especially their teenagers. Most children books are not going to have racism, gay relationships, death, and sex in them. Then you have young adult books. Some will have all of that and more. Such is the case with Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories.
**WARNING: There will be possibly offensive scenarios in this review. There will definitely by offensive words. As a reviewer of this book, I feel that to sidestep the reasons this book has been added to the top 100 list of books to be banned would not show the true message the author is trying to get across with each story. Some words have been misspelled on purpose and are represented by (sp). Read on if you understand that my use of the scenarios and words are to help you understand this book, not my personal thoughts or feelings.**
Before each of the six stories there is a brief introduction to the main character. Some of them include a history on how the character was "born". All of the stories are about athletes, yet none are about sports. Each one depicts an aspect of life that the character is struggling with. Gay parents, death, racism, and more bring a strong, if uncomfortable, message to the reader.
A Brief Moment in the Life of Angus Bethune: Angus is a fat kid with two sets of parents. That isn't so unusual. What is unusual is that his mom is "married" to his stepmother and his father lives with his stepfather. Two sets of gay parents and being the fat, nerdy kid at school is a huge can of fuel for the fire of humiliation he receives at school. What he does have going for him is his lightening fast movement. His shining moments are on the football field. When he ends up the prom king will it be another embarrassment or one of his few triumphs.
The Pin: Johnny Rivers is a wrestler. He, also, likes to annoy his father, who wrestled in college. With a mom that does nothing to stop the abuse from his father, Johnny takes his punishment and uses it to make himself stronger. 1000 push ups is often his reward for verbally offending his dad. When Johnny challenges his dad to a wrestling match in front of the whole school he learns more about his father than he thought he would.
The Other Pin: Petey Shropshire finds himself in a wrestling match that no other team member would volunteer for. His friend, Johnny Rivers, pushed him into it. Why doesn't anyone want to wrestle Byers? Because this wrestler is a female and she's good. When Petey happens to meet Chris Byers they find out more about each other than they thought they would.
Gone Fishin': Lionel Serbousek loses his parents and younger brother in a boating accident. The boy responsible for their deaths is also his fellow swim team member, Neal Anderson. In a look at death, survival, and drug use we find that sometimes the survivor isn't the only living victim of accidents.
Telephone Man: Jack Simpson is raised by his father to hate niggors(sp), chinks, and spics. When forced to go to an alternative school, Jack has to deal with each on a daily basis. The only thing that makes him feel special is his tool belt that lets him use his unique talent of repairing telephones. When a group of chinks try to take it from him he is badly beaten. He knows his dad wouldn't lie to him, but then why is Kam, a niggor(sp), saving him?
In the Time I Get: While working part time at a local bar, football player, Louie Banks meets the owners nephew, Darren. When confronted with a fagot(sp) that has AIDS, Louie has to make decisions that could cost him his best friend. He is still trying to work through his girlfriends death, he isn't ready to befriend someone that is dying. Losing his friend and his emotional stability or doing what is right...which will he choose?
There is a section of this story that gave me pause, got me thinking, and stunned me with its simplicity.
If you was walking in the middle of the road an' you saw a big ol' truck comin' right at ya, you wouldn't stop an' ask the Lord to get you out of the way, would ya?
"No," I said. "I'ld probably just get off the road."
"Well then, don't be goin' askin' Him to get ya out of the way of all the other crap that's comin' at ya."
One Opinion
Wow...I'm not sure where to start as there are so many thoughts and feelings I had while reading Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories. Normally that is a good thing for me. A book that makes me think is a book that has held my interest. Where my problem lies is that this book is written for teenagers. As an adult I was overwhelmed by some of the feelings I had after finishing each story. As a parent of two boys, now in their 20's, I would (and recently have) encourage them to read this book. There would have been a stipulation, though. After each story I would have had a discussion on how they were affected by it.
There are offensive words and situations, yet they are presented as they truly are...offensive. Each of the main characters learn from the situations they find themselves in. They become bigger, better people when they overcome their own feelings of bigotry, sexual feelings, and death. Therein lies the problem with this book. Each story ends in a happy feeling way. While I would love for every uncomfortable situation I find myself in to turn out all warm and rosy...it doesn't. I feel that if Chris Crutcher wants to write about real life and feelings he needs to include the fact that sometimes things don't work out the way we want them to.
While I don't feel this book should be banned...ok, I don't think any book should be banned...I do feel that teenagers should be monitored while reading it. Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories can help you start discussions on tough subjects with your teenager. I wouldn't recommend it for younger teens, but for those 16 and up I think it would be an eye opener. I know it was for this 40(plus) year old kid.
The textbook, Athletic Shorts, by Chris Crutcher, available in Hardback. Published by: HarperCollins Publishers. Edition: . ISBN10: 0688108164. I...More at Textbooks.com
These six stories from the acclaimed author present characters from some of his best-loved novels, and creates some unforgettable new personalities, i...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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