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Bless The Beasts And Children (1970)

by Glendon Swarthout(Favorite Author)

3.47 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Middle Grade & Children's

publisher

Pocket Books

review 1: This is a novel that was originally published in 1970, and it is considered a modern day classic along the lines of the Lord of the Flies. This novel, however, is much more uplifting than the Lord of the Flies. It features a group of misfit boys - ages of 12 to 15 - that are sent (or dumped) at a boys summer camp in Arizona where they are supposed to be turned into men. Instead they are picked on until they band together as a group. One day they are returning from an outing, and they see the annual buffalo "hunt" in which buffalo are horribly killed. The boys are traumatized by this viewing, and they decide to break out of the camp that night to free the other buffaloes that are supposed to be slaughtered the next day. During the adventures of the night, they become strong... moreer as a group and individually - pushing each other to keep going when they hit obstacles. It is a relatively short story (about 150 pages) that is well written and despite the different time period, keeps your interest and engages you. The only thing I thought was weird about this addition were the footnotes that were used to explain words, phrases, etc that I felt are pretty common (for example, the word skivs which is short for skivvies or underwear or the phrase "champed at the bit.") But it seems like this book is meant for teenaged readers and is often taught in schools so perhaps that is why these words and phrases are footnoted (but really did they need to footnote Green Bay Packers?) But that is a minor issue. The book, when it was published, helped to bring attention to the killing of buffaloes and helped to inspire conservation movements so it is also often compared to Silent Spring too. I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.
review 2: Book Share Assignment1.) Book Title: Bless the Beasts and the Children2.) Author: Glendon Swarthout3.) Total pages: 1964.) Rating (1-5 stars): 3 stars 5.) Two-three sentences summary: Bless the Beasts and the Children is about a group of boys who are sent to a summer camp in the west. The book follows the boys as they go on different journeys outside and inside of camp together. 6.) Favorite character and why or favorite scene and why (at least 4-5 sentences): My favorite scene in this book is one of the last scenes in which the boys are taking the buffalo away from the slaughter area in the stolen truck. At the end of scene the people of the buffalo reserve begin chasing them, yet they are determined to keep going and get the buffalo out of the area. It is very action packed when the boys shot the .22 rifle at the people, and at the end the buffalo escape and the people catch up with the boys. This is my favorite scene because it is very dramatic and action packed. 7.) Blurb (a one-sentence description that you would see on a book cover; for example: “A page-turner--be sure to wear your seatbelt while reading this!”)- A well written book that every teenage boy should enjoy! less

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