Teaser: A Stotan is a cross between a Stoic and a Spartan. Four high school swimmers embark on a week long journey to become a Stotan as they are tested by their coach.
Plot Summary:Walker, Nortie, Lion, and Jeff are in their final season of swim team and all four accept the challenge from their coach to participate in Stotan week. It is a week long grueling 4 hours each day that will test the boys mentally and physically. Lion is an orphan, Nortie lives with his abusive dad. He loves his dad but can never please him. Jeff is dealing with the fact that he is terminally ill. Walker is the captain of the swim team. During Stotan week the boys become men as they face typical teenage issues and also very serious issues such as racial prejudice, and impending death.
Critical Evaluation: Going through Stotan week we learn a lot about the four main characters. They are facing very tough stuff for teenagers. By reading this teens will feel comforted and have characters they can relate to. In the week the boys are tested to the brink and their strength is what saves them. We learn that even when you are down to your lowest, there is always a way to build yourself back up.
Author Information: Please see my entry for King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography
Genre: Realistic Fiction/Sports/Coming of Age Fiction
Curriculum Ties: Sports/ Physical Education
Booktalking Ideas: Talk about what it takes to be a Stotan and ask the students if they think they would be able to do it.
Reading Level/Interest Age: 14+
Challenge Issues: Lots of Christ Crutcher novels are challenged and this book will probably be no different. It might be challenged due to language, and teen thoughts of sex. This book also deals with abuse, suicide, orphans, tough family lives, racial prejudice, terminal illness, teen tho. If this book was challenged I would go to, ALA's Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials.
Why included? I read this book for my English class in my freshmen year of high school and feel that Chris Crutcher is one of the great young adult writers out there today.
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