Five books that are set during one school year

Jeff Somers is the author of the Avery Cates series, The Ustari Cycle, Lifers, and Chum (among many other books) and numerous short stories.

At the B&N Reads blog he tagged five books that are more or less set during one school year, including:

The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier

Cormier’s classic story of rebellion and bullying is set over the course of Jerry Renault’s first year at an all-boy’s Catholic school. The fundraiser involving chocolate bars is something every kid and parent has some experience with, and serves as the catalyst for a book that remains controversial more than forty years after its initial publication, as the overbearing Brother Leon seeks to make his mark as school administrator by setting records for the year’s chocolate sales. The plan is threatened by Jerry’s refusal to participate, which leads to a series of increasingly crazy events involving the school’s secret society. Anyone who has ever dealt with peer pressure, bullies, or adults who have lost their way will feel this book in their bones.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue