The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

The Chocolate War. Robert Cromier. 1974. Laurel Leaf Books. New York.
ISBN-13: 9780440944591. Paperback $7.50.

Book Awards:
ALA Best Books for Young Adults
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Kirkus Reviews Choice
A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year

Annotation:
At Trinity High School, the Vigils are the unspoken force behind all that happens at school; both the good and the bad. Jerry Renault decides to take a stand against the Vigils when he refuses to participate in the fall chocolate sale.

Book Talk:“Do I dare disturb the universe?” This question is on the poster in the back of Jerry Renault’s locker. Jerry is a freshman, a quarterback on the freshman football team, and struggling to fit in at Trinity High School. The Vigils are an unspoken, unacknowledged force which dictates what will happen in the school. From pranks to outright acts of disobedience, the Vigils control it all. No one has ever dared to go against the will of the Vigils.
This year, the school has taken on a challenge with the chocolate sale. Brother Leon is asking every student to sell 50 boxes of candy, and he enlists the help of the Vigils to enforce the 50- box quota.
What happens when Jerry defies the school and the Vigils and refuses to sell any candy at all will answer the question “What happens when the universe is disturbed?”