Endgame by Nancy Garden
Author Biography:
A versatile writer, Nancy Garden has published books for children as well as for teens, nonfiction as well as fiction. But her novel Annie on My Mind, the story of two high school girls who fall in love with each other, has brought her more attention than she wanted when it was burned in front of the Kansas City School Board building in 1993 and banned from school library shelves in Olathe, Kansas, as well as other school districts. A group of high school students and their parents in Olathe had to sue the school board in federal district court in order to get the book back on the library shelves. Today the book is as controversial as ever, in spite of its being viewed by many as one of the most important books written for teens in the past forty years. In 2003 the American Library Association gave the Margaret A. Edwards Award to Nancy Garden for lifetime achievement. Information retrieved from Goodreads.com.
Published by: Graphia
ISBN: 0152063773
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Grades 9-12
Reader’s Annotation:
Perpetually bullied Gray Wilton has just moved to a new school with the hopes that not only will life at school be better, but he can also be a better and more popular person as well. Yet days after he arrives, the bullying continues and is far worse than it ever has been. With little support from home or from teachers, Gray is about to give up hope when his father brings home a gun – a weapon that could change everything and a key to unleashing a horrific tragedy.
Plot Summary:
Gray Wilton, a zit-faced band nerd, has never had it easy. Constantly bullied at middle school, harassed by a father that prefers his older brother, and let down by a weak-willed mother, Gray finally stands up for himself by pulling a knife on his attackers at school. Though the bullies recoil at the blade, Gray is discovered by a faculty member and is promptly suspended. Gray continues to carry the blade upon his return, yet drops it at school and is suspended once again. Gray’s family moves in response, hoping a new location and new school will be better for everyone – a hope Gray shares as well.
Now attending Greenford High School, Gray makes a few friends and is cautiously optimistic about his new life, despite his father’s seeming hatred for him. It isn’t long before the high school jocks zero in on Gray however, and make life absolute hell for him. They strike him repeatedly, shove him into lockers, wait for him at the entrance of high school to torture him and, in one of the darkest moments of the book, attempt to force him to perform oral sex on his friend.
Gray is at his breaking point when he see his father’s handgun and, desperate for an end to his suffering, grabs the weapon and heads for the high school with an eerie sense of peace.
Critical Evaluation:
This is a very difficult book to read through. Gray is a character the reader can sympathize with through all the horrifying abuse he suffers, which is highly detailed and oftentimes heartbreaking. Nancy Garden writes in such a way that it truly does seem there is absolutely no way out for Gray and that nothing will ever get better, making this a difficult and depressing read. The book highlights the need for parents and teachers to be more prudent in supporting their children and students and guarding against bullying, yet it also has no remorse for Gray when he is punished for his actions near the end of the book. Endgame is a cautionary tale about what abuse can do to teens and attempts to delve into the mind of a would-be shooter. Readers should be cautioned, however, that this is a violent and uncompromising read.
Curriculum Ties:
Challenge Issues:
There’s a whole host of issues here, from the violence of the book to the description of the attempted oral sex, to the topic of school shooting. Some could also argue the book is attempting to be sympathetic towards school shooters.
Defensive Maneuvers:
Book Talk Ideas:
There's been a lot in the news lately about school shootings, but what exactly causes it? This is a pretty rough novel, full of vi
Why This Book?
School shootings have been in the news recently, along with the constant debate of gun control. Garden has written a book that delves into a possibility of why school shootings happen, their immediate aftermath, and what could be done to prevent them. Teens interested in the how and why of recent shootings may find this book useful in sating their curiosity, as well as give them insight into the pain of all the victims involved.
A versatile writer, Nancy Garden has published books for children as well as for teens, nonfiction as well as fiction. But her novel Annie on My Mind, the story of two high school girls who fall in love with each other, has brought her more attention than she wanted when it was burned in front of the Kansas City School Board building in 1993 and banned from school library shelves in Olathe, Kansas, as well as other school districts. A group of high school students and their parents in Olathe had to sue the school board in federal district court in order to get the book back on the library shelves. Today the book is as controversial as ever, in spite of its being viewed by many as one of the most important books written for teens in the past forty years. In 2003 the American Library Association gave the Margaret A. Edwards Award to Nancy Garden for lifetime achievement. Information retrieved from Goodreads.com.
Published by: Graphia
ISBN: 0152063773
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Grades 9-12
Reader’s Annotation:
Perpetually bullied Gray Wilton has just moved to a new school with the hopes that not only will life at school be better, but he can also be a better and more popular person as well. Yet days after he arrives, the bullying continues and is far worse than it ever has been. With little support from home or from teachers, Gray is about to give up hope when his father brings home a gun – a weapon that could change everything and a key to unleashing a horrific tragedy.
Plot Summary:
Gray Wilton, a zit-faced band nerd, has never had it easy. Constantly bullied at middle school, harassed by a father that prefers his older brother, and let down by a weak-willed mother, Gray finally stands up for himself by pulling a knife on his attackers at school. Though the bullies recoil at the blade, Gray is discovered by a faculty member and is promptly suspended. Gray continues to carry the blade upon his return, yet drops it at school and is suspended once again. Gray’s family moves in response, hoping a new location and new school will be better for everyone – a hope Gray shares as well.
Now attending Greenford High School, Gray makes a few friends and is cautiously optimistic about his new life, despite his father’s seeming hatred for him. It isn’t long before the high school jocks zero in on Gray however, and make life absolute hell for him. They strike him repeatedly, shove him into lockers, wait for him at the entrance of high school to torture him and, in one of the darkest moments of the book, attempt to force him to perform oral sex on his friend.
Gray is at his breaking point when he see his father’s handgun and, desperate for an end to his suffering, grabs the weapon and heads for the high school with an eerie sense of peace.
Critical Evaluation:
This is a very difficult book to read through. Gray is a character the reader can sympathize with through all the horrifying abuse he suffers, which is highly detailed and oftentimes heartbreaking. Nancy Garden writes in such a way that it truly does seem there is absolutely no way out for Gray and that nothing will ever get better, making this a difficult and depressing read. The book highlights the need for parents and teachers to be more prudent in supporting their children and students and guarding against bullying, yet it also has no remorse for Gray when he is punished for his actions near the end of the book. Endgame is a cautionary tale about what abuse can do to teens and attempts to delve into the mind of a would-be shooter. Readers should be cautioned, however, that this is a violent and uncompromising read.
Curriculum Ties:
- Bullying
- Abuse
- School shooting
- Parent and teacher support
Challenge Issues:
There’s a whole host of issues here, from the violence of the book to the description of the attempted oral sex, to the topic of school shooting. Some could also argue the book is attempting to be sympathetic towards school shooters.
Defensive Maneuvers:
- Have the library's collection policy on hand and memorized. Even though you may have it committed to memory, being able to show specific provisions as proof with strengthen your position.
- Be familiar with the book. Having great knowledge of it will prove you understand the content and the way the challenged matters interact with each other.
- Cite any awards the book may have. Though the patron may disagree with the book, showing that it is well known and seen as having great literary merit will strengthen your defense.
- Have a few reviews ready from respected sources such as Amazon or VOYA. At the very least, you can prove you understand the material and reviews will corroborate that.
- Have a strong idea WHY that item is in the library. Explain its merits, who the intended audience is, and so on.
- State your library's commitment to providing intellectual freedom as written in the Library Bill of Rights.
- Stay calm. Getting defensive or hot under the collar will only weaken your position.
- And finally, be open to discussion and LISTEN. Even if you do not agree with the patron, their concerns are still legitimate and you should show that you are engaged with them. Listening to their concerns may be enough to take the edge off.
Book Talk Ideas:
There's been a lot in the news lately about school shootings, but what exactly causes it? This is a pretty rough novel, full of vi
Why This Book?
School shootings have been in the news recently, along with the constant debate of gun control. Garden has written a book that delves into a possibility of why school shootings happen, their immediate aftermath, and what could be done to prevent them. Teens interested in the how and why of recent shootings may find this book useful in sating their curiosity, as well as give them insight into the pain of all the victims involved.