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Ringside, 1925

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Ringside - 1925 by Jen Bryant is one of the most unique and original novels for young people I have had the pleasure of reading from quite some time now. The author, Ms. Bryant, has used the same methods that Edgar Lee Masters used at the turn of the last century, in completing his work, Spoon River Anthology. Where Masters told the story of a town through a series of poems taken from the epitaphs of various members of the village, Bryant in this case, has told the story of the famous Scopes Monkey Trial, Dayton, Tennessee, 1925, through the voices of various citizens of Dayton, reporters, and most importantly, the young people who were members of J.T. Scopes' Biology Class.
The entire novel is done in free verse! The author goes from character to charter and back again, telling the story of the trial and the impressions and impact it had upon those who were there, those who witnessed the actual events as they unfolded. Each character has his or her, unique voice. In using her free verse method, I am glad to say that the author has not bogged us down with a lot of vague and obscure metaphors. The target group for this work is young people, age twelve and up, and I have found that few things turn them off from any sort of poetry quicker than this. Their intellectual data base simply is not large enough at this stage in their lives for them to appreciate it. The author has also skillfully avoided another pitfall that will absolutely kill a book for today's kids...that is the use of regional, racial and chronological dialects. Yes, the author touches on these lightly, but does it in a manner that is quite readable and understandable. Bottom line is that this lady KNOWS how to write for young people! I always note that most teens, when they first open a book, look at the number of pages, the size of type and do a quick evaluation in their minds as to how long it will take them to read it. No problems here; this is a very "user friendly" book. It is fast reading, understandable, and the kids will get a sense of quick accomplishment as they read.

Jen Bryant has been able to perfectly capture the essence of the times, both the place, and the people. I must admit that when I first became aware of this work, I gritted my teeth, and was prepared to plow through yet another rant describing the poor ignorant, bigoted and narrow "hillbillies" of rural America during those times. Being from and living in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, I am quite sensitive to this. I was pleasantly surprised. Ms. Bryant was able to capture the nature of the people perfectly, while leaving them the dignity they deserved (even the few characters that did not deserve it). This book is full of humor and I found myself laughing several times. The main thrust though, is to get kids to think and think independently, to have thoughts of their own, to form their own opinions, to keep open minds as they go through life. The author has accomplished this, in my opinion.

Being quite familiar with this particular trial and the circumstances surrounding it, I can say that the author's research is wonderfully accurate. Even though the majority of the characters portrayed here are fictional, she has her facts nailed. I am also a word freak. I am absolutely fascinated with word patterns, word play and the ideas conveyed by them. This was an absolute delight in that area. I love free verse, and the author is, well... fantastic, for lack of a better description. I could not have asked for more.

Teachers: Give this one a read. The possibilities are almost endless in using this work in your class room. English, Sociology, Science, Dramatics, History...there is no end. I would suspect that if you gave a brief back ground lecture, ran a copy of Inherit the Wind and handed the kids a copy of this book, you could get three weeks of discussion out of it, and be able to grade a bunch of papers, while the kids took over. Now not ever child is the same, obviously, but I cannot imagine many of the kids I know, not being stimulated by this book to do further reading on the subject, talk about it, and indeed, to think about it.

NOTE: It is sort of a pity that this work is being marketed as a Young Adult book as I truly feel that most adults I know would thoroughly enjoy this one. It is really quite a book!

The time is 1925, and the Butler Act of Tennessee was recently passed. This act bans the teaching of evolution in the classroom. The state of Tennessee felt that teaching that mankind evolved from lower animals would imply that the bible was wrong about creationism.
One day in Dayton, TN, twenty-four year old J.T. Scopes substituting as a science teacher teaches the section about evolution that is in the class's biology text. He is asked to comply with being arrested for breaking the law. He agrees. This incident puts Dayton on the map. The notoriety of the case causes people to pour in from all over. Encouraged by this influx, simian-like statues and masks are selling like hotcakes. Rooms are rented out to reporters and restaurants are doing really well. It appears like the circus has come to town, the media circus that is.
The author of "Ringside," Jen Bryant tells a fictional story of the Scopes Trial using some real historical elements and characters. She wrote "Ringside" for children ages 12 and up. Much of it is written in poetic form which makes the words flow and very easy to read. The tale is also written in the form of narratives which were taken from characters involved with the trial. The narrators are of different ages, races and genders. The reader gets to view the case as it might have appeared from someone like them. I loved this touch because it really brought the issues with the case to life. You get to see the Scopes Trial from all angles.
I found "Ringside" to be a fascinating way to learn about a real event that took place in our history. It taught me a lot about a case that I hear mentioned frequently, but actually had little background. It was also incredible to see what people were allowed to get away with. Even the judge who was a part time minister was allowed to ban scientific witnesses from the trial. It never had any hope of being won. Scope's attorney, Clarence Darrow, demonstrated his brilliance during a case that had no hope.
I highly recommend this book. It would be a great addition to a summer reading list for children, or an awesome book to be read by history or science students who will be introduced to evolution or the Scopes trial.

Ringside 1925 by Jen Bryant is a unique look at the Monkey-Scopes trial in Dayton, Tennessee. Bryant views the events surrounding the trial through the eyes of several different residents of the town in free verse poetry. Two teenage boys who have long been best friends are split by their views. A teenage girl finds freedom in the new view of the world, as does her matronly cousin. A black boy and his father prosper financially, but the boy gains far more than money could buy. This trial is famous in US history, but I was unaware of the facts surrounding it, and Bryant does a terrific job of educating about what really happened, even the events behind the scenes. This book is very timely with the current debate about teaching intelligent design in classrooms. My one disappointment in the book was that Bryant portrayed the churchgoers as hyprocritical and close-minded.

A most interesting read!! As the name implies this is a book about the Scopes trial but unlike other books that may cover this topic, here its told from the perspective of some of the towns people and reporters. I believe that this is actually a book for young adults but it is extremely good and very very well done and I think that it will appeal to all ages. I was a bit hesistant to request it because I am tired of all the religious bashing that seems to have become very popular in the last few years but that is not what happens here at all. Every side is presented respectfully and shown to be intelligent. In my opinion, the author does not take sides with either group but presents the best of both sides(with a few nutters of course). I was also happy that we get to see both groups,Christians and Agnostics/Atheists as intelligent and not foaming at the mouth radicals. It was refreshing to see many Christian presented as being open minded enough to embrace the bible and the concept of evolution at the same time. Though this book is only about 227 pages, it manages to create characters who have depth and are not two dimensional. The cast of characters were intriguing and very interesting. Some of the characters fall out over their different stances on the issue and many have their horizons broadened by the experience. To me the one relationship that dissolves that was sad to see was that between Clarence Darrow and Willam Jenning Bryan. The two men had apparently been very good friends but being forced to support their beliefs in such a public forum as the court destroyed their relationship irreparably. My favorite characters here were Willy Amos and Marybeth Dodd. Willy Amos is a young black boy who dreams big but never actually thinks that anything will come of it. When he meets Clarence Darrow he is inspired to believe, despite the odds, that maybe one day regardless of the color of his skin, he may have a share of the American dream. Marybeth Dodd on the other hand is a 17year old girl who wants more of her life than her small town or father may consider appropriate for a woman. I would recommend this book heartily.

"Ringside, 1925" focuses on the Scopes Monkey trial and how it affected the people living in Dayton, Tennessee, where the trial took place. While the trial was real, author Jen Bryant uses the viewpoint of fictional characters in the novel. These characters include high school students Peter Sykes, Jimmy Lee Davis, and Mary Beth Dodd; 12 year old Willy Amos who helps his handyman father; Tillie Stackhouse who puts up many of the out of town visitors in her "mansion"; bible thumper Betty Barker; Constable Fraybel; Methodist Minister Ernest McManus who travels to Dayton to watch the trial; and young reporter Paul LeBrun.

"Ringside, 1925" is a well-written, well-researched children's book. The historical events are well done and Bryant does a good job of capturing the circus-like atmosphere of the Scopes trial and the town the trial was held in. What makes this book so great, however, are the characters - the fictional ones that take turns narrating the book. Having some of the characters be from the school where Scopes taught is a great touch and the tension between friends Jimmy Lee and Peter shows how the trial divided the town. Mary Beth shows how women were treated in those days as she longs to spread her wings beyond Dayton and is afraid her father will hold her back. For me the most moving character was twelve-year old Willy Amos, who is unable to go to school because of the color of his skin and is forced to scramble for any way to earn money that he can as is his father. His character stuck with me long after I finished reading the book.

"Ringside, 1925" is an excellently done children's historical novel.

One of the most controversial and compelling issues the world has seen is covered in this fictionalized recapturing of the trial that made the world think twice about religion and science: The State of Tennessee vs. J. T. Scopes, also known as the Scopes Trial.

Written in poetic prose, Jen Bryant tells the views of several townspeople, including open-minded youngsters and stern-believing adults, as the trial unfolds in the courts of their small town of Dayton, Tennessee. The unshakable resolve in some and lingering faith in others will cause even the most steadfast of believers to think twice about the situation.

Bryant's straight-forward writing exemplifies the '20s, while the lax format allows even the most uninformed to delve into this book with interest and curiosity. The situation of the trial, Christianity versus Darwin's evolution, may cause some Christian parents to raise an eyebrow if their child checked it out, but it doesn't favor one side or the other; rather, it subtly teaches the American right to religious freedom and acceptance. Some characters stay adamant about their beliefs, while others walk away with a newfound knowledge of themselves and others. An quick, but powerful read.

- T.C. Robson

Jen Bryant's RINGSIDE 1925 explores the Scopes Trial, one of the most controversial trials in American history, through nine diverse characters and is told through vivid verse.

One memorable summer, the sleepy town of Dayton, Tennessee, population 1,800, is turned upside down by the trial of a well-liked high school teacher. His crime is teaching evolution, a subject that the state of Tennessee had forbidden in the newly passed Butler Law.

William Jennings Bryan, a talented orator, preacher, and three time presidential nominee, will speak against evolution,
and Clarence Darrow, a brilliant lawyer, comes to defend Mr. Scopes.

News of the trial spreads quickly and, almost overnight, the town fills with news reporters, scientists, religious leaders, and tourists. Many residents, such as twelve-year-old Willy Amos and drugstore owner Mr. Robinson, see it as an opportunity to make some quick easy money. Since Darwin's theory of evolution suggests that man evolved from monkeys, Dayton begins selling everything from paper monkeys to Simian Sodas.

At first, the atmosphere is friendly and fun. Though they are on opposing sides of the "monkey trial," W. J. Bryan and Mr. Darrow are friends and share a dinner together at Tillie Stackhouse's boarding house. But as the trial drags on in the muggy summer weather, tensions rise. Not only do the two men's friendship become strained, but many of the residents become embroiled in the increasingly bitter God vs. science debate.

Many young readers may have learned about the Scopes Trial in school, but Bryant brings a new level of relevance by telling the story primarily through the eyes of Dayton's residents and observing the smaller but no less significant changes to a small town in addition to the broad historical significance.

Jimmy Lee Davis and Peter Sykes have been fishing buddies and best friends for years, but their personal beliefs lead them to support opposite sides of the trial. Marybeth Todd is a smart but restless teenager. When several professors come to stay at the boarding house she works at, they ask her to participate in their discussions of geology, anthropology, and other unfamiliar and wonderful topics. The influx of visitors brings in money, but also new ideas and opportunities.

Readers who usually dislike historical fiction will find Bryant's characters fresh, familiar, often insightful, and sometimes silly. The story feels real and full-fleshed, but never gets bogged down by its research.

Reviewed by: Natalie Tsang

Remember learning about the Scopes Monkey trial in history class? The trial pitted the state of Tennessee against a high school science teacher, J.T. Scopes, who challenged the legality of the state's rule against teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. Ringside 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial by Jen Bryant brings the event to life in a way that your history book never could.

The story is told through the voices of several characters, mainly three students from the high school where Mr. Scopes taught. You also hear from a reporter who's in town covering the trial, the town's constable, a member of the ladies' Bible study group, and a preacher from out of town who comes in to see the event. Little Dayton, Tennessee, is transformed into a veritable circus of activity.

There are lots of characters in the book, but Bryant helps the reader keep them straight with a list of narrators at the front. I referred back to the list in the beginning, until I had gotten to know the characters well.
Because Ringside 1925 presents different sides of the story, it gives you lots to think about and discuss. Friendships are tested as the characters talk about their beliefs, and everyone steps out of their usual roles even if only for a few weeks.

It's interesting to hear the perspective of a young black boy who works with his father as a handyman and dreams of rising beyond the limitations put on him. It's also interesting to read actual quotes from the trial by lawyers and historical greats William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow.
I loved being transported back to small town life in 1925, and hearing stories of how the townspeople of Dayton benefited financially from all the extra visitors.

We never really hear the voice of J.T. Scopes, and it seems appropriate that we see the trial from the perspectives of all those around him. The event was less about him than it was about teaching evolution in school--a conflict that continues on in some cases today.

The story is aimed at ages 12 and up, but I think some younger children will certainly be able to appreciate the very approachable story and learn about the historical case at the same time. I've also recommended it to my daughter who's a senior in high school, because I think the writing is interesting to all ages. I've heard about the Scopes Trial for years, and occasionally hear it mentioned, but this book brought it to life for me. I highly recommend it.

I opened Ringside 1925 and my heart sank. I was hoping to interest my 12 year old listener with a book on the Scopes Evolution Trial, and the book is in verse?!? Talk about a tough sell.

Don't let the verse throw you. Ringside is a wonderful book, and a marvelous way to expose a young reader to the Scopes Trial. Told from the viewpoint of the citizens of Dayton.....Jimmy Lee Davis, Marybeth Dodd, Peter Sykes, all students at Rhea County High School where J.T. Scopes fills in for a science class and begins the whole controversy. Tillie Stackhouse who opens her home to Paul LeBraun and other reporters in town for the trial. Willy Amos, a youngster who helps his dad and is invisible to most of the town though he has big dreams that are not bound by his color. Constable Fraybel keeps order in the court and Betty Barker and the ladies Bible study group are on hand to make sure the rest of the town stays on the straight and narrow. All these and others lend voice to the famous "Trial of the Century" and the battle between Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan and the teaching of evolution in the schools. As Peter Sykes questions, "Well, I don't feel poisoned. I still believe in the divine. Why should a bigger mind need a smaller God?"

What makes Jen Bryant's RINGSIDE, 1925 such a fun and great read is rooted in the collection of adolescent narrators who tell much of the story. They frame the news of the trial within the context of their daily lives which are altered by the upheaval, notoriety, and economic benefits that come to their town, thanks to the widely-publicized trial. The interactions amongst young friends and the sweetness of who is crushing on whom or the tension of best friends being sore at one another are the sort of touches that allow today's readers to fully relate to these teen characters from eighty years ago. At the same time, the author has neatly fitted in subtle details of life in the Twenties that provide a taste of how thoroughly technology and culture has rocked the world since those days of silent movies and Gatsby and the first commercial music recordings. And, most importantly, the author adds in a good dose of levity.

I'm betting that there'll definitely be a segment of this book's young readership who will immediately go out looking for a biography of Clarence Darrow, the historical character in the book whose portrayal makes him a likable hero worth knowing and emulating. Heck, I sure want to know more about him now.

RINGSIDE, 1925 is a teriffic read that is going to make a great, high interest readers theater piece in eighth grade history and language arts classes and will serve as a great springboard for debates and some really evolved higher thinking exercises.