Customer Reviews

THE CHILDREN'S STORY

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A fellow teacher recommended I read this book about 10 years ago, and I did - thankfully. It is provocative and compelling. It hit me like a board between the eyes. Not only are our children so easily molded,so are we - by anyone or any individual or institution that we allow to manipulate us, especially television, movies, the media, this story itself. It reminds me of another obscure little book I found at a library used book sale for a quarter - and it had the same profound effect on me: Ways of Living and Dying by Harry Jonesburg, Les Livres, Inc., 1992. These books are not for the faint of heart! Do yourself a favor and read them both. I am 52 years old and I am just now beginning to understand how much my thought has been manipulated all my life. The Children's Story was instrumental in that awakening. What I learned from that story: Democracy has its price. Clavell has shown me quite clearly how far freedom of expression can take us as a people. He has shown me that "democracy" is a philosophy that by its very nature defies definition.

For years, I have carried the words of The Children's Story with me, and shared them with as many people as possible. With its roots in words we have taken for granted for years, Clavell forces us to look at all we, as Americans, hold precious, and how vulnerable we are without truly understanding the meaning of that which we espouse. A simple reiiteration of the Pledge of Allegiance, taught to first graders across the country, goes deeper than teaching just the words. Set in "small town anywhere", the story of children in a classroom taken over after a military invasion, this powerful piece takes us to the core of our beliefs, and makes us aware, more than ever, of the true meaning of "allegiance". From the cutting up of the American flag in the opening pages, we are consistently challenged and reawakened. The book teaches us to expect the unexpected, to appreciate our heritage, and to take nothing for granted. A simple, but moving piece of work that should be taken out of the closet, dusted off, and kept on the shelf to be read again and again!

Ever since my own children were small, I have taken out The Children's Story and reread it together with them each and every Memorial Day. I have bought more copies than I can count, and given them to friends, students, and book clubs. I am proud to say that my son, a Firefighter, immediately following the tragedy of September 11th, donated 100 copies to local schools in hopes that reading and discussing it will help reignite an interest and pride in the words we speak from memory, seldom give much thought to, but will never again take for granted.

James Clavell, author of SHOGUN, was inspired to write THE CHILDREN'S STORY when his five-year-old daughter expected a dime for reciting the "plege illegience." Inquiries revealed to Clavell that few people are taught the meaning of the Pledge; they just learn to parrot it.

In THE CHILDREN'S STORY Clavell dramatizes what can happen when people without true convictions encounter zealots intent on converting them. People whose beliefs are not grounded may be oblivious to almost imperceptible assaults on their value system. THE CHILDREN'S STORY reminds us that "the enemy" may not be hideous or foreign but may be attractive, intelligent, reasonable, gentle, and friendly.

THE CHILDREN'S STORY is ideal for reading aloud. Not only can the contrasting tones of the story be conveyed vocally, the reading and discussion of this story (with occasional pauses to ask, "Who likes the New Teacher?") can be accomplished in approximately the same time required for the events of the story to take place.

"The Children's Story," by James Clavell, is a short book that could be read in one brief sitting. It takes place in an elementary school classroom in the United States after the country has been conquered by some nameless foreign power. The story follows the initial re-education of the children by their new teacher.

This book reads very much like a product of the Cold War era, when many feared the possibility of ultimate Soviet domination. The story is written with a subtly chilling, "Twilight Zone"-like flavor; it reminded me of Ayn Rand's short book "Anthem." Ultimately, Clavell's scenario plays out a little too neatly to be truly believable. But the story is undeniably thought-provoking. And even with the U.S./U.S.S.R. Cold War now a thing of the past, "The Children's Story" is still worth reading.

As frightening as authors like Stephen King or as gripping as a political dramitist like Tom Clancy might be, they have never written anything near as good as this gem.

What would your child do if suddenly his or her teacher told them the American flag was not important? What would a room full of impressionable young children do if taught that it was ok, and in fact good, to spy on their parents?

These questions and more are asked in this short but sweet story. And it raises an even scarier question. If we don't teach our children morals, who will? Do we trust our teachers with this job? Hopefully we do, but if not, what should we then do about it?

I'm not ripping on teachers-- my wife is a teacher, and a good one. But hopefully this book frightens us just a little bit into thinking about how we can take the responsibility to teach our children ourselves and take this burden away from teachers who already have too much to teach and and not enough resources or class space to teach with, as some of them may use it improperly. "Character education" proposed by some to be taught alongside reading, writing, and arithmetic is not the answer. Whose values do we then use to teach? And when do teachers have time to teach it? And do we want our children adopting the values of someone the schoolboard thinks has good morals? This book reminds us that we have a responsibilty and a duty to teach our children the right way to live.

Read this book-- it will change your mind about a lot of things.

This story was read to me in my English class and realised children all over the world suffer from manipulation. Even now. The book makes you think, and keep thinking for a long time. It is definetly worth a read. All the reviews helped me with my assignment, so thankyou everyone.

This whole book takes place in just twenty five minutes in a classroom. In just that short period, the class receives a new teacher and with just that amount of time she changes their beliefs. It portrays the innocence of children and how they can easily be brainwashed. It's quite scary, thinking this really can happen. Even the skeptic of the class has his mind changed, because he receives a position of power. Something that does happen often in countries. A real thinker. You can ponder it for days after you read it.

I first read this disturbing little book in 1981, in hardback and before it was given a subtitle, and I promptly bought a dozen copies to send to friends. Re-reading it now, 20 years later and in a significantly changed political climate, I find it even scarier. Instead of The New Teacher representing an authoritarian government, I see her today as a symbol of an authoritarian religious movement that seeks to insert its own values into the hearts and minds of all. Clavell's warning about the ease with which manipulation can be successful transcends specific antagonists and tells us instead to be wary of any entity that attempts to ursurp our own values and ethics in favor of theirs.

By Ted Rushton
When a court ruled the two words "under God" were unconstitutional in the US Pledge of Allegiance, it set off a firestorm of righteous conservative indignation through the United States and dismay among many loyal Americans.

This book, written in 1962 by a truly gifted and far-seeing author, should set those latter-day fears to rest.

Like Ann Rand's Anthem, this book is a devastating account of the shallow nature of the conservative reliance on empty rhetoric rather than the true meaning of the values they profess to express. Fiction ? Look at how easily the early Christians used a few words to turn December 25th., the birthday of the eastern God Mithras the bull-slayer -- which has a probably origin in Catal Huyuk some 5,000 years before the birth of Christ -- into the birthday of the Christian Saviour.

Clavell speculates how clever teachers can turn a few words of prayer and faith into acceptance of a new and presumably totally opposite system of values. His story, with chilling realism, will give any intelligent reader pause about the value of rote repetition of even the most noble phrases -- such as the pledge of allegiance or that famed national anthem "Jose, can you see ?" -- compared to importance of learning the meaning of such words.

For anyone who treasures basic American values, this book is a gem. The message is "learn the meaning" of the words anyone chooses to pledge; in this case, the Pledge of Allegiance, but it also applies to such documents as the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. In most nations, loyalty is based on centuries of habit, heritage and tradition; in the US, similar to Christianity which is based on the truth as revealed in The Bible, loyalty is based on written documents such as the Constitution.

American society is based on the promise of written words. Think of "I pledge allegiance . . ." or "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. . ." and "the freedom of speech or of the press . . ." or that "government of the people, by the people, for the people . . ." Clavell makes the point, with brief but eloquent realism, that we must understand the meaning of the words we repeat, not merely their rote cadence.

It is a book for everyone interested in the basics of American freedom.

Clavell's mini masterpiece--a short but chilling read in one sitting--should be required (OK, that does not sound like freedom of choice, but...) by all Americans. We are a people who proudly consider ourselves patriotic and loyal to our country's heritage. Take nothing for granted, because Freedom is most definitely Not free; rather it is and always will be bought and maintained at great cost. Not only the cost of precious lives and cherished honor, but by the use of our God-given intelligence. Clavell bluntly illustrates that words and flags are merely symbols of ideology, which can be manipulated to work against centuries of sacred national teaching. We must guard against a permissive atmosphere which can result in watching our deep conceptions of democracy being subtly undermined.

In less than half an hour a new Teacher (cleverly trained by a totalitarian regime which has recently conquered the US in a Cold War) takes control of an elementary classroom. In bold but seemingly rational moves, with a pleasant voice and calmly logical manner she overrules all that her confused pupils have learned about love of country, respect for parents and deference to God. But before we pity these innocent children --helpless before the insidious philosophy of tyranny--we hsould recognize that we too are vulnerable to mind control and could still fall victim to mass manipulation. Unless we truly understand and prize the words of our Pledge of Allegiance. A brilliant psychological thriller!