Tunes for Bears to Dance to [Import] [Hardcover]

Robert Cormier (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Victor Gollancz Ltd; First edition (1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0575054786
• ISBN-13: 978-0575054783
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Powerful "Must Read" Book, April 21, 2000

By 

michael j. ernst (Danville,Kentucky, United States of America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tunes for Bears to Dance to (School & Library Binding)

Once again, Cormier causes the reader to pause and think aboutreal world issues that teens encounter: moral reasoning (questioningright versus wrong), questions of identity, prejudice, violence, and obeying authority figures.

Henry Cassavant is essentially "good"; he does as he is told, is respectful of others, holds an after school job, and is responsible. However, Henry is not without problems as his family has experieced the death of his older brother causing his father to be emotionally unstable requiring hospitalization/therapy. This puts a financial strain on the family as Henry's mother works as a waitress to make ends meet; Henry works for the grocer Mr. Hariston. Hariston has contempt for all races and religions other than the Aryan perspective. Clearly, Hariston is the antagonist as he serves as Henry's chief nemesis. Hariston comments on his own personnae: "I was like a dictator, the way they treated me. I was a dictator. Because I had control over them." Hariston likes control. He purposefully and emotionally manipulates Henry to commit an anti-semitic act against kindly Mr.Levine. Henry vacilates questioning "why?" but Hariston's argument is "why not"; Hariston threatens the welfare of Henry's family if Henry does not comply. Reluctantly,Henry participates in the treachery against Mr. Levine by destroying the hand carved village, which served as a memorial to Holocaust survivors and victims. When the deed is done, the Grinch-like Harriston accosts Henry and offers him the rewards for the deed. Henry refuses and reflects: "It was he was after all the time. Not just the old man and his village. He didn't want me to be good anymore." This title is a "quick" read yet provides the reader with several themes that can be explored: racism, prejudice, violence, mental health, good versus evil. Clearly, Cormier's writing is constructed in a manner that it draws the audience in and causes the reader to reflect about the message far beyond the initial reading.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Typical Cormier, November 20, 2001

By 

Henry Veit (Altlanta, Ga USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tunes for Bears to Dance To (Mass Market Paperback)

The book Tunes for Bears to Dance to, by Robert Cormier, is a juvenile fiction novel. In it, the protagonist Henry faces some real problems. His brother had recently died and this had thrown the whole family into sorrow. His father did not work; his mother was forced to hold down to jobs for little pay at all. Henry works in a grocery store for Mr. Hariston, an evil bigot who would like noting more than to stare out his store window throwing nasty comments about passing people. Henry, innocent to Mr. Hairiston's bigotry trust him to provide a means of income for his struggling family. In due coarse Henry encounters and befriends Mr. Levine, an old Holocaust survivor with an amazing talent. Every day Mr. Levine goes to the town craft center and widdles out of wood an exact replica of his old village that was destroyed by the Nazis during WWII. Henry innocently tells his boss about this along with his desire for a monument for his brother's grave. Mr. Hariston then tells Henry that he will get the monument, his mother will get a raise, and he himself will keep his job if he does "one easy task". That task is to destroy the old man's wooden village. Henry is now faced with a quandary on whether to destroy the village or not. I believe this book, me being an 8th grade reader, is sophisticated enough to get a real impact from. In addition, the problem was introduced late in the story and then was resolved quickly and abruptly. On the other hand the book illustrated the, theme bigotry and abuse of power very well. Both sides of the story were described and the reader got an understanding of the choice Henry could have made and the choice he did actually make. The book has characters that seem real and the struggles Henry faces are those many children around his age face in some way or another.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tunes for Bears to Dance to, May 21, 2003

By 

Nicole Pardo, Bak Middle School of the Arts (West Palm Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tunes for Bears to Dance To (Mass Market Paperback)

Your brother has just died, your dad is in a deep stage of depression, your mom is never home and you've just moved to a new town where you know no one. This sounds like most peoples nightmare but this is Henry's life in the book Tunes for Bears to Dance to by Robert Cormier. Since his father is in no condition to work Henry most work at the store down the street from his house. He doesn't really like it there because his boss is extremely rude and disregards peoples feelings. Mr. Hairston (Henry's boss) has never bothered him until he find out he has befriended a holocaust survivor, Mr. Levine. Mr. Hairston suddenly puts Henry in a compromising position, does he hurt his new friend or does he keep his job?
I found the book extremely enjoyable. Like most of Cormier's books, I couldn't put it down. I felt like I was at Busch Gardens on Montu because there was so many twists. I felt that is was a little short and could have had more details about what happens once he moves back, but other then that it was good. If you have ever read any of Cormier's books and liked them you should read Tunes for Bears to Dance. The end will totally surprise you, the only way to find out is to read it so go to the nearest library and check it out you will not be disappointed.