Chernowitz (Signet) (Paperback)

by Fran Arrick (Author) "I thought I was being so casual..." (more)
Key Phrases: Emmett Sundback, Brian Denny, Matty Greeley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A boy who suffers anti-Semitic abuse at the hands of a classmate during his ninth and tenth grade years plots revenge against his tormentor.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Signet (May 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451162536
• ISBN-13: 978-0451162533
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,729 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting examination of being the other, August 3, 1998

By A Customer

The protagonist in this book is singled out for harrassment by the high school anti-semite. As the situation worsens he finds his former friends attacking him and his world against him. The book takes an interesting turn as the character plots revenge in the most bloodthirsty manner and then outgrows this to come into a maturity of sorts.

There are some problems with the book. It is young adult and has simple prose. Also the anti-semitism described in the book is more prevalent in schools with more Jews and since the character is a fairly assimilated Jew, many kids in whitebread communities don't know who is and who is not a Jew. (just like one assumes everyone in high school is straight until the class reunion). The ending with the Holocaust films was melodramatic.

Besides that it is one of the more realistic portrayals of what it's like to be an outsider in school and to have everyone against you for one reason or the other.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to Stop Reading, May 21, 2006

By	James T. Charnock - See all my reviews

Let me express my appreciation of this book by writing an ad for it--or as I would advertised it to my students:

"Cherno" isn't good enough. If you're Jewish, you've got to sound it. Not Cherno--Chernowitz. Like Herowitz. That way everyone knows your're a "Jew bastard" and "Christ Killer." Who feels this way? Emmitt Sundback, a ninth-grade bully. Not too bright in most ways, but he's sure got it right--so he feels--about Jews.

Every day Bobby Cherno dreads going to school. Not only does he have to face the sneering comments of Emmitt, but also his "gang"--students who used to be Bobby's friends.

Finally, after over a year of torture, Bobby decides to fight back dirty--just like Emmett. He's going to get revenge.

A powerful story.

[You can see this and other such ads in the late 2005 edition of A NON-WORKBOOK, NON-TEXTBOOK APPROACH TO TEACHING LANGUAGE ARTS (GRADES 4-8 AND UP).]

5.0 out of 5 stars The Anatomy of Bullying, February 21, 2009

By	B. Wolinsky "Ben's Reviews" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Chernowitz is scary because this is exactly how bullying starts. Cherno is the average kid who plays sports, takes guitar lessons, has friends, etc. Then along comes a big, angry kid from a broken home, who starts picking on Cherno with insults aimed at his name. Then the other kids join in, calling him "Christ-killer", "sheeny", "Jew-bastard", etc. Even his best friend turns on him.
This isn't as much a book about anti-semitism as it is about the anatomy of bullying. You have an antisocial kid who is angry at the world, spots an easy target for his anger, and starts firing away. Other kids are attracted to his toughness (which in reality is just anger) and join in.

One piece of advice for kids reading the book: Cherno makes a decision not to tell his parents or teachers and that's where he makes his mistake. By not telling his parents, he gets no advice on how to deal with it.

This should be required reading for any teacher or parent who wants to understand how bullying works.