The Children's Story by James Clavell

The Children's Story Reviews

• 
  Ohr

  Wow. I feel like I shouldn't give such a high grade to this book, for fear of being associated with many of the reviewers who loved this book while entirely misinterpreting and perverting Clavell's message. This isn't an anti-Communist, pro-God, Jay-zus luhvs Uhmerika book, you slack-jawed yokels! The point is that we should not surrender our critical thinking skills nor give up our freedom of speech/expression/THOUGHT.
• 
  Tracey

  As a teacher, this book reminds you that young children can 'hang' on to every word and idea a teacher supports. It reminded me of an incident in my elementary classroom few years ago. I can't remember the specific topic of discussion, but one of the students said, "I like how you present information." I told her that it is very important to do your OWN research, not rely on news media outlets, especially in today's world. She said, "Well, I am going to rely on you! You do enough research for this class, you must read it all." I immediately said, "Don't EVER rely on someone else to do your research. YOU must research to fully understand your beliefs, your ideas." It scared me to think at the age of 11, she was so willing to believe what another person said. In my classroom, I make sure multiple sides are covered; I make sure students understand why each side thinks the way they do, or might behave the way they do. But, I do know that this is not what happens in all classrooms.
  
  This book is an example of what could happen (and in some respects, has happened already).
  
  Teachers, if we do not explain why we do, study, or practice, what we do in the classroom, we are conditioning children to do things without thought, to do without understanding why, to perpetuate the "well, this is what we always do" mentality that exists EVERYWHERE in society.
  
  This should be required reading for all teachers, and, the first BACK TO SCHOOL activity all classes in America should do is study what the Pledge of Allegiance really means.
• 
  Dez the Bookworm

  Eye opening read by showing how easily moldable children are.
  
  This was a short story that spawned from an actual occurrence with the authors daughter when she came home from school one day.
  
  Compelling, intriguing, thought provoking and eye opening.
  
  Its amazing how moldable our children are and we don't always realize it. In a day and age when we are talking about indoctrination, this father shows us that this isn't a new concept.
  
  If you have children, this is for you. Public school your wee ones? For you. Homeschool? For you. Want to homeschool? For you. Want to enlighten your way of thinking in any way? This. Is. For. YOU.
  
• 
  Trin

  In a conquered U.S., a classroom of young kids is given a new teacher who, in less than an hour, brainwashes them and makes them evil little communists! Or something. I know I’m supposed to find this book “chilling,” but I didn’t really buy it. Though Communism is never explicitly stated to be the Big Bad, this book has the Cold War era in which it was written stamped all over it. Clavell’s New Teacher gets the students to quickly dismiss such symbols as the Pledge of Allegiance and the American flag—which, frankly, are just symbols. She also gets them to question the power of prayer, which as a godless heathen myself, I’m sure you can guess worries me deeply. Sigh. I don’t know. While the idea of “reeducation” is very scary indeed, I think the examples Clavell chose are lame, and the idea that anyone—especially a little kid—would make the leap from “the Pledge of Allegiance is kind of stupid” to “yes, I will betray my parents to our new evil overlords” is ridiculous. And in light of the fact that if anyone’s an evil overlord these days, invading other countries and reeducating their citizens to practice a shared set of beliefs, it’s us, Americans…well. This book doesn’t have a chilling effect on me. I’m already shivering.
• 
  Phil J

  This is a pretty cool short story disguised as a book. I enjoyed the format, which sometimes places one sentence or paragraph per two-page spread. It's a very overt, direct story.
  
  Basically, it's about the power of brainwashing and presenting false choices. Clavell was inspired to write it when his daughter was taught to recite the Pledge of Allegiance without being taught what it means.
  
  Some reviewers see it as an anti-Communist story. I disagree. It is certainly a Cold War product, but more focused on the blind ideology aspect of the Cold War than on Communism itself. It could be rewritten to describe children being brainwashed in favor of the American Way.
  
  I miss this aspect of Cold War culture. We don't talk enough about brainwashing and blind ideology anymore. Recent generations have lost the skepticism that characterized the Cold War era, and I think it has weakened our ability to think critically.
• 
  isabelle

  Extremely weird and mysterious, although extremely thought-provoking. After watching the video version I'm sort of shaken up though.
  
  I question what we teach (and don't teach) to our children.
• 
  Canadian Reader

  In this very slight short story, packaged in book form as a novella and fattened with many blank pages, Clavell focuses on an elementary school classroom immediately after a war, when the victors have made control of the educational institutions in an unnamed western country—evidently the US—a priority. Dressed in olive drab, a young, pretty, fresh-smelling nineteen-year-old enters the classroom. She is “New Teacher”. In her light, entirely unaccented, perfect English, she directs the children’s frightened teacher, an old-school elderly spinster, to the principal’s office, and then proceeds with an expert deconstruction of the (American) pledge of allegiance. In a few short minutes, the flag is dismantled—its cloth is cut, a piece is distributed to each student, and the flag pole is tossed out the window. God is shown not to exist, and prayer is, of course, proved to be utterly ineffectual. No one, other than another human, will give you anything, New Teacher says. “Praying to God or anything or anyone is a waste of time.” In sweet tones, she also undermines parents and their old-fashioned ideas. The grown-ups with “bad thoughts” are being sent back to school to unlearn them. In fact, the father of Johnny, the only resistant student in the class, is one of them. Ultimately, though, even this boy submits to the teacher’s charm and gentle reprogramming. Candy is enough for New Teacher to gain power over Johnny’s classmates, but she must employ a different strategy with him. She acknowledges—strokes—his intelligence and need for power by appointing him class monitor.
  
  The last few pages of this little book apparently present a reproduction of Clavell’s scrawling handwritten explanation of the genesis of the story. According to this account, years ago one of Clavell’s children asked for a dime as a reward for quickly, accurately, and fluently reciting the pledge of allegiance—without comprehending a single word of what she was saying. This concerned the author greatly. Not understanding what you’re signing on to, just obediently and unquestioningly doing what you’re told, and getting rewards for your easy compliance—as the story illustrates—sets you up to be indoctrinated, controlled, and exploited by others (including pretty, olive-drab-clad young women who are cogs in Dear Leader’s communist, atheistic, and oppressive system).
  
  This is a facile, underwhelming little story, dressed up as a cautionary tale. It’s not quite clear whether the author thinks the pledge is a bad thing in itself (though I detected a slight whiff of horror at the possibility of a nation’s religion and belief in God being erased). What Clavell seems to be concerned about is citizens, particularly the youngest, not being encouraged to think about what they are taught. When an educational system values and fosters obedience and compliance in children, it consequently plays a major role in creating a society whose citizenry is vulnerable to manipulation and control—by its own government and others.
  
  Who can really argue with that?
• 
  Scott Lee

  An interesting parable on the perils of ignorance, a sad commentary on the state of our civic awareness (which I'm sure is worse than it was when this was written), and--for me at least--a reminder of the strange power teacher's can have over children.
  
  I have to admit with all the fiery rhetoric from both sides this story initially struck me as an overstated scare tactic (something Glen Beck might come up with as an accusation against myself and other public school teachers currently serving [we are government employees after all and government is "evil!"]), but Clavell is carefully vague in a way that benefits symbols and parables, leaving the depth of interpretation and the specifics of symbols to the reader. After reconsidering, it works clearly as described above, and IS rather chilling in many ways.
• 
  William

  I'm glad I read this book, so I could read all the paranoid left-wing and right-wing reviews about what it's supposed to mean. It's amazing how many people are afraid that someone, somewhere, might be pulling a fast one on them and slipping by some kind of critique of their worldview, hiding it in plain sight.
  
  Which makes it more hilarious, since this book can be read as a parable on the danger of accepting at face value anything.
• 
  Martha

  I remember when I read this book feeling chilled at how easy it is to control impressionable minds. Now, more than ever, this is a book to illustrate how mind control works. It's not really about communism taking over the world. It's not about the [sarcasm alert] horrors of prohibiting CORPORATE prayer in schools... it's a short story with a huge impact for anyone with an open mind to imagine what can happen to a group in such a short amount of time.
• 
  Rhonda Cooper

  There are many lessons that can come from such a short story. Yes, there are details about certain things that children should know before reading this book with them. However, after learning for example the meaning a our nation's pledge, children in 5th grade and up can generate lively and informative discussions. If your family has a firm foundation in your faith and they are firm in their patriotic duties, then this book should not be feared. Read it first and decide if it will be right for your own family. If it is, then have those fantastic talks that this book will bring up.
  
  If you plan on using the book in the classroom, send a copy home for parents to read and let them decide if they want their children involved in reading it as a class. Each child should have a copy of the book as it is being read. The text of the book is important to see, it adds to the story. It takes about 15 minutes to read, but the discussions can go on for a long time.
• 
  Diane S ☔

  Very short yet very powerful book that show how very easy it is to influence a child's mind. To turn a child against something to someone and to bend their will to a specified agenda. Scary how easy it is to someone who knows exactly how to do it.
• 
  Cherilyn

  I read this when i was in high school. I was amazed on how great insight James had on children. It's a must read for ALL parents, teachers as well.
• 
  Heather Reisig

  This is one of those stories that everyone should read. Not only does it show the power of teachers over our children, but it shows how easily and completely anyone can be brainwashed.
• 
  Heidi

  This is a cautionary tale - a deceptively simple story about young students coming to school one day and finding their teacher gone, replaced by a young woman they don't want to like. But within half an hour she's won them over. Much to our dismay. Written during the Cold War, the story implies a communist takeover. This may not hold up with many of today's readers. I think it had more of an impact on me than it might have otherwise because I was a teacher at the time. Beyond any political discussion, it brought home to me the universal idea of the part teachers play in shaping children and, by extension, society.
• 
  Dawn

  Wow, the very essence of why I family educate. We leave it to such happenstance, as a society, that those educating our children always have their best interests at heart. Reading this reminds me of a woman I heard at a liberty meeting that explained how faith was first removed from the curriculum, and the systematic take over of the schools by Nazi germany. Children have not developed critical thinking and are so easily led. I believe I will send a copy to all in my family with children.
• 
  Nick S.

  This book was both annoyingly true and short, which made it wonderful for me to read. It's amazing how easily a child's mind and opinions can change.
  (I only read this because I'm in charge of the library at school and for some reason I decided to read EVERY book before I graduate.)
• 
  Amber McCollum

  This book is for everyone. Powerful.
• 
  Rose

  what. did. I. just. read.
• 
  Aubrey Lennon

  What Lindsey said. Roll Educ20.
• 
  Marcus

  One wishes they'd had Keith David add the line "Come on kids, won't you shake a poor teacher's hand?" somewhere in there
• 
  Martin Sloane

  Fantastic and thoughtful story. Well worth reading.
• 
  Beth Haynes

  (Yikes! Somehow I accidentally typed this review under "Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel. Sorry for those of you who received that "review!)
  
  I had completely forgotten about this book until my daughter got in a jam and needed to do a power point on an outside reading book. The assignment was due the next day and she hadn't read a book yet. Oops.
  So my husband pulled this off our shelf, she read it in about an hour, and was thoroughly intrigued by it.
  My daughter hates to read (hence her predicament) but really liked this story. She did a great job on the power point--and was pleasantly surprised at liking the story.
  This belongs right up there with other literary dystopias (1984, Animal Farm, Anthem, Lord of the Flies) only it makes its point in much less time.
  
  Also--there is also a 30 min made-for-TV movie worth watching which you can easily find via You Tube.