Common Sense Note
Parents should know that this book was not originally intended for children. The violence is, at times, quite brutal, children kill other children, though unintentionally, and the main character is admired for his ruthlessly efficient violence, though he himself is disturbed by it.
There's so much here to discuss, and the story itself is so gripping, that a discussion group could spend months on it. Among topics including politics and the military, the major subject is education, and how it can be efficiently achieved if the ultimate well-being of the student is not a consideration.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
Considered by some to be the best SF novel ever written, winner of slews of awards, "Ender's Game" hits the trifecta: deeply emotional and character-driven, brilliantly intellectual, and exciting as all get-out. This is the kind of book the phrase "page-turner" was invented to describe: most people finish it in one sitting, unable to put it aside. But the images and ideas linger long after the last thrilling page is turned, making it a perfect discussion book, even for reluctant readers. Its view of politics in the internet age is prescient, especially considering it was written decades ago, and as a treatise on ruthless education it is without peer.
Though it wasn't originally written for children, it has been adopted by middle- and high-schoolers in droves. Though younger children also sometimes read it, the violence can be quite disturbing to parents: you might want to preview it yourself. But if your kids discover it first, good luck tearing them away from it -- it's one of the rare books that is just as addictive and mesmerizing as any video game.
There are two series that branch off from this common beginning. The Ender Wiggins Saga, which follows Ender, becomes much more cerebral and philosophical, and most children don't get too far with it. The Ender's Shadow series, which follows the other Battle School grads, is more to their taste, having lots more action, along with increasingly complex politics and the empowering vision of kids ruling the world.
From the Book:
But they let go of him. And as soon as they did, Ender kicked out high and hard, caching Stilson square in the breastbone. He dropped. It took Ender by surprise -- he hadn't thought to put Stilson on the ground with one kick. It didn't occur to him that Stilson didn't take a fight like this seriously, that he wasn't prepared for a truly desperate blow.
For a moment, the others backed away and Stilson lay motionless. They were all wondering if he was dead. Ender, however, was trying to figure out a way to forestall vengeance. To keep them from taking him in a pack tomorrow. I have to win this now, and for all time, or I'll fight it every day and it will get worse and worse.
Plot Summary:
The Earth has been attacked twice by aliens called Formics, or more popularly, Buggers, and they are sure a third invasion is coming. So the military embarks on a crash program to breed the ultimate military genius to lead the fleet in a pre-emptive attack against the Formic homeworld. These children are trained from age six in an off-world facility called Battle School, and their training consists mostly of games.
Ender Wiggins may be the child they are looking for. Brilliant, compassionate, and tormented, he is better at the games than anyone has ever been. But how can they manipulate a compassionate child into wiping out an entire species, and at the same time give him the skills to do it effectively? The adults who run the school are literally out to save the world: they will stop at nothing to achieve their ends, and one small boy, or even a school full of children, are nothing but means to that end.
Related Books:
The Ender Wiggin Saga
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind
The Ender's Shadow Series
Ender's Shadow
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow Puppets
Shadow of the Giant
More Manipulated Gifted Kids
Welcome to the Ark by Stephanie Tolan
The Child Buyer by John Hersey
Chocky by John Wyndham
Related Website
Author's Site
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Sexual ContentBoys and girls are naked in dorms. A boy makes a picture of enlarged genetalia on his computer screen. |
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ViolenceFrequent and, in some cases, quite vicious, especially as some of it is between children, some resulting in unintentional deaths. A twisted boy tortures squirrels to death by skinning them alive. Children are led to commit genocide, albeit unknowingly. |
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LanguageFrequent moderate swearing. |
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Social BehaviorThe adults are ruthless and some of the children are violent and even murderous. |
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