Ringside, 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Evolution case in brief poems about the locals.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that there is little to be concerned about here, unless you'd rather your child not learn about the debate about teaching Evolution.

  • Some of the townspeople are racists and religiously intolerant, but most are not.
  • Not applicable.
  • Not applicable.

What's the story?

John Scopes is a young high school science teacher in 1925 Tennessee who is arrested when he teaches a class on Darwin's Theory of Evolution. This book tells the story of his trial through a series of poems from the points of view of various fictional townspeople -- teens and adults -- and a reporter. Includes Character List, Author's Note, and Bibliography.


Is it any good?

 

Though the Scopes Trial is an inherently fascinating moment in American history, this serviceable introduction to it focuses mainly on its impact on residents of the town: teen friends who are split by the debate; an African-American teen who is educating himself and inspired to dream of becoming a lawyer; a woman who runs a small hotel; and others. Each is a real and distinct character, and through them the reader gets snippets of what happened in the courtroom, and of the nation's avid, but short-lived attention.

Novels written in verse are a burgeoning genre, but it's hard to see what that format adds here. Usually the format is chosen either because it relates to the theme (biographies of poets, stories of children who love or are learning about poetry, etc.), or because it is a way to add a lyrical, metaphorical layer to the story. But the verse here is rather flat-footed and, well, prosy. It does have the advantage of making what looks like a medium-length book a pretty quick read, so RINGSIDE might be a good choice for reluctant readers. For any class learning about the trial it can serve as a quick way in. But it would have worked just as well, and without any rewriting at all, as a shorter, prose book.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about the debate, which continues today. Should Evolution be taught in schools? What about Creationism or Intelligent Design? Why do science and religion sometimes seem to be at odds throughout history? Children may also be interested in learning more about the Scopes Trial -- see below for a few places to start.


This review was written by Matt Berman

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.


This review was written by Matt Berman
Author:Jen Bryant
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Historical Fiction
Publisher:Alfred A. Knopf
Publication date:February 1, 2008
Number of pages:228
Hardcover price:$15.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):12 - 17
Read aloud:10
Read alone:11

This review was written by Matt Berman
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!


About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you read Ringside, 1925: Views from the Scopes Trial?


Already read it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it