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Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial
In a story rife with first love and the pain of growing up, master storyteller Ronald Kidd reincarnates the most enduring trial of the twentieth century. School is out in the summer of 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee. For Frances Robinson, a fifteen-year-old daydreamer with a crush on her teacher, John T. Scopes, summer vacation promises tennis, and Coca-Colas from her father's drug store. But when Frances's father, the school board chairman, has Scopes arrested for teaching evolution, the sleepiest place on earth becomes a hotbed for famous thinkers, including H. L. Mencken, Clarence Darrow, and William Jennings Bryan. Overnight the world is flocking to Dayton to Are people really descended from monkeys? Does the theory of evolution have a place in biology class? As Frances sees the man she loves crumbling beside her, she begins to question her town, her neighbors, and the father she has always trusted. Readers will devour this colorful yet tender story -- reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird -- told from the perspective of a young girl as she evolves into a woman.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published December 12, 2006
7 people are currently reading
282 people want to read
About the author
Ronald Kidd
132 books35 followersRonald Kidd is the author of thirteen novels for young readers, including the highly acclaimed “Night on Fire” and “Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial.” His novels of adventure, comedy, mystery, and American history have received the Children's Choice Award, an Edgar Award nomination, and honors from the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, the Library of Congress, and the New York Public Library. He is a two-time O'Neill playwright who lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
September 7, 2017
I liked it, but this is absolutely more 'coming of age' story than a great depiction of the trial (it IS YA, so the trial is the backdrop for the 'last childhood' summer of Fran). If you're looking for a good examination of the actual TRIAL, please read the wonderful play, 'Inherit the Wind' instead. This is a good introduction to the idea of Creationism .vs. Evolution, though, and I can see myself using this text in my future Ethics classes for 9th graders. --Jen from Quebec :0)
June 11, 2012
Dayton is a sleepy little town nestled in the mountains of Tennessee. It is long across and about two miles wide. Despite being the home of Bryan College, a school with over 800 students from around the world, it clings persistently to its small-town feel. The local librarians know the gossip on almost everyone and a trip to Wal Mart inevitably becomes a socializing experience. The “big cities” of Hixson and Chattanooga offer malls, movie theaters, and museums when local entertainment proves uninspiring. McDonalds is the hot-spot for post-prom parties and live gospel music on Thursday nights. It is the sort of community where moonshine making, tobacco chewing, Confederate flag flying teens park next to tiny, wrinkled old ladies who live in tumbled down houses and thoughtfully recall their graduation from Bryan College, fifty years ago. People tend to come to Dayton and just never leave. Local attractions include Harmony House (an adorable little cafe that grinds its own coffee and closes at six o’clock on weekdays) and SnowBiz (I heartily recommend the Bryan Lion with cream, best snow cone I’ve ever had).
Overall, it is your typical little Tennessee town that probably would have disappeared years ago if it weren’t for one very important event. In 1925, the community leaders of Dayton decided to host the “debate of the century”…in a court room. The Scopes Trial fired the evolution v. creation debate in the United States and brought national attention to one tiny little town. Though relatively forgotten by most of the world, Dayton persistently clings to the memory of that momentous summer.
The novel Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial by Ronald Kidd reviews the beginning and events of the trial through the eyes of a fifteen year old girl. It is a coming of age novel about the struggles of learning, growing, and first love.
Frances Robinson attends Rhea County High school and works at her Dad’s drugstore. She also is madly in love with her teacher, John T. Scopes. She wears her hair short, plays the piano, and believes her Dad in infallible. That is, until the city leaders cook up a plan to put Dayton on the map and Scopes on the witness stand. Suddenly, Dayton is submerged with sneering reporters, fast talking preachers, and monkeys dressed in suits. Quaint Dayton is suddenly “Monkey Town”, the laughing stock of the U.S. She discovers that maybe her Dad isn’t so honest and begins to doubt the truth of the Bible. After all, if scientist say it is inaccurate, could the Scriptures really be true? And can a town be good when it puts a man on trial for publicity?
Monkey Town surprised me. It is a well-written book. The writing style is enjoyable for its intended teenage audience and Kidd does a good job representing the trial. He portrays the town and people of Dayton kindly and, I think, fairly. In fact, if the book stuck to the trial, it might have been really good.
But Kidd attempts a coming of age story in his rendition of the trial, something in the flavor of To Kill A Mockingbird, and that is where he goes wrong. It is not necessarily in how he forms Francis’s transformation, but in the rather pulled-together way he does it.
The first problem is Francis’s crush on John Scopes. While a teenage girl probably would like her handsome young teacher, Kidd has obviously never been a fifteen-year-old girl with a crush. She’s so…logical about it. Maybe two or three times, she pictures their future together and spends a few paragraphs contemplating their coming lives, throws in a sentence or two about his blond hair, but otherwise seems to set her crush aside in watching the preceding. She doesn’t seem to upset about his leaving for the summer, or for forever. She allows annoying, nagging worries to puzzle her about how they were “ruining him as a man”…allowing for convenient conversations and “thought monologues” about truth and goodness and the Bible. None of them are that compelling.
The second problem with the book is that Francis is, frankly, an unreliable narrator. What I mean by that is, despite Kidd’s generally fair coverage of the situation, there is an inherent bias neatly hidden in Francis’s “coming of age.” She’s “one of them” (a person of Dayton, a “Christian”) but because of her love of Scopes, doubts. And because she “doubts” she sees…the truth? Well, so we’re led to believe. By the end, Francis has pondered the deep issues of life and come to her own satisfying conclusions. Excuse me if I am skeptical of how easy it all is. What makes a book like To Kill A Mockingbird great? Scout, while growing up, realizes she doesn’t have all the answers and that adulthood is a lot harder than it looks. Not so with Francis. Francis tells her Father she believes a little of Christianity and a little of evolution and is quite satisfied with that. She makes up with her friend, fixes her relationship with her family by standing firm on her new beliefs, and ponders the complexity of people when considering the journalist H.L. Mencken. The Francis we are introduced to at the beginning of the book has a shallow faith and an “innocent outlook” on life. Her “struggle” to let go of her “comfortable blanket of truths” (like, the Bible being infallible) is hardly a struggle, and by the end, Francis has simply switched her beliefs to another un-proven and rather shallow stance. There is something trite about Francis’s “coming of age.” Perhaps the problem is Monkey Town tries to reveal truths about life and growing up, but only manages to make it half-way.
In many ways, Dayton hasn’t changed much since 1925. The courthouse now has a statue of William Jennings Bryan out front and a war memorial where anxious reporters once stood. Wal Mart has replaced Robinson’s Drug store but Baylor High school is still Rhea County’s rival. There is one important difference though. Something that might have benefited fifteen-year-old Frances Robinson a great deal, and actually did change the real Francis Robinson’s life. It’s a school on a hill, a school built at the recommendation of William Jennings Bryan. Now, I admit, I’m a little partial to Bryan College. I go there. I live in a dorm called Robinson, named after the F.E. Robinson, the real Francis Robinson’s Father. But William Jennings Bryan, and the men who founded what was originally known as William Jennings Bryan University, realized that the Scopes Trials was more than a publicity stunt. It was more than a bunch of southern hicks putting a biology teacher on trial for teaching against the beliefs of the Bible Belt. It was more than trying a law on the Tennessee books. The Scopes Trial was a clash of ideologies. Not all Christians were or are the fickle, rather shallow, people presented in this book. They sought Truth and defense of the Truth.
Monkey Town is not a book I would go out of my way to recommend. It was, frankly, a good attempt at something deep that concluded weakly. It is well-written and a book teenagers will appreciate. But it is not excellent. It is accurate in a factual way, but missing when it comes to several key elements about those who hosted the trial and why they did it. It is, simply, a nice book that misses the point.
Overall, it is your typical little Tennessee town that probably would have disappeared years ago if it weren’t for one very important event. In 1925, the community leaders of Dayton decided to host the “debate of the century”…in a court room. The Scopes Trial fired the evolution v. creation debate in the United States and brought national attention to one tiny little town. Though relatively forgotten by most of the world, Dayton persistently clings to the memory of that momentous summer.
The novel Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial by Ronald Kidd reviews the beginning and events of the trial through the eyes of a fifteen year old girl. It is a coming of age novel about the struggles of learning, growing, and first love.
Frances Robinson attends Rhea County High school and works at her Dad’s drugstore. She also is madly in love with her teacher, John T. Scopes. She wears her hair short, plays the piano, and believes her Dad in infallible. That is, until the city leaders cook up a plan to put Dayton on the map and Scopes on the witness stand. Suddenly, Dayton is submerged with sneering reporters, fast talking preachers, and monkeys dressed in suits. Quaint Dayton is suddenly “Monkey Town”, the laughing stock of the U.S. She discovers that maybe her Dad isn’t so honest and begins to doubt the truth of the Bible. After all, if scientist say it is inaccurate, could the Scriptures really be true? And can a town be good when it puts a man on trial for publicity?
Monkey Town surprised me. It is a well-written book. The writing style is enjoyable for its intended teenage audience and Kidd does a good job representing the trial. He portrays the town and people of Dayton kindly and, I think, fairly. In fact, if the book stuck to the trial, it might have been really good.
But Kidd attempts a coming of age story in his rendition of the trial, something in the flavor of To Kill A Mockingbird, and that is where he goes wrong. It is not necessarily in how he forms Francis’s transformation, but in the rather pulled-together way he does it.
The first problem is Francis’s crush on John Scopes. While a teenage girl probably would like her handsome young teacher, Kidd has obviously never been a fifteen-year-old girl with a crush. She’s so…logical about it. Maybe two or three times, she pictures their future together and spends a few paragraphs contemplating their coming lives, throws in a sentence or two about his blond hair, but otherwise seems to set her crush aside in watching the preceding. She doesn’t seem to upset about his leaving for the summer, or for forever. She allows annoying, nagging worries to puzzle her about how they were “ruining him as a man”…allowing for convenient conversations and “thought monologues” about truth and goodness and the Bible. None of them are that compelling.
The second problem with the book is that Francis is, frankly, an unreliable narrator. What I mean by that is, despite Kidd’s generally fair coverage of the situation, there is an inherent bias neatly hidden in Francis’s “coming of age.” She’s “one of them” (a person of Dayton, a “Christian”) but because of her love of Scopes, doubts. And because she “doubts” she sees…the truth? Well, so we’re led to believe. By the end, Francis has pondered the deep issues of life and come to her own satisfying conclusions. Excuse me if I am skeptical of how easy it all is. What makes a book like To Kill A Mockingbird great? Scout, while growing up, realizes she doesn’t have all the answers and that adulthood is a lot harder than it looks. Not so with Francis. Francis tells her Father she believes a little of Christianity and a little of evolution and is quite satisfied with that. She makes up with her friend, fixes her relationship with her family by standing firm on her new beliefs, and ponders the complexity of people when considering the journalist H.L. Mencken. The Francis we are introduced to at the beginning of the book has a shallow faith and an “innocent outlook” on life. Her “struggle” to let go of her “comfortable blanket of truths” (like, the Bible being infallible) is hardly a struggle, and by the end, Francis has simply switched her beliefs to another un-proven and rather shallow stance. There is something trite about Francis’s “coming of age.” Perhaps the problem is Monkey Town tries to reveal truths about life and growing up, but only manages to make it half-way.
In many ways, Dayton hasn’t changed much since 1925. The courthouse now has a statue of William Jennings Bryan out front and a war memorial where anxious reporters once stood. Wal Mart has replaced Robinson’s Drug store but Baylor High school is still Rhea County’s rival. There is one important difference though. Something that might have benefited fifteen-year-old Frances Robinson a great deal, and actually did change the real Francis Robinson’s life. It’s a school on a hill, a school built at the recommendation of William Jennings Bryan. Now, I admit, I’m a little partial to Bryan College. I go there. I live in a dorm called Robinson, named after the F.E. Robinson, the real Francis Robinson’s Father. But William Jennings Bryan, and the men who founded what was originally known as William Jennings Bryan University, realized that the Scopes Trials was more than a publicity stunt. It was more than a bunch of southern hicks putting a biology teacher on trial for teaching against the beliefs of the Bible Belt. It was more than trying a law on the Tennessee books. The Scopes Trial was a clash of ideologies. Not all Christians were or are the fickle, rather shallow, people presented in this book. They sought Truth and defense of the Truth.
Monkey Town is not a book I would go out of my way to recommend. It was, frankly, a good attempt at something deep that concluded weakly. It is well-written and a book teenagers will appreciate. But it is not excellent. It is accurate in a factual way, but missing when it comes to several key elements about those who hosted the trial and why they did it. It is, simply, a nice book that misses the point.
March 7, 2012
The book Monkey Town by Ronald Kidd portrays an all American, Christian town that goes through a giant change. The book follows a girl named Frances Robinson living in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee. Frances has always lived by the rules of the church and the beliefs of her father, but when a large, attention hogging, publicity filled trial sweeps through town, everything that she has ever known is challenged. The book shadows the famous Scopes Monkey Trial, showing how it affected the country and the families within it. I believe that the message of this book is that change is good, and that even though keeping traditional ways and beliefs are important, bringing in new ones is what propels our world forward. Even though this book had simple writing, I enjoyed because the simplicity of the writing was balanced by the complexity of the story. Ronald Kidd forced the reader to experience the feelings of a girl developing thoughts for herself, a very puzzling thing.
March 11, 2009
Brings up the question of Creation vs Evolution but the book doesn't take a stand either way. The ending is very anti-climatic.
March 7, 2020
The Characters
In the book Monkey Town, we get to see many different characters from many different backgrounds. There are some like Francis, that are just teens and then there are some like Henry Louis, who are just old and grumpy. My favorite character would have to be Francis, who can be very funny sometimes without realizing it. This is shown at the start of the book when she is comparing herself with Johnny, “Mama, I’m fifteen and he’s twenty-four. We’re practically the same age” (Kidd 4). However, my least favorite character would have to be Darrow because when he was first introduced into the book other characters described as this kind of “win every time” defense attorney. But at the end of the trial, he said that Johnny would plead guilty just so Darrow could get more publicity when they appealed to the higher courts.
The Plot
The plot of this book was based mostly on the progress of the trial of John Scopes. The book starts in the summer when Johnny is first arrested for teaching evolution in biology class (this was considered bad at the time, unlike now). As it grew closer to the trial things got worse in Dayton, TN where the trial was taking place. Once the trial had officially started, so many people were in the courtroom that after a few days they had to move it outside so the courthouse didn’t collapse. Right before the end of the trial the worst thing in the book happened, Judge Raulston wouldn’t let Johnny’s best chance at winning to testify.
The Writing Style/Language
The language in the book at times can be very scientific. Kidd uses words like agnostic and atheist to describe the people who believed in evolution. The writing style Kidd used in the book contained a lot of foreshadowing like, “‘The drug store? Now isn’t that a coincidence’” (Kidd 163). Kidd also used things like flashing forward and onomatopoeia to make the story more interesting. His writing style makes it so that when the person is reading not only can they picture what the characters look like but makes it feel like your actually in the story.
Social Justice Theme
The social justice theme of the book was, don’t be mean to people who don’t believe in the religion as you. The book does a good job of showing why you shouldn’t be mean to others just because they have different views on one thing. Kidd shows that everyone is the same in the long run and there should be no reason why you should be mean to someone because we are all just monkeys. The embodiment of this is Johnny, who was a teacher that had taught evolution, got arrested so nobody wanted him around them. After the trial, everyone wanted him to work for them because they saw he was human just like everyone else.
Comparing and Contrasting to To Kill A Mocking Bird
This book has a lot in common with To Kill A Mocking Bird. The books are both narrated by girls, Francis and Scout. The book is based around a trial, Johnny’s and Tom Robinson’s convictions. The main characters make an unlikely friend both Boo Radley and H. L. Mencken. They only take place about ten years apart. To Kill A Mocking Bird took place during the Jim Crow Laws and Monkey Town took place during the prohibition era. There is not much that makes them different other than the place they occur in and what the trial was about. To Kill A Mocking Bird is set in Alabama while Monkey Town takes place in Tennessee, which are boarding states. The Tom Robinson trial was about accused rape and the John Scopes trial was about teaching evolution.
Connection to The Real World
Even today, there are still people being punished for laws based on religion. Examples of this include women being treated as property in the Middle East or not being able to wear their hijab while playing sports. Also, immigrants trying to enter the United States and being separated from their children when they cross the border. The book has characters that are real people, like H. L. Menken who was really a journalist for the Baltimore Sun. Evolution is taught today in school, so this is an example of a law that no longer exists.
In the book Monkey Town, we get to see many different characters from many different backgrounds. There are some like Francis, that are just teens and then there are some like Henry Louis, who are just old and grumpy. My favorite character would have to be Francis, who can be very funny sometimes without realizing it. This is shown at the start of the book when she is comparing herself with Johnny, “Mama, I’m fifteen and he’s twenty-four. We’re practically the same age” (Kidd 4). However, my least favorite character would have to be Darrow because when he was first introduced into the book other characters described as this kind of “win every time” defense attorney. But at the end of the trial, he said that Johnny would plead guilty just so Darrow could get more publicity when they appealed to the higher courts.
The Plot
The plot of this book was based mostly on the progress of the trial of John Scopes. The book starts in the summer when Johnny is first arrested for teaching evolution in biology class (this was considered bad at the time, unlike now). As it grew closer to the trial things got worse in Dayton, TN where the trial was taking place. Once the trial had officially started, so many people were in the courtroom that after a few days they had to move it outside so the courthouse didn’t collapse. Right before the end of the trial the worst thing in the book happened, Judge Raulston wouldn’t let Johnny’s best chance at winning to testify.
The Writing Style/Language
The language in the book at times can be very scientific. Kidd uses words like agnostic and atheist to describe the people who believed in evolution. The writing style Kidd used in the book contained a lot of foreshadowing like, “‘The drug store? Now isn’t that a coincidence’” (Kidd 163). Kidd also used things like flashing forward and onomatopoeia to make the story more interesting. His writing style makes it so that when the person is reading not only can they picture what the characters look like but makes it feel like your actually in the story.
Social Justice Theme
The social justice theme of the book was, don’t be mean to people who don’t believe in the religion as you. The book does a good job of showing why you shouldn’t be mean to others just because they have different views on one thing. Kidd shows that everyone is the same in the long run and there should be no reason why you should be mean to someone because we are all just monkeys. The embodiment of this is Johnny, who was a teacher that had taught evolution, got arrested so nobody wanted him around them. After the trial, everyone wanted him to work for them because they saw he was human just like everyone else.
Comparing and Contrasting to To Kill A Mocking Bird
This book has a lot in common with To Kill A Mocking Bird. The books are both narrated by girls, Francis and Scout. The book is based around a trial, Johnny’s and Tom Robinson’s convictions. The main characters make an unlikely friend both Boo Radley and H. L. Mencken. They only take place about ten years apart. To Kill A Mocking Bird took place during the Jim Crow Laws and Monkey Town took place during the prohibition era. There is not much that makes them different other than the place they occur in and what the trial was about. To Kill A Mocking Bird is set in Alabama while Monkey Town takes place in Tennessee, which are boarding states. The Tom Robinson trial was about accused rape and the John Scopes trial was about teaching evolution.
Connection to The Real World
Even today, there are still people being punished for laws based on religion. Examples of this include women being treated as property in the Middle East or not being able to wear their hijab while playing sports. Also, immigrants trying to enter the United States and being separated from their children when they cross the border. The book has characters that are real people, like H. L. Menken who was really a journalist for the Baltimore Sun. Evolution is taught today in school, so this is an example of a law that no longer exists.
March 9, 2020
The Characters
The way this book brings in the characters is great. We meet the family of the main character right away and get to know who they are and what they do. We meet other characters pretty quickly, too. The way the author brings in these characters throughout the book shows us how the main character thinks, like at the beginning of the book the author wrote: "His name was John Thomas Scopes, and I thought he was the handsomest man I had ever seen."(Kidd 4). This way, we see that the main character is a dreamer because she's in love with her teacher. When the other characters are brought in, we see the thoughts of the main character about them and we can make judgments about the character.
The Plot
The pace of this story is pretty steady. It never really speeds up or slows down. It goes one day at a time. It never skips days or jumps weeks. The book starts out by giving us some background information on the town. Then it pretty quickly turns into the preparation of the trail that was to come later. Once the trail started, the plot jumped tracks and we then followed the trial. There was a little bit about the aftermath of the trial then the book was done.
The writing style/language
The language was a little older but was easy to understand and comprehend. The dialogue between the characters was well done. It allowed us to see how the characters felt about each other. There were also many good literary devices used by the author. One example is the scene where Mr. Robinson was selling books that showed evolution while he was on the school board (Kidd 168). The literary device was irony.
Theme of Social Justice
The social justice theme shown throughout the book was discrimination because of, or lack of religion. Over and over we see atheists are beating on Christians and Christians were beating on atheists. Not physically, but verbally.
Compare and Contrast of To Kill a Mocking Bird
I like this book better than to Kill a Mocking Bird. To kill a mocking bird dealt with racism while Monkey Town dealt with religion. The main character in monkey town was way better than the one in To Kill a Mocking Bird. The pacing in To Kill a Mocking bird is a little off too. I didn't like that. The language was hard to understand too.
Connection to The Real World
The way the main character's family functions, is very similar to the way mine works. We all get up in the morning, take turns in the bathroom, eat breakfast, and we're on our way. The relationships the characters have are also similar to mine. We all help each other out, for the most part.
The way this book brings in the characters is great. We meet the family of the main character right away and get to know who they are and what they do. We meet other characters pretty quickly, too. The way the author brings in these characters throughout the book shows us how the main character thinks, like at the beginning of the book the author wrote: "His name was John Thomas Scopes, and I thought he was the handsomest man I had ever seen."(Kidd 4). This way, we see that the main character is a dreamer because she's in love with her teacher. When the other characters are brought in, we see the thoughts of the main character about them and we can make judgments about the character.
The Plot
The pace of this story is pretty steady. It never really speeds up or slows down. It goes one day at a time. It never skips days or jumps weeks. The book starts out by giving us some background information on the town. Then it pretty quickly turns into the preparation of the trail that was to come later. Once the trail started, the plot jumped tracks and we then followed the trial. There was a little bit about the aftermath of the trial then the book was done.
The writing style/language
The language was a little older but was easy to understand and comprehend. The dialogue between the characters was well done. It allowed us to see how the characters felt about each other. There were also many good literary devices used by the author. One example is the scene where Mr. Robinson was selling books that showed evolution while he was on the school board (Kidd 168). The literary device was irony.
Theme of Social Justice
The social justice theme shown throughout the book was discrimination because of, or lack of religion. Over and over we see atheists are beating on Christians and Christians were beating on atheists. Not physically, but verbally.
Compare and Contrast of To Kill a Mocking Bird
I like this book better than to Kill a Mocking Bird. To kill a mocking bird dealt with racism while Monkey Town dealt with religion. The main character in monkey town was way better than the one in To Kill a Mocking Bird. The pacing in To Kill a Mocking bird is a little off too. I didn't like that. The language was hard to understand too.
Connection to The Real World
The way the main character's family functions, is very similar to the way mine works. We all get up in the morning, take turns in the bathroom, eat breakfast, and we're on our way. The relationships the characters have are also similar to mine. We all help each other out, for the most part.
March 10, 2020
The characters that I liked in Monkey Town were; Francis Robinson, Johnny Scopes, and Edmond Duffy(Ed). I did not like Mr. Robinson. He was a liar. He always made things seem better than they were. He also roped an innocent man into doing something that would hurt Johnny. He only cared about items that would bring him publicity. He was interested in selling the most soda and collecting the most money. He never cared about who he hurt or what he had to do to get the most money.
The plot of the story is okay. One of the things that seem unrealistic is when Francis climbed into the back seat of the bigtime writer’s car. She then hopped on the floor and put a blanket over her, without them noticing. This all occurred while there was someone in the back seat next to her. I like how everyone doesn't listen to Francis. Everyone treats her like she is a little kid. Someone had messed with the water pipe on the house. Francis finds footprints in the mud. She tells Johnny, but he just brushes it off.
The theme is social justice. The book talks a lot about how the bible is right, and that everything else is wrong. Only the stuff in the bible can be taught. Mr. Robinson wanted Johnny gone, so that's why he used him as a test dummy.
One way the book is similar to Kill a Mockingbird is that one of the characters is like a test dummy and is accused of committing a crime. They were convicted of the crime, but they didn't do it. One way it is different is the time it takes place. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in a time where blacks were not accepted. Monkey Town is set in the time where the bible is only accepted in small towns, and evolution was against the law.
One way I can connect the book to real life is that many people believe in the Bible. Many people think that it should be the only form of teaching. They also feel we should not teach evolution. Not everyone believes the world was created in 7 days. Some people believe we have evolved, and into the humans we are today. Monkeys out in the wild are getting smarter every day. In fact, in captivity monkeys can be taught sign language.
The plot of the story is okay. One of the things that seem unrealistic is when Francis climbed into the back seat of the bigtime writer’s car. She then hopped on the floor and put a blanket over her, without them noticing. This all occurred while there was someone in the back seat next to her. I like how everyone doesn't listen to Francis. Everyone treats her like she is a little kid. Someone had messed with the water pipe on the house. Francis finds footprints in the mud. She tells Johnny, but he just brushes it off.
The theme is social justice. The book talks a lot about how the bible is right, and that everything else is wrong. Only the stuff in the bible can be taught. Mr. Robinson wanted Johnny gone, so that's why he used him as a test dummy.
One way the book is similar to Kill a Mockingbird is that one of the characters is like a test dummy and is accused of committing a crime. They were convicted of the crime, but they didn't do it. One way it is different is the time it takes place. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in a time where blacks were not accepted. Monkey Town is set in the time where the bible is only accepted in small towns, and evolution was against the law.
One way I can connect the book to real life is that many people believe in the Bible. Many people think that it should be the only form of teaching. They also feel we should not teach evolution. Not everyone believes the world was created in 7 days. Some people believe we have evolved, and into the humans we are today. Monkeys out in the wild are getting smarter every day. In fact, in captivity monkeys can be taught sign language.
March 10, 2020
The main characters in Monkey Town are Frances Robinson, Mr. Robinson, Johnny Scopes, and H.L. Mencken. There are other characters in the book but they aren't mentioned very often sometimes only once. I liked Frances the most. She cared about everyone even those she didn't like. I liked H.L. Mencken by the end of the book. "I didn't know you liked music, I said. I don't like it. I live it. If it wasn't for music, I would have killed myself long ago." (Kidd 196) He became really friendly and opened up to Frances about his feelings and problems going on back home.
As far as the plot goes, it was very well written. With the book being based on a real-life event, the style of the writing and events that took place throughout the book were intriguing. How everything takes place and the timeline it all makes sense. There wasn't anything I didn't like about the plot. My only complaint is that the trial could have been a little more in-depth.
There was lots of dialogue in Monkey Town. Frances talked to Mencken and her father a lot. There were literary devices throughout the book.
I could find the social justice theme kind of easy, I mean you had to read and pay close attention to what was going on but it wasn't difficult to find. One of the themes in the book was against feminism. Given the time period, it makes sense that males would be against it. Frances did not like it when the man brought up feminism because then he asked if she was one of those feminists. "She can disagree all she wants. They still wouldn't let her on the jury."(Kidd 164)
It reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird because of the social justice themes along with other things. There was a trial held in both of the books in roughly the same spot of the book. Also, it takes place in a small town in both books. One difference between the books is this trial is real and the trial in TKAM was made up. Another difference is this trial had a teacher and the trial in TKAM had a civilian.
I had a personal connection to the book because both Dayton and a town I frequently visit are both small. The way Ronald Kidd describes Dayton reminds me of this town I visit and I can see different parts of it as I read. The houses and the layout of different parts of the city I can picture. Certain parts also remind me of Superior because they talk about walking to and from the courthouse.
As far as the plot goes, it was very well written. With the book being based on a real-life event, the style of the writing and events that took place throughout the book were intriguing. How everything takes place and the timeline it all makes sense. There wasn't anything I didn't like about the plot. My only complaint is that the trial could have been a little more in-depth.
There was lots of dialogue in Monkey Town. Frances talked to Mencken and her father a lot. There were literary devices throughout the book.
I could find the social justice theme kind of easy, I mean you had to read and pay close attention to what was going on but it wasn't difficult to find. One of the themes in the book was against feminism. Given the time period, it makes sense that males would be against it. Frances did not like it when the man brought up feminism because then he asked if she was one of those feminists. "She can disagree all she wants. They still wouldn't let her on the jury."(Kidd 164)
It reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird because of the social justice themes along with other things. There was a trial held in both of the books in roughly the same spot of the book. Also, it takes place in a small town in both books. One difference between the books is this trial is real and the trial in TKAM was made up. Another difference is this trial had a teacher and the trial in TKAM had a civilian.
I had a personal connection to the book because both Dayton and a town I frequently visit are both small. The way Ronald Kidd describes Dayton reminds me of this town I visit and I can see different parts of it as I read. The houses and the layout of different parts of the city I can picture. Certain parts also remind me of Superior because they talk about walking to and from the courthouse.
September 16, 2019
This YA book is excellent, although perhaps not quite as good for adult readers as the play "Inherit the Wind," which also is a fictionalized account of the 1925 Scopes "monkey trial," in Tennessee, where William Jennings Bryan really did defend the literal interpretation of the Bible, Clarence Darrow defended science and John Scopes (for teaching evolution, in violation of state law), in the trial of that century, and HL Mencken's newspaper articles eviscerated Bryan and the small-town, small-minded ignoramuses (all Mencken's words) who insisted on rejecting science (rings familiar somehow today). This version tells the story mostly through the eyes of the fictional 15 year old girl who is the daughter of the town's central drug store, conveniently located just across from the courthouse, and where locals gather to gossip and drink coca-cola. A quick easy read that sheds light on an important episode and time in American intellectual, philosophical, and legal history.
November 20, 2018
Easy read and entertaining historical fiction. The only think that felt off is the 15 year old girl who is main character. She could have had more of a depth to her personality. Maybe because a man author wrote the book?
July 23, 2019
I almost gave this book five stars. Not sure why I didn't. It was REALLY good. So much of it is factual, and there's fiction thrown in. But what a great piece of history! Really good read. I finished it in less than 24 hours, because I just could not quit reading.
February 6, 2019
3.5
Knocked off half a star because I wish there were sources, a bibliography, and/or an author’s note in the back.
Knocked off half a star because I wish there were sources, a bibliography, and/or an author’s note in the back.
May 10, 2020
This book is based on the real life events surrounding the infamous Scopes Trial.
August 1, 2020
It was a nice story. I didn’t like that the author played with the age of the girl involved, but I understood why.
December 7, 2021
I read this book because I had to find something that had Monkey in the title. I ended up really enjoying the book. I had never heard of the Scopes trial before.
August 7, 2023
Monkey Town is an entertaining read, and it corrects a bit of history that people think they know. It may be intended for young adults, but this older adult enjoyed it tremendously.
November 18, 2014
It's the summer of 1925 and hot as you know where in the small town of Dayton, Tennessee. Frances Robinson beats the heat by sipping ice cold Coca Colas in her father's drugstore and following her crush, Johnny Scopes, a teacher, around. Frances has grand visions of Johnny coming to appreciate her and love her one day soon. Her loyalty to Johnny is tested when Mr. Robinson, a member of the school board, questions Johnny about his teaching. Johnny admits he may have taught evolution when he was substituting for the usual science teacher. Even though it's in the textbook, teaching evolution is against the law in TN. Mr. Robinson and his friends decide that Johnny is the perfect person to test the power of the ACLU and see how the law holds up to a trial. Mr. Robinson is convinced that no harm will be done to Johnny and that the trial will bring in much-needed tourists and publicity. As the "trial of the century" begins, Frances begins to question everything she's been taught and understand that her father may not be the superman she always believed him to be. Before the summer is over, Dayton will be shaken to the core and nothing will ever be the same again.
I went into this book thinking I knew everything about the case from having studied Inherit the Wind in Junior High. The English, Social Studies and Science teachers combined to have us act out the play as we studied the play, government and evolution. It is one of my only happy memories of that time. I was quite shocked and sad to discover that the play is a highly fictionalized account of what actually happened! The real story is a bit less dramatic. The author of this book had to add in some drama to make it interesting. Though it's almost 90 years later, I feel the story is very relevant - more so than when I studied it in Junior High 70 years after the fact. I can easily see this happening again and I know that the questions raised in the novel are still relevant. I really liked how the author based the story on a real life woman but made the character a young adult instead of a little girl. It made the impact of the story more realistic and relevant to teens.
Frances is a complicated character. I wanted to like her but I didn't really. I found her annoying and selfish at first and very naive and silly at times. Yet, I did like her coming-of-age plot. I could relate to some of the questions she felt and coming to terms with the fact her Daddy has feet of clay. The author portrays a teen girl very accurately. Frances grew on me as she started to question everything.
Johnny Scopes is a minor character in the story. He's kind and friendly and rather bland. He isn't a fighter and he worries mainly about his job security. I felt bad for him because he was a victim in the whole thing.
I did not like Frances' father or the other men in town. I saw Frances' father as egotistical and a big dreamer. He came across as kind of slimy to me. On the other hand, I actually liked H. L. Mencken. Some of what he said was cruel but mostly he told the truth. I don't know much about him but he would be at home in today's world of tabloid journalism and snarky Twitter comments. At the same time, I liked how Frances got to know him and see a different side of him and how he made her think about the world around her.
I was hoping for more Clarence Darrow vs. William Jennings Bryan. My favorite part of the trial is when Darrow puts Bryan on the witness stand. I was surprised and sad at Darrow's feelings on the outcome of the trial.
If you don't know anything about the Scopes Monkey Trial then I would recommend this book. I would also recommend it to young teens. They could learn quite a lot from it.
I went into this book thinking I knew everything about the case from having studied Inherit the Wind in Junior High. The English, Social Studies and Science teachers combined to have us act out the play as we studied the play, government and evolution. It is one of my only happy memories of that time. I was quite shocked and sad to discover that the play is a highly fictionalized account of what actually happened! The real story is a bit less dramatic. The author of this book had to add in some drama to make it interesting. Though it's almost 90 years later, I feel the story is very relevant - more so than when I studied it in Junior High 70 years after the fact. I can easily see this happening again and I know that the questions raised in the novel are still relevant. I really liked how the author based the story on a real life woman but made the character a young adult instead of a little girl. It made the impact of the story more realistic and relevant to teens.
Frances is a complicated character. I wanted to like her but I didn't really. I found her annoying and selfish at first and very naive and silly at times. Yet, I did like her coming-of-age plot. I could relate to some of the questions she felt and coming to terms with the fact her Daddy has feet of clay. The author portrays a teen girl very accurately. Frances grew on me as she started to question everything.
Johnny Scopes is a minor character in the story. He's kind and friendly and rather bland. He isn't a fighter and he worries mainly about his job security. I felt bad for him because he was a victim in the whole thing.
I did not like Frances' father or the other men in town. I saw Frances' father as egotistical and a big dreamer. He came across as kind of slimy to me. On the other hand, I actually liked H. L. Mencken. Some of what he said was cruel but mostly he told the truth. I don't know much about him but he would be at home in today's world of tabloid journalism and snarky Twitter comments. At the same time, I liked how Frances got to know him and see a different side of him and how he made her think about the world around her.
I was hoping for more Clarence Darrow vs. William Jennings Bryan. My favorite part of the trial is when Darrow puts Bryan on the witness stand. I was surprised and sad at Darrow's feelings on the outcome of the trial.
If you don't know anything about the Scopes Monkey Trial then I would recommend this book. I would also recommend it to young teens. They could learn quite a lot from it.
January 15, 2010
When her father hatches a plan to bring publicity to their small Tennessee town by arresting a local high school teacher for teaching about evolution, the resulting 1925 Scopes trial prompts fifteen-year-old Frances to rethink many of her beliefs about religion and truth, as well as her relationship with her father. - Summary from library catalog
I so enjoy historical fiction and this book (like most) provides an author's note at the end with more information. Don't every skip that part of a historical fiction book! :) Kidd does a great job telling about this very famous trial (or publicity stunt?) and incorporating the story of a young girl growing up and learning to think, question, and believe.
Review from School Library Journal:
In Ronald Kidd's fictionalized re-creation (S & S, 2006) of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, Frances Robinson, 15, filters events of that summer through the lens of friendship and loyalty in this first person account of history in the making. Originally orchestrated as a publicity stunt to bring commerce to the small town, the trial soon becomes more like a three-ring circus than an act of justice. Clarence Darrow comes to Dayton, TN, to defend local teacher, Johnny Scopes, while William Jenning Bryan leads the prosecution. Kidd brings these larger-than-life characters to fruition in this semi-factual, semi-biographical tale. Period detail, such as the innovation of Lazy Susans and the pervasiveness of Coca-Cola as a fountain drink, abounds. Ashley Albert provides a variety of Southern accents for the characters. Frances comes across as a wholesome, open-minded teen who is shaken to the core by her teacher's arrest and the events of the trial. In an afterword to the novel, Kidd provides information about the trial and the real Frances Robinson. This fast-paced novel blending history with a coming-of-age story will be popular in most public and school libraries.
I so enjoy historical fiction and this book (like most) provides an author's note at the end with more information. Don't every skip that part of a historical fiction book! :) Kidd does a great job telling about this very famous trial (or publicity stunt?) and incorporating the story of a young girl growing up and learning to think, question, and believe.
Review from School Library Journal:
In Ronald Kidd's fictionalized re-creation (S & S, 2006) of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, Frances Robinson, 15, filters events of that summer through the lens of friendship and loyalty in this first person account of history in the making. Originally orchestrated as a publicity stunt to bring commerce to the small town, the trial soon becomes more like a three-ring circus than an act of justice. Clarence Darrow comes to Dayton, TN, to defend local teacher, Johnny Scopes, while William Jenning Bryan leads the prosecution. Kidd brings these larger-than-life characters to fruition in this semi-factual, semi-biographical tale. Period detail, such as the innovation of Lazy Susans and the pervasiveness of Coca-Cola as a fountain drink, abounds. Ashley Albert provides a variety of Southern accents for the characters. Frances comes across as a wholesome, open-minded teen who is shaken to the core by her teacher's arrest and the events of the trial. In an afterword to the novel, Kidd provides information about the trial and the real Frances Robinson. This fast-paced novel blending history with a coming-of-age story will be popular in most public and school libraries.
November 1, 2009
This was a rather interesting book that would most likely be targeted to a middle school aged students. The book is told from the view point of a fifteen-year-old girl in the 1920's. The town is in search of more publicity to bring more people into their small town. To do this, they arrest a young teacher for teaching a small segment in a biology class over Evolution. The entire arrest was staged as well as the trial that followed. The town promised that Mr. Scopes, the teacher who was arrested, wouldn't be hurt or affected by this trial but in reality he was. The town ultimately got what they wanted because the trial attracted some very prominent people into their town who wanted to be a part of the trial as well as bringing in many other civilians. The book brings up many different points of view on religion and evolution which would make this a fairly controversial book in the class room. Although it was a really good book it would depend on the stipulations that schools my have when it comes to presenting this book to a classroom. It definitely would make students think about their religious views which many parents and administrators would most likely have issues with. Therefore, I may suggest this as a good book for students to read on their own but I don't believe that I would probably choose to use this as a book in the classroom.
August 9, 2011
My 10-year-old and I listened to this title on CD and found it well written, interesting and informative about the circumstances surrounding the Scopes Monkey Trial. The protagonist, 15-year-old Frances Robinson, is based on a friend's forebear who lived through the trial in Dayton, Tennessee when she was 8. The author characterizes John Scopes as a willing participant in Frances's father's publicity stunt--arresting Scopes for teaching evolution (part of the state-distributed textbook). The big boys arrive, Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, and H.L. Mencken--all of whom are clearly delineated, Mencken most lovingly in his irascibility.
Of course, Frances comes of age amid the trial, realizing that Scopes is an unlikely crush and that her father and his cronies are mortal. Of course, the guilty verdict seemed a surprise to both listeners, even when the older of us knew the outcome in advance. There are some threats of violence (townspeople want to lynch Mencken for disparaging Dayton & its residents), implications of hanky-panky (when Scopes's opponents pay a woman to kiss Scopes while a photographer takes incriminating pictures), and perhaps a less flattering depiction of Bryan, all of which makes for a fine read.
As always, the students will tell.
Of course, Frances comes of age amid the trial, realizing that Scopes is an unlikely crush and that her father and his cronies are mortal. Of course, the guilty verdict seemed a surprise to both listeners, even when the older of us knew the outcome in advance. There are some threats of violence (townspeople want to lynch Mencken for disparaging Dayton & its residents), implications of hanky-panky (when Scopes's opponents pay a woman to kiss Scopes while a photographer takes incriminating pictures), and perhaps a less flattering depiction of Bryan, all of which makes for a fine read.
As always, the students will tell.
December 28, 2014
SLJ review:
Grade 6 Up–In Ronald Kidd’s fictionalized re-creation of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, Frances Robinson, 15, filters events of that summer through the lens of friendship and loyalty in this first person account of history in the making. Originally orchestrated as a publicity stunt to bring commerce to the small town, the trial soon becomes more like a three-ring circus than an act of justice. Clarence Darrow comes to Dayton, TN, to defend local teacher, Johnny Scopes, while William Jenning Bryan leads the prosecution. Kidd brings these larger-than-life characters to fruition in this semi-factual, semi-biographical tale. Period detail, such as the innovation of Lazy Susans and the pervasiveness of Coca-Cola as a fountain drink, abounds. Ashley Albert provides a variety of Southern accents for the characters. Frances comes across as a wholesome, open-minded teen who is shaken to the core by her teacher’s arrest and the events of the trial. In an afterword to the novel, Kidd provides information about the trial and the real Frances Robinson. This fast-paced novel blending history with a coming-of-age story will be popular in most public and school libraries.–Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI
Grade 6 Up–In Ronald Kidd’s fictionalized re-creation of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, Frances Robinson, 15, filters events of that summer through the lens of friendship and loyalty in this first person account of history in the making. Originally orchestrated as a publicity stunt to bring commerce to the small town, the trial soon becomes more like a three-ring circus than an act of justice. Clarence Darrow comes to Dayton, TN, to defend local teacher, Johnny Scopes, while William Jenning Bryan leads the prosecution. Kidd brings these larger-than-life characters to fruition in this semi-factual, semi-biographical tale. Period detail, such as the innovation of Lazy Susans and the pervasiveness of Coca-Cola as a fountain drink, abounds. Ashley Albert provides a variety of Southern accents for the characters. Frances comes across as a wholesome, open-minded teen who is shaken to the core by her teacher’s arrest and the events of the trial. In an afterword to the novel, Kidd provides information about the trial and the real Frances Robinson. This fast-paced novel blending history with a coming-of-age story will be popular in most public and school libraries.–Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI
October 15, 2007
GRRRRREAT!! Couldn’t put down. There are not enough superlatives to describe how wonderful this book retells one of the famous trials of the 20th century in this country. I wish all stories in history could be incorporated into a historical novel of this caliber.
Johnny Scopes was just another high school teacher until Mr. Robinson decided that the town of Dayton, Tennessee needed to be better known across the country. His simple plan to get some publicity for the town turned into one of this country’s greatest debate over evolution vs. creationism and turned one small town upside down. Mr. Robinson’s daughter, Frances, is telling this story and she was infatuated with Johnny Scopes. He considered her a friend throughout the trail and all its escapades.
This book is a wonderful way to teach kids how to look at both sides of an argument, and how to evaluate all perspectives of a debate. The author’s notes at the end of this book are also very valuable to show students how true circumstances can be fictionalize to give the story a voice.
Johnny Scopes was just another high school teacher until Mr. Robinson decided that the town of Dayton, Tennessee needed to be better known across the country. His simple plan to get some publicity for the town turned into one of this country’s greatest debate over evolution vs. creationism and turned one small town upside down. Mr. Robinson’s daughter, Frances, is telling this story and she was infatuated with Johnny Scopes. He considered her a friend throughout the trail and all its escapades.
This book is a wonderful way to teach kids how to look at both sides of an argument, and how to evaluate all perspectives of a debate. The author’s notes at the end of this book are also very valuable to show students how true circumstances can be fictionalize to give the story a voice.
December 2, 2009
One of the jacket reviews calls this a mashup of Inherit the Wind and To Kill a Mockingbird. Kidd was inspired to write the book upon meeting his friend's mother, the real Francine Robinson, who shared her memories of being a child in Dayton, Tennessee during the Scopes trial. Kidd changes narrative details (some characters are made up; the real Francine was only eight years old at the time of the Scopes trial, not fifteen as in the story), but includes extensive information about the trial, including quotes from courtroom testimony and H.L. Menken's newspaper articles.
The overarching story isn't about creationism versus evolution, but about Frances' sometimes difficult negotiation between the small town she loves and the new ideas that intrigue her. Although I thought Frances' insights sometimes seemed a little too pat, Kidd did a great job of making Frances' father, her chief antagonist, a well-rounded character. I also loved his version of the cigar-smoking Menken.
The overarching story isn't about creationism versus evolution, but about Frances' sometimes difficult negotiation between the small town she loves and the new ideas that intrigue her. Although I thought Frances' insights sometimes seemed a little too pat, Kidd did a great job of making Frances' father, her chief antagonist, a well-rounded character. I also loved his version of the cigar-smoking Menken.
Read
February 4, 2016Narrated by Ashley Albert A fictionalized account of the Scopes trial's impact on a 15-year-old girl, as inspired by stories heard from a friend's mother. Frances' father owns the town drugstore in Dayton, TN. He's up for any idea that will promote Dayton throughout the country so when the opportunity arises to put the teaching of evolution on trial, he and other community boosters jump on the chance. John T. Scopes, Frances' teacher and her crush, consents to being the fall guy and wheels are in motion. As the trial begins, Dayton has a crush of visiting media, curious onlookers and the lawyers William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow. The attention has put Dayton on the map but in a negative light thanks to columnist H.L. Mencken whose coverage puts down the local residents as a bunch of yokels. Through it all, Frances roots for Johnny, questions her own beliefs about religion and evolution and sees her father and his publicity machinations in a new light.
August 13, 2008
I heard someone describe this as To Kill A Mockingbird, Jr.
While that struck me as blasphemy, that doesn't change the fact that Ronald Miller has written a super book.
In addition to the delight I took Kidd's premise (the Scopes Trial was really a publicity stunt?), I came to wallow in Frances' existential crises with such pleasure that I tried to forestall finishing the thing by turning the pages slower. (A trick my dear friend Sally taught me.)
Anyway, I went into such withdrawal the morning after I'd finished this, I went to the Strand and hunted down a book by H.L. Mencken (who figures prominently in the story). His delicious quotes are sprinkled throughout the book.
As if the whole Mockingbird, Jr. thing wasn't inducement enough...you get Mencken! Brilliant.
While that struck me as blasphemy, that doesn't change the fact that Ronald Miller has written a super book.
In addition to the delight I took Kidd's premise (the Scopes Trial was really a publicity stunt?), I came to wallow in Frances' existential crises with such pleasure that I tried to forestall finishing the thing by turning the pages slower. (A trick my dear friend Sally taught me.)
Anyway, I went into such withdrawal the morning after I'd finished this, I went to the Strand and hunted down a book by H.L. Mencken (who figures prominently in the story). His delicious quotes are sprinkled throughout the book.
As if the whole Mockingbird, Jr. thing wasn't inducement enough...you get Mencken! Brilliant.
December 8, 2008
The premise of the book alone will make you want to read it. It is all about a famous trial that takes place in a small town in Tennessee in 1925. It recently won a Sequoyah award, and rightfully so! The trial is all about the teaching of evolution vs. the teaching of creation in public schools. It is a fantastic account of the connotations of the separation between church and state. The town puts a local teacher on the stand, but we come to find out they have a secret agenda as well. An extraordinary book that asks deep questions, like my favorite line, "What makes you think that smart people don't have doubts?" I would use this in the classroom as a great example of people questioning themselves in order to come to their own truth.
April 9, 2010
Spied this selection in the new YA section of our local small town library. Having just visited Monroeville with my family on our spring break road trip through Alabama, visions of famous courthouses danced in my head.
Note - Monroeville is the hometown of "To Kill and Mockingbird" novelist, Harper Lee, and the courthouse in the town plaza is an exacting replica (actually an original) of the one see in the film version of the novel.
The novel is sweet and syrupy in all the right places, managing to capture a bit of childhood whimsy in it's fictional/non-fictional account of the circus surrounding the Scopes Monkey trial.
I enjoyed it and it will go on the list of books I'd recommend to my daughters.
Note - Monroeville is the hometown of "To Kill and Mockingbird" novelist, Harper Lee, and the courthouse in the town plaza is an exacting replica (actually an original) of the one see in the film version of the novel.
The novel is sweet and syrupy in all the right places, managing to capture a bit of childhood whimsy in it's fictional/non-fictional account of the circus surrounding the Scopes Monkey trial.
I enjoyed it and it will go on the list of books I'd recommend to my daughters.
March 8, 2009
Good historical fiction that brings to life the Scopes "Monkey" Trial about the legality of teaching evolution in schools . It's well based on historical research and the memories of some of the not so famous townspeople who were part of one of the most famous trials in US History. The Scopes "Monkey" Trial pitted Clarence Darrow, famous trial lawyer, against William Jennings Bryan, famous religious leader and lawyer. The book is told from the point of view of a 15 year old girl who found herself right in the middle of everything. It's an enjoyable way to learn some history, and it makes you think while you're having fun.
August 23, 2010
This was interesting, entertaining, and informative. I didn't know much about the Scopes trial other than that it happened. So this was an enjoyable way to learn a bit more without reading anything dry or boring (especially while baking and cleaning the apartment!). I really liked how Frances learns to question, open her mind, and try to figure out her own personal views on things. The part with her father was one of the most interesting for me. Not sure why, but I loved how it resolved for both.
The narrator overall was fine, but a couple of times (like with Mr. Scopes' "accent") that I was annoyed.
The narrator overall was fine, but a couple of times (like with Mr. Scopes' "accent") that I was annoyed.
November 12, 2010
Well done historical fiction book. I learned things about the Scopes trial I didn't know, having only read an excerpt from Gone with the Wind. It effectively covers the tiral and France's coming of age. I liked that the main characters were well drawn out. From the author's note, it seems to be very accurate which I appreciate. The front cover has a quote that it's similar to To Kill a Mockingbird and I would have to agree it has a lot of the same qualities: young girl figuring out the world, father plays a major role, a trial, set in a small town in the South, etc. I'd definitely recommend this to historical fans.
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