Robert Cormier, 'Chocolate War' author, dies at 75

BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Robert Cormier, a newspaper writer and editor who became a successful but controversial author of young adult books with the 1974 publication of "The Chocolate War," died Thursday. He was 75.

Cormier worked at the Fitchburg Sentinel for 23 years, where he won several journalism awards. He later wrote short stories for McCall's and the Saturday Evening Post.

His books included "I Am the Cheese" and "After the First Death."

He spent much of his career defending "The Chocolate War," which some parents said was inappropriate for teen-agers because of swear words and inappropriate content.

"The Chocolate War" is a fictional account of what happens to a teen who refuses to sell chocolate bars for a fund-raiser at an all-boys Catholic school. He's intimidated by school administrators, harassed by fellow students and eventually brutally beaten.

The novel got favorable reviews when it was released, but immediately came under fire. The book was No. 5 on a list of the 50 most frequently banned books in the nation's public libraries and schools in the 1990s, according to Herbert Foerstel's book "Banned in the USA."

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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