Just like Lord of the Flies, The Chocolate War is a book dominated by adolescent male characters behaving badly. Not only that, but the few females that do get referenced in the book are either dead (Jerry's mother) or objectified (everyone else).

Thankfully, both the story and the characters in the book are compelling, so most likely, the girls in the room will still enjoy reading it and be able to relate. Still, it will be important to address this dearth of estrogen and the way girls are viewed—or not viewed—in the narrative. We've included some discussion questions (#20 and #21) to help draw attention to this issue and make sure the ladies get their due.