Reviews of "The Prize" |
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"Loved The Prize!
"Marilyn LaCourt has issued a fascinating retort to the pessimistic vision of human nature set forth in Golding’s Lord of the Flies. The Prize makes a compelling and convincing case that the terms of the discussion have been wrong from the start. Selfishness and selflessness aren’t mutually exclusive—they can and do co-exist, as the student’s in LaCourt imagined experiment demonstrate. Left to ourselves, she asserts, we learn that cooperation is crucial to individual self-interest." "Imagine the powerful conversation in an English class that compares and contrasts Golding with the fully-articulated alternative view of human nature in The Prize! I might wish myself thirteen again just to be a part of it." Dale McGowan, PhD "I couldn't put it down. The discourse between characters flowed so naturally I felt like I was eavesdropping."
—Karl D. Schefft, Attorney At Law
Member of Collaborative Family Law Council Of Southeastern Wisconsin "Read it, loved it. La Court's 'The Prize' is a winner. I wish it had been around when I was growing up!"
—Scott D. Miller, Ph.D.
Co-Director Institute for the Study of Therapeutic Change "LaCourt applies meat and bone to each character as they try to co-exist in the experimental school."
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—Chuck Hamsa "I highly recommend this book for teachers, parents, and counselors. It should be a required read for adolescents."
—Kathy Bosworth
in Denise's Pieces Book Reviews January 2003 Issue "This book is a real gift to every teen who struggles with peer relationships. For the rest of us, it is the perfect antidote to the dreary message of The Lord of the Flies. 'The Prize' demonstrates that self-interest is not a human trait to be rejected or restrained. Rather, it is the essence of what makes cooperation work. Kudos to LaCourt for the creative way she shares a profound insight into human nature."
—Deborah Bishop, M.A.
Couples and Family Counselor " 'The Prize' is a phoenix that rises from the ashes of the Columbine tragedy in 1999. Anyone interested in this most invasive problem in our school system will enjoy this novel. I personally, couldn’t put 'The Prize' down. Sydney had me hooked with his initial question, “If the fit between people can spiral them down into the destruction of both, why can’t it work the other way around?”
—Kate Holmes
A RebeccaReads.Com Associate Reviewer "Oh My Gosh Ms. LaCourt, I absolutely fell in LOVE with 'The Prize'. It's exactly the world I'm living in. Kids will be able to relate because it isn't a watered down version of what kids are thinking about and it isn't made to be what adults would like kids to keep there mind on and be thinking about. 'The Prize' is so full of honesty about our society and everyday life that it's hard to believe you're not a character in the book."
—Rachel Johnson, age 13
New Moon Magazine Girl's Editorial Board Member "The story is filled with wonderful twists and turns. The author has captured the dialogue and characterizations of the troubled youth in a superlative manner. This is an excellent teaching tool. I would put it on the same level as Holes in its appeal to both the teaching and the young adult communities. The development of the relationships is done in a wonderfully ironic fashion. We rated this book a very high four hearts."
—Bob Spear
Book Sense Review "LaCourt argues that youth are competent social actors with their own agency. She believes that adult interference cannot stop or prevent bullying, but that children have their own power to create their social worlds. Both bullies and victims are responsible and accountable for their own behaviors and their social situations."
—Laura Fingerson
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee "The chapters race as an odd bunch of seventh grade students—the curious, the mischievous, the brilliant and the incredible—take the stage and begin their interactions. 'The Prize' is recommended to educators, counselors, students and their parents and is an excellent choice for school libraries.
—G. Marudhan
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