''Glory Days and Other Stories'' by
Gillian Chan
Gillian Chan (born 1954) is a Canadian children's author who lives in Dundas, Ontario.
She was educated at Orange Hill Grammar School and the University of East Anglia (BEd, 1980).
Chan is also the author of a short diary entry of Chin Mei-l ...
is a collection of five interlinked short stories first published in 1996 by
Kids Can Press
Kids Can Press is a Canadian-owned publisher of children's books, with a catalog near 1000 picture books and 500 e-books, non-fiction and fiction titles for toddlers to young adults. The Kids Can Press list includes characters such as Franklin ...
.
It is the sequel of ''Golden Girl and Other Stories'' which is set in the same high school.
''Glory Days and Other Stories'' follows the lives of a group of teenagers who must face issues involving “dating, family, power, and identity”.
The novel underwent some controversy in 2000 for including a story that features
date rape
Date rape is a form of acquaintance rape and dating violence. The two phrases are often used interchangeably, but date rape specifically refers to a rape in which there has been some sort of romantic or potentially sexual relationship between ...
.
It was also the recipient of several awards.
Controversy
In 2000 ''Glory Days and Other Stories'' was deemed inappropriate for elementary school students in the
Langley School District in British Columbia after a teacher being tried for
sexual assault
Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
was revealed to have taught the novel in her Grade 4 and 5 class.
The novel has a story which features a date rape.
“The school principal suggested to the board superintendent that the book be withdrawn from Langley schools”.
After two years, “a school board official”
announced that the book had been removed from elementary schools in the district.
It still has a place in the secondary school libraries.
Awards
Gillian Chan was the shortlist finalist for two awards for ''Glory Days'' in 1996:
*
Governor General's Literary Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields.
The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
*
Mr. Christie's Book Award
She also was the winner of one award:
* Hamilton and Region Arts' Council Literary Award, 1996
The novel also received the following praise from ''The Hamilton Spectator'': “Glory Days explores real issues facing young adults without ever taking on a preachy, parental tone . . .Chan never settles for the easy, perfect out. The stories are intricate, as is life, and the characters are flawed, as are all of us.
”
References
{{reflist
1996 novels
Fiction about rape