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Monkey Town
ALAN Review, Fall 2006 by Goodson, F Todd
Monkey Tbwn by Ronald Kidd Historical Fiction/Evolution Simon and Schuster, 2006, 259 pp., $15.95 ISBN: 978-1-4169-0572-1
Given the recent debate regarding "intelligent design," Kidd's Monkey Town is especially timely. Inspired by a chance meeting with the daughter of one of the key players in the Scopes Monkey Trial, Kidd carefully researched the events of the summer of 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee, and young people with an interest in the evolution controversy should find this a compelling read.
Kidd's novel retells the Scopes story as one of a small town struggling to survive in the face of economic hardship. Town leaders see in the ACLU's offer to defend any teacher charged under the state's new anti-evolution law an opportunity to bring attention, publicity, and prosperity to Dayton. With the consent of John Scopes, the trial moves forward, ultimately to become part of American mythology.
Monkey Town provides an accessible glimpse into an important incident in American history and culture. The book is especially well-suited for interdisciplinary studies, and the topic should be of interest to many contemporary students.
F. Todd Goodson
Manhattan, KS
Copyright Assembly on Literature for Adolescents -- National Council of Teachers of English Fall 2006
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