A Dangerous Idea

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What to expect

Bloomsbury presents A Dangerous Idea by Debbie Levy, read by Noe Nishizawa

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

One hundred years ago, a small-town science teacher ignited a nationwide debate over what students should learn in school--and who should decide.

In 1925, when Tennessee lawmakers banned the teaching of evolution in public schools, teacher John Scopes challenged the law--and set off a gripping circus of a legal battle. Two masterminds faced off in a blistering courtroom debate over creationism and natural selection, each armed with the books they believed belonged in classrooms. Celebrity politician William Jennings Bryan relied on the Bible to make his case, while legal luminary Clarence Darrow defended Charles Darwin's groundbreaking books On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man. Their clash would go down in history as the Scopes Monkey Trial.

A century later, here is the riveting truth of what happened and why it matters. For a nation still arguing about the books and ideas that young people should encounter, award-winning author Debbie Levy delivers an important, insightful and expertly-researched account of our history that illuminates the challenges we face today.

Critics Review

The past feels astonishingly present in Debbie Levy's comprehensive and conversational A Dangerous Idea.
Shelf Awareness, starred review
At first glance, the time period seems far removed from our own. But the issues of the trial remain with us today. . . . [A] fine, thoroughly researched book.
Horn Book, starred review
A welcome, timely resource.
Booklist, starred review
Through accessible language, strong and unhurried pacing, and the deft incorporation of human interest into the story, Levy crafts a compelling narrative. . . . This engaging history relates the story of the first significant battle in America’s ongoing “culture wars” and is highly recommended for junior high and high school collections.
School Library Journal, starred review
Ample details and a well-researched backstory paint a picture of a pivotal court case that's both surprising and familiar.
Kirkus Reviews
[A] riveting work . . . Thorough text depicts [the Scopes Monkey Trial] and its impact, resulting in a look at two combatting schools of thought . . . and the figures who became the face of them.
Publishers Weekly
Levy ably sets the historical stage . . . lead[ing] into a full (and at times farcically funny) recounting of the events.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

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