Levy, Debbie. Dangerous Idea, A: The Scopes Trial, the Original Fight Over Science in Schools. Bloomsbury Children’s, 01/2025. 278pp. Nonfiction. Trade $20.99. 978-1-54-761221-5. GRADES 7–9. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
In 1925, Dayton, Tennessee community leaders concocted a plan to attract publicity by convincing high school teacher John Scopes to admit to illegally teaching the theory of evolution. What followed was an all-out media circus and cultural war now known as the “Scopes Monkey Trial” that played out in newspapers and radio broadcasts across the country. In an easy-to-read conversational tone, and with a touch of wry humor, Levy manages to clearly structure a narrative around what is arguably quite a convoluted series of events. Her narrative builds up to the trial by providing a thorough explanation of all the factors at play: the science of evolution, the religious beliefs of Christian fundamentalists, the political climate, the culture of the media, and the backgrounds of all the key personalities involved with the trial. She goes on to discuss the class and racial issues that led to the selection of a rural, all-white male jury, and how this further affected trial proceedings. The inclusion of archival photos, newspaper clippings, and political cartoons provides further context, as does extensive bibliographical references and an index at the end of the book.
Jennifer Taylor—Palo Alto City Library