The Chocolate Touch

            Lately, I have been reading and blogging about books that are probably too difficult for my students to read.  I wanted to read a text that I thought my students could handle as an independent read.  I chose Patrick Skene Catling’s The Chocolate Touch because it was a book that I had seen in my classroom’s library.   First published in 1952, I think the fact that this book has been reprinted for the past five decades is still included in Scholastic book orders is really a testament to its greatness.

            John Midas loves chocolate.  He spends all of his money on candy, and he never shares with anyone else.  Mr. and Mrs. Midas are concerned about the fact that John eats so much chocolate that he never wants to eat his dinner.  If he could have it his way, thought, John would eat nothing but candy.  One day, on the way to his best friend Susan’s house, he finds a coin.  This is not a quarter or a dime or a penny, but instead is a coin with a picture of a fat boy on one side, and the initials J.M. on the other side.  John keeps walking to Susan’s house, but finds himself going in the wrong direction, where he finds a candy store.  He walks inside, longing for the chocolate that he sees.  Lucky for him, the store owner tells him that he only takes the kind of coin that John has!  He gives John a box of chocolate and any thoughts of going to Susan’s house were forgotten.

            Before going to sleep that night, John eats the chocolate, which tastes nothing like he’s even had before.  In the morning, when he goes to brush his teeth, his toothpaste turns into delicious chocolate! He goes to eat his breakfast, and his bacons, eggs, and orange juice all turn into chocolate!  Interestingly enough, his bacon is still crisp and greasy, it is just now chocolate.  His juice is still juice, yet it is chocolate juice.  At first, John is excited.  This was his wish come true!  He could have chocolate all the time.  He soon realizes, however, that having everything you eat and drink turn into chocolate is not everything he ever wanted.  When he turns his mother into a lifeless chocolate sculpture when he kisses her, John knows that he must do something, or else!

            I think this is a great book to have in your classroom library.  I could definitely see this book being read aloud to a group of third graders, or perhaps in the book box of a fourth grader.  I do not know if students will understand the connection between John Midas and King Midas, but perhaps that could be something that the teacher introduces to the story.   This story is great for predicting.  When John Midas is about to go play his trumpet, the kids will say “no no no it’ll turn to chocolate!”  When John bites into Susan’s silver dollar to see if it is real, the reader will know what is coming next.

            One of the reasons I love this book so much is because I just know I would have loved it so much as a kid.  It is one of those books that, when you are a kid, makes you think anything is possible.  I’ve lived in an apartment for the past fifteen years, and I used to always want to have a house so that I could go searching for a wardrobe to take me to Narnia or for an attic so that I could have an Indian in the cupboard—I’m not kidding.  It reminds me a bit of Roald Dahl books, and I think any fan of his books will not be disappointed.  I am glad that I read this book because now I can recommend it to my students.

            The Chocolate Touch is more popular than I originally thought.  When I first read it, I had no idea that it had been around for half a century.  This story is simply timeless, however.  There are literally zero anachronistic parts of this book that an elementary student will not understand.  I searched this book on the internet, and I found this site that has 23 different units about and this book and different activities.  There are other stories about John Midas, called John Midas and the Vampires, John Midas and the Radio Touch, and John Midas and the Rock Star.  Interestingly, however, although these books were written decades are The Chocolate Touch, none of these books are still in print.  I may have to scour the local library and see what other adventures John Midas gets himself into.