Flowers For Algernon, By Daniel Keyes By Apples on Oct 29, 2009 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

Flowers For Algernon is a beautifully written book by Daniel Keyes. It's actually a short story, but can be found in many books. I read this story in eighth grade, and cried at the end. It is written in first person point of view by Charlie Gordan in the form of a diary. Chalie is a man with mental disabilities. He has an IQ of 68 and works as a janitor at a factory. After being chosen for a science experiment because of his motivation and effort, he undergoes surgery, which is supposed to make him smarter. Upon waking up, he doesn't feel any different, but the doctors tell him that it takes time. The surgery actually made him want to learn, and after a span of a few months, his IQ triples and he becomes a genius. Throughout the story, he occasionally visits a mouse named Algernon, who underwent the same experiment and is smart for a mouse. The book actually has a very sad ending, so if you want to know it, you'll have to read it yourself. Because it is written in the form of a diary, it's easy to see how Charlie improves, because his writing improves and he starts to use better grammar and bigger words. The book is also written in the form of a novel.