Monster

Title- Monster    

Author- Walter Dean Myers    

ISBN
9780061782893

Publication Information
Harper-Collins, New York, 1999

Plot Summary- Steve Harmon, 16, is awaiting trial for the felony murder of a convenience store clerk. Steve was supposed to act as the scout in a robbery that goes terribly wrong when one of his "friends" kills the clerk. Can he really be guilty of murder if he was not even in the store at the time? Who could have predicted that the store owner would have a gun? Is it fair that he is on trial while one of the boys in the store has been cut a deal? Has Steve been unfairly targeted because he is black? Steve uses his director's sensibilities to attempt to make sense of his predicament, its possible outcomes, the people he is living with, and whether or not he is the monster that he is accused of being. He sees his own story through the lens of a film maker, and the novel reads as a movie script. The story is told through a combination of film techniques, voice overs, close-ups, and reaction shots, and a journal style that reveals his innermost thoughts. When we are done reading this unique style, we feel part of all the elements of the criminal justice system and feel sympathy for this young man whose very life is at risk based on poor teenage decisions.

Critical Evaluation- The awards list for this novel pretty much speaks for itself. The book has an engaging story to begin with; add the perspective of a film script mixed with journal entries and sporadic images that could have come from a film or news clipping and you have a sure-fire story. I very much enjoyed the novel and know that many of my students have also enjoyed it because of the intelligent perspective of a good kid in a bad situation.

Awards

• 2000 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Literature for Young Adults
  
• 1999 National Book Award finalist
  
• 2000 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book
  
• 2000 Edgar Allan Poe Award nominee, Best Young Adult
  
• 1999 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
  
• 2000 L.A. Times Book Award nominee
  
• 2000 ALA Best Books for Young Adults
  
• 2000 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
  
• 1999 New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
  
• 1999 Notable Children's Book, The New York Times
  
• 2000-2001 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award nominee in high school category
  
• 2002 Booksense 76 list
  
• 2002 Kentucky State Award Nominee
  
• Booklist Editors' Choice
  
• BCCB Blue Ribbon
  
• Heartland Award for Excellence in YA Literature Finalist
  
• "Fanfare:" The Horn Book Honor List
  
• New York Times Notable Book of the Year
  
• PW Best Books of the Year
  
• Riverbank Review Children's Book of Distinction
  
• Tayshas High School Reading List (TX)
  
• Awarded Outstanding Achievement in Books Honor by Parent's Guide to Children's Media
  

Reader's Annotation- "The best time to cry is when the lights are out and someone is being beaten up and screaming for help." 16 year old Steve Harmon is on trial for robbery and murder of a store clerk but should he go to prison for the rest of his life for only being the "lookout?"

Author Information – Walter Dean Myers grew up in Harlem and many of his novels focus on life in this difficult place. He could have easily found himself in the position of his protagonist in this novel as a high school dropout himself.

Curricular Ties- English, Criminal Justice- prison life and trial system, Government- trial system, Sociology-racial profiling

Genre- Courtroom drama

Book talking ideas- Racial profiling, Peer pressure, writing styles

Challenge issues- Some parents might object to language, and violent images. To address these concerns I would:

1. Re-read the text to familiarize myself with the story
   
2. Ask parents for their specific objections (they are required to file that with our school district)
   
3. Review approved books list from California Department of Education for similar materials
   
4. Review approaches from ALA
   

Interest Age- 14-18. This book has been taught at my school with remedial juniors who very much enjoy the text.

Why I selected this piece- Myers is one of the favorite authors of our male students at my school, and I haven't read nearly enough of them. I've been wanting to read this for some time after it was recommended to me by another teacher, and I've selected Myers as my author for Author-Genre paper.