Monster

  

     Another conscious grabbing book I've read was Monster by American writer Walter Dean Myers. The writer tells the story in an interesting way by using screenplay and a journal. The story is about an 16 year old African American male named Steve Harmon. He is arrested and put on trial for being a lookout in a robbery turned murder. During the court hearings and being in jail, Steve wonders if he is a monster. He questions many things about himself and other inmates. He is really overcome with the need to examine who he is when the prosecutor accuses him of being a monster. Steve decides his journal just isn't enough, and he recalls his experiences in film club with Mr. Sawicki. He decides to use those experiences in film club to create a screenplay of this event in his life as a way of venting, questioning, and examining his life. The story takes place several months after he was acquitted of all charges.
     There were 4 people who were put on trial for this act. Some stated Steve had a role, while others said he didn't. As the reader you were left to dive into your own stereotypes during the trial. Ultimately Steve was acquitted, while one of the other boys who was in a similar situation accepted a deal and was given twenty five years. It was clear that boy was part of a gang, though I didn't feel that the book proved his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Perhaps that was goal though. While the other two boys were major players in the robbery and ultimately the death of Alguinaldo Nesbitt.
     I really enjoy books that require me to think, and this book left me questioning my own stereotypes and what exactly is the truth much like Hate List but with a twist. I would use this book for 9-12 grade because of the more mature themes. I could use this book to teach about labeling people, diversity of experiences, peer pressure, compare and contrast. Compare and contrast can be used to compare Steve to Cruz, who was the tattooed gang member, but was the same age as Steve. We could also compare and contrast Steve and King, who was responsible for the murder. Students could write their own screenplay of an experience they have had involving peer pressure. In addition, Steve was left confused about his attorney's demeanor towards him. I suspect she felt like he was guilty, but students could write about why they think his attorney gave him the cold shoulder, and use examples from the book to justify their answers. I like to use attention grabbers when I start a novel. I found a really awesome one here. There is also a really great interview with the author, Walter Dean Meyers, about Monster located here. I noticed on youtube with the book trailers many people have commented about how much they liked the book, and how they are reading the book in their classes. I though that was in interesting side note, simply because the book is getting students to read and respond in a social media environment.