MONSTER
WALTER DEAN MYERS
It was nominated for the 1999 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2000, and was named a Coretta Scott King Award Honor the same year.
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Steve Harmon was said to have been a look out in a corner store robbery where the owner was killed. This story is his trial told as a screenplay that he is writing. I thought this was a great read, definitely a page turner. The age group I would recommend this book too is 7th grade and up. There are some sexual situations that happen in prison and language that anyone younger may not be mature enough for.
Steve Harmon was said to have been a look out in a corner store robbery where the owner was killed. This story is his trial told as a screenplay that he is writing. I thought this was a great read, definitely a page turner. The age group I would recommend this book too is 7th grade and up. There are some sexual situations that happen in prison and language that anyone younger may not be mature enough for.
I would start with this excerpt from the story to get students attention-
"Steve (Voice-Over)
Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady prosecutor called me ... Monster."
Then I would have a discussion -
- I would see how the students felt after reading this book, knowing that the main character was their age?
- What would they do if they were in his situation?
- What are their dreams and goals?
- What would they do if it were all snatched away in an instant/
Interesting. I never wanted to read it because it was in screenplay format and I'm not into that sort of thing. But because this is one of Myers' bigger novels in the written world, I'd definitely recommend it.
ReplyDeleteI had not heard of this book until this class. Myers is a big author at Dunbar High School and the kids are always reading his books.
ReplyDeleteThis is a book I have been wanting to read since I first heard about. I like how it looks at the realities of life from jail. I am not sure what it would be like to read in screenplay format, but I do think it would be interesting to do as a read with students. I know that there is language and sexual situations, but in some school environments it would really make an impact. Even if parts were used.
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