Monster

Monster

Written by: Walter Dean Myers

Publishers: Harper Collins in 2001, revision in 2004, and another revision in 2008.

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Young Adult

Readability Lexile: 670L

Summary:

Sixteen year old Steve is on trial as an accomplice to murder. He is falsely accused and tells his story of being in prison and court in film form. He tries to come to terms with what is going on in his life during the book but it is hard. We find out what people think happened and what actually happened in the murder through stories that are shared with us in the book.

Evaluation:

This is a good story of an innocent boy being profiled because he is an African American. This is something that happens in the United Stated often and is something that makes the story real and believable. The climax is natural as the intensity of the trial goes on. The characters seemed real and I could see his personality come out in the journals he wrote and the film script. The setting shows us the usual time it takes for trials like this to go on and Steve fits in with the setting since he is the one on trial. I felt like I was in the characters shoes, feeling his pain throughout the book. The theme was very worthwhile and when reading this book aloud I could hear the characters voices in each part. The language seemed natural.

Literary Elements:

-          Characterization- The main character is shown to us in every way in the story. We are able to see what his thoughts, emotions, and struggles throughout the story.

-          Plot- The plot of the story is shown in the trial and jail cell. The boy is trying to make it through and tell his side of the story as a profiled African American.

-            Style- The style of this book is written in film form. It is written as a film would be produced with lighting, script, and camera angles. IT helps the story to be really visual like a movie playing in your head from the text.

Mini Lesson:

For this lesson I would use style. I would have the students take a previous writing that they have already done and write what the camera angles would be, the lighting, and script as if they were writing a film of their previous paper. This would show students different ways of writing, and it would help them become more detailed with their paper.

Target Audience:

Middle School