Monster

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Monster

Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Age Level: 12 and up

Genre:  Multicultural

Summary: 
             This multicultural charm follows a 16 year old boy Steve Harmon as he sits trial for accomplice to murder. Told from his point-of-view and in a screen play format the reader is thrown into the courtroom as the trial unfolds. Will he get acquitted or will he spend the rest of his life in prison? What lessons did this young man learn from the decisions he made on that one unforgettable night of his life?

Reflection: 
             What an interesting book! Everything from the different font styles used, the photographs, the screen play format, to the journal entries shown as if they were hand written right onto the pages, made this book interesting.

The author uses type face print to show the reader when the screen play is being used and hand writing to show when journal entries are being used. There are also times when the author uses gigantic bold font to suggest emphasis. These text changes make the book easy to follow and intriguing to the eye.

There are several photographs included in the text. I like how they add a realistic touch to the already realistic dialogue. These photographs allow the reader to visualize the main character and the situations he was put in. We get to see pictures of his mother, his mugshots, and even surveillance pictures of his involvement with the crime. Pictured below are surveillance pictures.

 This book has a VERY powerful message or theme. 

*There are serious consequences for the decisions you make in life. 

What a powerful lesson to teach students. 

Test-to-Self Connections

Test Quote: “I’m just not a bad person. I know that in my heart I am not a bad person.”

This reminds me of... So many young people get hooked up with the wrong people and get put in situations they should not be in. This quote reminds me that we all have choices in life that we have to live with. It is our job as parents/teachers to steer our youth in the right direction in hopes that they never have to prove to anyone that they “are not a bad person.”