Citation
Myers, W. D. (2007). Monster [Audiobook]. New York: Penguin Random House Audio.
Description
This New York Times bestselling novel from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve's own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives.
Monster is a multi-award-winning, provocative coming-of-age story that was the first-ever Michael L. Printz Award recipient, an ALA Best Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor selection, and a National Book Award finalist. In 2016, Monster was turned into a film starring Jennifer Hudson, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., and A$AP Rocky.
The late Walter Dean Myers was a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, who was known for his commitment to realistically depicting kids from his hometown of Harlem.
Realistic Fiction
Harper Collins. (n.d.). Monster details. Retrieved from https://www.harpercollins.com/9780064407311/monster
Scholarly Review
Gr 9 Up--When Steve Harmon is accused of being an accomplice in a robbery and murder, he chronicles his trial and experiences in the form of a movie script. The prosecutor calls the teen a monster while his high school film teacher calls him compassionate. The ambiguous ending of this riveting account provides much opportunity for debate.
Ralston, J. (2003, October). Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. School Library Journal, 49(10), 99. Retrieved March 22, 2018 from Book Review Index.
My Analysis
I read this book a few years ago, so I decided to listen to the audio book because I couldn’t remember much of the plot. I was glad that I decided to listen to the audio because the book is written in movie script format. The audio book had a narrator as well as a different actor for each character, which made it easier to follow and easier to get into the story. Most of the novel is set in a courtroom where Steve Harmon, the protagonist, and James King were on trial for the murder of a drugstore owner. The novel is told from Steve Harmon’s point of view, and Walter Dean Myers not only wrote the novel like a movie script, but he also included bits of Steve’s journal throughout the trial.
The courtroom scenes are very realistic. Because the trial took up most of the novel, it seemed to drag a bit, but I think that this was on purpose. The length and slowness of the trial mirrors Steve’s days in jail waiting to see if he will be free or locked up for life. The way Myers wrote didn’t pressure the reader to feel sympathy toward Steve, but instead allowed the reader a (mostly) objective plot that allows them make up their own mind about Steve. I will say that this isn’t my favorite book, but I can appreciate its importance. Many urban youth go through this experience, innocent or guilty. I think that teenagers will find Steve Harmon very relatable and authentic and the movie script format interesting and engaging. The novel does have some references that could be challenged, including rape, drugs, violence, and profanity. However, these things only add to the authenticity of the plot and its setting.
Hashtags
#innocentuntilprovenguilty
#justiceserved
Usage
I would use this book in a co-taught unit with a social studies teacher about the American court system and courtroom proceedings. The novel’s depiction of a trial is very realistic and accurate, so it would make a great piece to use in comparison with the social studies unit on this subject.
Awards
National Book Award Finalist
Coretta Scott King Honor (Author)
Michael L. Printz Award
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book
Censorship
District 97 in Oak Park, Illinois made a decision to keep Monster in the seventh grade reading curriculum, but they will offer students an alternative book if they or their parents object to reading the novel. Seven families in the district filed a request to have the book removed, claiming that it is “offensive or controversial” and contains violence, drug use, sex, and “racially-offensive language.” Even though students are permitted to read an alternative book, they still sit in class during the discussion of Monster according to one parent.
Dean, T. (2013). District 97 will not remove ‘controversial’ novel. Retrieved from http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/5-14-2013/District-97-will-not-remove-'controversial'-novel/
This New York Times bestselling novel from acclaimed author Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon, a teenage boy in juvenile detention and on trial. Presented as a screenplay of Steve's own imagination, and peppered with journal entries, the book shows how one single decision can change our whole lives.
Monster is a multi-award-winning, provocative coming-of-age story that was the first-ever Michael L. Printz Award recipient, an ALA Best Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor selection, and a National Book Award finalist. In 2016, Monster was turned into a film starring Jennifer Hudson, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., and A$AP Rocky.
The late Walter Dean Myers was a National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, who was known for his commitment to realistically depicting kids from his hometown of Harlem.
Realistic Fiction
Harper Collins. (n.d.). Monster details. Retrieved from https://www.harpercollins.com/9780064407311/monster
Scholarly Review
Gr 9 Up--When Steve Harmon is accused of being an accomplice in a robbery and murder, he chronicles his trial and experiences in the form of a movie script. The prosecutor calls the teen a monster while his high school film teacher calls him compassionate. The ambiguous ending of this riveting account provides much opportunity for debate.
Ralston, J. (2003, October). Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. School Library Journal, 49(10), 99. Retrieved March 22, 2018 from Book Review Index.
My Analysis
I read this book a few years ago, so I decided to listen to the audio book because I couldn’t remember much of the plot. I was glad that I decided to listen to the audio because the book is written in movie script format. The audio book had a narrator as well as a different actor for each character, which made it easier to follow and easier to get into the story. Most of the novel is set in a courtroom where Steve Harmon, the protagonist, and James King were on trial for the murder of a drugstore owner. The novel is told from Steve Harmon’s point of view, and Walter Dean Myers not only wrote the novel like a movie script, but he also included bits of Steve’s journal throughout the trial.
The courtroom scenes are very realistic. Because the trial took up most of the novel, it seemed to drag a bit, but I think that this was on purpose. The length and slowness of the trial mirrors Steve’s days in jail waiting to see if he will be free or locked up for life. The way Myers wrote didn’t pressure the reader to feel sympathy toward Steve, but instead allowed the reader a (mostly) objective plot that allows them make up their own mind about Steve. I will say that this isn’t my favorite book, but I can appreciate its importance. Many urban youth go through this experience, innocent or guilty. I think that teenagers will find Steve Harmon very relatable and authentic and the movie script format interesting and engaging. The novel does have some references that could be challenged, including rape, drugs, violence, and profanity. However, these things only add to the authenticity of the plot and its setting.
Hashtags
#innocentuntilprovenguilty
#justiceserved
Usage
I would use this book in a co-taught unit with a social studies teacher about the American court system and courtroom proceedings. The novel’s depiction of a trial is very realistic and accurate, so it would make a great piece to use in comparison with the social studies unit on this subject.
Awards
National Book Award Finalist
Coretta Scott King Honor (Author)
Michael L. Printz Award
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book
Censorship
District 97 in Oak Park, Illinois made a decision to keep Monster in the seventh grade reading curriculum, but they will offer students an alternative book if they or their parents object to reading the novel. Seven families in the district filed a request to have the book removed, claiming that it is “offensive or controversial” and contains violence, drug use, sex, and “racially-offensive language.” Even though students are permitted to read an alternative book, they still sit in class during the discussion of Monster according to one parent.
Dean, T. (2013). District 97 will not remove ‘controversial’ novel. Retrieved from http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/5-14-2013/District-97-will-not-remove-'controversial'-novel/
References
Dean, T. (2013). District 97 will not remove ‘controversial’ novel. Retrieved from http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/5-14-2013/District-97-will-not-remove-'controversial'-novel/
HarperCollins. (n.d.). Monster details. Retrieved from https://www.harpercollins.com/9780064407311/monster
Ralston, J. (2003, October). Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. School Library Journal, 49(10), 99. Retrieved March 22, 2018 from Book Review Index.
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