MONSTER, a novel by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, Walter Dean. MONSTER. (New York: Harper Colllins, 1999) 281 pp.

Genre: Screenplay, Mixed Media, Trials, Prison, African-Americans, Fictional Autobiography, Male teen issues, Urban America issues

AWARDS: National Book Award Finalist, Coretta Scott King Award, Printz Award

Here's what Miss Martha says about MONSTER . . .

Told in a mixed media format (screenplay, "handwritten" journal entries, and photographs) MONSTER tells the story of 16-year old Steve Harmon and his experiences while on trial for his alleged involvement in a drugstore holdup turned murder. One of two defendants on trial during the course of the book, Steve is accused of being the "Lookout" for the others, making sure that there were no other people or police officers in the drugstore before the two primary robbers (one of whom ended up shooting and killing the store owner) went in the store to commit robbery. While Steve is on trial (and locked up in jail for the duration) he chooses to disassociate himself from being "in the moment," by telling his story as if it is a movie. In a disconnected screenplay, events, relationships and feelings are projected on a screen in a fictional movie house, removed from the life he experiences each raw, challenging, violent, terrifying and guilt-ridden moment. Because Steve has a media teacher at school with whom he's connected in the past, and a passion for making movies, his choice of a screenplay format to tell much of his story is a natural one. Throughout the course of the novel, we learn about Steve's past, his family, his experiences in jail, his account of the alleged conspiracy to hold up the drugstore, and his struggle with whether he is innocent or guilty.

Wow! I wish I had known about this book when I worked in Kansas City, Missouri with adjudicated youth. While this book is DEFINITELY not for everyone, and certainly not for every adolescent (boy or girl) there are many young people who have had a brush with the law (or who are involved with the penal system) who could benefit from reading this book just for the story alone. The authenticity of voice in this novel is exceptional. I kept checking the biblio information at the beginning of the book to make sure it was really fiction. While you read MONSTER, you believe Steve Harmon is a real person; and you become emotionally invested in his fate. This book is thematically rich and diverse. You can crack open almost any page in the book and find a topic that could stimulate potentially deep conversation and debate among adolescents. Adults, too, could find this novel particularly challenging. I myself am still unsure of how I feel about the trial, the issue of guilt, and the novel's conclusion.

For young men and women who are particularly challenged when assigned to write a traditional narrative, MONSTER provides examples for alternative ways to tell a story. I love the idea of using excerpts from this book as models for student writing. I could simultaneously teach a new format (the screenplay), prompt discussions about relevant social issues, and make writing more accessible to exceptional students. In terms of this novel as a bridge to classic literature, I see this as an incredible partner to To Kill A Mockingbird. Issues of race, justice, social inequality, youthfulness, coming of age, and the efficacy of the American penal system are just a handful of the commonalities shared by these two books.

In terms of age range, this book requires evaluation on a case by case basis. In an urban setting, where students are more sophisticated and aware of the issues and events depicted in MONSTER, the book would be appropriate at the 7th-8th grade level. In Northwest Arkansas, I'd hesitate to offer this as a whole class, read-at-home novel, and I'd identify the book for sophomore English. The book would be better used (and less provocatively so) as a read-aloud in class -- the script format makes it a natural -- or as an individual choice or small group novel.

My copy of the book has 10 bright green post-its sticking out of its pages (at last count.) Each of these post-its represents a score of teaching ideas and classroom activities generated by a few lines of dialogue, a cut-scene, a photograph or a theme. The text is rich with possibilities for writers and readers. It can appeal to a variety of learning styles. Ultimately it also serves a great social function as a cautionary tale for our young people who skirt the edge of danger and could all-too-easily transform from the neighborhood kid we wave to in passing to the dangerous monster whom we cross the street to avoid.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

P.S. Visit www.teenreads.com There is an awesome autobio of Walter Dean Myers, a q&a, and information on all of his other books !

. . . and that's what Miss Martha Says.