Citation:
Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. NY:
Harper.
Summary:
Steve Harmon is not a monster, even though the world looks
at him like he is one. He is a regular guy who got sucked into a mess. He is locked up in jail. He is on trial for murder.
Throughout this story, Steve is facing the possibility of spending the rest of
his youth and possibly life in prison for a crime he is innocent of committing.
He sees the doubt even in his own lawyer’s eyes. He keeps a diary of what he
feels as he awaits trial in jail, and creates a screenplay of his time in
court. Through it all, he sees other people behave like monsters in prison, he
reflects on the monstrous things that were done at the crime scene, and he
contemplates if he really is a monster like everyone else seems to think.
Response:
This book, told from Steve’s perspective, gives readers a
glimpse into a man’s internal struggle as he is imprisoned for a crime that he
did not commit. This thought-provoking book sparks questions for discussion
about the judicial system, racism, crime, and innocence. Steve struggles with
how others view him, ending with judgment from others even despite being
declared innocent in court. The format of this book makes it easy to read and
follow, and it is not overly graphic, so it can be appropriate for older middle
school audiences. However, the topics and themes of this book are deep, making
it a good candidate for older adolescents as well. I believe readers from a
very wide age range can appreciate Steve’s story.
Textbook
Connections:
Genre: fiction
This book is multiformatted. It is written as a diary, a
screenplay, and it includes some pictures.
Topics include racism, guilt by association, defining innocence, and the value/impact of how society judges a person.
Other
Resources:
“Monster”
lesson plans for late elementary, middle school and high school
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