My Words on Children's Literature

Genre6 FICTION, FANTASY, & YA

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Myers, Walter Dean. 2001. MONSTER. New York: Amistad. ISBN0064407314

Read by a full cast. 2000. New York: Listening Library. ISBN080728257X

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Steve Harmon, 16, is in jail awaiting his trial for murder. He is accused of being the lookout for a robbery of a Harlem drugstore in which the owner was killed. Steve is an amateur filmmaker and thinks about his situation in terms of a screen play of his life. Each person involved has a part to play. He stages each scene in his mind. Steve’s parents are heart-broken, but try to be supportive. His lawyer is great, but Steve thinks they don’t believe his side of the story. During the trial, the prosecutor presents him as a “monster.” Steve wrestles with this concept of himself, trying regain a sense of morality that he lost.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This is a heavy story for 7^th grade and up. Written from the unusual perspective of a screen play, the familiar elements in this story are fresh and new. Each scene builds on the last to tell how Steve's life has changed dramatically because of his foolish choices. Diary entries are interspersed throughout the script, which give the reader a window into the horrible conditions of incarceration and his feelings about himself. "It's growing. First I was scared of being hit or raped. That being scared was like a little ball in the pit of my stomach. Now that ball is growing. . ." The diary entry font looks like a young person's writing. This is another facet of this book which makes it unique. Myers expertly presents this boy in such a way that readers will feel both sympathetic as well as repulsed. Steve realizes that even if he is acquitted, his parents will never totally trust him again. " My father is no longer sure of who I am. He doesn't understand me even knowing people like King or Bobo or Osvaldo." His struggle with himself is one that readers will relate to in many ways. Monster is full of difficult questions with uncertain answers which make this book very challenging to readers. His final haunting question ends the book. "What did she see?"

The unabridged audio book is unusual because it is read by a cast of 16 different readers. One really gets a feel for the screen play because of this recording method. The variety of voices make this recording extra special. Using the audio book with the printed book would be helpful for some students.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

Hornbook: "A novel that in both form and subject guarantees a wide teen audience. . . . Myers adeptly allows each character to speak for him or herself. . . . Tailor-made for readers' theater, this book is a natural to get teens reading--and talking."

School Library Journal: "Monster lends itself well to classroom or group discussion. It's an emotionally charged story that readers will find compelling and disturbing."

5. CONNECTIONS

*This is the perfect book for readers’ theater.

*Lead a discussion about choices and consequences.

*Other related books:

Walter, Virginia. MAKING UP MEGABOY. ISBN 0385326866

Draper, Sharon. FORGED BY FIRE. ISBN 0689818513

// posted by catalogblog @ 7:04 AM 0 Comments

Genre 6 Fiction, Fantasy & YA

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Patron, Susan. 2006. THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY. Ill. by Matt Phelan. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN1416901949

Read by Cassandra Campbell. 2007. Listening Library. ISBN 9780739338797

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Ten year old Lucky lives in Hard Pan, California, population 43. Her small community on the edge of the desert is unique and sometimes harsh with people that she knows and loves. It’s been two years since Lucky’s mother died. She lives with her guardian, Brigitte, who misses her native France. Lucky is mostly happy hanging out with her friend, Lincoln, and her dog, H.M.S. Beagle. Her troubles begin with misunderstanding chance information. She is afraid that Brigitte will abandon her and return to France, so she begins to formulate a plan to run away.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The theme of wanting a home and belonging to someone is not new. The quirky characters such as Lucky's best friend, Lincoln Clinton Carter Kennedy, who is a member of the International Guild of Knot Tiers, and Miles who insists on being read to from Are You My Mother? add a bit of comedy to the sober thoughts of this young girl. With humor and realism, this novel addresses difficult topics such as absent parents, death, and addiction making the overall message one of hope and love. Lucky is intense yet vulnerable and tries to survive her circumstances by “staying alert and carrying a survival kit at all times because things happen when you least expect them.” Readers will identify with Lucky’s ambivalent feelings that "sometimes [she] wanted to change everything, all the bad things that had happened, and sometimes she wanted everything to stay the same forever."

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January 2007 :“Fans of more traditional stories of youngsters finally finding the home they deserve will enjoy this offbeat treatment of the classic theme.”

Booklist: "Patron's plotting is as tight as her characters are endearing. Lucky is a true heroine, especially because she's not perfect: she does some cowardly things, but she takes pains to put them to rights."

5. CONNECTIONS

*Lead a discussion on the importance of belonging. Brainstorm things that make one feel like he belongs. Write a paragraph about why we want to belong.

Other related books:

*Spence, Eleanor. THE LEFT OVERS. ISBN 045400284X

*Livingston, Elizabeth J. THE HIDEOUT. ISBN 0802435327

// posted by catalogblog @ 9:07 AM 0 Comments