Myers, W. (1999). Monster. New York: Harper Collins.
Monster is the story of a young 16 year old boy, Steve Harmon. Steve is on trial for murder as he is accused of being a lookout to the two other boys who rob and kill the owner of a Harlem drugstore. The story is told in two different points of view. Steve writes the story of his time in jail and his trial in a screenplay format because he wants to become a filmmaker. It is also told in first person in the form of a journal or diary. Steve's personal journey describes life as he knows it on the streets and his view of himself as well as how other's view him as a person.
This story is considered a dark modern realistic fiction story based on its account of street violence and experience in jail. I believe this would be a valuable book for a literature teacher to help teach point of view and empathy. There are many deep and important questions that this story lends itself to when teaching young adults including questions about Steve's internal conflict, peer pressure, the judicial system and race, growing up as an African American on the streets of Harlem, and personal responsibility and how all of these effect each other and impact Steve.
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