Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, W. D., & Myers, C. (2008). Monster. New York: HarperCollins.

Monster tells the story of an aspiring filmmaker during the trial that will decide how he will spend the rest of his life: as a free man or in a jail cell for the proposed 25 to life sentence. Steve Harmon tells the story of his trial through 2 formats that come naturally to a budding filmmaker and a teenager: screenplay and diary. 

Steve seems to be caught up in a very nasty situation. As a young black man, he is being tried for felony murder. It seems the just knowing the wrong people can somehow make you a part of their plot. Walter Dean Myers, a very prolific African American author, allows readers to follow along with Steve's journey and make their own assumptions and deductions based on the information in his case. The format of the story allow for the book to be a quick read and really suck the reader into the world that Steve is living in. 

This book discusses the criminalization of young black men and how just being seen walking down a street and having an association with other people involved in a crime makes you just as guilty as the others. Steve struggles to grasp who he is- is he a "Monster" as the defense attorney described? He questions his involvement, if there is any at all? Is he a Monster that everyone seems to think he is or is he just a kid trying to make it through this tough time? This book revolves around his self identity, insecurity, and doubt. He feels as if he no longer knows who he is- lost. This book was a Printz award winner and a Coretta Scott King award winner for it's raw depiction of the struggle that many African American men have to deal with. 

This book has been the beginning and ushered in other books that deal with this topic, and other current controversial issues. Other books that have followed in the footsteps of Walter Dean Myers' Monster are: 

• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (depicts police brutality on a young man in an African American neighborhood and the aftermath) 
• On the Come Up by Angie Thomas (depicts criminalization and stereotyping of those in the African American community and its' culture- specifically rap) 
• Dear Martin by Nic Stone (depicts police brutality and the often times outright disregard for black lives when police are being held accountable) 

All of these books are important reads for those without the black experience (a window into their world) they create empathy for those situations that we see way too often on TV and news channels. These books help make the world a better place. 

This is just a thank you to authors like Walter Dean Myers, Angie Thomas, Nic Stone, Jason Reynolds, Kwame Alexander and many more that help be the mirrors for the students who need to see themselves in books and the windows for educators, parents, adults that need a better understanding and empathy for those suffering on a daily basis.