Monster

Myers, W. D. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: Harper. Steve Harmon is a scared 16 year old, African American male, on trial for a felony murder. Throughout the story, Steve keeps a diary of his experiences while in jail. While in court, he writes down everything that happens as if it were a movie. He tells his story through this movie in his head.  It’s apparent that Steve may not have committed the crime he’s been accused of and even his own attorney is not sure. He, along with another accomplice in the robbery that ended in a death, were considered to be “monsters” by the prosecuting attorney. But after all the evidence is revealed however, Steve is found not guilty. Even though Steve is happy about the news, he ponders why it is that his attorney does not celebrate the victory by reciprocating a hug he tried give her.  Students in grades 7^th through 12^th grade would enjoy this highly detailed novel. I think it may help them to imagine what it would feel like going through Steve’s experience. If students read this book, they may think twice about committing senseless crimes. Many students, especially inner city youth, think it may be ok to commit crimes and go to jail. But as we learn through Steve’s experience, it’s actually very frightening. Steve knew that even though he didn’t pull the trigger, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. This plays upon Kohlberg’s conventional moral development.