Monster
by Walter Dean Myers
Summary: 16 year old Steve Harmon stands on trial for pleading innocent. He is being accused of his participation as a look out in a drug store "get over" that resulted in one man losing his life. Through a screen play Harmon writes of his experience. Throughout the trial the reader experiences what Harmon goes through during the trial and his time in prison as well. Harmon was to do a walk through in the drug store to make sure it was clear before King and Evans would enter the store to conduct the robbery. Osvaldo Cruz was to be the look out outside the store while they were robbing the joint. The owner had a gun which he ending up being shot with which resulted in the ending of his life. Evans and King left with money and a few cartons of cigarettes. Neither Cruz or Harmon received a cut of the money which was said would be given to all parties involved. The crime began to be unraveled with the stolen cigarettes were sold to someone who passed on the information about the get over. All parties involved except for King take the stand while the reader is left to decide whether or not Steve Harmon is guilty or not. It was determined that both King and Evans were put in jail. Steve Harmon is not proven guilty but the reader is left to determine whether or not he truly was a participant. The court might not have said he was guilty but upon finishing the case his lawyer could not look at him and his father's relationship with him was changed forever.
Myer, W.D. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publisher.
My Impression: I thoroughly enjoyed the format this book was written in. I think it would be appealing to kids but is definitely only appropriate for an older reading audience. This book expresses some of the realities of facing time in prison and what it must feel like to be a 16 year old on trial. It handles a touchy situation in a tasteful manner. I could see how this book would help kids think twice before doing something that could get themselves into trouble with the law. This book receives an A for student appeal.
Professional Reviews:
Horn Book (May/June 1999):
Arrested and charged with murder, 16-year-old Steve Harmon is writing a screen play of his ordeal. Interspersed with his handwritten journal entries, Steve's script makes up a novel that in both form and subject guarantees a wide teen audience. Balancing courtroom drama and a sordid jailhouse with flashback to the robbery that resulted in a shopkeeper's murder, Myers adeptly allows each character to speak for him or herself, leaving readers to judge the truthfulness of the defendants, witness, lawyers, and most compellingly, Steve himself. Did Steve serve as a lookout for the robber? Was he in the store at all? Through all the finessing and obfuscation of the trial process, readers will find plenty of evidence for a variety of conflicting opinions. Even the cri de coeur in Steve's journal leaves plenty of room for interpretation: "I didn't do nothing! I didn't do nothing!" Tailor made for reader's theater, this book is a natural to get teen reading - and talking.
Sutton, R. (1999). Monster [Review of the book Monster, by Walter Dean Myers]. Horn Book Magazine, 75(3), 337. Retrieved from http://www.hbook.com/
Esperanza Rising
by Pam Munoz Ryan
Summary: Esperanza excitedly awaits her 13th birthday until suddenly she and her mother are forced to leave their ranch in Mexico. She has always lived a privileged life in Aguascalientes on one of the biggest grape ranches with plenty of people to take care of her until her father is killed by bandits. Her evil uncle proposes to her mother and when she refuses their beautiful home mysteriously burns down in the night. She and her mother must escape in the night with their long time close family workers, Alfonso, Hortensia, and Miguel leaving Abueltia (grandmother) behind. When they reach California and begin work, Esperanza finds it very challenging. Her mother contracts Valley Fever and must be put into the hospital. This motivates Esperanza to do everything she can to bring her Abuelita to California and Mama home from the hospital. After months of hard work and threats of losing her job due to strikers, her family is finally reunited.
Ryan, P.M. (2000). Esperanza Rising. Scholastic: New York.
My Impression: Ryan does a beautifully job of weaving together a story about a part of history that many kids are not familiar with. I love the way she incorporates Spanish words into the story. It adds to its authentic nature and truly helps the reader connect with the characters and join the story. Its fast moving plot and honest characters and sure to make this book a page turner for readers of all ages. The authors note makes you love the book even more! Although this book is clearly a favorite of mine, I give it an A-. Not all students will relate to this book or appreciate its beauty.
Professional Reviews:
Booklist
Gr. 5-8. Moving from a Mexican ranch to the company labor camps of California, Ryan's lyrical novel manages the contradictory: a story of migration and movement deeply rooted in the earth. When 14-year-old Esperanza's father is killed, she and her mother must emigrate to the U.S., where a family of former ranch workers has helped them find jobs in the agricultural labor camps. Coming from such privilege, Esperanza is ill prepared for the hard work and difficult conditions she now faces. She quickly learns household chores, though, and when her mother falls ill, she works packing produce until she makes enough money to bring her beloved abuelita to the U.S.. Set during the Great Depression, the story weaves cultural, economic, and political unrest into Esperanza's poignant tale of growing up: she witnesses strikes, government sweeps, and deep injustice while finding strength and love in her family and romance with a childhood friend. The symbolism is heavy-handed, as when Esperanza ominously pricks her finger on a rose thorne just before her father is killed. But Ryan writes movingly in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the books offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support.
Engberg, G. (2000). Esperanza Rising [Review of the book Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan]. Booklist, 97(7), 708. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/
Library Uses: This is a great book to use to discuss the Repatriation Act. Discuss with students why Mexicans were moving to the United States, more specifically California, and why they were being forced to leave. View the section of the book when Esperanza is living at camp and what the standard of living is like. Also view the section where the workers are striking and the immigration buses arrive forcing everyone on them even some people who were American citizens. Discuss with students whether or not they think these actions were fair.
Pair this book with a biography on someone who made a difference for Hispanics living in America such as Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez by Brown (2006) would be a great title to read a class and then discuss how his works would have made a difference for Esperanza's family and friends. You could also take this time to show students how to do an appropriate internet search by searching a biography database for information on Cesar Chavez.
Brown, J.A. (2006). Cesar Chavez. Milwaukee, WI: Weekly Reader Early Learning Library.
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