BIBLIOGRAPHY
Myers, Walter Dean. MONSTER. Myers,Christopher. HarperCollins, 1999. ISBN 9780060280772
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this novel, we learn the trial that Steve Harmon finds himself in after being seen as an accomplice to a murder. While Steve is going through this challenging time, he finds comfort in writing his experiences in the form of a film script, while struggling with his identity.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this novel, we see the self journey while being on a trial for a murder Steve Harmon is being accused of. Steve finds comfort in writing his experiences as a film, and Myers does an excellent job in having the script like writing still being cohesive to where as a reader we can still follow. While being written as a script, we got to see more details by seeing other people's points of view Steve's view. Diary entries also seemed to intertwine perfectly with the screenplay theme throughout the novel. As a reader we can see what is happening during the trial but also get an insight to how Steve personally feels, and sees himself. As the novel continues we can see how Steve views himself as a “monster” throughout the novel and we can see how he slowly starts to discover who he really is and how his character develops.
One of the most powerful themes that this novel touches on is the justice system, and how often African American males are treated unfairly within the system. We see the system being portrayed as biased and all of the flaws within. Within the trial we can see how Steve feels partly responsible for things that occurred, and takes ownership of that. This novel really puts into perspective “wrong place, wrong time”, and how we need to carefully choose the choices we might take and the consequences that come with it.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book Guide starred (Fall 1999)
Arrested and charged with murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is writing a screenplay of his ordeal. Balancing courtroom drama and a sordid jailhouse setting with flashbacks to the crime, Myers adeptly allows each character to speak for him or herself, leaving readers to judge for themselves the truthfulness of the defendants, witnesses, lawyers, and, most compellingly, Steve himself.
Booklist (Vol. 95, No. 17 (May 1, 1999))
Gr. 9-12. Myers combines an innovative format, complex moral issues, and an intriguingly sympathetic but flawed protagonist in this cautionary tale of a 16-year-old on trial for felony murder. Steve Harmon is accused of acting as lookout for a robbery that left a victim dead; if convicted, Steve could serve 25 years to life. Although it is clear that Steve did participate in the robbery, his level of involvement is questionable, leaving protagonist and reader to grapple with the question of his guilt. An amateur filmmaker, Steve tells his story in a combination of film script and journal. The "handwritten" font of the journal entries effectively uses boldface and different sizes of type to emphasize particular passages. The film script contains minimal jargon, explaining camera angles (CU, POV, etc.) when each term first appears. Myers' son Christopher provides the black-and-white photos, often cropped and digitally altered, that complement the text. Script and journal together create a fascinating portrait of a terrified young man wrestling with his conscience. The tense drama of the courtroom scenes will enthrall readers, but it is the thorny moral questions raised in Steve's journal that will endure in readers' memories. Although descriptions of the robbery and prison life are realistic and not overly graphic, the subject matter is more appropriate for high-school-age than younger readers.
Kirkus Reviews (1999)
In a riveting novel from Myers (At Her Majesty's Request, 1999, etc.), a teenager who dreams of being a filmmaker writes the story of his trial for felony murder in the form of a movie script, with journal entries after each day's action. Steve is accused of being an accomplice in the robbery and murder of a drug store owner. As he goes through his trial, returning each night to a prison where most nights he can hear other inmates being beaten and raped, he reviews the events leading to this point in his life. Although Steve is eventually acquitted, Myers leaves it up to readers to decide for themselves on his protagonist's guilt or innocence. The format of this taut and moving drama forcefully regulates the pacing; breathless, edge-of-the-seat courtroom scenes written entirely in dialogue ultimate with thoughtful, introspective journal entries that offer a sense of Steve's terror and confusion, and that deftly demonstrate Myers's point: the road from innocence to trouble is comprised of small, almost invisible steps, each involving an experience in which a "positive moral decision" was not made.
5. CONNECTIONS
Legal system: We can see that this novel takes place in the middle of the legal system by giving us a point of view of what happens inside the courtroom. Do you all think we have a fair legal system? Why? Or why not? What are some things that we have to change for it to be more fair? Who can we go to advocate?
Racial Inequality: How does race play a part in this story? This is something that is still an issue today, how can we continue the fight for equality?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Green, John. LOOKING FOR ALASKA. PenguinBooks, 2019. ISBN 9780525428022
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In ‘Looking for Alaska’, Miles Halter transfers to a new school to have better opportunities. He becomes great friends with Colonel, and later develops feelings for Alaska Young. His time there included deep bonds, pranks and eventually the tragic death of Alaska Young in which he now goes through a journey of self-discovery through grief, love lost and finding meaning for all that has happened.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this novel, we can see Green's gift of writing, making the reader immersed in the storytelling with all of the emotions and we get to see Miles go through his grief alongside his friend Colonel. Green is able to depict this friendship and how they seem to go or rather Miles seems to go through all the stages of grief, and how Colonel is trying to help him out within their complicated relationship. The way the novel is structured gives us such an organized and cohesive way of words, we get to see the before and after of her death by Green giving us “timestamps” to the events happening. We also get to see the storyline from a first person point of view, in which case it’s Miles who in a sense almost foreshadows or gives us a clue as to why he is the only one telling the story. By the story telling being in his point of view we get to see his obsession with Alaska or deep love, attraction that he had of her as a person which gives the book a more deep and meaningful meaning.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book Guide starred (Fall 2005)
At boarding school in Alabama, narrator Miles Halter faces challenging classes, school-wide pranks, and Alaska Young, a sexy, enigmatic girl. After Alaska is killed in a car crash, Miles and his friends question whether it could have been suicide and acknowledge their own survivor guilt. These intelligent characters talk smart, yet don't always behave that way, and are thus complex and realistically portrayed teenagers.
Kirkus Reviews starred (March 1, 2005)
The Alaska of the title is a maddening, fascinating, vivid girl seen through the eyes of Pudge (Miles only to his parents), who meets Alaska at boarding school in Alabama. Pudge is a skinny ("irony" says his roommate, the Colonel, of the nickname) thoughtful kid who collects and memorizes famous people's last words. The Colonel, Takumi, Alaska and a Romanian girl named Lara are an utterly real gaggle of young persons, full of false starts, school pranks, moments of genuine exhilaration in learning and rather too many cigarettes and cheap bottles of wine. Their engine and center is Alaska, given to moodiness and crying jags but also full of spirit and energy, owner of a roomful of books she says she's going to spend her life reading. Her center is a woeful family tragedy, and when Alaska herself is lost, her friends find their own ways out of the labyrinth, in part by pulling a last, hilarious school prank in her name. What sings and soars in this gorgeously told tale is Green's mastery of language and the sweet, rough edges of Pudge's voice. Girls will cry and boys will find love, lust, loss and longing in Alaska's vanilla-and-cigarettes scent. (Fiction. YA)
School Library Journal (January 1, 2015)
Gr 10 Up-The Printz Award-winning novel that kickstarted John Green's career and introduced a whole generation of teens to a new era of YA literature is turning 10 this year. Though the text itself remains the same, there are many extras included in this edition. There is an introduction by Green himself, a helpful Q & A section, and, perhaps most interesting for scholars, portions of the original manuscript that didn't make it into the final book, along with correspondence between Green and his editor. Purists may gasp to hear that the now-iconic "smoking" cover has been redesigned. But take heart; the new jacket, created by Rodrigo Corral, pays homage to the original with a deep black background and a subtle wisp of smoke. Replace worn copies and introduce a whole new crop of teens to this new classic. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
5. CONNECTIONS
Identity and self discovery; How do we connect with some of the characters in this novel? Do we, and if so how? How were the characters able to find themselves throughout their own journey and experiences?
Mental health; this novel talks about depression and grief. We can talk about this with students and open conversations up about advocating for mental health and making sure we reach out for help when we need it.
Choice making: How do our choices make us who we are? How do our life choices impact our journey? Could who we surround ourselves with impact our life choices?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hinton, S.E. 2017. THE OUTSIDERS. PenguinBooks. ISBN 9780425288290
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this novel we can see the point of view of Ponyboy and the constant challenges within the Greasers and the Soc rivalry. During their rivalry we see grief and self discovery come to play and how things change for Ponyboy and how he copes with his reality through writing about his experiences.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this novel, we can see the story within a first point of view, their own perspective within an environment that they are having to deal with and go through the motions. Ponyboy is a 14 year old boy, who tells us the constant battles that his “gang” and the Soc “gang” have to constantly go through. Right off the bat Ponyboy captivates us drawing us into the novel when telling us about his experience at the movies with a Soc member. Hinton, does an amazing job at writing with such detail that as a reader we could visualize everything happening and connect with the characters. Hinton gave us such raw and real feelings within dealing with grief and giving the reader something and someone to empathize with. As the story unravels we can see the big differences between both groups, their social class is a big reason as to why they are divided and constantly in conflict. The Greasers just want to be seen and understood, they want to feel like they belong and Hinton does an excellent job in giving us both sides of the story and having us empathize with how they both feel and how hard their self-discovery journey is regardless of their social class.
Overall this novel was very eye opening to how Hinton depicted both “gangs”, and how each character played a vital role in telling the story and their challenges to have us understand their journey. We get to see how friendships develop and their loyalty to one another within the Greasers, violence takes a toll for these teens, and creates life changing events and characters develop.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist (February 1, 2017 (Online))
Grades 6-12. This realistic but sometimes unconvincing and melodramatic teenage novel by a 17-year-old girl centers on the actions of a semi tough gang in a city in Oklahoma. Narrated by 14-year-old Ponyboy, the story describes the conflict between the “greasers' ' and the wealthy upper-class boys, during the course of which Ponyboy’s best friend is provoked into killing another boy. Some of Ponyboy’s philosophizing about himself, his friends, and his enemies does not ring true, but on the whole the book is a meaningful narrative with appeal for teenage readers. Junior high and high school.
Horn Book Guide (Spring 2018)
This anniversary edition of the groundbreaking novel opens with a note from the author, reflecting on the classic's half-century in print. New back matter features archival material from the publisher and from Hinton's personal collection, including correspondence, black-and-white photos, and review and newspaper clippings. Remembrances from the 1983 film's actors and director Francis Ford Coppola should further delight fans.
School Library Journal Xpress (April 5, 2024)
Gr 7 Up-This novel is narrated by 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis, a Greaser from a poor neighborhood, who experiences a harrowing and fateful few days. Marked by long, well-oiled hair and a reputation for toughness, the Greasers are harassed by a rival group, the affluent Socs (Socials). Ponyboy, although different from his friends in his enthusiasm for books and school, is fiercely loyal to his group. A clear and forceful message is conveyed to teens-despite life's hardships, there is still good in the world. This is an ideal book for reluctant readers. Its exciting narrative and simple language will quickly capture their attention. It can also serve as a stimulus for fruitful discussions on the central themes of self-realization, maturation, and seeing people as individuals rather than as stereotypes. Considered by many as the first YA novel, Hinton's debut delivers a powerful message about class, friendship, and violence. Every student will find a character in these pages who will resonate with them. VERDICT This timeless classic is as relevant today as it was when it was written. Be sure to have multiple copies in any library that serves middle and high schoolers.-Heather Lassley & Dorian Harrison © Copyright 2024. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
5. CONNECTIONS
-Socioeconomic status: How do we see how different “classes” affect our environment? Is this an issue now? How can we advocate for change? Having honest and open conversations with students about this topic, talking about the pressures of the world and how this can affect their future, who we can ask for help when we feel pressured. (This would be great to collaborate with the guidance counselor to talk about resources available as well!)
-Activity: Students can create a character analysis of each character in the novel; what do each of these characters represent in our story?
-Empathy: This novel is heavy on the non-understanding that they all can’t seem to find a common ground. How can this novel help us become more empathetic to those around us, when we get to see the different perspectives in this novel? How has someone else's thoughts changed your point of view?
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this novel, we see the self journey while being on a trial for a murder Steve Harmon is being accused of. Steve finds comfort in writing his experiences as a film, and Myers does an excellent job in having the script like writing still being cohesive to where as a reader we can still follow. While being written as a script, we got to see more details by seeing other people's points of view Steve's view. Diary entries also seemed to intertwine perfectly with the screenplay theme throughout the novel. As a reader we can see what is happening during the trial but also get an insight to how Steve personally feels, and sees himself. As the novel continues we can see how Steve views himself as a “monster” throughout the novel and we can see how he slowly starts to discover who he really is and how his character develops.
One of the most powerful themes that this novel touches on is the justice system, and how often African American males are treated unfairly within the system. We see the system being portrayed as biased and all of the flaws within. Within the trial we can see how Steve feels partly responsible for things that occurred, and takes ownership of that. This novel really puts into perspective “wrong place, wrong time”, and how we need to carefully choose the choices we might take and the consequences that come with it.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book Guide starred (Fall 1999)
Arrested and charged with murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is writing a screenplay of his ordeal. Balancing courtroom drama and a sordid jailhouse setting with flashbacks to the crime, Myers adeptly allows each character to speak for him or herself, leaving readers to judge for themselves the truthfulness of the defendants, witnesses, lawyers, and, most compellingly, Steve himself.
Booklist (Vol. 95, No. 17 (May 1, 1999))
Gr. 9-12. Myers combines an innovative format, complex moral issues, and an intriguingly sympathetic but flawed protagonist in this cautionary tale of a 16-year-old on trial for felony murder. Steve Harmon is accused of acting as lookout for a robbery that left a victim dead; if convicted, Steve could serve 25 years to life. Although it is clear that Steve did participate in the robbery, his level of involvement is questionable, leaving protagonist and reader to grapple with the question of his guilt. An amateur filmmaker, Steve tells his story in a combination of film script and journal. The "handwritten" font of the journal entries effectively uses boldface and different sizes of type to emphasize particular passages. The film script contains minimal jargon, explaining camera angles (CU, POV, etc.) when each term first appears. Myers' son Christopher provides the black-and-white photos, often cropped and digitally altered, that complement the text. Script and journal together create a fascinating portrait of a terrified young man wrestling with his conscience. The tense drama of the courtroom scenes will enthrall readers, but it is the thorny moral questions raised in Steve's journal that will endure in readers' memories. Although descriptions of the robbery and prison life are realistic and not overly graphic, the subject matter is more appropriate for high-school-age than younger readers.
Kirkus Reviews (1999)
In a riveting novel from Myers (At Her Majesty's Request, 1999, etc.), a teenager who dreams of being a filmmaker writes the story of his trial for felony murder in the form of a movie script, with journal entries after each day's action. Steve is accused of being an accomplice in the robbery and murder of a drug store owner. As he goes through his trial, returning each night to a prison where most nights he can hear other inmates being beaten and raped, he reviews the events leading to this point in his life. Although Steve is eventually acquitted, Myers leaves it up to readers to decide for themselves on his protagonist's guilt or innocence. The format of this taut and moving drama forcefully regulates the pacing; breathless, edge-of-the-seat courtroom scenes written entirely in dialogue ultimate with thoughtful, introspective journal entries that offer a sense of Steve's terror and confusion, and that deftly demonstrate Myers's point: the road from innocence to trouble is comprised of small, almost invisible steps, each involving an experience in which a "positive moral decision" was not made.
5. CONNECTIONS
Legal system: We can see that this novel takes place in the middle of the legal system by giving us a point of view of what happens inside the courtroom. Do you all think we have a fair legal system? Why? Or why not? What are some things that we have to change for it to be more fair? Who can we go to advocate?
Racial Inequality: How does race play a part in this story? This is something that is still an issue today, how can we continue the fight for equality?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Green, John. LOOKING FOR ALASKA. PenguinBooks, 2019. ISBN 9780525428022
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In ‘Looking for Alaska’, Miles Halter transfers to a new school to have better opportunities. He becomes great friends with Colonel, and later develops feelings for Alaska Young. His time there included deep bonds, pranks and eventually the tragic death of Alaska Young in which he now goes through a journey of self-discovery through grief, love lost and finding meaning for all that has happened.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this novel, we can see Green's gift of writing, making the reader immersed in the storytelling with all of the emotions and we get to see Miles go through his grief alongside his friend Colonel. Green is able to depict this friendship and how they seem to go or rather Miles seems to go through all the stages of grief, and how Colonel is trying to help him out within their complicated relationship. The way the novel is structured gives us such an organized and cohesive way of words, we get to see the before and after of her death by Green giving us “timestamps” to the events happening. We also get to see the storyline from a first person point of view, in which case it’s Miles who in a sense almost foreshadows or gives us a clue as to why he is the only one telling the story. By the story telling being in his point of view we get to see his obsession with Alaska or deep love, attraction that he had of her as a person which gives the book a more deep and meaningful meaning.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book Guide starred (Fall 2005)
At boarding school in Alabama, narrator Miles Halter faces challenging classes, school-wide pranks, and Alaska Young, a sexy, enigmatic girl. After Alaska is killed in a car crash, Miles and his friends question whether it could have been suicide and acknowledge their own survivor guilt. These intelligent characters talk smart, yet don't always behave that way, and are thus complex and realistically portrayed teenagers.
Kirkus Reviews starred (March 1, 2005)
The Alaska of the title is a maddening, fascinating, vivid girl seen through the eyes of Pudge (Miles only to his parents), who meets Alaska at boarding school in Alabama. Pudge is a skinny ("irony" says his roommate, the Colonel, of the nickname) thoughtful kid who collects and memorizes famous people's last words. The Colonel, Takumi, Alaska and a Romanian girl named Lara are an utterly real gaggle of young persons, full of false starts, school pranks, moments of genuine exhilaration in learning and rather too many cigarettes and cheap bottles of wine. Their engine and center is Alaska, given to moodiness and crying jags but also full of spirit and energy, owner of a roomful of books she says she's going to spend her life reading. Her center is a woeful family tragedy, and when Alaska herself is lost, her friends find their own ways out of the labyrinth, in part by pulling a last, hilarious school prank in her name. What sings and soars in this gorgeously told tale is Green's mastery of language and the sweet, rough edges of Pudge's voice. Girls will cry and boys will find love, lust, loss and longing in Alaska's vanilla-and-cigarettes scent. (Fiction. YA)
School Library Journal (January 1, 2015)
Gr 10 Up-The Printz Award-winning novel that kickstarted John Green's career and introduced a whole generation of teens to a new era of YA literature is turning 10 this year. Though the text itself remains the same, there are many extras included in this edition. There is an introduction by Green himself, a helpful Q & A section, and, perhaps most interesting for scholars, portions of the original manuscript that didn't make it into the final book, along with correspondence between Green and his editor. Purists may gasp to hear that the now-iconic "smoking" cover has been redesigned. But take heart; the new jacket, created by Rodrigo Corral, pays homage to the original with a deep black background and a subtle wisp of smoke. Replace worn copies and introduce a whole new crop of teens to this new classic. (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
5. CONNECTIONS
Identity and self discovery; How do we connect with some of the characters in this novel? Do we, and if so how? How were the characters able to find themselves throughout their own journey and experiences?
Mental health; this novel talks about depression and grief. We can talk about this with students and open conversations up about advocating for mental health and making sure we reach out for help when we need it.
Choice making: How do our choices make us who we are? How do our life choices impact our journey? Could who we surround ourselves with impact our life choices?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hinton, S.E. 2017. THE OUTSIDERS. PenguinBooks. ISBN 9780425288290
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this novel we can see the point of view of Ponyboy and the constant challenges within the Greasers and the Soc rivalry. During their rivalry we see grief and self discovery come to play and how things change for Ponyboy and how he copes with his reality through writing about his experiences.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this novel, we can see the story within a first point of view, their own perspective within an environment that they are having to deal with and go through the motions. Ponyboy is a 14 year old boy, who tells us the constant battles that his “gang” and the Soc “gang” have to constantly go through. Right off the bat Ponyboy captivates us drawing us into the novel when telling us about his experience at the movies with a Soc member. Hinton, does an amazing job at writing with such detail that as a reader we could visualize everything happening and connect with the characters. Hinton gave us such raw and real feelings within dealing with grief and giving the reader something and someone to empathize with. As the story unravels we can see the big differences between both groups, their social class is a big reason as to why they are divided and constantly in conflict. The Greasers just want to be seen and understood, they want to feel like they belong and Hinton does an excellent job in giving us both sides of the story and having us empathize with how they both feel and how hard their self-discovery journey is regardless of their social class.
Overall this novel was very eye opening to how Hinton depicted both “gangs”, and how each character played a vital role in telling the story and their challenges to have us understand their journey. We get to see how friendships develop and their loyalty to one another within the Greasers, violence takes a toll for these teens, and creates life changing events and characters develop.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist (February 1, 2017 (Online))
Grades 6-12. This realistic but sometimes unconvincing and melodramatic teenage novel by a 17-year-old girl centers on the actions of a semi tough gang in a city in Oklahoma. Narrated by 14-year-old Ponyboy, the story describes the conflict between the “greasers' ' and the wealthy upper-class boys, during the course of which Ponyboy’s best friend is provoked into killing another boy. Some of Ponyboy’s philosophizing about himself, his friends, and his enemies does not ring true, but on the whole the book is a meaningful narrative with appeal for teenage readers. Junior high and high school.
Horn Book Guide (Spring 2018)
This anniversary edition of the groundbreaking novel opens with a note from the author, reflecting on the classic's half-century in print. New back matter features archival material from the publisher and from Hinton's personal collection, including correspondence, black-and-white photos, and review and newspaper clippings. Remembrances from the 1983 film's actors and director Francis Ford Coppola should further delight fans.
School Library Journal Xpress (April 5, 2024)
Gr 7 Up-This novel is narrated by 14-year-old Ponyboy Curtis, a Greaser from a poor neighborhood, who experiences a harrowing and fateful few days. Marked by long, well-oiled hair and a reputation for toughness, the Greasers are harassed by a rival group, the affluent Socs (Socials). Ponyboy, although different from his friends in his enthusiasm for books and school, is fiercely loyal to his group. A clear and forceful message is conveyed to teens-despite life's hardships, there is still good in the world. This is an ideal book for reluctant readers. Its exciting narrative and simple language will quickly capture their attention. It can also serve as a stimulus for fruitful discussions on the central themes of self-realization, maturation, and seeing people as individuals rather than as stereotypes. Considered by many as the first YA novel, Hinton's debut delivers a powerful message about class, friendship, and violence. Every student will find a character in these pages who will resonate with them. VERDICT This timeless classic is as relevant today as it was when it was written. Be sure to have multiple copies in any library that serves middle and high schoolers.-Heather Lassley & Dorian Harrison © Copyright 2024. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
5. CONNECTIONS
-Socioeconomic status: How do we see how different “classes” affect our environment? Is this an issue now? How can we advocate for change? Having honest and open conversations with students about this topic, talking about the pressures of the world and how this can affect their future, who we can ask for help when we feel pressured. (This would be great to collaborate with the guidance counselor to talk about resources available as well!)
-Activity: Students can create a character analysis of each character in the novel; what do each of these characters represent in our story?
-Empathy: This novel is heavy on the non-understanding that they all can’t seem to find a common ground. How can this novel help us become more empathetic to those around us, when we get to see the different perspectives in this novel? How has someone else's thoughts changed your point of view?
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