Monster

[Gen]

by walter dean myers. anyone read this ??? it's the next book on the class reading list

it's geared towards 12 and up.

mi nuh know why a 12 year old really need to read bout gang rape






While Myers deals discreetly with the jail's lack of privacy (open toilets) and frequent invasions of privacy (for example, sexual coercion between inmates), he doesn't obscure those realities.

[CeaBee]

Sounds intense, but the reviews on Amazon are very positive. Maybe the scenes you mentioned are not very graphic?

[Gen]

Don't know if them graphic or not but the teacher better move on to the next book pan the list, romeo and juliet or likkle house pan the prairie.


one parent ask/tell mi this mawning what father john a teach in religion i was like what the heck

[Suesumba]

mi nuh know why a 12 year old really need to read bout gang rape

i'd be cynical if i said they were prepping them.

[Lacy]

This is an excellent book. ( Has NOTHING to do with gang rape.)

I regularly teach it to my high schoolers. The format is a screenplay of a court drama. The main character was the "alleged" look-out for a robbery-gone-bad and he is being tried as an accessory to the murder of the shopkeep. In between the court scenes, you get his diary entries from jail. The reading level might be 7th grade--but the content and context is quite advanced . The "jail" stuff is very, very secondary to the court drama part (no--there's no sex scenes, they are just aluded to). The main theme--Why are African-American young men ALWAYS assumed to be guilty of the crime (and called MONSTERS)?

Given the format, my main student project is assuming the role of film director--casting the roles, storyboarding the scenes, and making a video as a film trailer of their concept. As an English/drama teacher, we also "perform" the book in class (as opposed to having them read it independently).

Don't know if your teacher plans on doing any of these things--- but I would say, don't dismiss the book out of hand, just yet.

PS--I also teach Romeo and Juliet, and students seem to like "Monster" A LOT more. LOL

[Gen]

Hi Lacy

The content is too mature for a 12 year old. According to the child, as of today, the book has been pulled or put on hold. They were supposed to start it on Monday.

I don't know if the teacher did this because I sent her an email yesterday or because she really "wants to focus on state test prep"

I will probably read the book over the weekend or next week

[Gen]

i'd be cynical if i said they were prepping them.

[Lacy]

Hi Lacy

The content is too mature for a 12 year old. According to the child, as of today, the book has been pulled or put on hold. They were supposed to start it on Monday.

I don't know if the teacher did this because I sent her an email yesterday or because she really "wants to focus on state test prep"

I will probably read the book over the weekend or next week

That's too bad, Gen. It really is a good book---and a quick read. Although the court drama part might be mature, the book speaks to that whole --peer pressure dynamic that all teenagers are subjected to and how their decisions and actions have consequences. Steve (the main character) is not some "monster," he's just a scared young man who has grave regrets.