Coretta Scott King Award...

I recently read Walter Dean Myers book, Monster. This book won the Coretta Scott King Award in 2000 for it's plot, thematic content, storyline, and message it sends to young adults. It makes you sad, to think that Steve will have to spend the rest of his life in a prison for something he may or may not have had anything to do with... and you want to jump in the book and yell "He's innocent!" However, it's not so easy. While I think this book is good for giving examples of different cultures and the effects of society on any person, I also feel that it portrays a stereotype of young black men in today's world. It gives a vivid account of what jail/prison can be like, probably in hopes of making children want to do the exact opposite of Steve. This is definitely a must read and get ready...once you get started it's VERY HARD to put down. It's written similar to an interview/play and can be tricky to follow at times. Over all, however, it's a wonderful book and I would recommend it to any teenager.