1 / 8

Monster : Introduction

Monster : Introduction. English II McLeod. About the Author: Walter Dean Myers. Born in West Virginia in 1937 Mother died when two; moved to Harlem with foster family; spent time on basketball court and at library

quana
Download Presentation

Monster : Introduction

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Monster: Introduction English II McLeod

  2. About the Author: Walter Dean Myers • Born in West Virginia in 1937 • Mother died when two; moved to Harlem with foster family; spent time on basketball court and at library • Foster mother taught him how to read; began writing poems and short stories in the fourth grade • Severe speech impediment, writing became a wonderful form of self-expression rather than fighting • Dropped out of high school and joined army at 17; worked odd jobs but never stopped writing • First break in 1969 when his first children’s book, Where Does the Day Go?, published. Has since won countless awards

  3. Author Interview • 
”I think my life is special. In a way it seems odd that I spend all of my time doing only what I love, which is writing or thinking about writing. If everyone had, at least for part of their lives, the opportunity to live the way I do, I think the world would be a better place. • I believe that everyone is intelligent. I believe that everyone can be creative. I like just about everyone I meet. For me, life has been good and it's up to me to appreciate it. I hope that the next book, story or poem that I write will be worthy of the time the reader spends with it. If it is then my life is successful. If it's not, then I'll try again. “ • http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/myersw/

  4. Setting: Harlem • Major African-American residential, cultural and business center • "Since 1970, an exodus of residents has left behind the poor, the uneducated, the unemployed. Nearly two-thirds of the households have incomes below $10,000 a year. In a community with one of the highest crime rates in the city, garbage-strewn vacant lots and tumbledown tenements, many of them abandoned and sealed, contribute to the sense of danger and desolation that pervades much of the area.”—New York Times • Rapid gentrification began in the late 1990’s

  5. Harlem

  6. The story begins… • Steve Harmon, 16-year old black teenager charged as an accomplice to murder • Passes the time in prison writing his story as a screenplay • Is he a monster, or merely in the wrong place or at the wrong time? • As his lawyer Miss O’Brien tells him, “You’re young, you’re black, and you’re on trial. What else do they need to know?” • http://digitalbooktalk.com/?p=17

  7. Monster: Reviews • "Chilling and engrossing" 
-The New York Times Book Review • "The sheer authenticity of the novel and its presentation are disquieting - and totally riveting" 
-Boston Globe • "A riveting courtroom drama that will leave a powerful, haunting impression on young minds." 
-Publishers Weekly

  8. Awards and Accolades • National Book Award Finalist • Coretta Scott King Award • Award for Excellence, Young Adult

More Related