Monster by Walter Dean Myers A Teen Book Review

In 1999, in his young adult book Monster, Walter Dean Myers introduced readers to a young man named Steve Harmon. Steve, sixteen and in prison awaiting a murder trial, is an African American teen and a product of inner city poverty and circumstance. In this story, Steve retells the events leading up to the crime and narrates the prison and courtroom drama while trying to determine if what the prosecutor said about him is true. Is he really a monster? Learn more about this award-winning book that gives a disturbing inside account about a teen struggling to prove to himself that he’s not what everyone thinks him to be. Summary of Monster Steve Harmon, a 16-year-old African-American teen from Harlem, is awaiting trial for his role as an accomplice in a drugstore robbery that ended in murder.  Before being imprisoned, Steve enjoyed amateur filmmaking and while in confinement decides to write his experience in prison as a movie script. In a movie script format, Steve gives readers an account of the events leading up to the crime.  As narrator, director and star of his story, Steve navigates readers through the events of the courtroom and discussions with his attorney. He directs camera angles at various characters in the story from the judge, to witnesses, and to the other teens involved in the crime. Readers are given a front seat to the personal dialogue Steve has with himself through diary entries he tucks in among the script. Steve writes this note to himself, â€Å"I want to know who I am. I want to know the road to panic that I took. I want to look at myself a thousand times to look for one true image.†   Is Steve innocent of his part in the crime? Readers must wait until the end of the story to  find out  Steve’s courtroom and personal verdict. About the Author, Walter Dean Myers Walter Dean Myers writes gritty urban fiction that depicts life for African American teens growing up in inner city neighborhoods.  His characters know poverty, war, neglect, and the street life. Using his writing talents, Myers has become the voice for many African American teens and he creates characters to whom they can connect or relate. Myers, also raised in Harlem, recalls his own teen years and the difficulty of rising above the pull of the streets.  As a young boy, Myers struggled in school, got into several fights, and found himself in trouble on many occasions. He credits reading and writing as his lifelines.   For more recommended fiction by Myers, read reviews of Shooter and Fallen Angels. Awards and Book Challenges Monster has won several notable awards including the 2000 Michael L. Printz Award, the 2000 Coretta Scott King Honor Book Award and was a 1999 National Book Award Finalist. Monster is also listed on several book lists as a best book for young adults and a best book for reluctant readers. Along with the prestigious awards, Monster has also been the target of several book challenges in school districts across the country. While not listed on the American Library Associations frequently challenged book list,  the American Booksellers For Freedom of Expression (ABFFE)  has followed Monsters book challenges.  One book challenge came from parents in the Blue Valley School District in Kansas who want to challenge the book for the following reasons: vulgar language, sexual explicitness,  and violent imagery that is gratuitously employed. Despite the various book challenges to Monster, Myers continues to write stories that depict the realities of growing up impoverished and in dangerous neighborhoods. He continues to write the stories that many teens  want to read. Recommendation and Review Written in a unique format with a compelling storyline, Monster is guaranteed to engage teen readers.  Whether or not Steve is innocent is the big hook in this story. Readers are invested in learning about the crime, the evidence, the testimony, and the other teens involved in order to find out if Steve is innocent or guilty. Because the story is written as a movie script, readers will find the actual reading of the story fast and easy to follow. The story gains momentum as little details are revealed about the nature of the crime and Steve’s connection to the other characters involved.  Readers will grapple with determining  whether Steve  is a sympathetic or trustworthy character. The reality that this story could be ripped from the headlines makes it a book that most teens, including struggling readers, will enjoy reading. Walter Dean Myers is a renowned author and all his teen books should be recommended reading. He understands the urban life that some African American teens experience and through his writing he gives them a voice as well as an audience who can better understand their world. Myerss books take on serious issues facing teens such as poverty, drugs, depression, and war and make these topics accessible. His candid approach hasn’t gone unchallenged, but his forty years of longstanding work has not gone unnoticed by his teen readers nor by award committees.  Monster is recommended by publishers for ages 14 and up. (Thorndike Press, 2005. ISBN: 9780786273638). Sources: Walter Dean Myers Websiteï » ¿, ABFFE

The Cave Paintings, A Form Of Rock Art ( Keegan, 2014 )

Through history, we have seen the use of communication and how it evolved from the early eras to this very modern day. The oldest known symbols created with the purpose of communication through time are the cave paintings, a form of rock art (Keegan, 2014). Then came the use of petroglyphs (carvings on rock surface), pictograms (symbols representing objects, concepts and activities), and ideograms (graphical symbols representing data). What followed is the cuneiform system, whose original form began in the late Neolithic period and is believed to have first been invented by the Sumerians. After some time, these forms of writing eventually evolved into pure alphabets, thus, completing the three broad categories of writing: logographic,†¦show more content†¦When people communicate, they don’t just talk and say words. Usually, it is a two-way process involving a sender and a receiver. Communication is so powerful that one cannot not communicate. Activity or inactivity, words or silence all have message value. They influence others and these others, in return, cannot not respond to these communicators and are themselves communicating (Latzwick, Beavin and Jackson, 1969). Communication is also closely associated with one’s definition of self. Individuals gain a sense of self-identity by being paid attention to and getting feedback from others. Therefore, one’s sense of power starts at communication (Tubbs and Moss 2000). Communication is important in both the personal and professional field. The way you speak holds colossal power. It has power to tap new opportunities, or to shut the open doors; the power to build trust, and the power to ruin it; the power to generate new action, and the power to fail it (Paliwal n.d.). In the professional world, communication is constantly cited as one of the most important skills in getting ahead. It has been found that interpersonal communication, relationship building, leadership, teamwork, network, and persuasion were among the most important skills for job performance and career success. Moreover, communication is vital in leadership. As mentioned by Garcia (2012), â€Å"Communication Is a Leadership Discipline: Whatever else leadership may be, it is experienced publicly.

Mystery to the story Essay Example For Students

Mystery to the story Essay This film begins with an old lady telling the story of Edward to her grand child which is probably set in present day and after being given a shot from the mansion looking down towards suburbia and then cutting to a sunny day in suburbia which is set around the 70s (roughly) we are taken back in time to tell a story which adds a real feeling of a fairy tale effect to the film. This first scene and a few flash backs later on in the film is the only thing that makes it non-linear but not in any large way. There is very little that isnt actually shown to the audience instead of just having characters talk about key events that may have happened off screen. Certain events that happen in the first 15 minuets are created so they can be relevant to events later in the film. These events could be warnings of things to come or they could show characters weaknesses and how they will effect them. When Edward sees the picture of Kim it is obvious this is going to come up later in the film or when Edward is first discovered by Peg he briefly mentioned how his Father (His inventor) didnt wake up which adds mystery to the story. There are other times we are given warnings of things to come, E.g. When Edward is riding in the car with Peg he tries to put his head out of the window but ends up hitting his head on the glass, A sign that Edward cant deal with this life style that he has been introduced to. This theory is backed up when Pat shows Edward to his room that consists of a water bed, Obviously this is maybe the worst sort of bed Edward could sleep in (The bed could represent the suburban life style) and secondly Peg doesnt even seem to think about the fact that Edward may have problems sleeping on the bed (In the same way she doesnt think that maybe Edward wont fit into the suburban life style). The way space is structured in certain parts of this film is very important, The Scene where Peg finds Edward in a Giant loft starts with her entering the loft there is a cut to a wide shot of the whole loft which makes Peg seem very small. These sort of shots continue until Edward begins to approach Peg and as he does the camera pans towards him creating even less space to be seen in the shot, After Edward reaches Pat there are no more wide shots as before and also Edward never really leaves Pegs side for the rest of the 15 minuets which confines them both to a very small space. E.g. when they are in the car together. In some ways when all of the close up shots begin we are shown that now Edward is in suburbia he is no longer Free in the same way he was in the empty loft even though he was alone. In conclusion this first 15 minuets is what creates the plot, Atmosphere and characters for the rest of the film and must be done correctly to inform the audience of what they need to know for the rest of the film. It also sets the path for a non-conventional ending.

Misperceptions Cold War

Introduction Historians attribute the occurrence of the conflicts in the 20th and 21st centuries to misperceptions among the nations. In this view, historians argue that Word War I, World War II, and the Cold War among significant wars rode on misperceptions among the major nations of the world. Misperception is a nation’s wrongful interpretation of the other nations in terms of actions and behavior.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Misperceptions: Cold War specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The misperception between the Soviet Union and U.S after the WW II was the main cause of Cold War. After the WW II, the America rose to become the most powerful nation in the world, however, the USSR perceived this negatively, which resulted into fierce rivalry between the two nations and the war hang on this misperception. Misperception; the cause of the Cold War After the WW II, America emerged the most powerful country . Being the most powerful in the world therefore, the U.S was determined to spread the doctrine of capitalism to most nations in Europe. The USSR perceived this move as the United States’ attempt to control and colonize the other nations. Since colonization and its effects, had spread across the world towards the end of First World War, USSR did not want the U.S. to bring back such situation in the world. In response, USSR began to spread communism to the close allies of the U.S. According to Ingimundarson, â€Å"the Soviet Union started to spread communism to the Western Europe countries, which were U.S capitalist territories† (1994, p.56). Since the U.S was committed to combat any international influence in the region, severe rivalry between the two powers arose. Because of the superiority the U.S had gained in terms of economics and politics, USSR viewed it as a threat to communism in the world. In order to strengthen communism, USSR stretched beyond Europe with par ticular target to the U.S capitalist territories. This led to clash of the two powers in Asia where communism controlled China and Korea. On its side, the U.S viewed USSR’s communism as outdated and autocratic and the U.S authorities had to do whatever possible to decimate its spread. The U.S government developed Marshal Plan through which it provided support to the European nations and the rest of the world to discourage the spread of communism and embrace capitalism. Therefore, the rivalries preceding the Cold War were result of misperceptions between the USSR and US.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The two powers misperceived the technological advancement by the either side. In a step to strengthen its security, USSR invested significantly in military technologies. It was the first to design one of the most powerful weapons in history. In fact, the U.S started making hydrogen bombs immediately after USSR had constructed its own. The U.S perceived the USSR’s military expansion as a threat to its security and that of the world. As a result, the U.S government strongly invested in armament and by the end of 1980’s, its nuclear arsenal had greatly grown. Economically, the U.S technological advancement in economy elicited uncertainties to the USSR authorities. To USSR, the economic expansion aimed to attract the third world countries into capitalism. Since the expansion of capitalism created discontent among the Soviets, they developed competitive economic strategies. This further increased rivalry between the two nations, which precipitated into Cold war. Stein clarifies that, â€Å"in order to maintain its economic dominance in Europe, America developed the Marshal Plan that offered financial support to these regions to ensure that they purchased the U.S products† (1992, p. 470). However, Soviet Union viewed this as a means to spread Am erica’s dominance in the world. The plausible truth is; America’s Marshal Plan was just a marketing strategy to capture and control a considerable international market. The plan did not aim to colonize any country at all. Due to their misperception, USSR vetoed its states from this plan. The continued logic implantations between the belligerents resulted into growth in antagonism. The antagonistic activities led to formation of two rival groups in the world: the communist and the capitalist communities. The division of Germany into West and East blocks through the Berlin wall evidenced this rivalry. Conclusion The wrongful judgment of the other nations and their acts is what historians refer to as misperception. The Cold War occurred as result of the misperception between the USSR and the U.S. The Soviet Union viewed the U.S economic expansion as strategy to colonize the world while the U.S perceived the USSR’s communism as a threat to the expansion of capitalis m.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Misperceptions: Cold War specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, the U.S viewed USSR’s military advancement as a threat to its close allies such as Western Europe and Asia. The U.S technological advancement elicited discontent among the Soviet Union territories and resulted into competitive responses. The Soviet Union’s ascend into the moon was purposely to set standards and challenge the U.S technological achievements. Because of these misperceptions, rivalry grew between the belligerents in support of their ideological allies. These rivalries led into splitting of Germany. They further resulted into arm’s race between the capitalists and communists, which culminated into what historians have come to refer to as the Cold War. It is therefore justifiable that misperception played a major role in the Cold war. References Ingimundarson, V. (1994). Cold War Misperceptions: The Communist and Western Responses to the East German Refugee Crisis in 1953. Journal of  Contemporary History, 29(3), 463-481. Stein, A. A. (1992). When Misperception Matters. Journal of World Politics, 34(4), 41-103. This essay on Misperceptions: Cold War was written and submitted by user Teagan Cantrell to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.