Book
Review:
Bibliography-
ISBN
0060280778
Plot Summary-
Sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon is on trial for murder. A
Harlem drugstore owner was shot and killed in his store, and the word is that
Steve served as the lookout. Guilty or innocent, Steve becomes a pawn in the
hands of "the system," cluttered with cynical authority figures and
unscrupulous inmates, who will turn in anyone to shorten their own sentences.
For the first time, Steve is forced to think about who he is as he faces
prison, where he may spend all the tomorrows of his life. As a way of coping
with the horrific events that entangle him, Steve, an amateur filmmaker,
decides to transcribe his trial into a script, just like in the movies. He
writes it all down, scene by scene, the story of how his whole life was turned
around in an instant. But despite his efforts, reality is blurred, and his
vision obscured until he can no longer tell who he is or what is the
truth.
Critical Analysis-
Myers is a great storyteller and leaves things ambiguous, so
readers can draw their own conclusions. I did not know if I
would like the format in which the book is written, since it is in play form,
but it turned out the format made the story more dynamic. Although there are a lot of secondary
characters in this story such as the guards, lawyers, and witnesses, it's clear
throughout the story that the focus is entirely on Steve. He comes across as a
quiet kid, just trying to make it through life in Harlem, passionate about his
film-making and uncertain about his own future. The bulk of the story is told from
the courtroom, as we follow the proceedings, but it is written in a clear and
simple way that is not overly complicated. There are a few moments that are
reflections of his time in jail and are powerful statements of what it means to
be incarcerated, without being too graphic. This story has a multitude of
interesting issues for discussion and teaching points, like how your life can
dramatically change in minutes, how other's perceptions of you can affect your
own perception of yourself, the horrors of prison life, the trauma of being on
trial for murder and issues of equality and fairness of punishment. The book
also includes a student guide as well as an author interview at the end.
Review Excerpts-
2000
Coretta Scott King Honor Book, 2000 Michael L. Printz Award, 2000 Michael L.
Printz Award
"Myers
grapples with complex moral questions that will definitely make readers stop
and think.” -Booklist, Editors' Choice 1999
“In this story, the main
character, Steve is interested in film, and so much of the story is told in a
screenplay format. The screenplay idea worked well as a novel in the source
material, and the format was noticeable enough that it jumped off the page and
readers could clearly understand what was going on.” -SLJ Starred Review
Connections-
-Students can create different journal responses (using Padlet
or Glogster) such as:
Create a mock interview between yourself and a character. Create
interview questions and present it in front of the class.
Choose a significant event in the book and write a journal
entry from a character’s point of view.
-Have the students visualize and create a symbol that best
represents the book. They can use Spark Post or Canva to create it.
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