Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Monster is a court-room based drama about a teenage boy, Steve, who is accused of being the "lookout" in a murder. Although the writing style in play format, Steve is an aspiring young filmmaker, so the format is supposed to be a screenplay for his movie, the story of his life and trial.

I really enjoyed the format of this book. I think it's a great way to introduce students to "plays". I doubt that many of our students have much experience with this genre.

I also liked that there was a balance between empathy and disgust for the main character. The end of the book leaves a lot for discussion about his innocence/guilt.