Teen Book Review: Shooter Walter Dean Myers

Concerned about the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, so decided Walter Dean Myers to seek the events of the incident and a fictional story that would be a powerful message about bullying. Copy the format that will be used by scientists and psychologists to assess the risk of violence in schools, Myers wrote shooter as a report analyzing threats fictionalized police transcripts

Reports, interviews, medical records, and excerpts from the diaries. Myers format and wording is so authentic that the reader will find it hard to believe that the incidents in the book actually occur.

Shooter: The Story

On the morning of April 22 began, 17 years old, Leonard Grey shoot students a window on the floor at Madison High School. A student was killed. Nine injured. The shooter wrote "Stop the Violence" in blood on the wall and then kill them. The incident led to a large-scale analysis of potential threats of violence at school. To help two psychologists, school board, police officers, an FBI agent and a respondent coroner and submitted reports, the cause of Leonard Grey shoot their classmates.

Students and Carla Porter Cameron Evans knew Leonard Gray and show by their interviews details of personal life and Leonard school. We learned that Leonard had a fascination with weapons, was an overdose of prescription

Drugs, and often spoke of a list of enemies. The assessment team found that three students suffered constant intimidation and came from a broken home. The three students were "outputs" and said nothing about his own violence. At the end wanted Leonard Gray "break a whole in the wall of silence" in the most violent way he knew.

Author: Walter Dean Myers

Walter Dean Myers knows how to have, mentally and emotionally to deal with young people, especially young people, to connect. Why? He remembers growing up near Central Harlem and getting into trouble. He recalled because of a problem of severe language difficulty. Myers left school and joined the army at the age of 17, but he knew he could do more with your life. He knew that he helped a gift for reading and writing talents and resist a dangerous and unsatisfactory manner. (Source: Notable Biographies)

Myers talks with the struggles of youth and who knows the language of the street. The in dealing with their teenage characters street slang professional interrogation disturbing. These terms are "Pops", "Off", "at the outputs" and "threw". Myers, know the language, because he is still working on outreach programs for children in deprived areas with low socio-economic communities. Another possibility Myers keeps pace with young people is to listen to what they say about their books. Myers often hire young people to read his manuscripts and to provide feedback. In an interview Scholastic Myers said, "Sometimes I ask youth books that tell me when you read, or if she found it boring or interesting to make very good comments when I go to school, I'll find teenagers Sometimes children .. .. write me and ask me if they read "(Source: Interview with Scholastic) ..

For more information about the author, see Walter Dean Myers: his life, his books and views on censorship. Recommended by Myers fiction, see my comments on Monster, and the fallen angels.

Shooter: A powerful message about bullying

Bullying has changed in the last fifty years. According to Myers, where he had grown up physical bullying. Today, bullying goes beyond physical Harassment includes, ridicule, and even cyber-bullying. The issue of bullying is the heart of this story. Asked the question after protecting message Myers replied: "I want to send the message that people who are bullied uniquely It is a very common problem that children in all schools need to recognize and understand and help does not send. . I mean, the people who make the shot and crime are in response to what is happening "(Source: Interview with Scholastic) ..

Shooter: My recommendation

When shooter games I felt a real analysis of a shooting read. The new design is a collection of various reports by a team of professionals who try to causes that are to determine cause violence in school. Obviously Myers has researched and invested time studying the different types of questions that professionals to ask young people, and how young people respond. One of my favorite quotes Shooter occurs when a psychologist asks if Cameron Leonard admired for what he had done. Cameron hesitated, then said, "In the beginning, right after the incident, I did not and I do not think I can admire today But the more I think the more I talk about it, the more I see myself And if.. You know someone, change your relationship with them. "Cameron including Leonard actions. He did not agree with them, but because of his own experience with the actions of intimidation Leonard sense. What a scary thought! If all who have responded bullied degenerate on instinct of revenge, violence in schools. Myers does not address bullying in this book, but he came from, why shootings come.

This is not a simple story, but a complex and disturbing look at the tragedy that can result from bullying. I found that to read a compelling and insightful book as a must for teens. Due to the mature themes of this book I want one with the editor and recommend shooter for over 14 years. (Amistad Press, 2005. ISBN: 9780064472906)