Theme and Summary: Fat Kid Rules the World

The theme of this book would be working together in life can help you survive the tough times. This theme emerges in the middle of the book when Troy realizes that he needs Curt McCrae in order for him to survive and keep him positive about himself. The  development of this theme is gradual, since the main characters don't become friends till the middle of the novel. The theme is shaped by the actions of Curt and Troy, along with other characters that aren't quite as important. An example of this would be after Troy goes to the concert and meets up with Ollie, and is told that he is lucky to be Curt's drummer since they need each other to survive. This event occurs in chapter 45, along with the fact that many people see Troy as popular since he knows Curt, and this is the first time in his whole life that Troy has been thought of as popular.

Charatcers: Fat Kid Rules the World

There are many important charracters in the book that I am currently reading, but the main character is Troy Billings. He is a 17 year-old, six-foot-one, 296 pound kid who is described as,"Friendless, utterly miserable, and about to step off the subway platform in front of an oncoming train." I chose to pick Troy because he shows that he is going to be a dynamic character from the very beginnig, and that he is   the main character. I believe that as of where I am in the novel right now, that Troy is still a round (no pun intended) character. From my perspective Troy has developed a decent amount, and that he has to continuing to develop to allow the book to still be interesting, and to keep the theme relevant. His interactions with other cahracters, such as his dad, his brother; Dayle, and the other main character; Curt  McCrae. Troy's interactions with Curt are extremly important to the developoment of Troy because he encourages Troy to be himself. Also, his interactions with Curt show what kind of person Troy really is, not how other people portray him to be, which is this very overweight and firendless kid, when really he is nice and very socialable.

Reading Skills: Monster

In the book Monster by: Walter Dean Meyers, I predict that the main character, Steve Harmon will be found innocent of murder. I believe this because he has yet to take the stand and plead his side of the story to the jurors.

I also predict that a theme for this novel would be that you cannot make a rash decision based on what a person looks like. A reason that I would consider this as a theme is because in the beginning of the trial Steve's lawyer tells him that he must appear and act as innocent as he can because the jurors have already made up their minds just because he is,"black and young" as the lawyer states.

A question that I have is if he is found innocent of murder, how will his peers and family treat him, and act around him? Another question that I have is how does his lawyer prove his innocence to a close-minded jury?

A text to world connection would be when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred in New York. Everyone who looked like they were Middle Eastern, or had a darker complexion, was treated differently, and some even assumed that they belonged to the guilty party. This is exactly what occurs in this novel when the jurors see what Steve and the other suspects look like.

A text to self connection would be that when Steve takes the stand he knows that the best thing he can do is tell the truth, and answer every question to the best of his ability. This is exactly how I feel the best way to tell your side of the story. When I forgot my homework, and my teacher asked me where it was, I told her the truth, which was that I just forgot. I have always agreed that the best policy is honesty.

A text to text connection can be found between the novel Monster and the Brian Banks story. The Brian Banks story is about a young African American and uprising football star, who is accused of a serious crime that he did not commit. He lost ten years of his life in jail and on house arrest. His attorney encouraged him to take the plea bargain rather than fight for his innocence in court because he was a young, black male. Brian Banks later proves his innocence after serving the ten year sentence. He is now pursuing his life-long dream of playing in the NFL. This connects to the novel because Steve is being accused of a murder that he claims he didn't commit, and is currently serving time in prison during the trial.

To find out more information on The Brian Banks Story go to: http://www.thefalcoholic.com/2013/4/4/4182724/falcons-flyover-the-brian-banks-story