What do You think about The Monument (1993)?
The Monument by Gary Paulsen (1991): Rocky (Rachael) is an adopted girl living in a small town in Kansas when an artist is commissioned to create a monument to the town’s fallen soldiers. But the effect that the artist has on the town--and on Rocky--may change things forever.The story of Rocky, of Python, and of their life in Bolton is well-told and interesting enough on its own, but with the arrival of artist Mick Strum, the book begins to concern itself with no less than the question of what is art, and why it makes people feel or see things differently. And though it’s almost forgotten until the end, the monument is a symbol, and a reminder, and the very idea of it has power: power to make a crowded hall pause in silence, and to bring tears. The tacit comparison of the power of the visual art that Mick and Rocky create and the written work of Gary Paulsen provides another level of reflection for the reader.
—s.leep
To get ready for Gary Paulsen visiting Battle Creek, I read his book about art. It's a simple and true story — not true story as in this actually happened, but true in that it puts vague feelings clearly into words. Folks in a small Kansas town hire an artist to create a monument for those who died in war. Rocky is a girl with a lame leg, a dog for a best friend and parents who are a couple of goodnatured drunks. She is amazed at the way the artist is able to see things the way they really are, and decides to become an artist herself. For the short time he is there, the artist teaches her new ways to look and feel and think.It's a great book, meaningful and easy to read.
—Annie
An amazing book about an adopted outcast of a girl, her four-legged friend, and her remarkable friendship with an artist. Rachel learns many lessons about what it means to live life in the moment from Mick, an artist brought to her small town in Kansas to create a monument for the town's war heroes. If you're a fan of Gary Paulsen's and know a few basic biographical facts about him, you know how his experiences shape his writing. Most people hear his stories about fishing and camping when he was younger and attribute those experiences to great plot points in books like Hatchet, but this book reveals how more emotional circumstances of his past have affected his outlook. I never get tired of reading this book, especially the scene where Rachel and her dog Python meet Mick for the first time.
—Irene McHugh
