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The Monument
It all begins when Rocky follows Mick Strum around town while he sketches its people, animals and graveyard. Mick has been commissioned by Rocky's Kansas town to create a memorial to their war dead.
As Rocky learns to respect Mick and his talents, he helps her to develop her own artistic sensibilities.
But the townspeople see things in Mick's drawings that they don't want to know or accept about themselves. Can Mick help them accept one monument that will be meaningful to everyone?
As Rocky learns to respect Mick and his talents, he helps her to develop her own artistic sensibilities.
But the townspeople see things in Mick's drawings that they don't want to know or accept about themselves. Can Mick help them accept one monument that will be meaningful to everyone?
151 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1991
17 people are currently reading
274 people want to read
About the author
Gary Paulsen
409 books3,985 followersGary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
November 10, 2024
The Monument is of similar structure to Tiltawhirl John, The Foxman, and Dancing Carl, three Gary Paulsen novels from the 1970s and '80s. A young character finds an elder they admire to help fashion their own worldview, while the narrative hints at a life-altering event to come that will end their time with that person. Thirteen-year-old Rocky has had a rough go of it. Abandoned by her mother as an infant, she spent years in an orphanage, figuring her gimpy left leg meant she would never be adopted. But Fred and Emma Hemesvedt took a chance, and soon Rocky was their new daughter in small-town Bolton, Kansas. The Hemesvedts often drink themselves into a stupor, but Rocky is grateful to be out of the orphanage.
Some locals decide Bolton should have a memorial stone honoring those killed in the Vietnam War, but Rocky doesn't show real interest until the artist arrives. Mick Strum is eccentric and pops a cork at least as much as the Hemesvedts, but Rocky takes a shine to him. He's in Bolton to make his creative pitch to town leaders for the Vietnam memorial. Rocky has never interacted with an artist, and is fascinated by how Mick views the townsfolk. Python, the stray dog Rocky adopted a while back when he was on death row for stealing chickens, also likes Mick, and Rocky trusts Python's judgment.
"(L)ife is really, really organic. It moves all the time and flexes when you least expect it to flex".
—The Monument, P. 4
Who knew being an artist was such a burden on the soul? Rocky is nonplussed by Mick's habit of weeping while sketching ordinary things about town, but his commitment to art leaves her spellbound. Rocky resolves that she must become an artist; Mick volunteers to help refine her basic drawing form, but cautions that only she can make herself into an artist. As the time comes for Mick to present his monument concept and be approved or denied by the people of Bolton, Rocky dreads the day he departs this town for good. How will she chase her dream without him? Maybe Mick is right, and only Rocky can figure out what she will look like as an artist.
Such a simple novel, The Monument, at least on the surface. We discover alongside Rocky the burning, painful beauty of identity as an artist, lighting yourself aflame to illuminate the path of others. Rocky is disconcerted by Mick's emotional immersion in the subjects he draws, but he's experiencing the glory of life. Drawings emerge that give perspective on a place or person steeped in tragedy or love. The artist has to pull the narrative from the depths, a wriggling, sometimes ugly creature that captivates the viewer.
Rocky's epiphany comes while browsing an Edgar Degas art book. She envisions herself in a painting of a distraught young girl with a group of dancers. Rocky is choked by grief that the people in the painting lived and died long ago and she will never know the nuances of their story. The surprising weight of that sadness drives her to tears, but Emma Hemesvedt consoles Rocky that the girls aren't truly gone. "But they aren't, don't you see? There's still the painting, isn't there? You have that. You will always have the picture, won't you? So they can never be gone." The loss of a unique person leaves a ragged hole, but they haven't vanished without a trace. Every Moses, Sophocles, Leonardo da Vinci, Abraham Lincoln, or Michael Jackson remains with us in the beautiful things they created from the depths of their soul. We derive joy from it even if we'll never have a personal relationship with them. This is how one escapes mourning and finds eternal good in an all too short life.
There are dozens of Gary Paulsen novels I love, and The Monument joins that group. His commentary on the hows and whys of art apply to him as aptly as any painter. Paulsen was one of one in literary history, a word artist from a highly unlikely background. On a separate note, The Monument injects just the right amount of reverence and emotion for soldiers lost in war through the ages, especially the ending scene with Mr. Takern. I rate this book three and a half stars and considered higher; it's not the most profound work of Gary Paulsen's career, but isn't far off.
Some locals decide Bolton should have a memorial stone honoring those killed in the Vietnam War, but Rocky doesn't show real interest until the artist arrives. Mick Strum is eccentric and pops a cork at least as much as the Hemesvedts, but Rocky takes a shine to him. He's in Bolton to make his creative pitch to town leaders for the Vietnam memorial. Rocky has never interacted with an artist, and is fascinated by how Mick views the townsfolk. Python, the stray dog Rocky adopted a while back when he was on death row for stealing chickens, also likes Mick, and Rocky trusts Python's judgment.
"(L)ife is really, really organic. It moves all the time and flexes when you least expect it to flex".
—The Monument, P. 4
Who knew being an artist was such a burden on the soul? Rocky is nonplussed by Mick's habit of weeping while sketching ordinary things about town, but his commitment to art leaves her spellbound. Rocky resolves that she must become an artist; Mick volunteers to help refine her basic drawing form, but cautions that only she can make herself into an artist. As the time comes for Mick to present his monument concept and be approved or denied by the people of Bolton, Rocky dreads the day he departs this town for good. How will she chase her dream without him? Maybe Mick is right, and only Rocky can figure out what she will look like as an artist.
Such a simple novel, The Monument, at least on the surface. We discover alongside Rocky the burning, painful beauty of identity as an artist, lighting yourself aflame to illuminate the path of others. Rocky is disconcerted by Mick's emotional immersion in the subjects he draws, but he's experiencing the glory of life. Drawings emerge that give perspective on a place or person steeped in tragedy or love. The artist has to pull the narrative from the depths, a wriggling, sometimes ugly creature that captivates the viewer.
Rocky's epiphany comes while browsing an Edgar Degas art book. She envisions herself in a painting of a distraught young girl with a group of dancers. Rocky is choked by grief that the people in the painting lived and died long ago and she will never know the nuances of their story. The surprising weight of that sadness drives her to tears, but Emma Hemesvedt consoles Rocky that the girls aren't truly gone. "But they aren't, don't you see? There's still the painting, isn't there? You have that. You will always have the picture, won't you? So they can never be gone." The loss of a unique person leaves a ragged hole, but they haven't vanished without a trace. Every Moses, Sophocles, Leonardo da Vinci, Abraham Lincoln, or Michael Jackson remains with us in the beautiful things they created from the depths of their soul. We derive joy from it even if we'll never have a personal relationship with them. This is how one escapes mourning and finds eternal good in an all too short life.
There are dozens of Gary Paulsen novels I love, and The Monument joins that group. His commentary on the hows and whys of art apply to him as aptly as any painter. Paulsen was one of one in literary history, a word artist from a highly unlikely background. On a separate note, The Monument injects just the right amount of reverence and emotion for soldiers lost in war through the ages, especially the ending scene with Mr. Takern. I rate this book three and a half stars and considered higher; it's not the most profound work of Gary Paulsen's career, but isn't far off.
July 19, 2022
Gary Paulsen has been one of my favorites I've continually read since around 2014 when I first read Brian's Return. He always had a way of getting my attention and holding onto it. He did it again with the Monument.
The fact that he can portray life's questions through the eyes of kids and, in a way, answer them and help the reader grow.
The fact that he can portray life's questions through the eyes of kids and, in a way, answer them and help the reader grow.
May 22, 2024
This is a book for artists. And families. And people who grieve. It’s short and sweet and well worth the time it takes to read it. It’s almost a parable. I read it many years ago as a sixth grade teacher and would recommend it to all my students but especially the artists. I just reread it again and it still reads beautifully.
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February 23, 2011The 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.
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.
October 23, 2018
Katherine Anne Porter once said: "Art is what we find when the ruins are cleared away."
This is the heart of this story about Rocky, an adopted teenager with a crippled leg, and Mick Strum, an artist hired to create a monument to war dead for the town. Rocky knows nothing of art until she sees Mick drawing things around the community. Each drawing pulls her in and shows her so much more than what the image is. Mick believes he must find the soul of the town before he can create a monument the town will value. He becomes Rocky's mentor on art.
First Mick must create havoc in the town.
The book is written in first person from Rocky's point of view. It races along pulling the reader through the pages. The reflections on the nature of art are thought provoking. This is one of Paulsen's best books.
This is the heart of this story about Rocky, an adopted teenager with a crippled leg, and Mick Strum, an artist hired to create a monument to war dead for the town. Rocky knows nothing of art until she sees Mick drawing things around the community. Each drawing pulls her in and shows her so much more than what the image is. Mick believes he must find the soul of the town before he can create a monument the town will value. He becomes Rocky's mentor on art.
First Mick must create havoc in the town.
The book is written in first person from Rocky's point of view. It races along pulling the reader through the pages. The reflections on the nature of art are thought provoking. This is one of Paulsen's best books.
August 31, 2018
Everything that Paulsen does is ART. He is Rachel and Mick.
September 4, 2022
If someone could see you; could see you so they could show you, would you want them to know who you were? Would you want them to show you who your are?
Paulsen has written a lot of coming of age stories, most of which are about a young boy surviving in nature; learning how to live where they normally wouldn't. You'll know this story from the second or third chapter...by this time in the book, you'll have a tweenageish boy, alone in a place you normally wouldn't find one.
This is a different kind of coming of age.
It's not about a boy. It's about a small town. The place where nothing happens, and everybody stays the same and we all are just who we are and are supposed to be, and everybody sees us as we are supposed to be; the way we want them to see us. Who we are here at home or over there at the store, or in the church.
Who we are rarely shines through.
What if somebody could see us as we were? What if they showed that to us? What if they could tell us why in a way nobody ever, ever knew, could ever know?
Would that kind of understanding drive you to know who you are yourself? Seeing your flaws, and understanding why you have them; having them shown so clearly to others--would you reach out for change? or Would you hide from growth; remain what you are now, and get angry?
Oh, it's a coming of age tale all right.
Paulsen has written a lot of coming of age stories, most of which are about a young boy surviving in nature; learning how to live where they normally wouldn't. You'll know this story from the second or third chapter...by this time in the book, you'll have a tweenageish boy, alone in a place you normally wouldn't find one.
This is a different kind of coming of age.
It's not about a boy. It's about a small town. The place where nothing happens, and everybody stays the same and we all are just who we are and are supposed to be, and everybody sees us as we are supposed to be; the way we want them to see us. Who we are here at home or over there at the store, or in the church.
Who we are rarely shines through.
What if somebody could see us as we were? What if they showed that to us? What if they could tell us why in a way nobody ever, ever knew, could ever know?
Would that kind of understanding drive you to know who you are yourself? Seeing your flaws, and understanding why you have them; having them shown so clearly to others--would you reach out for change? or Would you hide from growth; remain what you are now, and get angry?
Oh, it's a coming of age tale all right.
May 19, 2021
Although this sweet story doesn't hold a candle to Hatchet, I still enjoyed it. Always a fan of a good old fashioned orphan tale, I read this young adult story in almost one sitting. It's a first-person narrator, Rocky, a young girl with a birth defect that makes her last to be adopted. But as fate would have it, she gets chosen by a couple, and the story follows her in a small town where she finds a stray dog that in fact, adopts her as well. Rocky and her dog, Python meet a stranger who comes to town to create a mural or "Monument" dedicated to the boys of the town who died in wars. The artist's renderings open Rocky's eyes--as well as the townspeople's--to a deeper way of looking at the world, other people, and themselves.
August 6, 2024
Recommended by Randy.
I used to read all the teen books, and always loved Gary Paulsen. (Teacher, former school librarian). I thought this story about a town wanting a memorial for the war dead would have some strife and controversy. What we found was an artist who looked at the town with different eyes, and brought out the things people don't usually see. The teenaged protaganist wants to become a better artist, so she tails him, and along the way, she learns to see people and things in new ways.
I used to read all the teen books, and always loved Gary Paulsen. (Teacher, former school librarian). I thought this story about a town wanting a memorial for the war dead would have some strife and controversy. What we found was an artist who looked at the town with different eyes, and brought out the things people don't usually see. The teenaged protaganist wants to become a better artist, so she tails him, and along the way, she learns to see people and things in new ways.
March 16, 2018
This was much better than I expected. It's very short, the only other Paulsen book I've read is "Hatchet," and I was distracted by the word "sex" because I was considering this for my middle school students. My worries were ill-founded, though. I loved the sophisticated conversations about art, the snippets of small-town rural life (reminded me of "To Kill a Mockingbird"), and Rocky's commentary. This might work for my students yet!
May 3, 2020
Realistic Fiction
5th-6th grade reading level
This book tells the story of how a monument is developed for a small Kansas town. The artist hired for the job inspires the main character Rachael to find her love for art. Rachael was adopted from an orphanage and helps her dad with keeping books at the grain elevator. This book could connect to students who have been adopted, have a physical disability, have a dog best friend, or love art.
5th-6th grade reading level
This book tells the story of how a monument is developed for a small Kansas town. The artist hired for the job inspires the main character Rachael to find her love for art. Rachael was adopted from an orphanage and helps her dad with keeping books at the grain elevator. This book could connect to students who have been adopted, have a physical disability, have a dog best friend, or love art.
December 31, 2024
I often like the characters of Gary Paulsen's novels, and it was the case with this one as well. What I like about his characters is they have feelings but the writing is not overly melodramatic. It tells you the sadness and love and other feelings people have with calmness. It's as if we're listening to someone tell a story - some parts feel round-about, but you feel patient because you know it's this person's way of telling a story.
January 13, 2022
This is possibly the best Gary Paulsen book I've read so far. Although it is considered a middle school-level book, I think teens and adults will like it too. It's about love, community, art, disabilities, and much more. I think it would make a good all-class read book for high school English classes.
March 5, 2022
Gary Paulsen has always been one of my favorite authors since I learned to read. And this book did not disappoint. I'm not an artist or anything near, but It gave even me a different point of view on art. This book needs to be read by everyone and will definitely be a book I come back read time and time again. Amazing work.
May 10, 2024
I love Gary Paulsen’s books that are kind of deep like this. I had been learning about the Vietnam War and remembered this book and pulled it out to reread. I loved that the girl ended up being adopted by people who treated her well. I loved the monument they end up with. And I love the writing style.
February 19, 2021
I like the book overall it was really interesting it had different details to make it interesting and hook the reader. But there were a lot of characters and it kind of made it confusing and hard to keep up with it. The book was kind of sad because the girl didn't think she would get adopted.
January 18, 2022
An endearing tale about how a sometimes-troubled artist came to town to create a commissioned war monument, and through his art and methods guided the townspeople to the perfect memorial for their community.
March 28, 2022
Gary Paulsen is a wonderful young person writer. I adore this book. It's about art and seeing things/people for who they are. It's about a deeper meaning. Have your children read it or, better yet, read it to them.
July 20, 2018
An artist invited to a rural community to create a memorial for their dead, inspires a young female artist and changes the town for the better.
September 4, 2020
Paulson is one of my favorite authors and this one did not disappoint!
August 2, 2021
I've read worse books
October 2, 2022
As in the authors note at the end—something of beauty (art) can come from the ultimate filth of war. And interesting story set in Kansas.
April 19, 2023
This is an awesome story of broken crippled people being transformed and healed through the work of a broken artist. I love Paulsen's stories and this is one of his best.
July 3, 2023
Actually had me in tears 5*.
A very special book. Should have won the Newbery.
A very special book. Should have won the Newbery.
September 22, 2023
Excellent characters, as always, but the story felt incomplete.
December 28, 2023
Gary Paulsen is a fantastic writer. No arguments allowed.
February 21, 2024
Wonderful book. This was a short read and well worth it!
April 2, 2025
Not as good or as memorable as some of Paulsen's other works. However, for younger students who are interested in war stories--this might be a good fit.
May 17, 2025
Spectacular. Maybe I'm slow, because some teen fiction feels deeper and more substantive than much adult fiction I read... At least the teen fiction by Gary Paulsen and Betsy Byars... And Katherine Patterson.
This book is about art, and simple towns that are trying to get over the trauma of young sons killed in war. And beauty, of course (all Gary Paulsen books are about beauty).
This book is about art, and simple towns that are trying to get over the trauma of young sons killed in war. And beauty, of course (all Gary Paulsen books are about beauty).
April 9, 2017
I really like this book. I love the way that Rachael is inspired by Mick to be an artist and I love the whole plot of the book. This is yet another book that Gary Paulson has blown me away with!
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