Meyers, W.D.(2010). Lockdown. New York: Amistad/HarperCollins Publishers
Book Summary
Reese, an African American teenage boy, is serving time in a juvenile facility called progress for stealing prescription pads. Reese hopes for a better future for himself and his young sister Icy. He struggles to keep his record clean in jail in order to get an early release. He is constantly faced with random violence from fellow inmates. It is not easy for Reese to do stay out of trouble but he tries hard. He is torn between staying out of trouble and stepping in to protect Toon, another juvenile inmate, from being beaten. His home life is no better. His mother is a drug addict, his brother is an up and coming criminal, and his father is abusive. Reese ends up in several fights and is sent to detention. When he finally gets out of the juvenile facility he has to stay determined to do the right thing and ensure that his sister gets a better life.
My Impression
The story is fast paced. The language is simple. The characters use some profanity. The author makes the prison setting more realistic by using this kind of dialogue. The problems and struggles encountered by inmates in a juvenile facility are clearly revealed. There is bullying among the inmates with the weak being victimized, the guards are mean and tough with the prisoners and Reese is trying his best to do the right thing. Most teenagers can identify with struggles the struggles that Reese is going through, though not necessarily in prison setting. These include making the right choices in their lives, surviving after a bad decision, a dysfunctional family, and deciding what they want to achieve in life.This book would be choice for reluctant readers in middle school. The language is a little harsh for younger kids.
Reviews
School Library Journal
( September 01, 2010 ; 1-4407-8448-5 )
Gr 8-11-Reese Anderson, 14, is serving three years at Progress Center for stealing prescription pads for a neighborhood drug dealer in Walter Dean Myers's realistic, moving novel (Amistad, 2010). The teen focuses on keeping his nose clean so he can get out early and be there for his younger sister. But the detention system is like a "basket of crabs"-when one tries to get out, the others pull him back in. Reese's desire to stay out of trouble conflicts with his instinct to defend a younger inmate. His record of fighting threatens his involvement in a work release program at Evergreen, an elder care facility where he is assigned to Mr. Hooft. The older man doesn't like "colored people" or criminals, so he is wary of Reese. Over time, though, they begin to trust each other as Mr. Hooft opens up about his experiences in the Dutch East Indies during World War II. Meanwhile, Reese is implicated in a drug overdose linked back to those prescription pads, and he faces up to 20 years in jail. The teen's future is uncertain, but he wants to choose a better path for himself. J. D. Jackson convincingly captures Reese's combination of bravado, frustration, and fear. Supporting characters are all compellingly portrayed, from menacing Progress guards to ethnically diverse inmates. Jackson's rendition of Mr. Hooft is a standout. Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
( September 01, 2010 ; 1-4407-8448-5 )
Gr 8-11-Reese Anderson, 14, is serving three years at Progress Center for stealing prescription pads for a neighborhood drug dealer in Walter Dean Myers's realistic, moving novel (Amistad, 2010). The teen focuses on keeping his nose clean so he can get out early and be there for his younger sister. But the detention system is like a "basket of crabs"-when one tries to get out, the others pull him back in. Reese's desire to stay out of trouble conflicts with his instinct to defend a younger inmate. His record of fighting threatens his involvement in a work release program at Evergreen, an elder care facility where he is assigned to Mr. Hooft. The older man doesn't like "colored people" or criminals, so he is wary of Reese. Over time, though, they begin to trust each other as Mr. Hooft opens up about his experiences in the Dutch East Indies during World War II. Meanwhile, Reese is implicated in a drug overdose linked back to those prescription pads, and he faces up to 20 years in jail. The teen's future is uncertain, but he wants to choose a better path for himself. J. D. Jackson convincingly captures Reese's combination of bravado, frustration, and fear. Supporting characters are all compellingly portrayed, from menacing Progress guards to ethnically diverse inmates. Jackson's rendition of Mr. Hooft is a standout. Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist
( December 01, 2009 ; 0-06-121481-7 )
Myers takes readers inside the walls of a juvenile corrections facility in this gritty novel. Fourteen-year-old Reese is in the second year of his sentence for stealing prescription pads and selling them to a neighborhood dealer. He fears that his life is headed in a direction that will inevitably lead him upstate, to the kind of prison you don't leave. His determination to claw his way out of the downward spiral is tested when he stands up to defend a weaker boy, and the resulting recriminations only seem to reinforce the impossibility of escaping a hopeless future. Reese's first-person narration rings with authenticity as he confronts the limits of his ability to describe his feelings, struggling to maintain faith in himself; Myers' storytelling skills ensure that the messages he offers are never heavy-handed. The question of how to escape the cycle of violence and crime plaguing inner-city youth is treated with a resolution that suggests hope, but doesn't guarantee it. A thoughtful book that could resonate with teens on a dangerous path.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2009 Booklist
( December 01, 2009 ; 0-06-121481-7 )
Myers takes readers inside the walls of a juvenile corrections facility in this gritty novel. Fourteen-year-old Reese is in the second year of his sentence for stealing prescription pads and selling them to a neighborhood dealer. He fears that his life is headed in a direction that will inevitably lead him upstate, to the kind of prison you don't leave. His determination to claw his way out of the downward spiral is tested when he stands up to defend a weaker boy, and the resulting recriminations only seem to reinforce the impossibility of escaping a hopeless future. Reese's first-person narration rings with authenticity as he confronts the limits of his ability to describe his feelings, struggling to maintain faith in himself; Myers' storytelling skills ensure that the messages he offers are never heavy-handed. The question of how to escape the cycle of violence and crime plaguing inner-city youth is treated with a resolution that suggests hope, but doesn't guarantee it. A thoughtful book that could resonate with teens on a dangerous path.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2009 Booklist
Use in a Library Setting
Use the title as a point of reference and ask kids to discuss how juvenile detention is likely to affect Reese in the long term. Are there any positive outcomes for Reese from this experience? Are there any negative implications for Reese from this experience?
Use the book in a book talk for middle school kids. Include books by Myers such as Monster and books about inner city kids, urban life and juvenile detention.
References:
Book image from Barnes and Noble at: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Lockdown/Walter-Dean-Myers/e/9780061968549/?itm=1&USRI=lockdown