Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers is the Coretta Scott King Award winning book I chose to read. The first thing that caught my attention about this book is that it is written by Walter Dean Myers, the author of Monster. I read Monster a few years ago in a desperate pursuit for a novel that might appeal to low-level boys in one of the English classes I was teaching at the time. I found great success with this novel due to the fact that it was written in the form of a screen play and it was written in a language that these particular students could understand and even relate to.
While Lockdown was a very enjoyable read for many reasons, its intensity level was nowhere near that of Monster. I do still think that it would be a good book to read in class for boys because the main character is a boy and readers are able to see inside his thoughts and analyze the changes he goes through as a teenager who is on the brink of going down the wrong path.
This type of the story is always one of my favorites because it tells how an underdog can overcome the circumstances he is placed in and rise above them to become a better person. This book addresses diversity because it shows life from several different perspectives. Reese is able to explain those perspectives in a surprisingly honest way considering his age; however, his experiences in life have challenged him in ways that force him to grow up quick. Reese is able to show the reader what is it life growing up around crime, gangs, and questionable situations. The foil of his character is seen in the elderly people at the nursing home and how they challenge him to keep his composure in order to avoid going to prison.
I would definitely recommend this book to all young adults. No matter where you're from or who you hang around with, there is something to be learned about overcoming the odds in this book.
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