Lockdown

As a high school reading specialist, I have read MOST (30+) of the Orca Soundings books. This is in the top 5. Exciting. Suspenseful. Most students would be able to visualize a situation like this happening, so it's one that they can make a personal connection with. I enjoyed it, and I think it lends itself to class discussions of bullying, acceptance of differences in peers, and empathy.

"Ms. Topett turns to the class. Her voice shakes. 'Sometimes this happens in nature. Sometimes, if conditions are harsh, like there isn't enough food.'" Students in the science class are still groaning as they react to the hamster eating her own young. But Josh knows it wasn't just nature, it was the cruel behavior of his fellow classmates. Josh is not like everyone else. He dresses differently. He doesn't interact well with others. He stutters and is often the butt of cruel jokes. Maybe that's why he runs from the classroom that morning and makes the decisions that lead to tragedy. Adam tells the story of what happened that day. He believes he knows the real Josh, and unlike his classmates, he tries to make a difference. When it becomes obvious that Josh is the gunman terrorizing the school, Adam chooses a path of positive action to avoid disaster. LOCKDOWN focuses on an all-too-common situation in today's schools. School shootings are often the result of bullying and teasing. Josh is pushed beyond his limits and decides violence is the answer. This short novel (103 pages) highlights this problem in current society. Although the plot is simple, readers are taken into a frightening situation in enough depth to make it a worthwhile read. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"