Lockdown

Reese is sent to Progress--a glorified name for a juvie hall--when he's busted for selling prescription pads to a dealer. But, Reese is a kid who knows that he wants a better life for himself and his little sister Icy. Conflicted between standing up for fellow inmate Toon or turning his head the other way, which will ensure Reese an early release for good behavior, Reese finds answers is the most unlikely person--an elderly man he takes care of on his work days at an old folks home. Armed with the knowledge that there's no one right answer in life to set you on the path to freedom, all he can do is his best. But is it enough to break the cycle of crime that surrounds him? -- Reviewed by Kerry O'Malley Cerra

As far as Reese is concerned, Progress Center is just a fancy name for juvie jail, and he's been there long enough to know. He was found guilty of stealing prescription pads from a doctor and selling them to a drug dealer. It wasn't easy to stay out of trouble on the street, and it's not much easier inside, either. The only person Reese trusts at Progress Center is Play. Diego, Leon, and Toon may hang with him, but they have their own agendas. It doesn't take long to find out the new guy they call King Kong is bad news, too. When he's not in school with the other guys or getting his quarters ready for inspection, Reese is part of a new work program. He is cuffed and transported to a local nursing home where he helps out with cleaning and interacting with one of the residents. Mr. Hooft, a scrawny old guy in his seventies, calls Reese a criminal, and whenever he gets a chance he tells people he's a murderer. Despite his gruff exterior, Mr. Hooft shares his life story and offers Reese some life-changing advice. Reese experiences several setbacks when he punches the new guy for picking on Toon, and when detectives haul him in for questioning on additional charges they hope to pin on him, which would add years to his lockup time. His only motivation is a little sister named Icy, whose faith in Reese never wavers. True to his hard-hitting, gritty style, Walter Dean Myers gives his readers an inside look into juvenile detention. He reinforces the cold, hard facts of life that in the neighborhoods create the tough situations that tempt kids like Reese and lead to a life of crime. He doesn't sugarcoat life inside the detention center. Readers see it for what it is and the destructive atmosphere that often hardens kids like Reese instead of rehabilitating them. LOCKDOWN is an honest look at a side of life that might change the choices of some young readers. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"