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Lockdown

3.63 of 5 stars 3.63 · rating details · 812 ratings · 197 reviews

When I first got to Progress, it freaked me out to be locked in a room and unable to get out. But after a while, when you got to thinking about it, you knew nobody could get in, either.

It seems as if the only progress that's going on at Progress juvenile facility is moving from juvy jail to real jail. Reese wants out early, but is he supposed to just sit back and let his f...more

Hardcover, 256 pages

Published February 1st 2010 by Harper Collins

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2010 YA novels (part 1)

72nd out of 127 books — 298 voters

Walter Dean Myers

19th out of 70 books — 19 voters

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Jan 16, 2012 Phoebe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-lit

Quick read, but has some language. Story of a 15 year old boy who is in jail for stealing a drug prescription pad and trying to figure out how to straighten out his life when he gets out.

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Apr 02, 2013 David Perilo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: award-winning-picture-books, childrens-lit-2013

Audience: I feel that this book is more appropriate for 6th grade and higher. Even though it’s an easy read the profanity used within it may not be suitable for younger children. I also think the lessons in the book would be helpful for children 6th grade and higher for they are beginning to grow up and may at some point get into a situation such as Reese's; hopefully not.

Appeal: When I was in 6th grade and higher I liked books like this. The book is troublesome but also shows you what you don’t...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Bagayoloswagfish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lockdown. Walter Dean Meyrs. New York: HarperCollins: 2010. 247pp

This would would the second book that I read from Walter Dean Myers and it was an excellent book. The main character is Reese, he is a teenager in juvenile jail. Reese had committed the crime of stealing prescription pads from a doctor office to later sell them to a drug dealer. Sentenced to 32 months in progress Reese had to face multiple obstacles to no get in trouble. He was given multiple opportunities to make himself a better...more

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Feb 15, 2013 NebraskaIcebergs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lockdown is my sixth book by Walter Dean Myers. Unlike some of my earlier selections, Lockdown is written in straightforward prose instead of an alternate format such as script or verse. In being about a teenager who is locked up in a juvenile detention facility, Lockdown also makes my third book by Myers which focuses exclusively on street youth. Each new reading selection has heightened my respect for Myers as an author; Lockdown is no exception.

For those who are sheltered from the street life...more Lockdown is my sixth book by Walter Dean Myers. Unlike some of my earlier selections, Lockdown is written in straightforward prose instead of an alternate format such as script or verse. In being about a teenager who is locked up in a juvenile detention facility, Lockdown also makes my third book by Myers which focuses exclusively on street youth. Each new reading selection has heightened my respect for Myers as an author; Lockdown is no exception.

For those who are sheltered from the street life that led fourteen-year-old Reese to a juvenile detention facility, Lockdown provides insight into his mind and should provide you with empathy for youth like him. At first I struggled to relate to Reese, who starts out being willing to fight anyone in Progress, the institution where he serves time. Never having been in a fight, my first reaction in a conflict has never been to use my fists. Thus, because all Reese must do to receive an early parole is keep himself clean, my initial reaction was: Why doesn’t Reese just walk away from fights? How hard can that be? True, sometimes Reese got into fights to protect a friend. Does that mean Reese is noble and just, and so has an excuse for his actions? Actually, no. In reality, Reese threw a punch because someone ridiculed or threatened him. As I read more of Lockdown, and of Reese’s conflicted thoughts about his fighting, I started thinking about issues that many Americans face. For example, how many times have you promised yourself to diet? Then something goes wrong and you console yourself with ice-cream? If that happens too many times the pounds will keep adding up, but it’s hard to remember or care about that when you’re in the depths of despair. Or how many times have you promised yourself to budget? Then you see something on sale that you must have. You tell yourself, just this one time, and before you know it your money is gone again. The same is true about Reese and fights. He intends to resist, but situations reel him in and sink him. Other times he finds himself instinctively decking a combatant, the way you might duck if a baseball flew at your head. I love this line in Lockdown: “…. he said the streets were like quicksand covered with whipped cream. You knew when they were slowing your ass down, but it always came as a surprise when you got sucked under.” In other words, walking away from fights is as tough for Reese as sticking to diets and budgets are for others.

For those who are acquainted with the life that led Reese to a juvenile detention facility, Lockdown serves a cautionary tale of hope. Verbal abuse and physical threats from his peers assault Reese on a daily basis. At least once a week, innocuous activities such as playing basketball, hanging out with a friend, or voicing his opinion run him the risk of being beaten up. After one fight, Reese is sent to detention in a small locked room for five days. Adults warn Reese that if he continues to mess up, he could end up sentenced to years, not days or even months, in an adult prison. When Reese is offered payment as part of a work program, the checks pay for his transportation to the job, phone calls he makes to his family, and other similar expenses. In other words, nothing ever really belongs to him. Speaking of that job, some of the seniors whom Reese meets at the retirement home become suddenly protective of their possessions when Reese passes their room. Suspicious glances are part of Reese’s lot in life now that he is a criminal. One of the most compelling scenes involves a police investigation in the course of which Reese is told to plea bargain or face life in prison. How did this investigation come about? Reese had been involved with a drug dealer who ended up murdering someone. Why did the police pick up Reese? Basically, once labeled as a criminal, one will always be viewed as a criminal—even if one’s only crime was stealing prescription pads to make ends meet. In this case the police were willing to implicate anyone involved with the dealer, in their quest for justice. Reese even hits a point where he wonders if life outside of prison will be better for him. If all that awaits him outside are gangs and violence, how is he better off staying clean? Yet if he stays in prison, he could end up dead too. If ever a book could convince youth to stay on the straight and narrow, Lockdown is it.

Each consecutive book I read by Myers becomes my new favorite. Lockdown currently appeals to me the most because it offers more solutions and hope than the others I have read. In counseling sessions, Reese is told that fighting for whatever reason will land him in more trouble. Therefore, he needs to figure out better ways to deal with conflicts. One of the dilemmas he faces is that others who have less hope of ever leaving will attempt to derail him. He needs to have strategies to deal with these moments of crisis. A gentleman he meets at the senior home where he works is one of the caring adults who helps him figure out those fall back plans. When up for early parole, Reese offers various reasons why the board should listen to them. Among his reasons are his siblings. When Reese is released from Progress, his plan is to act as a role model to his brother by staying in school. He also intends to find a job so that he can support his sister through college. With these ambitions, and because of the adults who are his support system, one feels hopeful that Reese will overcome the street life.(less)

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Jan 24, 2013 Benjamin Y rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was pretty good and it was interesting. I got to see a little part of the life of a criminal and juvenile detention. It was about this boy named Resse who went to a juvenile detention named Progress for doing a crime. Other people there were rough and tough and bullied the weaker people. They beat up this boy named Toon, and Resse stood up for Toon who was too weak to protect himself. He beat up the bullies and got more time in the place. He also went to an old senior center to do com...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Jorge Villagomez rated it 4 of 5 stars

The main character Reese is a 16 year old boy who is serving over 2 years in Juvie for robbing medication pads. The second important character is Toon he is a small kid that Reese likes in someway. Toon reminds Reese of himself. A third important character of this book is Icy and she is Reese's little sister. She wants her brother to be good and they both love each other. In the book Lockdown Reese goes to jail for robbery. He has a part time job at a old people home he helps feed them and clean...more

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Jan 09, 2013 07NinaH Hawkes added it

Book review as Argument: Putting the “Lockdown” on trial.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a desire to prove that the book “Lockdown” is a definitely a book to keep you wanting to read it, and keep your interested through the whole book. Although it was more of an adult book, it was book that could easily relate to some kids, or even help kids learn about reality, and how cruel it can be out in the real world. It teaches you how life can be if you put yourself in a bad position, and have...more Book review as Argument: Putting the “Lockdown” on trial.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a desire to prove that the book “Lockdown” is a definitely a book to keep you wanting to read it, and keep your interested through the whole book. Although it was more of an adult book, it was book that could easily relate to some kids, or even help kids learn about reality, and how cruel it can be out in the real world. It teaches you how life can be if you put yourself in a bad position, and have to pay the price of the action. Besides it being a lesson to learn, it also lets you know that not everybody that’s kept up in jail is not always a bad person. Most of them do have a caring heart, and don’t just worry about themselves. Along with lessons of reality it teaches, it also has a down fall on how rude someone people can be, and how many people get bad impressions because of the choices they have made.

Throughout the whole story, there was barely any problems at all. All the important and interesting details overlooked all of the little problems. Which brings us to the good quality stuff.
In the book “Lockdown”, it lets people any reader know how cruel and rude it can be in the world, and how it can be if you decide to make bad decisions. In the book, it gives the perspective of a young boy who has gotten himself in trouble, and only wants to get out and do better in his life. Out of the many things that happen, almost all of them teaches a lesson, and makes it so you learn something new.

If you've ever made a poor or bad decision, you know that there is a consequence for it. This story easily tells how hard life can be if you put yourself in the position to be horribly punished. Besides letting you know how it can be, it gives people a warning about it. Mostly to younger children who are just barely learning. So they can be warned of the atrocious consequences that you could end living with. Mostly anybody wouldn't want to live that type of life. So of course learning about it before hand can be very helpful. Which is why this book does a fabulous job on letting people know how it can be. Almost everyone can relate to wanting to be unencumbered and not have to worry about being locked up.

Along with how horrible the consequences can be, it also involves people that are going to treat you like you are nothing to them. But that doesn't mean that everyone in the similar position should be treated like that. Some do make a mistake and end up feeling awful for it, and want to do better. On the other hand, there are people who will continue to do what they've done wrong, and won't even give it a second thought. They will even sometimes be gasconading about it. and In Lockdown, there is people who are exactly like that. There are the people who actually want to do better. Like Resse. But then there's the others that don't even care about what they've done. Like "king kong" or Diego. People like them deserve to be in the situation they are in. The kind of people that can "beat people to a pulp!" or "shank someone dead." At other times, there are people who deserve better then how they are treated. Just how Resse is treated. But he lets everyone know that they won't affect him. Everyone wants to show a certain up at a certain. And in this book, Resse easily tells how you can get the stamina to do that.

With the halfway innocent people that are in the situations they have put themselves in, they sometimes have something encouraging them to do better with themselves. Resse has his little sister that is making him want to be a better person. He even says himself, "I will do everything I can to help icy go to college." That's proving that he has something in his life that makes him want to get out of the situation, and do something for someone else. This story indicates that if you have done wrong, and want to do better, finding something to help encourage will help you get yourself on the right track in your life. Not everyone that has been locked up is a horrible person who only cares about themselves. Some of them are magnanimous and do have a caring heart, and want to help someone else do better then what they could do. Which is what Resse did. He wouldn't exactly be the most excellent role model, but he definitely preaches the importance of making up for what you've done wrong.

Another great part of this story is that it teaches you that there is always going to be against you. There may be even more then one person against you. An excellent quality this book teaches that even when you have people ganging up on you, or even trying to bring you down about yourself, you always have to learn to look past those people, and try and do they will. Just to prove that you can do better then what they tried to make you think of yourself. The feeling of getting past someone that is trying to bring you down is a feeling that almost everyone enjoys feeling. This book will teach anybody that reads that of someone is trying to bring you down, just try your hardest to look past them and do better then what they can.

When it mentions how it can relate to some children, it's meaning that children that have already been through the real world, can easily relate to know how Resse is treated in the book. For example, the antagonist Mr. Pugh, liked to show how he felt towards Resse. You wont find many people like Mr. Pugh. Is more idiosyncratic then most people, and keeps to himself and feels a certain way towards everyone. For example, "he smacked me so hard across the face. Case closed." That shows that if you're locked up, people will think nothing of you, and treat you like your garbage. And some children, or even adults, can relate to how that can be.

As much as it is relatable and a lesson to learn from, it's all enough to keep you interested, and want you to keep more to see what happens next. That's always what makes a great book. Every reader wants to have a book in their hand that will keep making them want to read on. That is exactly what this book does. In the end of every chapter, it ends with a sentence that always wants to keep you reading on to the next chapter. When it says , "I'm going to work on keeping myself correct so I can take care of her." that's showing a great example of just one sentence that wants you to know the next part. Having a book like that is always what a good reader wants to read. If that's the kind of reader you are, them Lockdown is the book for you!

But just like everything else in life, you can't have the good without the bad. Meaning that even for how great of a book this was, it still had its downfalls. They didn't any big impact on the whole story, but they were still there to have negative feedback. In most books you notice that some stuff may be overdone, or even way exaggerated. That's completely normal In a book. But sometimes it can be taken too far, and never lose your attention for a short bit. In the story, some little parts do get taken to far, and make you think that it's worse then it actually is. Or even think of the person as more of a horrible person then they really are. Once in a while that can get old, but not everything always has to be perfect.

Now we've all heard some swearing in our lives. Some people find it to make a sentence or phrase even more exciting. And other people look at it like, "they just swore! You shouldn't do that!" But in some people's opinion, that's over reacting. And in most cases, it is. But in this story, they used a few "naughty" words here and there. Sure it made some parts more funny and more entertaining, but at other times it was used when it wasn't needed. When someone is trying to get their point across to someone in a very strong verbal way, most people will result to swearing. Mostly because it comes off as Intimidating, or even frightening. In the book, any character that did swear, used it in a way to show an angrily affection towards someone. Which is okay in some parts. But in other parts of the story it wasn't used as properly as it could of been.

Overall, it's believed to be that I have proven my desire to show that this is a book to keep you reading on, a relatable story, and a lesson to learn. A book usually takes quite a few qualities to make it an enjoying and interesting book to read. This book did not take as many qualities to make this story a great book, but when you have a tremendously entertaining and encouraging book like this, it doesn't take much else to make it a great story to read. It wasn't your original mythical or fantasy story with the slaying killer dragons, or the wizards with all the powers in world that takes life to a whole new level! No, it wasn't that. It was story about reality. People probably prefer a fascinating or mythical story, but it never hurts to read a book about the real world.(less)

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Nov 28, 2012 Briannadevonne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lockdown tells the story of fourteen year old Reese who is locked up in a juvenile detention facility for stealing a prescription pad and selling it to a neighborhood drug dealer. Readers will find themselves emotionally connected with Reese. Reese faces many hardships while he's in juvy such as violence, unfairness, and barbarism. Myers description of the prison system through Reese's character is mind-blowing. The details Walter Myers uses in Lockdown is amazing. While I was reading this book...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Chloe Sanders rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: eng-356-5-8-2012

I really enjoyed this book! The story of Reese was something I could relate to on multiple levels. I got into some trouble as a teen and have a best friend who went to prison for selling illegal substances. This book made me realize how sometimes getting into trouble often makes us a stronger individual; how your eyes are opened by the trials that we are faced with. The story was really great because this kid Reese gets into trouble for selling a prescription note pad to a drug dealer, and when...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-literature

Audience: Readability 3rd grade, content definitely late middle school or high school. This book would connect with students that are on the edge of the law, those students that feel like they are not understood by society, or students that have been involved previously with illegal activities. I think the author purposefully wrote this book at a very low level, but the content has many adult themes and vulgar language that would appeal to much older students. So this would fit with a high inter...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Jane added it

Shelves: middle-school-multicultural

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Jan 04, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: younger-readers

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Sep 19, 2011 Jara added it

It seems as though the more books I read, the more interesting they become. Previous books that I've read were interesting, but after reading "LockDown" by Walter Dean Myers, it sparked my attention that to me, was really enticing, and made me to a point, not wanting to put the book down for an instant or stop reading at all because that's just how interesting the book became as I started reading it. To me, "LockDown" by Walter Dean Myers was an inspirational story that motivates young adolescen...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

Teenage Reese, serving time at a juvenile detention facility, gets a lesson in making it through hard times from an unlikely friend with a harrowing past.

I was actually pretty surprised at this book. Having missed (to my embarrassment) Myers' other acclaimed teen books, I didn't know what to expect when I picked this one, but I anticipated lots of teen angst and platitudes about life on the streets. What I got instead was an in-depth, honest, open story about one kid trying to put his life toget...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Suzanne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: peach-consideration

Perhaps more of a 2.75--how's that for hedging? The story is fairly obvious, no surprises, could be construed as didactic, but wouldn't it make sense for a juvie-based novel to have a message: don't do crimes and don't end up in jail? Well, this one has that message, and it's a good one, but I wish the characters beyond the protagonist had interested me a bit more. On the other hand, it's a pretty good pick for reluctant readers who will be interested in the day-to-day of life and fights inside...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Eileen Corbett rated it 3 of 5 stars

Maurice 'Reese' Anderson is a 14 year old boy that is currently being held in an institution for juvenile delinquents called Progress. Reese was convicted of stealing prescription pads from a local clinic and selling them to known drug dealers. The book describes prison life and the relationships that develop in prison. Reese's character is revealed when he stands up for a younger, vulnerable inmate, Toon and through his love for his younger sister, Icy. Reese is chosen to participate in a work...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Karen Ball rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-challenge

Reese is 14 and in the second year of his sentence at the Progress juvenile detention center. He was arrested and convicted for stealing a doctor's prescription pads, and selling them to a drug dealer. If he behaves and follows all the rules, he might be able to get out early, especially if he gets good reports from his work assignment at a nearby nursing home. If he can't manage that, he'll get sent "upstate" and the prison there is far worse, with much less chance of getting out alive. Reese i...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Patrick O'Neil rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ok, what's going on here? I'm reading another YA (Young Adult) novel. I must be insane. Or, I like to torture myself with mediocrity. Or, I'm gonna write one of these bad boys myself when I get totally sick of the "Literature Lite" that the YA genre is, and I need to know the what and how of the genre in order to not do it like it's already been done (of course, then it'd never get published as YA. Or, what's probably more the case is it's my book and it'd never get published anyway because I su...more

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Feb 24, 2011 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reese Anderson is locked in juvie, and just wants to get by. They call the place Progress, but neither the officials nor the inmates seem concerned with making any. Reese is part of a pilot work-release program that allows inmates to do public service, he works in a home for the elderly. For him it’s a few hours away from the joint, worth even the handcuffs and humiliating body searches he has to put up with every time he returns. Inside Progress the word fair does not exist. When Reese witnesse...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Diane Ferbrache rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I always read Myers' books and always buy them for my high school library. This one is not his best, but should appeal to teen boys. It's the story of Reese, who's stupid mistake has landed him in Progress -- a juvenile detention facility. Here he is given the opportunity to turn his life around or take the path so many young African-American boys seem to take -- from petty crimes to an endless cycle of violence and then prison. There are some stereotypical characters here, but Myers' purpose se...more

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Nov 14, 2010 Lars Guthrie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Start your story with a fourteen-year-old boy. He’s African-American. His father is not always around, and is abusive when he is. His mother is an addict. Most of the kids he knows are thugs.

He’s doing time for stealing a doctor’s prescription pad. Locked up in a dirty, tough New York juvenile facility, ironically named the Progress Center, he’s trying to walk a thin line between maintaining some dignity and staying meek enough to earn his release.

The story has to be in first person. It has to...more Start your story with a fourteen-year-old boy. He’s African-American. His father is not always around, and is abusive when he is. His mother is an addict. Most of the kids he knows are thugs.

He’s doing time for stealing a doctor’s prescription pad. Locked up in a dirty, tough New York juvenile facility, ironically named the Progress Center, he’s trying to walk a thin line between maintaining some dignity and staying meek enough to earn his release.

The story has to be in first person. It has to be straightforward and plainspoken. No riots or gangbanging. The only death caused by old age, and perhaps heartbreak. The voice has to be true, but also accessible, without relying on hip-hop slang or any other form of time-dated urban cultural baggage.

The boy has to be a good kid.

Those are not the broadest of parameters. Walter Dean Myers, author of the simple, gripping ‘Lockdown,’ makes it look like he’s got all the room in the world, and gets his reader rooting for Maurice ‘Reese’ Anderson, who desperately wants to be a good person leading a rewarding life.

Reese immediately shows his character when a twelve-year-old Progress inmate, the vulnerable Toon, is jumped. Trying to ignore Toon’s cuts and bruises—‘I couldn’t stand up for him and risk getting disciplined’—doesn’t work, and soon Reese is involved. Getting noticed by guards and administrators could mean the end of his work program, helping out at an old people’s home.

At Evergreen, Reese’s compassion is again demonstrated as he puts up with the bigoted remarks of the lonely Mr. Hooft, and eventually forms a friendship with him.

Reese’s humanity is especially evident in his relationship with his little sister, Icy, the protective way he treats her, his desire to preserve her sense of hope, wonder and naiveté.

His connections to others, Reese realizes, are what give him identity and strength, and enable him to negotiate the mean hallways of Progress with a chance to get out and not come back, or worse, move upstate to a real jail.

‘Being alive wasn’t just about breathing and whatnot,’ Reese says. ‘It was like you could look around and somebody else would notice that you were alive.’

Readers of ‘Lockdown’ will notice that Reese is vibrantly and emphatically alive, and will be captivated by his struggle to have that mean something in a society that doesn’t give him much help.

Short and easy to read. Highly recommended for sixth graders on up.(less)

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Oct 18, 2010 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I saw this on the National Book Award finalist list for 2010, I thought - "Another Walter Dean Myers book?" Yawn. However, this book was a pleasant surprise. Myers is controversial. Some have criticized his work for perpetuating stereotypes - here is another book about a black teen who is incarcerated and, through his period of imprisonment, he learns to turn his life around. Myers defends his work by saying that he calls it as he sees it. This is, in fact, the reality for many inner city b...more When I saw this on the National Book Award finalist list for 2010, I thought - "Another Walter Dean Myers book?" Yawn. However, this book was a pleasant surprise. Myers is controversial. Some have criticized his work for perpetuating stereotypes - here is another book about a black teen who is incarcerated and, through his period of imprisonment, he learns to turn his life around. Myers defends his work by saying that he calls it as he sees it. This is, in fact, the reality for many inner city black youth. What makes this book stand out, however, is that it really provides insight into what the life of some black male teens might be like and how difficult it is to break out of the cycle of fighting battles with your fists, crime, failure in the educational setting, and on and on. On the flip side, it does offer HOPE. It is definitely a book that provides both windows and mirrors. It would be an awesome choice for male reluctant readers. Those who are turned on to reading through books like "Tyrell" and "The Juvie Three" would enjoy this piece of urban fiction.

Maurice Anderson (Reese) has been incarcerated in a juvenile detention facility called "Progress" for stealing prescription drug pads from a doctor's office for a drug dealer. At Progress he is surrounded by other young males who have committed crimes of their own and are used to scoping out the defenseless and attacking them to establish their power. They deal with conflict through insults and physical violence. Maurice, who has been doing relatively well at Progress is chosen to be a part of a trial work program. He is sent to Evergreen, a senior citizen home, where he is assigned to care for Mr. Hooft. The two slowly build a relationship and learn to see past their prejudices, and to see the truth in each other. On his journey to turn his life around, Reese takes steps both forward and backward. He learns through his mistakes. At the end, we are left hopeful that he will be able to return to his old world (which has not changed) yet make new, positive choices for himself.

There is lots of material here that would be good for discussion - what leads to a smart basically good kid making bad choices?, how do we deal with conflict and setback?, what is the value of education?, what is the role of the parent in a teen's life?, what is the importance of role models and a caring adult in each teen's life?, does the juvenile justice system succeed in rehabilitating criminals?, and on and on."Lockdown" is a short, fast, easy read. Myers deals with a gritty subject without having to use obscenities, graphic sex scenes, and portraying underage drug and alcohol abuse.

Recommended, but worthy of the National Book Award? No.

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Jun 02, 2010 Mohamed added it

In the book Lockdown, by Walter Dean Myers, a young man named Reese needs to spend two and a half years in a juvenile detention center, for selling blank prescription pads which he stole from a doctor’s office. The book is told from his point of view, and I can really see that Reese is a good person, who just made a mistake in his past.

While reading this book, I thought about how a lot of people are refused jobs because they spent some time in jail. In my opinion, spending time in jail makes up...more In the book Lockdown, by Walter Dean Myers, a young man named Reese needs to spend two and a half years in a juvenile detention center, for selling blank prescription pads which he stole from a doctor’s office. The book is told from his point of view, and I can really see that Reese is a good person, who just made a mistake in his past.

While reading this book, I thought about how a lot of people are refused jobs because they spent some time in jail. In my opinion, spending time in jail makes up for your mistake, and it should also clear your history of the crime you did that got you in jail. Just because someone made a bad decision, it doesn’t make them a bad person. A lot of good people who just made stupid mistakes have to regret that decision for the rest of their lives, when it probably only took them five minutes to commit the crime.

I still think that anyone who does something wrong should be punished. I just don’t think that they should be punished for the rest of their lives, if it was only a small crime. If someone killed another person, then they deserve to be punished for the rest of their lives. Something like fighting someone or stealing can be forgiven after a while, but when you kill someone, there’s no coming back from that.

I also believe that everyone deserves a second chance. In the book, Reese is allowed to work ten days a month in a work-release program. Reese proved that he deserved a second chance by behaving in a good way while he was doing his time. Although Reese is a good kid, he is always standing up for this kid that everyone calls Toon. Toon can’t stand up for himself, and Reese got into a couple of fights just to protect Toon. I think Reese does this because he is a good person. He just let someone who did nothing get jumped and maybe even killed and watch.

Although Reese struggled with his behavior problems because he got into fights to stand up for Toon, he was still in the work-release program. Reese was yelled at and warned that if he messed up again, he will be taken out of the program. Reese got into another fight, but still wasn't taken out of the work-release program. I think that Reese got multiple chances because he's a good person inside. Good people are always rewarded with good things, and Reese not being taken out of the program is a perfect example.

In conclusion, I believe that not just because someone made a bad decision, it makes them a bad person. Everybody makes mistakes, even good people.
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Mar 03, 2010 Additeenlibrarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Walter Dean Myers has spent a lot of time with teenagers, inside and outside of juvenile detention centers, and it shows. This book about 14-year-old Reese in juvie lockup is not full of perfect happy endings and miracle cures. Reese isn't a bad guy, though he was born into bad circumstances and has made a bad decision (yes, he's in juvie because he's guilty). It's easy to get dragged down to the level of the most hopeless in juvenile detention and on the streets. Working at a home for the elder...more

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Feb 27, 2010 Ms. B rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

They call it the Progress Center, but 14-year-old Reese isn’t sure he’s making any inside the juvenile detention hall. Locked up for stealing a doctor’s prescription pads, he’s been given the chance to prove himself through a work-release program. Now he helps take care of the residents at an old folks’ home a couple days a week and spends the rest of his time trying to stay out of trouble at Progress.

With fellow inmates always looking for a fight and the threat of new charges being brought agai...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Josiah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't have any direct firsthand experience of what it would be like to make a mistake serious enough to land myself in the confines of prison, but Walter Dean Myers does a really good job in this book of bringing home the distressing realities of such a horrible situation.

Reese is only fourteen years old, about to turn fifteen, but he's already been incarcerated in juvenile prison for more than two years when the book opens. Reese comes from a poor neighborhood full of dysfunctional families...more I don't have any direct firsthand experience of what it would be like to make a mistake serious enough to land myself in the confines of prison, but Walter Dean Myers does a really good job in this book of bringing home the distressing realities of such a horrible situation.

Reese is only fourteen years old, about to turn fifteen, but he's already been incarcerated in juvenile prison for more than two years when the book opens. Reese comes from a poor neighborhood full of dysfunctional families that have a hard time getting along in life. His father had been physically abusive before he ran out on his wife and kids, and Reese's mother is a full-blown drug addict, seeming to care less for the well-being of her kids than she does about feeding her habit. She's certainly not all bad, but she's hardly capable of being a strong central leadership figure in their family. Reese punches his ticket to juvie prison when he steals a pad of official doctor's prescriptions on behalf of a drug dealer in the neighborhood; Reese gets away with the heist at first, but soon enough lands behind bars when the dealer gets nabbed by the police and begins naming names.

Over the course of his time at the Progress juvenile correctional facility, Reese has carried himself well and caused no trouble, and the fact that his crime was a non-violent one is also a major factor in the extra trust that he begins to earn at the prison. He's even allowed to start doing some part-time work at a nursing home in the community, in conjunction with a newly instituted work program to let prisoners slowly become reacquainted with the outside world before being permanently released. If Reese can show himself to be trustworthy and adaptable in doing some basic work in the outside world, then it should be of significant help to his cause when his case comes up for early release before the Progress board.

Things aren't that simple for Reese, though. The projected "lifers" at the Progress facility don't especially want to see him succeed in making a new life for himself, and they often do their best to try to force him into situations that will require him to fight, and thereby sully the positive reputation that he has worked so hard to earn at Progress. Sometimes it's possible for Reese to just walk away from these confrontations unscathed, but at other times he has to defend himself, and the deck is stacked against him in more ways than one. Most of the prison guards don't care that Reese might be justified in using physical force to defend himself or another prisoner; they look on the inmates as if they've been stripped of all their personal rights, as if it no longer even matters whether or not they're treated fairly. It's really awful to see, because these teenagers are in enough trouble already without the justice system working against them, too. If the people assigned by the courts to uphold the law within prison don't care about sorting out right from wrong, and legal from illegal, then why should the prisoners think that the law is ever going to work in their favor, even if they do get the opportunity to turn their lives around and start heading down a better path?

Reese's story is a compelling one. He has a nine-year-old sister at home that he wants to take care of, to make sure that the bright future she imagines for herself doesn't get clogged up or bogged down in the kinds of things that have blocked Reese's vision of a good future for himself. He also has an older brother, Willis, who is starting to get into some really serious trouble, and is close to getting put away in prison, himself, in the very near future. The terrible fear and lack of freedom in prison, painted with such chokingly realistic description all throughout the book, are things that Reese is desperate to get away from, and he doesn't want to see his own flesh and blood end up trapped behind these uncaring bars. There's little that he can do from the inside, though, but work on obtaining his own release and setting up an exit strategy that might give him a shot at succeeding once he steps out those prison doors and finds himself free for the first time in years.

Lockdown is a very realistic, strikingly honest novel that deals unflinchingly with issues that most writers never address. Walter Dean Myers never sugarcoats the prison experience or makes it sound as if inmates will have learned their lesson once they're sprung. He gets down to the nitty-gritty, acknowledging that most people who walk out those doors to taste freedom will one day be back in chains again, because their life outside of jail is still the same, only it has become even worse because now they have the stigma of a criminal conviction hanging like an albatross around their neck. It's really, really hard to change your future when no one else will acknowledge who you are or who you wish to be, when all you've become to a skeptical outside world is the digits that made up your prison ID number.

I would recommend this book as eye-opening literature for any reader, though the language might be seen as too salty for the comfort of many (myself included). Walter Dean Myers is just as good a writer today as he was twenty-five years ago, and Lockdown is as relevant and important a piece of literature as he has ever produced, in my opinion. I would consider giving it three and a half stars. (less)

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Aug 24, 2011 Kalonji rated it 4 of 5 stars

When he is not in trouble, Reese is allowed to work at a nearby senior home where he is given the job of helping Mr. Hooft, a bed-ridden old man who'd rather be anywhere other than a home waited on by a black teenager. Over time the two share their stories and become friends. Mr. Hooft was also in prison as a child, in his case a Japanese prison where all Europeans living in Shanghai were sent after the invasion of China during World War II. Reese has few people in his life who are on his side....more

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Jun 29, 2010 J rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: high-school-fiction, realistic-fiction

Reese Anderson is a young black man from Harlem spending time in juvenile detention for a non-violent crime, but his sense of morality keeps getting him into trouble. He's one who has a chance to get out of jail, but he can't be a silent spectator to the abuse of a small, weak inmate, so every time he comes to the rescue he digs himself a deeper hole. His only relief is a work release program at a nursing home, where he helps care for an elderly patient who has seen some tough times himself. Can...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Stevecrandell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, grades-7-10, teens-in-trouble-boys

Another story of the ghetto, and once again Myers makes the message unique, personal and gripping. The gangs and drugs are more of an offscreen reference this time around - the fuel for all the trouble 14-year-old Reese makes for himself. He's caught in a robbery, and sent to a juvenile detention center.

There's a strong emphasis on rehab, but it's still jail, with its own rules of survival. In order to protect himself and his sense of what's right, Reese feels he has to fight. Every flare-up pu...more

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Dec 05, 2011 Erin Forson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Lockdown
by Walter Dean Myers
What some people don't realize is that once you get "in the system," it's nearly impossible to escape it. Reese knows this. In fact, he knows that once a person is in the system for a crime, chances are they'll committ even worse crimes inside. Why? Not because they want to, but you have to survive, that's why; life in juvie isn't easy. Reese isn't in for a violent crime, but now, all he knows is violence. He's literally busting heads to protect himself. And yet, all...more

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About Walter Dean Myers

pseudonyms:
Stacie Williams
Stacie Johnson

Walter Dean Myers was born on August 12, 1937 in Martinsburg, West Virginia but moved to Harlem with his foster parents at age three. He was brought up and went to public school there. He attended Stuyvesant High School until the age of seventeen when he joined the army.

After serving four years in the army, he worked at various jobs and earned a BA from Empi...more

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Quotes from Lockdown

“Each time I think there is no place lower to go, I find that there is at least one place that will mess you up worse than you were.” — 16 people liked it

“Everything in life is made up...You make up that you are happy. You make up that you are sad. You make up that you are in love. If you don't make up your own life, who's going to make it up for you? It's bad enough when you die and everybody can make up their own stories about you.

—Mr. Hooft” — 6 people liked it

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