Breakout

Breakout

Juvenile fiction
"Dear Future Wolf Creek Residents,
BREAKING NEWS: TWO INMATES BROKE OUT OF DAD'S PRISON OVERNIGHT!!!
Seriously! Lizzie and I were working on our newspaper last night, and
we went to bed at around ten. Then at eight this morning, the
doorbell rang, and it was a state trooper who told mom about the
breakout. Mom already knew, though, because I guess Dad got a phone
call at five this morning, when they were discovered missing, so he
had to go to work then."
In early June Wolf Creek is a sleepy little town where a red hot
controversy is which brand of hot dogs should be grilled at the 4th of
July cookout. School is winding down. Students, including chums Nora
and Lizzie, are eagerly awaiting the middle school field day. The
winners of the mad mile race will get to throw water balloons at the
principal.
The escape of the two dangerous convicts is a game changer.
Suddenly police are everywhere. Doors are locked. Cars are routinely
searched. Frightened parents keep kids inside when they aren't in
school where there are police officers to protect them. Helicoptors
are heard overhead. Reporters from major media outlets fly into town.
Can life ever go back to normal?
Kate Messner, author of Breakout, explains that, although the
story is fictional, it was based on a real life experience. In June
2015 her small town was caught up in a hunt for two escaped
criminals. For three weeks there were over a thousand law enforcement
people searching. Helicoptors flew overhead. Road blocks stopped
cars for inspection. Recreation trips were cancelled. People felt
less safe.
Although she was frightened herself, Messner was also curious.
For a week she interviewed people. "...We all react differently to
fear, so situations like this can bring out the best and the worst in
people. They can make us turn to one another, or turn against one
another. When we truly listen, we learn that no two people see any
situation in exactly the same way, and yet we can almost always find
common ground. These were the ideas I wanted to explore in Breakout."
Race enters the picture through the character of Elidee, a new
black middle school student. She and her mother have moved from New
York to be closer to her brother who is in prison. Through her eyes
readers see a whole different side to an insular "nice" small town.
At the end of the book there is an extensive list of books about race
in America ranging from picture to YA.
The format of Breakout is particularly appealing. A compilation
of documents gathered by Nora for a town time capsule, it contains
letters, text conversations, photographs, recipes, poetry, posters,
cartoons...just about anything you can imagine. It will be especially
appealing to people who are intimidated by text alone reads.
On a personal note, well, we're coming up on an anniversary soon.
This blog will be eight years old July 10. July 10, 2011 I started
off with an introduction. The first actual book I reviewed was
Cinderella Ate My Daughter. My silent partner in this enterprise has
been my faithful reading buddy, Joey cat.
Great big shouts go out to you, my readers, and the best little cat in
the world.
jules hathaway


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