Kate Messner's book Breakout is a middle-grade-appropriate (5th - 8th grade) book about a prison breakout. It is written in the texts, newspaper articles, letters, and time capsule project artifacts from the point of view of three girls in town -- Nora, the daughter of the superintendent of the prison; Lizzie, her BFF; and Elidee, who just moved to town and whose brother is in the prison. Elidee has just discovered poetry and is practicing writing poetry in the style of other poets she admires like Lin Manuel Miranda, Jacqueline Woodson, Nikki Grimes, Nikki Giovanni, and William Carlos Williams.
Elidee writes about being new to town in a place where there are few African Americans, moving at the end of the school year, and how the move has changed her home life. Elidee is homesick for New York City after moving to Wolf Creek in upstate New York. Nora writes news stories about the breakout and changes in town traditions due to added security. Nora's little brother writes comics about how he's going to catch the escaped prisoners to help himself feel safe, and to feel better about his campout birthday party that had to be moved indoors. Lizzie writes about how the breakout is affecting her family and creates parody comedy pieces about the news coverage as national news outlets are in town covering the story. All three girls are also preparing for a mile race at the end of the school year where the winner gets to hit the principal with water balloons.
Kirkus calls it, "A sensitive coming-of-age tale about waking up to injustice and where that knowledge can lead." The different formats of the story made the book a fast read, and I enjoyed hearing the girls' distinct voices as the town dealt with the added stress of the search on the community.
No comments:
Post a Comment