Lockdown

by Diane Tullson

Some days it's just easier not to go to school at all. Adam has been slacking off lately, but today he stuck around to see his girlfriend. When Josh, who has been bullied mercilessly, brings a gun to school, the building is locked down and Adam is forced to risk everything to save himself and to find Zoe before Josh does. Calling on reserves he didn't know he had, Adam could end up a hero—or a victim.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, High School, Canada, School

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Diane Tullson is a professional writer. She has published several books for young adults and written for magazines such as Canadian Living and Westworld. She has an MFA in Creative Writing, BA in English Literature, and has studied journalism and editing. Diane Tullson lives with her family near Vancouver, BC.

Reviews

[Whitney]

Lockdown. the author is daine tullson. Its about kids at school, chase , josh , zoe ,mr.connors, adam, natalie. it all started in a class room with a hamster. josh took care of the hamster even tho it wasnt his. it was a class pet. he takes it home over the breaks . so its pretty much his pet. The hamster was a girl and it was having babies . the teacher left the room so everyone got up at went to look . natalie spoiled rooten gets what she wants. but she couldnt see the hamster so she started having a fit so she could go up and see the hamster and the babies. chase is really into zoe . so he tries as hard as he can to date her. chase and zoe are the kind of people that sneek out of school and go hangout. it was lunch time and chanse wanted to leave. and so he asked zoe as they walk back to her locker. then the alarms went off someone was in the school with a gun.but chase still wanted to leave so they started walking down the stairs to leave. but all the doors were locked and the stairs were filled with people. as people run to open doors to get in the class room to be safe. so chase zoe adam and natalie rushed to a room and right then the person right before natalie closes the door on them. and no doors were open for them to get into. so they had to run into a bathroom. they went to a boys bathroom. with only ONE stal. and there were 4 people trying to stand on one toliet seat. the shooter was shooting all the way down the hall. and it stops . and then natalie's cellphone goes off . and everyone else gets mad. and then they hear the door open. the shooter found them...they know who the shooter is...

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

my students should read this

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down was very good

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personally I love books that are related to teens in High School. The reason behind that is because of how I can relate to the books. The emotions and the judgement that go around. In this book I can relate to different characters and their personalities at different parts of the book. I can relate to Adam the most, I am aware of others and their feelings and actions. Throughout the book Adam has shown great courage and strength, along with Zoe.

The book Lockdown is about Adam and his experience through a traumatic school shooting. The shooter is an old friend of Adams, Josh. Josh and Adam were friends last year but this year they were mutual. In the class they shared, Science, Josh would take care of the class pet, a hamster, and when the hamster had babies Josh was informing to his peers that it was crucial that they don’t touch, lift, or shake the cage and nest. But some students did not listen, especially Mike. Mike would mess with Josh by picking up the cage and shake it, stick his finger and move the nest the mother built, and then make funnot the hamster when it ate its baby because it felt that the environment was unsafe. Along with that Josh was made fun of a lot and called weird and kids would make fun of him to his face and Josh would get upset.
Until one normal day when the lockdown alarm was sounded. Just another drill, right? Thought Josh and tried to skip class with Zoe, wrong.

The attitude of Adam relates to me (I think), he doesn’t really find lots of school classes intriguing, he is always using his head, he pays attention to lots of details, and he hates running. One thing that doesn’t match up is his courage. The way he took charge to protect him and Zoe, to try and find Joshand stop him. I could not have done that. When my school was put on lockdown because a sub entered the panic code I was frozen in the cafeteria, my brother had to pull me up and run me out of the school, he was my Adam.

[Julien Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

People should really watch what they say. Especially when it comes to animals that Josh loves. Fellow students in class make fun of a hamster. The hamster was loved by a lot of kids in the class, but mainly by Josh. The class making fun of the hamster has made Josh extremely upset. Upset to the point where Josh decides to turn his regular high school into Columbine. He brings a gun to school and decides to shoot up anybody in his sight. In the end, Josh is taking down by the police after lunging for the policeman’s gun during a showdown.

[Gael Napoles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lockdown was a short book that had multiple main characters such as Josh, Adam, Zoe, and Mr. Connor who are well developed throughout the story. This book is important as it touches on a sensitive topic for many especially living in the United States and often hearing about school shootings. I believe that this book also brings awareness to the concept of bullying and not knowing the struggles others may be going through.

[Kez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good, but so very short. The characters were well developed and the writing and plot flowed easily, but for such intense subject matter, it was jarring to finish so quickly and frustrating because it left several huge questions unanswered.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super-quick, no nonsense, intense thriller of the real-life sense. You could probably call it a novella. It is a fine read for a bit of deep thinking it might leave you by the final page as well.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow, this was a short one.

Also not a particularly believable story. The main character gets out of his hiding place because he thinks he can talk down the shooter....like I said not believable.

The description of the terror in the school as the shots are fired is very good and I felt chills.

[Sharyn Neighbors · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's very short so it's hard to get emotionally attached. It's also unrealistic the way the characters act and react. It was a fast read and highlights a very real and scary issue within the United States, but falls short of leaving any real impact.

[Rj · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had a very strong plot to it. The characters were described well, the area it happened in was great, and the ending was really heart warming.

[Jan Dercon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of kids should read this, what 'small' stuff can lead up to..
Nice but sad read.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was amazing but they did so many things you aren't supposed to do. Bad example to kids on what to do in a school shooting scenario.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

quite a good read, very quick and interesting

[alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

02/09/2009 Lockdown by Diane Tullson. This book is about a student who is a geek through out his high school. Everybody makes fun of him. Then one day people tick him off by messing with the hamster an she ate her babies. The next week the lockdown bell came on and people thought that it was onother drill, but it wasn't.
People started to run crazy, trmpleing over people, hitting, trying to leave as they hear the fun shots come closer and closer. Josh the shooter wasn't shooting people, he was shooting at things. He was trying to tell people that one person can only take so much. He was trying to make an example of what would happen.




02/10/2009 level one: What does Josh wear?
Josh wears a blue shirt with a pocket, blue jeans, and boots.

What is Josh like at school?
Josh is the "geeky" type at school. Only a handfull of friends.

Does Josh have any friends?
Josh has a couple of friends. Only in the "geeky" crowd.

Level two:
Why is that Josh gets picked on all the time?
Josh gets picked on all the time because he doesn't stand up for him self.

Why does he let the bullying happen for a long period of time?
I think that Josh lets the bullying go on because he is a friad to stand up for himself. Retaleate.

Level three:
How can you tell Josh has taken so much from being bullied and why?
The way you can tell is when he blew up on his classmates when they messed with the hamster. One day he can't take it no more and he brought a gun to school. Shooting at things, trying to make an example of what really would happen if they messed with the wrong person.

[Kristian]

this book is about a kid named josh and he is a good normal kid. living his life but he is very sensitive. one day some people where picking on him and he was going crazy his hamster had fainted because everyone was huddling around it. next morning everyone is in class on time except for josh. theres a alarm ringing and everyone thinks its just a drill but then some one anonces that this is no drill everyone remain in your classes there is a real kid with a gun in the school. adam and zoe hide in the bathroom. the gun man comes in. adam looks at him and relizes that it is JOSH! and he sees zoe and adam so he just shoots out the ights and runs. next adam and zoe leave to become the heros of the school. they find josh holding a gun up to mr toppets head. adam runs to stop him and tackles him on the floor the gun flys out of his hands adam picks it up and then the cops come. seeing the gun in adams hands they assume that he is the killer. but he is not. mr toppet explains it but once adam hands over the gun josh jumps and reaches for it. right after that the cops ope fire at him. there josh is dead on the floor. mr topett is not ok and has suffered a little injery now he goes and runs with adam instead of adam going to gym class.
i cant really connect this book to my life because i never had a kid in my school start a shooting. or i never have witnissed one.
i give this book 5 stars because it a very short book but every page is filled up with so much detail. i reccomend this book to anyone who is in for a good book.

[Jeremiah Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lockdown by Diane Tullson a fiction thriller was a great book. The book starts out as a boy who goes to this school who starts to develop feelings for another girl at the school. He is planning on making a move when all of a sudden the lockdown alarm begins to go off. Everybody in the hallway begins to think it is just a drill so the continue sitting until a teacher comes out yelling it is not a drill. Everybody was confused. Then sure enough gunshots are fired inside the school. Students are beginning to be locked out of the classes not having anywhere to go. The main characters then go into the bathroom to hide. While the students are hiding in the bathroom they begin to hear the shots get closer and closer. The door then begins to open, the students are standing on and in the toilet, then the shooter opens the door. One of the students makes direct eye contact saying,"Please don't shoot." The shooter begins to laugh. But one of the students recognized him and was one of the only kids that was somewhat nice to him. Then the students close their eyes hoping nothing will happen, they watch his finger slowly pull the trigger, then he shoots and it bursts the light, the bullet then ricocheted off the light and grazed a student in the head. The shooter left and the students hugged each other not knowing what to do. Read the rest to find out.
During the reading I was freaking out and could not stop reading, especially when they walk in the bathroom. If you're interested in thrillers I suggest you read this book.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

"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.

[Tyree]

The book Lockdown by Diane Tullson is about a boy name Josh who is a Hamster boy in school.m Lots of people in school mess with the pet Hamster which stays at school, to get on Josh's nerves. This pattern has been going on for about 1 year now. And finally, Josh does something about it. It's not a regular thing people do to handle bullying issues. he locks down the school and shoots at people. Even though he didnt kill anyone, he injured the principal and a girl he has been crossing on.
One internal conflict that Josh has is, should I risk my life and kill people just because they are hurting the Hamster, or should he deal with the situation a different way? He pick the hard way. I believe he picked the hard way because, people in his class thinks that he is a punk. So all he wants to do is stick up for himself and his consacience.
I recommend this book to people who have been bullied alot and never taken serious. I recommend this book to people like that because, even though the problem might be little, things can escualte and turn into stupid stuff.
I give this book a 5 because, it was very detailed. And because I can connect to this book because I have a hamster that my brother and sister always mess with to get on my nerves. And this book taught me that as little as a insult is, things can get out of control.

[Victoria Waddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

“’That’s the thing, Zoe. I’m not a hero. But I can’t keep living with my head in the sand.’

“She said, ‘Why now?’

“I look at her. ‘Why now what?’

“She studies my face as if she’s looking at me for the first time. ‘Why now, Adam? Why step up now, when there’s everything at stake?’

. . . “I rest my cheek against Zoe’s hair and answer. ‘Maybe I’m stepping up because now everything is at stake.”

When Zoe and Adam realize that the lockdown at their school is not a drill, it’s too late. They are locked outside of the classrooms, and the shooter is making his way through the halls. But Adam knows the shooter, Josh. In fact, he’s the only person at the school who has ever been decent to Josh. Does Adam have the courage to face him?

High School Housekeeping: Lockdown is part of the Orca Soundings series for struggling teen readers.The Lexile level is 550--somewhere in the 4th to 5th grade reading range. It's a good read, and I recommend it for those who are working to improve their reading skills.

NOTE: This review is also posted on my blog School Library Lady.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Coming it at just over one hundred pages, Lockdown by Diane Tullson tells the story of Josh, a shy kid who is often bullied and Adam, a kid in Josh's science class who has interacted with Josh during previous classes. The story is told from Adam's perspective and it also includes his best friend and crush Zoe.

The book features no character development, other than what the reader gets to know about the characters in the first two or so chapters. This made it extremely difficult to care about what was happening to the characters and for me that ruined the story. If the story was longer and had more character development it might have been a decent read, but due to the shortness and lack of character development, I was just left reading a very short and generic school shooting story. I would recommend to people who are trying to get their children engaged with reading or those who are still working on learning to read at a late middle school or high school level.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could have been great. It involves bullying, which leads to a school shooting. It is only 103 pages long, which doesn't leave a lot of room for character development and building of tension. The circumstances that lead up to the character bringing a gun to school and opening fire are not believable based on the one scenario discussed in the book. The author references that this boy has been tormented because he is different, but based on the little facts that I have I find it hard to believe he would shoot at the school. This book could have had more to the story - could have been longer than one day. It would have made it a better read and would have made it make more sense. I do like that the main character had some empathy for the shooter and saw his hurt, and wanted to try to stop him to make sense of the situation.

[Leah Wosje · Rating 5 out of 5]

To start off, this book was a great read! You will get to know certain high school characters and their roles in the shooting. The characters are very easy to relate to which kept the story intersting. The author explains how two characters skip class and walk around the school and eventually find cool "hiding places" for when they want to ditch class. This ended up being a major factor for the end of the book. I like how everything ending up related to eachother. The thing I liked most about the book was that you know who the shooter is in the beginning of the books, but you don't know their motives until the end! Overall, this book was very interesting! I probably could have read it in one sitting! I would recommend this book for at least 16 and above because of how graphic and quite frightening this novel was. It will make you feel like you are right in the middle of it all!

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about a school shooting. This book took place in California. It was not based on a real school shooting. This book was about a boy named Alan, a 10th grader who wanted to be brave and stop his friend Josh from shooting up the school. Alans main external conflict was to stop his friend Josh and worry about himself at the same time because he didnt want to get shot.
A connection i can make with Alan is that i remember being brave about things. For example telling the truth or confessing about something. Alan had to be brave telling his friend to stop.
I give this book a 5 out of 5. This book had action, mystery and suspence. I reccommend this book to anyone who likes those genres in a book.

[Xiao Wen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Josh has some types of mental problems because no matter what happen, he should not take the gun and scare the whole school, especially in the book, his classmates are just frignten his hamsters. I think that Adam is brave and timid in some ways because when he hides in the bathroom, he said he can convince Josh to stop hurting people, but after he steps out of the bathroom, he wants to get back in, and then he hides in a darker place. I think the guy that lockdown the door and not let Adam, Zoe, Natalie, and other poeple get into the classroom is so selfish because if Adam did not push him, he can not get into the classroom, but he lock Adam outside while Josh is not there.

[Wan Yu( Stephanie) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Josh got assigned to take care of the little hamster, and he really cared about his job. He takes it seriously, therefore he doesnt allow the hamster had a chance to get hurt. Until the hamster got pregnant and ready to give birth to a little hamster. After the hamster was born, the whole class is getting excited and try to touch/observe it. people tried to hurt the hamster therefore Josh got mad angry and brings a gun to school and try to shot the one who is hurting the hamster. I think that's wrong, because no matter what people did to you, you should not kill people, stop being violent.

[Andie Miller1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Lockdown by Diane Tullson is a very interesting novel therefore I recommend it. I liked this book because when you get into the action you can't put it down! This book is a very suspenseful once you get to about page 32. The conflict in the novel Lockdown is that there is a shooter in the school. There are a couple kids that don't take this lockdown seriously because they think it's a drill, but it's not ! All the doors in the school close and lock, they are stuck in the halls alone with the shooter.

[Heather Christenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super quick read...like an hour and half maybe. Written at a really low reading level which is great for struggling readers. The subject matter and action described in this book makes it really only suitable for high school age or older. The author did a good job of engaging her reader in this suspensful book about a school shooting while at the same time addressing issues of bullying, gossip, and disrespect that are ever prevelant in our high schools today.

[Austin Hulsing]

this book i really liked because of the fact that it has a very good story line. I think this book was really interesting. i think it was a inspirational story about what can happen when someone brings a gun to school and if they do it tells you how students cope with that experience that they have to live with the rest of there lives. I like how Adam takes charge to try to save Zoe and the others when josh brings a gun into the school. 1/9/13

[Jamie]

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 book is about the strategies he takes, as well as his thoughts and feelings. I loved this book even though it was really sad. I think everyone should read it.