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Breakout
Nora Tucker is looking forward to summer vacation in Wolf Creek--two months of swimming, popsicles, and brushing up on her journalism skills for the school paper. But when two inmates break out of the town's maximum security prison, everything changes. Doors are locked, helicopters fly over the woods, and police patrol the school grounds. Worst of all, everyone is on edge, and fear brings out the worst in some people Nora has known her whole life. Even if the inmates are caught, she worries that home might never feel the same.
Told in letters, poems, text messages, news stories, and comics--a series of documents Nora collects for the Wolf Creek Community Time Capsule Project.
Told in letters, poems, text messages, news stories, and comics--a series of documents Nora collects for the Wolf Creek Community Time Capsule Project.
433 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2018
440 people are currently reading
4826 people want to read
About the author
Kate Messner
132 books1,666 followersKate Messner is an award-winning author, TED 2012 speaker, and former middle school English teacher. Her books for kids include THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.,SUGAR AND ICE, and EYE OF THE STORM (Walker/Bloomsbury Dec. 2010) the MARTY MCGUIRE series (Scholastic), SEA MONSTER'S FIRST DAY, and OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW (Chronicle, Books). Kate also wrote SPITFIRE and CHAMPLAIN AND THE SILENT ONE, both Lake Champlain historical novels published by North Country Books.
Kate lives with her family on Lake Champlain, where she loves to read, write, hike, swing on birch trees, and eat chocolate. She also hangs out in various places online.
Visit Kate's website: http://www.katemessner.com
Find Kate on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/KateMessner
...or follow her on Twitter - @katemessner
Kate lives with her family on Lake Champlain, where she loves to read, write, hike, swing on birch trees, and eat chocolate. She also hangs out in various places online.
Visit Kate's website: http://www.katemessner.com
Find Kate on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/KateMessner
...or follow her on Twitter - @katemessner
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 732 reviews
February 16, 2018
Engaging and thought provoking. One of my favorite Kate Messner books, yet!
March 17, 2018
There was more to this than I expected from the teasers and knowing some of the background of the story from Kate's posts. I was drawn in by the different layers to the story, the multi-genre method of telling it, and the characters authenticity. And Messner allows the characters and circumstances to delve into deeper issues of racism and systemic oppression, in a way that is engaging and developmentally appropriate for the targeted age level, making this a must purchase for intermediate and middle grades classrooms and libraries.
April 8, 2018
I just finished Breakout and I hardly know what to say except please do yourself a favor and read it! I’ve been a fan of Kate Messner’s books for years but this is by far her best and perhaps most important work yet. I thought I was going to be reading a book based on the true story of a prison breakout that happened near my home, which had me intrigued from the start. But the book also takes on the issue of white privilege in the context of a rural north country town where most kids have no idea what it really means. The epistolary style makes it so engaging and accessible for the middle school audience. Honestly, it’s a very rare author who truly writes appropriately for middle schoolers (many books are either slightly too mature or too goofy), and so far I have yet to read a book that quite takes this perspective. Many excellent books have been written about race and class and privilege, but I sometimes have trouble getting my white students to read them because they take place in urban settings or for whatever reason they feel they can’t relate. The combination of black and white middle schoolers as narrators and the rural north country setting will hopefully make this book more accessible to those who think racism is a problem they have in cities or in the south, but “not in my hometown.” I cannot wait to share this with my own middle schoolers and hear the conversations that follow. Oh, and did I mention this book also includes references to some of my favorite poets AND makes a strong case for documenting sources and avoiding plagiarism? A librarian’s dream!
May 11, 2020
You know, if I had known before downloading Kate Messner's Breakout that the entire story basically just consists of multiple letters, announcements, post it notes, text messages and the like, I probably would not have even bothered (because generally, if there happens to be too much of this in a given novel, I do tend to find that majorly distracting, and since Breakout is basically ONLY this, is ONLY very short letters, text messages, inserted poetry etc., yes indeed, I have found my reading experience for the most part rather massively frustrating and annoying).
And indeed, the featured letters and text messages of Breakout, they do not really in my opinion give me as a reader enough of a portrait of any of the featured characters (and it also has taken me quite a while to be able to even distinguish Nora from Lizzie and vice versa). Also and honestly, every time I am getting a trifle closer to actually getting to know Lizzie, Nora, Elidee or their families more lastingly, another letter, recorded conversation, text or "news article" is being presented and inserted, often totally shifting focus and yes, far far too regularly actually pushing me right out of the narrative with frustrated groaning (and really, neither Elidee's poems nor Nora's brother Owen's comic book inclusions have really felt as though they are even part of the actual storyline of Breakout, have been interesting enough in and of themselves, but have to and for me generally also felt totally tacked on and distancing).
Furthermore, the oh so very much important themes in Breakout regarding buried (but rapidly coming to the surface after the prisoners have escaped) racial tensions in Wolf Creek (and really in many smaller American towns that often tend to consider themselves to be colour blind and not affected by the problems and issues of larger metropolises such as New York City) and that there is a disproportionate percentage of African American prisoners compared to Caucasian ones, in my opinion, there is so much trivial information featured in especially the letters and text messages (as well as in the announcements, the poetry inclusions and in particular in Owen's comic book artwork) that while the racial issues and tensions are of course present in Breakout, they also kind of seem of often get lost in the shuffle so to speak, they become second position and sometimes even third or fourth position instead of being what they should be, namely front and centre.
And thus, while I certainly have not found Breakout thematically inappropriate in any manner and I do find that Kate Messner raises many important questions to be considered and to be discussed, the way that Breakout has been conceptualised, the way that the story of the Wolf Creek prison break is depicted (with mostly, as already mentioned, multiple short letters and other bits and pieces of written correspondence and imagined phone conversations), this just has not at all worked for me and is the main reason why Breakout is but a two star and generally really disappointing personal reading experience (and well, the only thing that has actually saved Breakout from being a one star ranking for me is that I do find it brave of Kate Messner to even approach racial tensions in small town America and in American prisons as a theme for a middle grade novel so openly and without making excuses and indeed, that the suggestions for further reading on the final pages Breakout are certainly and most heartily much appreciated).
And indeed, the featured letters and text messages of Breakout, they do not really in my opinion give me as a reader enough of a portrait of any of the featured characters (and it also has taken me quite a while to be able to even distinguish Nora from Lizzie and vice versa). Also and honestly, every time I am getting a trifle closer to actually getting to know Lizzie, Nora, Elidee or their families more lastingly, another letter, recorded conversation, text or "news article" is being presented and inserted, often totally shifting focus and yes, far far too regularly actually pushing me right out of the narrative with frustrated groaning (and really, neither Elidee's poems nor Nora's brother Owen's comic book inclusions have really felt as though they are even part of the actual storyline of Breakout, have been interesting enough in and of themselves, but have to and for me generally also felt totally tacked on and distancing).
Furthermore, the oh so very much important themes in Breakout regarding buried (but rapidly coming to the surface after the prisoners have escaped) racial tensions in Wolf Creek (and really in many smaller American towns that often tend to consider themselves to be colour blind and not affected by the problems and issues of larger metropolises such as New York City) and that there is a disproportionate percentage of African American prisoners compared to Caucasian ones, in my opinion, there is so much trivial information featured in especially the letters and text messages (as well as in the announcements, the poetry inclusions and in particular in Owen's comic book artwork) that while the racial issues and tensions are of course present in Breakout, they also kind of seem of often get lost in the shuffle so to speak, they become second position and sometimes even third or fourth position instead of being what they should be, namely front and centre.
And thus, while I certainly have not found Breakout thematically inappropriate in any manner and I do find that Kate Messner raises many important questions to be considered and to be discussed, the way that Breakout has been conceptualised, the way that the story of the Wolf Creek prison break is depicted (with mostly, as already mentioned, multiple short letters and other bits and pieces of written correspondence and imagined phone conversations), this just has not at all worked for me and is the main reason why Breakout is but a two star and generally really disappointing personal reading experience (and well, the only thing that has actually saved Breakout from being a one star ranking for me is that I do find it brave of Kate Messner to even approach racial tensions in small town America and in American prisons as a theme for a middle grade novel so openly and without making excuses and indeed, that the suggestions for further reading on the final pages Breakout are certainly and most heartily much appreciated).
July 15, 2018
Just my opinion, and I mean no disrespect. I’m a big fan of Kate’s books and I know she worked hard on this one and did a lot of research but it just didn’t work for me. I think this would’ve worked better as narrative non-fiction or even historical fiction since the story did closely mirror the breakout event. I thought the racism pieces were very didactic and felt like a forced lesson for readers, rather than a natural unfolding of the story.
August 11, 2019
I love a good epistolary middle grade. Regarding the Fountain was one of my favorite books growing up. Despite high hopes, I didn’t have as much fun with this one.
For a book about murderers on the loose, this was boring. Messner discussed corruption in the criminal justice system, but it was so heavy-handed. She’d either have Sean use buzzwords to stress out his parents, or would have someone in Wolf Creek be racist to Elidee again. The final argument was scattered and feeble. It seemed to just be, “people and places are complicated.”
This is especially disappointing because I’ve seen a lot of middle grade do so much better (often, dare I say, better than adult fiction). Front Desk on race, class, and immigration. Nowhere Boy on refugees and Islamophobia. Ghost on race and class. My point is that books for young readers can do heavy subjects justice.
Also, I don’t usually use the word contemporary for middle grade, but Breakout is very much a contemporary. It seemed like Messner watched Hamilton then read Brown Girl Dreaming, and Breakout was the result. I cannot overemphasize the amount of Hamilton in this book. It was so much Hamilton. I’m sure many love that, but I found it really obtrusive.
I see why others would be impressed, but this wasn't for me.
For a book about murderers on the loose, this was boring. Messner discussed corruption in the criminal justice system, but it was so heavy-handed. She’d either have Sean use buzzwords to stress out his parents, or would have someone in Wolf Creek be racist to Elidee again. The final argument was scattered and feeble. It seemed to just be, “people and places are complicated.”
This is especially disappointing because I’ve seen a lot of middle grade do so much better (often, dare I say, better than adult fiction). Front Desk on race, class, and immigration. Nowhere Boy on refugees and Islamophobia. Ghost on race and class. My point is that books for young readers can do heavy subjects justice.
Also, I don’t usually use the word contemporary for middle grade, but Breakout is very much a contemporary. It seemed like Messner watched Hamilton then read Brown Girl Dreaming, and Breakout was the result. I cannot overemphasize the amount of Hamilton in this book. It was so much Hamilton. I’m sure many love that, but I found it really obtrusive.
I see why others would be impressed, but this wasn't for me.
December 6, 2017
This was one of the most captivating and brilliant books I’ve read in a long time.
March 12, 2020
I wasn't sure in the beginning or even half way through how many stars I was gonna give this. But just now after finishing it there was no doubt it deserved 5 stars.
This book was purchased by my son at his school Book Fair. He asked me to read it before he did. I've done that and I do want him to read it, but I think I'll hold onto it for when he's a little older and can fully grasp the information and history shared within it's pages.
I'm the type of person that when I come across a place, book, or idea mentioned within a book I'm not familiar with I'll look it up. There is a ton of this (at least for me there was, mostly about the stars, you'll understand once you read the book).
I feel that there topics that deserve to be thought about, processed and even talked about with others (if you so desire). The story is wrote through letters, text messages, new articles, and recorded conversations. Oh! and drawings!
I may come back after a few days and add more. Right now I want to sit on it and process...
Rating: PG -my son is 10 yr old and there are things that I as a parent would want to sit down and talk to him about prior, during and after reading this.
Language: no profanity, some "hinting" at bad words
Recommend: Yes!
This book was purchased by my son at his school Book Fair. He asked me to read it before he did. I've done that and I do want him to read it, but I think I'll hold onto it for when he's a little older and can fully grasp the information and history shared within it's pages.
I'm the type of person that when I come across a place, book, or idea mentioned within a book I'm not familiar with I'll look it up. There is a ton of this (at least for me there was, mostly about the stars, you'll understand once you read the book).
I feel that there topics that deserve to be thought about, processed and even talked about with others (if you so desire). The story is wrote through letters, text messages, new articles, and recorded conversations. Oh! and drawings!
I may come back after a few days and add more. Right now I want to sit on it and process...
Rating: PG -my son is 10 yr old and there are things that I as a parent would want to sit down and talk to him about prior, during and after reading this.
Language: no profanity, some "hinting" at bad words
Recommend: Yes!
July 23, 2018
It's two weeks before the end of school and the kids in Wolf Creek Middle School in upstate New York are looking forward to summer vacation. This year, however, they have a summer assignment to submit at least 5 items to be put into the Wolf Creek Community Time Capsule to be opened in fifty years. For best friends and lifetime residents of Wolf Creek Nora Tucker and Lizzie Bruno, the assignment is pretty interesting. Nora's father is the superintendent town's maximum security prison, and Lizzie's grandmother works in the prison kitchen.
But for Elidee Jones it's a very different story - she and her mother have just moved to Wolf Creek from New York City, a decision made when Elidee didn't get into the elite charter school she had applied to and since her brother is incarcerated in the prison, the move would make visiting him a lot easier. Nora and Lizzie are curious about Elidee, but find her to be unfriendly at first. Nora is also upset because she used to be the fastest runner in gym class, and Elidee beat her timing by 30 seconds running a mile.
But no sooner does Elidee begin school in Wolf Creek then two inmates escape from the prison and everything comes to a halt. People are told to lay low at home while an intense manhunt begins. Lizzie's grandmother is in the hospital so she's staying at Nora's and the two girls can't wait to get out of the house to find out what's happening. At home, Elidee writes letters to her brother Troy and begins to explore her own creative voice through poetry, influenced by Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, a play she saw with her NYC class just before moving.
As the days go by and the inmates aren't caught, the kids return to school and slowly Nora, Lizzie and Elidee form a tentative friendship. But the manhunt, the presence of reporters in town, the stress of thinking the two escapees might be everywhere and anywhere in or around Wolf Creek begins to crack open the friendly façade of the town's residents. Soon, Elidee is noticing racially based comments, behaviors, and microaggressions at school and in town, and experiments with recording her anger in different poetic forms. But Nora is also becoming aware that her beloved Wolf Creek isn't the warm, welcoming place she always thought it was, as she notices how people, including her mother, have an unconscious racism that makes them see Elidee not as a middle school kid, but as a racial stereotype. Thanks to her older brother, however, Nora also begins to understand some of the ways that systemic racism plays out in communities and especially disproportionate number of incarcerations of African Americans, as well as other social injustices faced by people of color in this country.
And Lizzie, well, she learns what it means to have a family member incarcerated when it comes out that the escape was an inside job.
Told through variety of methods - letters, text messages, poetry, recorded conversations, new reports, even comics, and by various people beside Nora, Lizzie and Elidee - Breakout is based on a real prison escape (and being a New Yorker, one that I remember quite well). Elidee's presence and the breakout aren't the main storyline, but really the catalyst that brings out people's true feelings about race and racial profiling. Once they see this happening, it is up to Nora and Lizzie to figure who their own authentic selves are and not Elidee's job to teach them or change them. Elidee's presence in the story is to find her own authentic voice as a poet for expressing her feelings about what she experiences.
Breakout is a fast read, but we get to know the main characters so well. I loved watching Elidee's growth as a poet, Nora growth as an empathic person (who knows what she will do with that) and Lizzie's growth as a journalist. But I really enjoyed seeing Elidee's growth as a poet. I think a lot of people don't realize that copying the style of greats artists is one way to get there. And Elidee has chosen some of the best - Langston Hughes, e.e. cummings, Jacqueline Woodson, Nikki Grimes, and of course Lin Manuel-Miranda. Interestingly, we never really discover why Elidee's brother is in prison and we don't need to know.
Breakout is a timely book and one that should be on every middle grade classroom, and every middle grade library.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
But for Elidee Jones it's a very different story - she and her mother have just moved to Wolf Creek from New York City, a decision made when Elidee didn't get into the elite charter school she had applied to and since her brother is incarcerated in the prison, the move would make visiting him a lot easier. Nora and Lizzie are curious about Elidee, but find her to be unfriendly at first. Nora is also upset because she used to be the fastest runner in gym class, and Elidee beat her timing by 30 seconds running a mile.
But no sooner does Elidee begin school in Wolf Creek then two inmates escape from the prison and everything comes to a halt. People are told to lay low at home while an intense manhunt begins. Lizzie's grandmother is in the hospital so she's staying at Nora's and the two girls can't wait to get out of the house to find out what's happening. At home, Elidee writes letters to her brother Troy and begins to explore her own creative voice through poetry, influenced by Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, a play she saw with her NYC class just before moving.
As the days go by and the inmates aren't caught, the kids return to school and slowly Nora, Lizzie and Elidee form a tentative friendship. But the manhunt, the presence of reporters in town, the stress of thinking the two escapees might be everywhere and anywhere in or around Wolf Creek begins to crack open the friendly façade of the town's residents. Soon, Elidee is noticing racially based comments, behaviors, and microaggressions at school and in town, and experiments with recording her anger in different poetic forms. But Nora is also becoming aware that her beloved Wolf Creek isn't the warm, welcoming place she always thought it was, as she notices how people, including her mother, have an unconscious racism that makes them see Elidee not as a middle school kid, but as a racial stereotype. Thanks to her older brother, however, Nora also begins to understand some of the ways that systemic racism plays out in communities and especially disproportionate number of incarcerations of African Americans, as well as other social injustices faced by people of color in this country.
And Lizzie, well, she learns what it means to have a family member incarcerated when it comes out that the escape was an inside job.
Told through variety of methods - letters, text messages, poetry, recorded conversations, new reports, even comics, and by various people beside Nora, Lizzie and Elidee - Breakout is based on a real prison escape (and being a New Yorker, one that I remember quite well). Elidee's presence and the breakout aren't the main storyline, but really the catalyst that brings out people's true feelings about race and racial profiling. Once they see this happening, it is up to Nora and Lizzie to figure who their own authentic selves are and not Elidee's job to teach them or change them. Elidee's presence in the story is to find her own authentic voice as a poet for expressing her feelings about what she experiences.
Breakout is a fast read, but we get to know the main characters so well. I loved watching Elidee's growth as a poet, Nora growth as an empathic person (who knows what she will do with that) and Lizzie's growth as a journalist. But I really enjoyed seeing Elidee's growth as a poet. I think a lot of people don't realize that copying the style of greats artists is one way to get there. And Elidee has chosen some of the best - Langston Hughes, e.e. cummings, Jacqueline Woodson, Nikki Grimes, and of course Lin Manuel-Miranda. Interestingly, we never really discover why Elidee's brother is in prison and we don't need to know.
Breakout is a timely book and one that should be on every middle grade classroom, and every middle grade library.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley
October 9, 2018
Interesting format... a collection of letters, articles, transcripts, and photos that have been compiled for a time capsule. The documents tell the story of a summer in the community of Wolf Creek when two dangerous prison inmates escape. The book attempts to touch on issues of race and stereotypes as members of the community begin to freak out over the escaped inmates. I thought Nora, the main character, forced the issue at times and that made this feel more didactic than I think it meant to be. I also thought it was too long. Some of Nora's letters were unnecessary as were some of Elidee's poetic reflections (although those were some of the best written parts of the story).
March 23, 2020
Breakout is a book about a prison breakout over summer. It is written in notes and texts and snippets of conversation.
August 19, 2020
3.5 stars. What happens when two inmates break out of a maximum security prison that employs most of a small town's citizens?
On the plus side; this story told entirely through letters, texts, poetry, comics, and news reports (mostly) from the points of view of three middle schoolers; Nora, Lizzie and Elidee, held my interest enough to keep me up late. Unfortunately the ending didn't deliver for me; it simply ended. Maybe that was Kate's intent? To write a book that leaves you pondering what you just read and questioning your own beliefs about our prison system.
On the plus side; this story told entirely through letters, texts, poetry, comics, and news reports (mostly) from the points of view of three middle schoolers; Nora, Lizzie and Elidee, held my interest enough to keep me up late. Unfortunately the ending didn't deliver for me; it simply ended. Maybe that was Kate's intent? To write a book that leaves you pondering what you just read and questioning your own beliefs about our prison system.
June 22, 2018
I REALLY wanted to like this one. I'd heard some buzz about it, I pre-ordered it from Amazon, I even got a bunch of free teacher stuff for doing that.
But UGH, the lessons we are supposed to learn from reading this book HIT. ME. OVER. THE. HEAD. Time and time again.
At times, the dialog was completely unbelievable. The characters would quote their teachers, like, "My social studies teacher said that the racial makeup of prisoners is way out of whack with the racial..." So over the top. I know for a fact that kids constantly misquote their teachers--there is no way in hell these kids got it right and then schooled their parents on everything.
It was too much. Just too much. It's a message we need to hear, but not in this way.
So disappointed.
Read the quotes I highlighted for a little taste.
But UGH, the lessons we are supposed to learn from reading this book HIT. ME. OVER. THE. HEAD. Time and time again.
At times, the dialog was completely unbelievable. The characters would quote their teachers, like, "My social studies teacher said that the racial makeup of prisoners is way out of whack with the racial..." So over the top. I know for a fact that kids constantly misquote their teachers--there is no way in hell these kids got it right and then schooled their parents on everything.
It was too much. Just too much. It's a message we need to hear, but not in this way.
So disappointed.
Read the quotes I highlighted for a little taste.
July 15, 2018
Eildeeeeeee <3 <3 <3 I loved this book from top to bottom - the multiple format telling (text messages, letters, news clippings both "real" and parody), Nora becoming woke to the harsher realities of her sleepy hometown, Lizzie's humor and techniques to improve it, and Eildee writing her way out. I also loved the way Messner included so many outward connections - Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jacqueline Woodson, Nikki Giovanni, Prohibition, Black Lives Matter, William Carlos Williams, there's so many places to go after reading this. Sent one of our fifth grade teachers to check it out ASAP!
December 24, 2018
I was so impressed with this! It’s huge but easy to read (the texts and cartoons helped it stay fast-paced) and it is a great introduction (especially for white kids) to some big ideas about injustice. Give this to your little activists and watch them fall crazy in love with this book.
April 25, 2020
Read this as part of a book club for 7th graders. Loved the message and the format of the book.
May 23, 2018
4.5 -- LOVED this story and the different pieces of writing used to tell it. This also got me down a rabbit hole researching the actual prison outbreak from 2015 and those from Alcatraz!
November 21, 2018
Breakout
by Kate Messner
“You know what I’m tired of? Living with all of these rules. I’m tired of not having freedom.”
This quote stood out to me as I read Breakout by Kate Messner. Nora Tucker and Lizzie Bruno immediately introduce Wolf Creek as a happy, friendly, and welcoming little town, but so many rules are put into place when two inmates break out of Wolf Creek Correctional Facility. Does Elidee Jones see Wolf Creek as the happy and welcoming town that everyone says it is? Nora says that she is tired of living without freedom. Do we even live with freedom in our society? What does freedom look like for everyone?
When I opened the first page of Breakout and saw the hybrid version of writing that Kate Messner chose, I was very excited to begin a different type of book than I was used to. I have read a lot of Kate Messner’s books, and I was particularly excited about this one. I found Breakout to be different from many of her books that I have read. First of all, I was not used to her writing about social issues. I have read many books that tackle social issues head-on, but this book was very different. I found it to be just addressing the issue, not giving the reader questions about how to solve it. I also found it to be very dragged out. These were some of the reasons why I would only give it two stars.
There are three main perspectives from which the book is written. Nora Tucker, who has been a resident of Wolf Creek for her whole life and is white, Lizzie Bruno, who is Nora’s best friend and also white, and Elidee Jones, who just moved to Wolf Creek, and is a person of color. These three narrators offer different perspectives, and that is something that I really enjoyed. All three protagonists chose different way to narrate the story. Elidee wrote poems and letters to her brother, Nora wrote letters for the time capsule, and Lizzie recorded conversations and wrote satire. Watching the story unfold through the lens of these three girls is something that I really appreciated about this book.
As for the plot, I found it to be pretty dragged out. The majority of the story was illustrating the town during the inmates’ escape, which got boring after a while. I wish that Kate Messner would have included more about Elidee, and the discrimination she received as a person of color in Wolf Creek’s society. Only three instances come to mind when I think about the book addressing race as a social issue. The first being when Elidee and her mom come to the ham supper, and Mrs. Jablonski dismisses their desire to help out (Messner 193-196). Another instance is when the search for the inmates is in full swing. During this time two officers see Mr. Washington (the only other person of color in Wolf Creek) running in the woods, and they immediately assume he is one of the inmates (Messner 275). The final instance is at Nora’s house, when Sean asks his dad about the racial diversity of the prison workers (Messner 77-79). Mr. Tucker gets very defensive and doesn’t answer the question directly. All three of these scenarios have the ability to propose a bigger discussion or teaching about race; however, none of them spark that conversation. That discussion and teaching is a big thing that this book lacks.
While I was hoping for a complex novel that tackled social issues head on, Breakout talked about social issues in a different way. The main critical concepts present in this book are race and the injustices of the prison. These are particularly present because of the lack of diversity in Wolf Creek, and also the bias and injustice in their legal system. The prison breakout and the evolving friendship of the three protagonists did give a unique perspective, and I loved the way that it was written. I wish that it would have challenged me to ask more questions, and teach me something new about race. All in all, I enjoyed the writing and getting to know the characters, but I was longing for a head first conversation about social issues.
by Kate Messner
“You know what I’m tired of? Living with all of these rules. I’m tired of not having freedom.”
This quote stood out to me as I read Breakout by Kate Messner. Nora Tucker and Lizzie Bruno immediately introduce Wolf Creek as a happy, friendly, and welcoming little town, but so many rules are put into place when two inmates break out of Wolf Creek Correctional Facility. Does Elidee Jones see Wolf Creek as the happy and welcoming town that everyone says it is? Nora says that she is tired of living without freedom. Do we even live with freedom in our society? What does freedom look like for everyone?
When I opened the first page of Breakout and saw the hybrid version of writing that Kate Messner chose, I was very excited to begin a different type of book than I was used to. I have read a lot of Kate Messner’s books, and I was particularly excited about this one. I found Breakout to be different from many of her books that I have read. First of all, I was not used to her writing about social issues. I have read many books that tackle social issues head-on, but this book was very different. I found it to be just addressing the issue, not giving the reader questions about how to solve it. I also found it to be very dragged out. These were some of the reasons why I would only give it two stars.
There are three main perspectives from which the book is written. Nora Tucker, who has been a resident of Wolf Creek for her whole life and is white, Lizzie Bruno, who is Nora’s best friend and also white, and Elidee Jones, who just moved to Wolf Creek, and is a person of color. These three narrators offer different perspectives, and that is something that I really enjoyed. All three protagonists chose different way to narrate the story. Elidee wrote poems and letters to her brother, Nora wrote letters for the time capsule, and Lizzie recorded conversations and wrote satire. Watching the story unfold through the lens of these three girls is something that I really appreciated about this book.
As for the plot, I found it to be pretty dragged out. The majority of the story was illustrating the town during the inmates’ escape, which got boring after a while. I wish that Kate Messner would have included more about Elidee, and the discrimination she received as a person of color in Wolf Creek’s society. Only three instances come to mind when I think about the book addressing race as a social issue. The first being when Elidee and her mom come to the ham supper, and Mrs. Jablonski dismisses their desire to help out (Messner 193-196). Another instance is when the search for the inmates is in full swing. During this time two officers see Mr. Washington (the only other person of color in Wolf Creek) running in the woods, and they immediately assume he is one of the inmates (Messner 275). The final instance is at Nora’s house, when Sean asks his dad about the racial diversity of the prison workers (Messner 77-79). Mr. Tucker gets very defensive and doesn’t answer the question directly. All three of these scenarios have the ability to propose a bigger discussion or teaching about race; however, none of them spark that conversation. That discussion and teaching is a big thing that this book lacks.
While I was hoping for a complex novel that tackled social issues head on, Breakout talked about social issues in a different way. The main critical concepts present in this book are race and the injustices of the prison. These are particularly present because of the lack of diversity in Wolf Creek, and also the bias and injustice in their legal system. The prison breakout and the evolving friendship of the three protagonists did give a unique perspective, and I loved the way that it was written. I wish that it would have challenged me to ask more questions, and teach me something new about race. All in all, I enjoyed the writing and getting to know the characters, but I was longing for a head first conversation about social issues.
April 8, 2018
I'm really looking forward to introducing my library kids & the adults in their lives to BREAKOUT. First, because it’s Kate & it’s got all the hallmarks of one of her beloved middle grade books: a North Country setting, relatable kids and families, & an accessible route into a difficult topic. On the surface, BREAKOUT is about a northern NY community affected by the escape of two inmates from the local correctional facility one summer—a thing that happened in my area in 2015. But Kate uses that setup to explore something much deeper about this rural area, a place that gets a significant amount of economic investment from hosting state prisons: systemic racism. This isn't a feel-good story about overcoming differences. BREAKOUT is told from many perspectives as a community time capsule project. Wolf Creek is small & mostly white. More black men are incarcerated in the prison than there are white people living in the town around it. We hear from Nora and Lizzie, Wolf Creek middle schoolers who are working on the project. We hear from Elidee, a black girl from New York City, who has moved upstate with her mom to be near the prison where her brother is incarcerated. Nora, Lizzie, and other Wolf Creek residents are proud of their little town & everything they take for granted about their lives. They think they’re welcoming and open-minded. They think they’re trying their best to make Elidee welcome. Meanwhile, Elidee’s entries show all the microaggressions and misconceptions she has to face every day. If that was the only way this book handled race & racism, it would be useful but not unusual. But Kate goes beyond that. She provides a model of sorts for white people having discussions about racism with each other. Elidee is specifically not the educator. She responds to questions about race & racism by suggesting that white characters do their own work to learn. This also isn't a white-person-learns-not-to-be-racist redemption arc. Nora’s brother, a college student home for the summer, gives Nora a lot of the answers & context she needs to begin to understand the injustice of mass incarceration, systemic racism, and how her own behavior is playing into stereotypes. If white people are going to change anything about racism in this country, it’ll be by getting up the courage to talk to and teach each other, not by relying on people of color to reach out and educate us. BREAKOUT gives us a way to start that conversation with our kids.
January 8, 2019
There are a lot of interesting middle grade books out there about prisons - All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook is one of them - that takes a hard look at the issue and how it affects kids. Breakout is slightly different. There is a main character, Elidee, who moves to Wolf Creek to be closer to her incarcerated older brother. But for the most part, this is a book about a small town where most of the income comes from the prison, and what happens when two inmates escape.
I've enjoyed Messner's books in the past, but I had a difficult time with this one. Maybe it's because most of the novel revolves around Nora, a blissfully unaware middle schooler whose father runs the prison. As far as Nora's concerned, racism doesn't even really exist - that is, until Elidee (who is African American) moves to town, and Nora starts noticing how differently people, including her own mother, treats her.
Some of my reservations stemmed from the mixed media aspect of this book - I don't get as emotionally attached to books told through various mediums, and that was the case here. I also felt that this was less a story about inequality and hard truths, and more about a white tween's journey to social consciousness. Both stories are valid, but I was expecting the former, not the latter.
I also found Elidee's ending problematic. Logistically, it made no sense to me. No spoilers, but I don't know if this would actually happen in real life.
If you want an introduction to Kate Messner's work, I highly recommend All the Answers or The Seventh Wish. The Seventh Wish in particular, is a gentle, yet unflinching look at family issues. For me, Breakout just didn't have the same amount of impact.
I've enjoyed Messner's books in the past, but I had a difficult time with this one. Maybe it's because most of the novel revolves around Nora, a blissfully unaware middle schooler whose father runs the prison. As far as Nora's concerned, racism doesn't even really exist - that is, until Elidee (who is African American) moves to town, and Nora starts noticing how differently people, including her own mother, treats her.
Some of my reservations stemmed from the mixed media aspect of this book - I don't get as emotionally attached to books told through various mediums, and that was the case here. I also felt that this was less a story about inequality and hard truths, and more about a white tween's journey to social consciousness. Both stories are valid, but I was expecting the former, not the latter.
I also found Elidee's ending problematic. Logistically, it made no sense to me. No spoilers, but I don't know if this would actually happen in real life.
If you want an introduction to Kate Messner's work, I highly recommend All the Answers or The Seventh Wish. The Seventh Wish in particular, is a gentle, yet unflinching look at family issues. For me, Breakout just didn't have the same amount of impact.
September 2, 2018
First, this is a fun book about a small town dealing with consuming disruption in their idyllic community, when two convicts escape from the nearby prison, AKA, the town business. The characters are strong and likable. (I do wish it had been shorter)
In a year where many books are dealing with issues of race and including Own-voices, BREAKOUT is a nice inclusion. Simply because it shows the white perspective of observing and questioning microaggressions. It may rely too much on cliches, backpacks in stores, "she's so articulate," "black-girls are aggressive," but for white readers these may have never been questioned before. Having white Nora question the way African-American Elidee is treated by people in the town felt new to the canon of kids books. I'm so happy to be increasing our school's collection of books about People of Color written by POC, but sometimes White needs to talk to White about the issues. In my over 95% white, affluent school a book like Breakout addresses the reality that most of our diverse students deal with, being the one non-white face in the room. I hope this will resonate with the 95% and be enjoyed by all. There is lots to enjoy.
In a year where many books are dealing with issues of race and including Own-voices, BREAKOUT is a nice inclusion. Simply because it shows the white perspective of observing and questioning microaggressions. It may rely too much on cliches, backpacks in stores, "she's so articulate," "black-girls are aggressive," but for white readers these may have never been questioned before. Having white Nora question the way African-American Elidee is treated by people in the town felt new to the canon of kids books. I'm so happy to be increasing our school's collection of books about People of Color written by POC, but sometimes White needs to talk to White about the issues. In my over 95% white, affluent school a book like Breakout addresses the reality that most of our diverse students deal with, being the one non-white face in the room. I hope this will resonate with the 95% and be enjoyed by all. There is lots to enjoy.
May 1, 2018
When two inmates escape from the local jail, an extended manhunt causes Nora to think twice about her small, safe and friendly town. Nora and her journalist buddy Lizzie set out to listen and report on the situation which we read about via letters, texts, and transcripts for the town time capsule. What they learn is that people are more than the choices they make. They also discover that their quiet little town was more racially biased than they imagined. Kate Messner does a brilliant job of gently weaving race into the storyline. Nora begins to look at her town through a lens of race and privilege that she didn't see before. Kate Messner leaves readers with thought-provoking questions about the choices we make and the way we view others around us.
February 9, 2019
Just finished reading this again with a 7th & 8th grade book club. Excellent material for discussions about racism and unfair assumptions, and the kids really enjoyed the unique format.
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I really enjoyed this story of what happens to a small town when two inmates from a local prison escape. Fear can help a community come together, but it can also bring out the worst in people. Told through multiple narrators' artifacts for a time capsule, this book sheds lights on important issues like systemic racism and generational prejudices. (Plus I loved all the Hamilton references!) Ages 10 and up.
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I really enjoyed this story of what happens to a small town when two inmates from a local prison escape. Fear can help a community come together, but it can also bring out the worst in people. Told through multiple narrators' artifacts for a time capsule, this book sheds lights on important issues like systemic racism and generational prejudices. (Plus I loved all the Hamilton references!) Ages 10 and up.
July 13, 2018
Lots of folks seemed to like this one but my son abandoned it very early on and I picked it up because I was curious as to why he wouldn't like it and I ended up not liking it very much either. The format of letters, post-its, drawings seems like it would be appealing to middle graders but the story was VERY slow in developing and the actual action doesn't happen until the very end, in my opinion. It was too much development of the narrators and their town when it could have been more abbreviated without losing any insights. Not a win for me.
June 24, 2018
I love a good epistolary, but I haven't come across many in the middle-grade level. This one is told 100% through letters, text messages, newspaper articles, etc. with no prose to tie them together. The letters really serve as the prose to tell the main story. This is, I think, the only downfall of the story. I'd like to have seen fewer of the letters and more narrative, but I appreciate the effort of the letters and the relevance of the text messages being included. (A pet peeve of mine is books which opt to either ignore the significance of technology in our current communications or those which use antiquated technologies to demonstrate current communication.)
This book is kind-of, sort-of loosely based on a true story - the escape of 2 inmates from Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York in 2015, not far from the author's home. I like how she takes a real-life event and makes it accessible for children. She is able to capture the irritation of all of the children who are missing out on outdoor fun as the troopers search for the escapees, and the fear of her younger brother who has trouble going to bed without all the possible hiding places being checked. Yet, she does all this is a way that isn't the kids doing all of the work and finding the bad guys and being the heroes. She also addresses some racial injustices which are often seen in a small town which is lacking diversity, and I think this is important for children to begin paying attention to, even at a young age.
Side note: I was able to attend an event where Kate Messner was promoting this book, and she's just delightful! I enjoyed hearing her tell about the process it took to write this story, especially to write from a different voice than her own. It's clear she was prepared to challenger herself, but wanted to make it as authentic as possible for her readers.
This book is kind-of, sort-of loosely based on a true story - the escape of 2 inmates from Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York in 2015, not far from the author's home. I like how she takes a real-life event and makes it accessible for children. She is able to capture the irritation of all of the children who are missing out on outdoor fun as the troopers search for the escapees, and the fear of her younger brother who has trouble going to bed without all the possible hiding places being checked. Yet, she does all this is a way that isn't the kids doing all of the work and finding the bad guys and being the heroes. She also addresses some racial injustices which are often seen in a small town which is lacking diversity, and I think this is important for children to begin paying attention to, even at a young age.
Side note: I was able to attend an event where Kate Messner was promoting this book, and she's just delightful! I enjoyed hearing her tell about the process it took to write this story, especially to write from a different voice than her own. It's clear she was prepared to challenger herself, but wanted to make it as authentic as possible for her readers.
September 26, 2018
Forget about a coming-of-age story, this was a becoming “woke” story. When you see the words “white privilege” and “racial profiling” in a middle grade book, you know that lessons are in the making. Messner presents important and provocative issues in a way that invites reflection and discussion at a level appropriate for younger readers.
When two prisoners, one black and one white, break out of the local prison, the small town of Wolf Creek shows cracks in its identity as a “friendly, welcoming” place. These cracks are captured in the documents that three sixth grade girls are preparing for a time capsule project.
Newcomer Elidee, whose brother is in the prison, experiences subtle and blatant acts of racism from all directions. Her anger and frustration spill out into poems and raps inspired by her literary heroes. Nora, daughter of the prison superintendent, finds data about the demographics of the prison population and the guards, and questions her dad about it. Comic relief comes in the form of satirical articles written by Lizzie reporting on the various aspects of the escape and manhunt.
As I read, I would be laughing out loud at Lizzie’s parodies, then hurting for Elidee at each new slight, then cringing with Nora as her eyes were opened to the racism around her.
I added an extra star for all of the Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hamilton references. Elidee’s raps, inspired by those in the Broadway show, greatly enhanced the reading experience for me.
I highly recommend this book.
When two prisoners, one black and one white, break out of the local prison, the small town of Wolf Creek shows cracks in its identity as a “friendly, welcoming” place. These cracks are captured in the documents that three sixth grade girls are preparing for a time capsule project.
Newcomer Elidee, whose brother is in the prison, experiences subtle and blatant acts of racism from all directions. Her anger and frustration spill out into poems and raps inspired by her literary heroes. Nora, daughter of the prison superintendent, finds data about the demographics of the prison population and the guards, and questions her dad about it. Comic relief comes in the form of satirical articles written by Lizzie reporting on the various aspects of the escape and manhunt.
As I read, I would be laughing out loud at Lizzie’s parodies, then hurting for Elidee at each new slight, then cringing with Nora as her eyes were opened to the racism around her.
I added an extra star for all of the Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hamilton references. Elidee’s raps, inspired by those in the Broadway show, greatly enhanced the reading experience for me.
I highly recommend this book.
December 24, 2018
Nora Tucker lives in Upstate New York in a small town called Wolf Creak. The town isn’t known for much, except for its maximum security prison that her father is the superintendent of. Summer vacation is about to begin, and Nora can’t wait for it. Things change when two inmates escape from the prison. Police and state troopers are everywhere, townspeople begin to show their true colors, and kids like Nora aren’t allowed to do much of anything anymore. Soon, Nora begins to worry that Wolf Creek may never be what it once was
I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while, and I’m so glad I finally did. The best part is the way it was written. It’s a combination of poems, news articles, recordings, text messages, and so much more. I can’t wait to use different portions as mentor texts in my classroom. Also, Nora’s character is like so many people today. She didn’t realize so much, mainly because she only knew Wolf Creek, but she eventually opened her eyes and learn from Elidee, a new girl in town. If only more people were willing.
I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while, and I’m so glad I finally did. The best part is the way it was written. It’s a combination of poems, news articles, recordings, text messages, and so much more. I can’t wait to use different portions as mentor texts in my classroom. Also, Nora’s character is like so many people today. She didn’t realize so much, mainly because she only knew Wolf Creek, but she eventually opened her eyes and learn from Elidee, a new girl in town. If only more people were willing.
September 13, 2018
“Breakout” by Kate Messner, is a very unique book compared to almost every other book. It is so special in the way it is written. Kate Messner does a great job or writing the book in the form of letters, newspapers, and poems.
There are a few main characters who the letters and poems are written by which gives the book many perspectives on the issues in it.
In the book, for the first time in history, in the town of Wolf Creek, 2 convicts have escaped from the maximum security prison leaving everyone on alert. The main character Noah Tucker, is a curious journalist who’s inquisitive personality leads her to get hooked in the search for the inmates. When a new girl arrives, people discover that her brother is in the prison and treat her poorly. Thanks to the way Kate Messner composes the book, we get to know both sides of the story and get to figure out what actually happens.
There are a few main characters who the letters and poems are written by which gives the book many perspectives on the issues in it.
In the book, for the first time in history, in the town of Wolf Creek, 2 convicts have escaped from the maximum security prison leaving everyone on alert. The main character Noah Tucker, is a curious journalist who’s inquisitive personality leads her to get hooked in the search for the inmates. When a new girl arrives, people discover that her brother is in the prison and treat her poorly. Thanks to the way Kate Messner composes the book, we get to know both sides of the story and get to figure out what actually happens.
February 11, 2018
Definitely 4.5 stars! I like the varied format of text in the book and I LOVED the references to Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda), Jaqueline Woodson, and Nikki Grimes.
August 1, 2018
4.5 genius middle grade.
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