Riot

By Mary Casanova

Book Overview

Based on actual events from 1989 in International Falls, Minnesota, Riot tells the story of sixth-grader Bryan, whose family becomes stressed when nonunion labor "rats" are hired by the local paper mill, leaving his father, a union worker, angry and out of a job. Tension erupts into daily fights at school and nightly acts of vandalism with no solution in sight. Already torn between his parents' opposing viewpoints on how to handle the escalating situation, Bryan's growing feelings for the daughter of a nonunion worker only complicate matters. Bryan tries to understand the turmoil affecting his home and his town, but it is becomes harder and harder to separate his friends from his enemies. And when he witnesses a violent act that implicates his father, he must wrestle with family loyalty and telling the truth.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0816692092
• ISBN13: 9780816692095
• Release Date: January 2014
• Publisher: University of Minnesota Press
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.1" x 8.2"
• Age Range: 10 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 8

Customer Reviews

Riot

This book is about a boy named Brian who finds himself stuckbetween his feelings and his dad. His dad is a paper mill woker whois on strike, and while the paper mill workers are on strike, their jobs have been temporarily taken by what the paper mill workers call "Rats". Brian finds that one day he saves the life of a "rat's" son and then soon discovers that the sister of the boy he saved is the girl he secretly likes. He now finds himself torn betweeen two sides, and doesn't know how to handle it. Brian then gets suspicious his father is committing illegal crimes that he denies being involved in. Bryan doesn't know anymore who to side with: his dad who's always been there for him or the girl that has started showing interest in him that he has liked secretly? Although this book is short, it has a complex story to it. If I were to rate it, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars, because it was a great book. The ending, however, leaves you hanging and it could've been longer.