Written by: Walter Dean Myers
APA citation: Myers, W.D. (2009). Riot. New York: Egmont.
Cover image: http://www.amazon.com/Riot-Walter-Dean-Myers/dp/1606842099
My summary of the plot: In 1863, tensions rise between the Irish-American and African-American people in New York City. Fifteen-year-old Claire is the daughter of an Irish mother and a black father. Riots break out and Claire is torn between two worlds.
Keywords: Civil War, Irish American, African American
My assessment: This is a riveting look at a part of history that I knew nothing about. This screenplay examines the intersection of race and poverty as one minority is pitted against another. Claire, the main character, says with such innocence and naivete:
“Maybe, when this is all over, when the streets are quiet again, we’ll be able to sit down and sort it all out. Maybe one day we can even forget about the ugliness and not worry about what color we are…And anyone who walks through our front door can just be a human being.”
A hundred and fifty years later and it seems that America still has not reached this point. Perhaps if more students are exposed to texts like this, there will be more acceptance. In short, this is an engaging and enjoyable way to learn history.
Audio review: The full cast production was excellent. Even people that don’t ordinarily enjoy audio books would love this one.
Audio citation: Myers, W.D. (2009). Riot. [Audio Recording]. CITY: Listening Library
Review from a library journal: Written in screenplay format like his Printz Award–winning Monster, Myers’s historical novel is set in 1863 New York City during the Civil War draft riots, which began as a protest against conscription and resulted in a clash between the city’s Irish and African-American populations. The streets are no longer safe for 15-year-old Claire, whose parents (her father is black, her mother Irish) run the Peacock Inn restaurant/tavern. “I don’t see why you have to be a black person or a white person,” Claire says, after being cautioned to stay inside. “Why can’t you just be a person?” But when the Colored Orphan Asylum is looted and burned, Claire feels an obligation to help. Myers writes poignant dialogue, laying bare the prejudices of the period, while exploring Claire’s emotional transition out of childhood. Stage directions (“CLOSE-UP of MAEVE. Her face is a picture of incredible anger as she screams at the POLICE”) pull readers into both the setting and characters, though the transitions between scenes are occasionally jarring. Readers should find this story moving—a direct result of Myers’s empathetic portrayal of those on both sides. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)
Citation for book review: Riot. (2009). Publishers Weekly, 256(36), 48.
Recommendations for library or classroom use: This book would be excellent in a 7th or 8th grade classroom. It would be great for an all classroom read aloud. I would be less likely to recommend it for an individual to read.
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