Countdown (The Sixties Trilogy)
In this fantastic debut historical novel, 11-year-old Franny is growing up in the early 1960s against a backdrop of the Cuban Missle Crisis. What makes this book unique is the nonfiction component that Wiles integrates into the book. Between each chapter there are pages of real images from the 1960s that serve to help the reader better imagine the era.
Description
The story of a formative year in 12-year-old Franny Chapman's life, and the life of a nation facing the threat of nuclear war.
Franny Chapman just wants some peace. But that's hard to get when her best friend is feuding with her, her sister has disappeared, and her uncle is fighting an old war in his head. Her saintly younger brother is no help, and the cute boy across the street only complicates things. Worst of all, everyone is walking around just waiting for a bomb to fall. It's 1962, and it seems that the whole country is living in fear. When President Kennedy goes on television to say that Russia is sending nuclear missiles to Cuba, it only gets worse. Franny doesn't know how to deal with what's going on in the world -- no more than she knows how to deal with what's going on with her family and friends. But somehow she's got to make it through. Featuring a captivating story interspersed with footage from 1962, award-winning author Deborah Wiles has created a documentary novel that will put you right alongside Franny as she navigates a dangerous time in both her history and our history.
Praise for Countdown (The Sixties Trilogy)
Praise for Deborah Wiles:Love, Ruby Lavender"Wiles has created a timeless story of life and death, the bond between grandparent and grandchild, and the reality that, regardless, "life does go on." -BooklistEach Little Bird That SingsUnique characters, inventive names, a fresh voice and an honest portrayal of life and death are a match made in heaven a memorable tribute to the joys of living." -Kirkus Reviews