Countdown Audiobook

" This was very interesting -- I really liked the news clippings and historical part of it. I liked the story about Franny too -- I'm not sure how much kid appeal this will have, but it was very well done, and should be a good classroom book. "

" The whole concept of this book is unique. There is a storyline of a young girl living in 1962. Throughout the book is photographes and articles of people and events of the 60's which really gives the reader the feel of the time period and teaches a lot of American history also. "

" I wanted to love this one and I thought the format was very cool, with the images and songs and posters from the 1960s sprinkled in. But the story itself did just about nothing for me. "

" I found this book to be extremely interesting. I loved the pictures as it brought back fond memories of growing up. I remember air raid drills but not the seriousness of the situation. I liked how history was integrated with the fictional story of Franny and her family. One minor detail is bothering me: I don't remember McDonald's placing food on trays and eating food at tables in 1962. I thought McDonald's was a carry out restaurant at that time. Anyone remember?? I am anxious for the next book in the trilogy. "

" North Carolina Children Book Award Nominee 2012 "

" Author Deborah Wiles calls this book a "documentary novel," and rightly so. Chronicling the 13 days of the Cuban Missile Crisis through the eyes of a fifth grade girl named Franny, Wiles successfully weaves historical photographs, 60's pop culture images, song lyrics throughout the powerful narrative. This is a must-read, and I'm happy to say this is the first of three books in Wiles' Sixties Trilogy. I read part of this book in my 10th grade English class during silent reading time. At one point in the book, I started laughing quietly to myself, but most of my students caught me, and they started laughing too. I can't wait to book-talk this novel to them. Perhaps my laughter was convincing enough. "

" Loved it. My daughter read this book in about three days. I decided to read it because she never reads a book this fast. It was wonderfully written. I would recommend it to kids and adults. "

" Historical fiction set in the US- early 60's-cold war, Cuban Missile Crisis,Discrimination, President Kennedy. Reminds you of the fear and anxiety felt by everyone in the 1960's. "

" I could not finish this book. It had the potential to be great. But I was bored from the start. I was reading it to see if this would be a good book for my reading classroom. I don't think my students would enjoy this book. "

" Loved how the various quotes, pics, and news bits are woven into the background of the story. "

" If you ever wondered what it was like to be a child during the Cuban missle crisis enter the world of this 5th grader, "

" This book brought back memories of my young life. Set near D.C. during the Cuban Missle Crisis, this 5th grade heroine has a lot to deal with. "

" This book was a blast to my past. It is historical fiction with lots of pictures, posters and memorabilia from the 60's, Cuban missile crisis and the cold war. I enjoyed the characters and the story line. "

" Loved the concept, loved the story "

" I loved the historical tidbits interspersed throughout. A great peek into the "typical" American family home of the 1960s. "

" Wow - makes you realize what kids went through during the Cold War 1950s. I still can see the bomb shelter sign at VHS & wondered why it was needed. "

" Thought it was totally amazing, a little hard to determine when exactly the time was set, but you know it's post-war. I really connected with the character. "

" This was a different approach of historical fiction. I did like the documentary approach and I felt I learned a lot about 1962. I enjoyed the story as well. I do not think it would do well in my classroom. The material is not relatable, but it could work for teens who are into history. "

" This book is a very cool and different representation of the cold war through the eyes of a young girl. I loved the inclusion of different media from the actual time period. My only complaint is that it is a bit long and I began to lose interest after awhile. "

" If Goodreads had half stars (why, oh why, do they not?), I would give this one 4.5 stars. Really looking forward to the other 2 books in this trilogy. Excellent period piece story -- the documentary touches really added to the book's atmospherics. "

" I love the format of this book. The real illustrations and pictures from the 1960s put you in the moment. "

" especially wonderful way to learn about the cuban missle crisis in story form and a lot of interesting tidbits about the 60's. I listened to audiobook...which I think is the way to go for this book because of the music and commercials done in such interesting voices. "

" This was such a unique reading experience. She categorizes this book as documentary fiction, and it really works having the narrative spliced with song lyrics, pictures from the 1960s, and speeches from that time period. "

" I'm liking the scrapbook aspect of this fiction story. It is useful for many young learners to have images to make history come alive. But I am unimpressed by the story. "

" I loved this book. It is laugh out loud funny, it is sweet, it is touching, and it is so believable. Garnet said it takes you back to your eleven year old self and I totally agree. I wold read this again!! 4 1/2 stars! "

" 1st in a planned trilogy - really liked the "documentary" format, with photos and quotes from the era. "

" I appreciate this historical fiction for children though readers would benefit from more context on the time (1962) than provided by the book alone. "

" This was a ok book. It showed a girl's perspective of living during the bomb raids in 1962. The only thing that I didn't like was that there were so many documentries through out the book. "

" Great docu-novel. As one raised in the sixties though it really touch my core. I remember the fear and duck and cover of elementary school (last friday of every month at 10 am) Can't wait for the other two books. "