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Liked It “different, exciting, takes a while to get into, has pictures to describe the time-period, the ending is well-put; though a second book would be nice.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“I like the begining but it gets boaring in the middle
cade2000 wrote this review Wednesday, April 24, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
”“different, exciting, takes a while to get into, has pictures to describe the time-period, the ending is well-put; though a second book would be nice. ”
Amanda wrote this review Saturday, March 30, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Eleven-year-old Franny Chapman lives with her family just outside Andrews Air Force Base where her father is stationed as a jet pilot in October of 1962. Franny's quiet existence is about to be shattered in two ways: her best friend Margie has become a mortal enemy and the Russians have begun installing missiles in Cuba. Which of these two scenarios frightens Franny the most is hard to say but she certainly is deeply affected by the constant barrage of 'duck and cover' drills at school, nightly newscasts warning that missiles could reach as far as Montana, and dire television speeches by a grave-looking President Kennedy. All of this political upheaval causes stress at the Chapman home where Dad is on standby orders, Mom is stressed, college-aged sister JoEllen is secretly attending 'intellectual meetings', little brother Drew is obsessed with the space program and atoms, and great-uncle Otts wants to build a bomb shelter. As Franny struggles to have a normal life as a 5th grader she finds herself losing her best friend over petty jealousies and all of the combined turmoil makes Franny unsure there will be a tomorrow for anyone.
Ellen R wrote this review Saturday, March 23, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
It took me a very long time to feel any connection with the characters in the story (easily 1/2 way through the book) but I ended up liking them fairly well. The real gems in this novel are the black and white photos of the era, snippets of speeches by politicians of the day, phrases from the era's popular songs and even some biographies of influential people of the early 60's. I am old enough to remember the Cuban missle crisis but for some reason I have no recollection of it at all. Certainly I have read much about those frightening 13 days in October 1962 but I am astounded that it must not have impacted my life in the way it did Franny's. This may be a silly thing to take from this book but I wonder about those "duck and cover" drills. Did people really think that hiding under a desk or covering exposed skin with newspapers would save your life when the atom bomb detonated? I have a feeling that politicians and scientists all over the world knew we were doomed if the worst-case scenario happened and they used a cute little cartoon turtle named "Bert" who 'carries his shelter on his back' to make people think they could really do something to ensure their safety. This book is supposed to be the first in a trilogy set in the 1960's and I will probably read the other 2 when they are published.
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“Franny is 10 years old and living through the Cuban missile crisis in Maryland. There are interesting tidbits taken right from history scattered throughout the narration of Franny's life which give a great background for the thinking of the time. I liked it, but it was kind of depressing and frustrating because it makes you think of the power-hungry governments which sometimes drag their country into wars. Didn't realize it was the 1st of a trilogy until I was done. Don't know if I'll continue.”
Lynda wrote this review Thursday, March 21, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Read page 20”
Mrs. Purdy wrote this review Wednesday, March 13, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This book was pretty good, however, i did not like the main character. She just assumed that if an idea made sense, then that was the answer. Example: Her teacher skipped over her in class several times, so suddenly the teacher hated Franny. That was what Franny thought, but it was not correct. ”
Alissa wrote this review Friday, March 8, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I don't know anything about the sixties, except what my husband tells me. However, I do know the music, and it pervades this book that is full of music, pictures, and history...
Mrs. Kirr wrote this review Wednesday, February 27, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
It took me awhile to get into, but once I wanted to know about Uncle Otts, it moved quicker. Once Franny called her sister, Jo Ellen (pg 274), I couldn't stop reading it. I was moved by Franny's relationship with classmates - Deborah Wiles did a great job making me care for Franny - a sign of a good book!!
I'm going to use JFK's quote on page 379 in my classroom - we still need to hear this. Oh, and I learned a bit about the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. This might be the start of a series, as well, so I think I'll be learning more...”
“This book was good. There was some action and some family problems. Frannie is a very shy girl growing up in the cold war. With sirens going off in the middle of recess and confusion in that time. I would suggest this book for people who like dogs, friendship, cold war, and the 1960's. The ending is a little bit confusing though. ”
Seb Le Awesome L. wrote this review Monday, February 25, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“I completely loved this book”
Natalie wrote this review Monday, February 4, 2013. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
